Beef Stir Fry Recipe – Two Peas & Their Pod

Quick Summary

This easy Beef Stir Fry is a weeknight dinner favorite and is easy to make at home. It has tender beef, a flavorful sauce, and lots of colorful veggies. Serve with rice or noodles for a well-rounded meal!

Beef Stir Fry in bowl with rice and fork.

This Beef Stir Fry recipe is the best kind of meal! It has tender, thin-sliced beef, a flavorful sauce, and a delicious blend of crunchy vegetables. Serve it over rice or noodles and everyone is happy! It is one of my boys’ favorite meals, they even eat the veggies which is aa major win!

I also love this stir fry recipe because the leftovers are great! Heat up for lunch or enjoy for a quick and easy dinner! I am all about not cooking, when I don’t have to:)

snow peas, carrots, and red pepper strips stir-frying in skillet.

Beef, it’s What’s for Dinner!

This Beef Stir Fry starts with beef, of course! It provides a great base and cooks to perfection. Flank steak and sirloin are your best cuts of meat for this stir fry because they are tender, affordable, and we often have some in our freezer.

Cut the steak, against the grain to shorten the muscle fibers, which will help tenderize the meat. You want the strips to be thin, about 1/4-inch thick, so the pieces will cook quickly. Plus, the bite size pieces make it easy to eat!

Beef stir fry with vegetables in skillet with wooden spoon.

Stir Fry Sauce

The secret is in the sauce! This sauce is made with pantry staples and comes together in no time. It adds so much flavor and really brings the whole dish together.

Soy sauce
Beef broth
Rice wine vinegar
Minced fresh ginger
Garlic
Brown sugar
Chili garlic sauce
Hoisin sauce
Cornstarch

Vegetables

You can really stir fry any of your favorite vegetables! This is a great recipe for using up whatever is in the veggie drawer. We like to use:

Red bell pepper
Carrots
Snow peas
Green onions

Other good veggies include:

Broccoli
Cauliflower
Mushrooms
Brussels sprouts
Green beans
Water chestnuts

beef stir fry in bowl with vegetables, rice, and fork and stir fry in skillet.

How to Make Beef Stir Fry

Get the beef started! Season it with salt and pepper, then place it with cornstarch and rice wine vinegar in a bowl to sit while you make the sauce.
The sauce is made by combining the soy sauce, beef broth, rice wine vinegar, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, chili garlic sauce, hoisin sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl and giving it a good whisk until combined.
Now we stir fry! In a large wok (or a saute pan!) heat the oil over medium-high heat and cook the beef in two batches. You want to brown each side for 1-2 minutes, then pull it from the pan and set it aside.
Keep that pan hot! Add in the red bell pepper, carrot, and snow peas. Cook them until tender (about 3-5 minutes) with just an occasional stir.
Stir in the sauce and add the beef. The cornstarch in the sauce will make it thicken after about 2 minutes! Finish with the green onions and fresh herbs, if desired.

How to Serve

You can serve the stir fry over rice or noodles. Quinoa would also be good, use whatever is in your pantry. If you don’t want a starch, enjoy as is or serve in lettuce cups.

Garnish with sesame seeds, a little fresh cilantro or Thai basil, and sliced green onions and you are good to go! Dinner is served!

How to Store

To Store: Place leftovers in an airtight storage container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To Reheat: Gently rewarm beef and vegetables in a skillet on the stove over medium-low heat. You can also reheat in the microwave.
To Freeze: Store cooled beef and vegetables in an airtight, freezer container or bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

close up of beef stir fry with vegetables and herbs in bowl with rice and fork.

More Easy Weeknight Dinners

Main Dishes

Beef Stir Fry

For the Beef:

1 pound thinly sliced beef
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

For the sauce:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the Stir Fry:

2 tablespoons oil
1 large red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1 large carrot, thinly sliced on the diagonal
6 oz snow peas
2 green onions, sliced

For Serving:

Rice or Noodles
Sesame Seeds
Fresh cilantro or Thai Basil

Season the beef with salt and pepper. Place the sliced beef, cornstarch, and rice wine vinegar in a large bowl and let sit while you make the sauce.
To make the sauce, combine the soy sauce, beef broth, rice wine vinegar, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, chili garlic sauce, hoisin sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk until well combined.
In a large wok or sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Cook the beef in two batches, browning on each side for about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.
Add the red bell pepper, carrot, and snow peas to the hot pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir in the sauce and add the beef. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add the green onions.
Serve over rice or noodles. Garnish with sesame seeds and herbs, if desired. Serve warm.

Store leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze for up to 3 months.

Calories: 216kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 45mg, Sodium: 729mg, Potassium: 437mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 2667IU, Vitamin C: 44mg, Calcium: 42mg, Iron: 2mg