For many people, the traditional Chinese Beef Stir-Fry is a favorite restaurant dish, but it’s loaded with unnecessary fat and calories. I’ve made some simple, healthy swaps to this flavorful dish, and it is still just as tasty! Loaded with beef, broccoli, snow peas, bell pepper, and a hint of orange, this is a flavorful bright healthy meal everyone loves.
Like stir fry? Check out my vegetable stir fry with shrimp as another delicious option for dinner.
Chinese Beef Stir Fry Recipe
This recipe has all the flavor that you would find at a restaurant or if you ordered take-out but without the excess salt and processed sauce ingredients. This recipe packs bold flavor in every bite!
If there are leftovers, allow the beef to marinate in the ginger-orange sauce overnight and pack it for lunch the next day as it will reheat and serve just as good on the second day. For another Asian inspired dish, check out my Skinny Chicken Fried Rice.
How do you cook tender stir-fry beef?
- Select An Appropriate Cut of Beef. Choose a cut of steaks such as flank steak or better.
- Slice Against The Grain. Inspect the steak and look for long muscle fibers.
- Cut Thin Slices. Make thin cuts about 1/4 inch or thinner.
- Toss With Corn Starch.
- Don’t Overcook.
What is the best beef for this recipe?
Most tender beef cuts, such as sirloin, tri-tip, ribeye, top loin (strip), tenderloin, shoulder center (Ranch Steak), shoulder top blade (Flat Iron) and shoulder petite tender, can be cut into strips for use in stir-fry recipes. Flank steak is one of my favorites for the price and how easy it is to cut on the bias for thinner slices that cook up tender.
You can try any steak cut you prefer for this, but know that some will result in a tougher bite than others.
Variations to Chinese Beef Stir-Fry
- Try swapping out the beef for sliced chicken or pork
- Add in extra vegetables or replace the beef with mushrooms, making this a vegetarian meal
- Make this dish in a pressure cooker or slow cooker
- Serve this dish with rice or over noodles
Ingredients
- Beef strips
- Broccoli
- Bell pepper
- Snow peas
- Water chestnuts
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Cornstarch
- Ginger
- Soy sauce
- Orange juice
- Garlic
- Peanut oil
How do you make Chinese Beef Stir-Fry
Season the beef with salt and pepper, to taste.
Place the seasoned beef and cornstarch in a resealable gallon-sized bag and shake it to coat each piece.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the ginger, soy sauce, and orange juice and set it next to the wok or skillet.
Over high heat, heat a wok or large nonstick skillet with tall sides. When hot, add the oil and swirl it around to coat the surface. The oil will look like it is rippling.
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the wok, and stir them around until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and take them out, reserving them on a plate.
Add the coated beef to the skillet, stirring it around for 1-2 minutes.
With the beef still in the skillet, add the broccoli, bell pepper, snow peas, and water chestnuts and stir them around until tender-crisp, about 2-4 minutes.
Add the set-aside sauce and cooked garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened and coating the beef and vegetables, about for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, and serve with optional rice as desired.
Chinese Beef Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- ¾ pound pre-cut stir fry beef strips such as sirloin, tri-tip, ribeye
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons less-sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup light orange juice
- 2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- pinch of red pepper flakes add more for more heat
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 red bell pepper sliced thin
- ½ cup snow peas deveined
- ¼ cup water chestnuts
Optional*:
- rice
Instructions
- Season the beef with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Place the seasoned beef and cornstarch in a resealable gallon-sized bag and shake it to coat each piece.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the ginger, soy sauce, and orange juice and set it next to the wok or skillet.
- Over high heat, heat a wok or large nonstick skillet with tall sides. When hot, add the oil and swirl it around to coat the surface. The oil will look like it is rippling.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the wok, and stir them around until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and take them out, reserving them on a plate.
- Add the coated beef to the skillet, stirring it around for 1-2 minutes.
- With the beef still in the skillet, add the broccoli, bell pepper, snow peas, and water chestnuts and stir them around until tender-crisp, about 2-4 minutes.
- Add the set-aside sauce and cooked garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened and coating the beef and vegetables, about for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, and serve with optional rice as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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