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!
Easy Beef Stir Fry
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:)
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!
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
Stir Fry 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 make a pretty classic stir fry with:
- Red bell pepper
- Carrots
- Snow peas
- Green onions
Other good veggies include:
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Mushrooms
- Brussels sprouts
- Green beans
- Water chestnuts
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.
- Serve it over rice or noodles and garnish with sesame seeds and herbs. Serve it warm and watch your family devour!
How to Serve
You can serve the Beef 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 the stir fry with sesame seeds, a little fresh cilantro or Thai basil, and sliced green onions and you are good to go! Dinner is served!
More Easy Weeknight Dinners
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.
Nutrition Facts
Beef Stir Fry
Amount Per Serving
Calories 216 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 2g10%
Cholesterol 45mg15%
Sodium 729mg30%
Potassium 437mg12%
Carbohydrates 15g5%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 19g38%
Vitamin A 2667IU53%
Vitamin C 44mg53%
Calcium 42mg4%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Photos by Dishing Out Health