Beef Stir Fry Quick (Printable)
Tender beef and crisp vegetables come together in a savory Asian-inspired sauce, perfect for fast, flavorful meals.
# What You Need:
→ Beef
01 - 1 lb flank steak or sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain
→ Marinade
02 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
03 - 1 tbsp cornstarch
04 - 1 tbsp dry sherry or rice wine
05 - 1 tsp sesame oil
→ Vegetables
06 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
07 - 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
08 - 1 small broccoli head, cut into florets
09 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
10 - 2 spring onions, sliced
11 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
12 - 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
→ Sauce
13 - 3 tbsp soy sauce
14 - 2 tbsp oyster sauce
15 - 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
16 - 1 tbsp honey
17 - 2 tbsp water
18 - 1 tsp cornstarch
→ For Cooking
19 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
# How To Cook:
01 - Combine beef with soy sauce, cornstarch, sherry, and sesame oil in a bowl and mix well. Marinate for 10 minutes.
02 - Whisk together all sauce ingredients until smooth and set aside.
03 - Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add marinated beef and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until browned and just cooked through. Remove beef from wok and set aside.
04 - Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the wok. Stir-fry garlic, ginger, and spring onions for 30 seconds until fragrant.
05 - Add broccoli and carrots to the wok and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add bell peppers and cook for another 2 minutes until vegetables are crisp-tender.
06 - Return beef to the wok, pour in sauce, and toss together. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until sauce thickens and coats beef and vegetables evenly.
07 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra spring onions or sesame seeds if desired. Best accompanied by steamed rice or noodles.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It tastes like takeout but comes together in 30 minutes, which means you get to feel fancy without the delivery fee or the wait.
- The sauce clings to everything beautifully, making even simple vegetables taste exciting and intentional.
- High heat cooking means crisp edges and tender centers, plus your kitchen gets that movie-scene steakhouse vibe.
02 -
- Slice your beef against the grain and keep it thin—I made this mistake once by cutting it the lazy way and ended up chewing instead of eating, which completely changes the experience.
- Have everything prepped and ready before you start cooking because from the moment you turn on the heat, you have maybe 8 minutes total, and scrambling for ingredients ruins the whole vibe.
- Don't walk away from a hot wok or you'll end up with burnt edges and undercooked centers, which I learned when I tried to answer a text message mid-stir.
03 -
- Slice your beef and vegetables while the marinade is sitting so you're genuinely ready when it's time to cook—this is the single most helpful thing I've learned about staying sane in the kitchen.
- If your sauce doesn't thicken enough, mix a tiny bit of cornstarch with cold water and add a teaspoon at a time until you get the gloss you want.