Beef Stir Fry
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Beef Stir Fry
Beef stir fry is a fast weeknight dinner that beats takeout on flavor and cost. The two tricks are a quick cornstarch coating on the beef, which gives it a silky texture, and a screaming hot pan so everything sears instead of steams. Have every ingredient cut and the sauce mixed before you turn on the heat, because once you start it moves fast. Serve it over rice with chopsticks and dinner is done in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Cooked white rice, for serving
Directions
- Toss the sliced beef with the cornstarch until coated. In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, and beef broth to make the sauce.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until shimmering. Add the beef in a single layer and sear undisturbed 1 minute, then stir-fry until just browned, about 2 minutes. Remove to a plate.
- Add the last tablespoon of oil. Stir-fry the bell pepper and broccoli 3 to 4 minutes, until crisp-tender.
- Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Return the beef to the pan, pour in the sauce, and toss 1 to 2 minutes until it thickens and coats everything.
- Serve hot over rice.
Tips and variations
- Slice the beef against the grain and thin. It cooks fast and stays tender that way.
- Get the pan truly hot before the beef goes in. A crowded cool pan steams the meat gray.
- Swap in snap peas, carrots, or mushrooms for whatever vegetables you have on hand.
- Freezing the steak for 20 minutes firms it up and makes thin slicing much easier.
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Common questions
- What is the best cut of beef for stir fry
- Flank steak, skirt steak, or sirloin all work well. Slice thin and against the grain so the strips stay tender.
- Why is my stir fry beef tough
- Usually the slices are too thick or cut with the grain, or the pan was overcrowded. Thin slices against the grain in a hot pan stay tender.
- Can I make the sauce ahead
- Yes. Whisk it together and keep it in the fridge for up to three days. Stir before adding so the cornstarch in the broth is even.
- What should I serve with beef stir fry
- Steamed white or brown rice is classic. Fried rice or lo mein noodles also work, and chopsticks make it feel like takeout night.
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