Description
This Easy Beef Stir Fry is a quick and flavorful dish featuring tender flank steak and vibrant vegetables tossed in a savory soy-ginger sauce. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, it’s packed with nutrition and comes together in about an hour, delivering a delicious balance of protein and fresh veggies with a hint of sweetness from brown sugar and crunch from toasted sesame seeds.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef Marinade
- 1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced across the grain (½ inch thick, 2 inch long strips)
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
Vegetables
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup snow peas
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green onion, sliced
Sauce
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
Other
- 2 Tablespoons cooking oil (vegetable or canola oil recommended)
- 2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Marinate the beef: Slice the flank steak thinly across the grain into strips about ½ inch thick and 2 inches long. Place the beef in a freezer bag or medium bowl, add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, then toss to coat evenly. Let it marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to tenderize the meat and enhance flavor.
- Prepare the vegetables: While the beef marinates, wash and cut the broccoli into florets, shred the carrots, slice the red bell pepper, and wash the snow peas. Slice the green onion and set it aside for garnish.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup soy sauce, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon ground ginger until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is well combined. Set aside.
- Heat the oil: Place a large skillet or wok over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Allow the oil to get hot enough for frying, shimmering but not smoking.
- Cook the beef in batches: Add half of the marinated beef to the hot skillet, spreading it out so it doesn’t crowd. Fry for about 3 minutes until the beef is browned and seared. Remove the cooked beef from the skillet and set aside. Repeat with the remaining beef. Cooking in batches ensures the beef sears properly instead of steaming.
- Cook vegetables: Add the prepared broccoli, shredded carrots, snow peas, and red bell pepper (excluding green onions) to the same skillet. Stir-fry for 2 minutes over high heat until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
- Combine beef and sauce: Return the cooked beef to the skillet with the vegetables. Pour in the prepared sauce and stir everything together to coat the ingredients evenly. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until heated through and sauce slightly thickens.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle the sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds over the top of the stir fry for fresh flavor and crunch.
- Serving suggestion: Serve this flavorful beef stir fry hot over steamed rice or your favorite noodles for a complete and satisfying meal.
Notes
- Marinating the beef with cornstarch helps it stay tender and gives a slight velvety texture when cooked.
- Do not crowd the skillet when frying the beef; cooking in batches ensures a good sear.
- Use high heat for stir-frying to achieve crisp vegetables and perfect beef texture.
- Feel free to swap or add other vegetables such as snap peas, mushrooms, or baby corn according to preference.
- For extra heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of sriracha to the sauce.
- To keep this gluten-free, use tamari soy sauce instead of regular soy sauce.
