Beef Stir Fry
This Beef Stir Fry has tender steak, crisp, colorful vegetables and the best stir fry sauce. It’s an easy, healthy meal that the whole family will love!
Beef Stir Fry Recipe
I love making stir fry for dinner because it’s so easy! Chop a few veggies and a protein, mix up an easy sauce and then a quick cook in a hot skillet and dinner is done! All you’ll need to round out the meal is some cooked rice or noodles.
Like my favorite Chicken Stir Fry and Shrimp Stir Fry, this beef stir fry recipe features my simple homemade Stir Fry Sauce. This sauce is a reader favorite, and for good reason. It’s made with real, recognizable ingredients and so flavorful. It thickens up quickly once you pour it into the skillet and the flavors of fresh ginger, garlic and soy sauce complement the beef perfectly.
My best tip for making stir fry is to prep all of the ingredients before you start cooking. Mix up the sauce, slice the beef and chop the vegetables. Once you start cooking, the recipe moves very quickly. Now let’s make stir fry!
Beef Stir Fry Recipe Ingredients
The basic formula for this stir fry recipe is 1 pound of steak to 4 cups of vegetables and 1 cup of stir fry sauce. This beef stir fry is a great clean out the fridge recipe because you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand. Here’s a look at the ingredients you’ll need, along with substitution options.
- Oil: For stir-frying the steak and vegetables. I like to use avocado oil because it has a high smoke point.
- Steak: Use a tender cut of beef, such as sirloin steak. Flank steak will also work.
- Black Pepper: To season the beef.
- Vegetables: I used broccoli (try my Beef and Broccoli recipe next!), carrots, red bell pepper and snow peas. Other vegetables that work well in stir fry include sugar snap peas, asparagus, mushrooms, bok choy, zucchini and baby corn.
- Green Onions: For mild onion flavor.
Stir Fry Sauce
- Beef Broth: Low sodium broth is best because the soy sauce (even low sodium) already adds plenty of salt. You can use chicken broth or vegetable broth, or even water in a pinch. Just know that if you use water, you’ll sacrifice a bit of flavor.
- Soy Sauce: Use a low sodium soy sauce.
- Honey: Adds just a bit of sweetness to balance out the savory flavors.
- Sesame Oil: Brings a hint of sesame flavor. If you don’t have any on hand, you can omit it and the stir fry will still be delicious.
- Fresh Ginger: One of my favorite stir fry sauce ingredients, it adds so much flavor.
- Garlic: For flavor!
- Cornstarch: To thicken the sauce.
- Red Pepper Flakes: These are optional, for spice.
How to Make Beef Stir Fry
Here is an overview of the recipe steps. Find the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts below.
Make the sauce. Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl.
Cook the steak. In a large skillet or wok, cook the steak strips until browned and cooked through. Transfer the beef to a clean plate.
Stir fry the veggies. Start with the firmest veggies, the broccoli and carrots. After 2 minutes add the bell peppers and snow peas and cook for 2 more minutes.
Put it all together. Pour the sauce into the skillet, along with the beef. Cook for 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Stir in the green onions.
Serve the stir fry over white rice, brown rice or noodles. Then enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Slice the beef thinly, and cut against the grain. This will make each bite tender.
- Add the firmest vegetables to the pan first, followed by quicker-cooking veggies.
- Stir the sauce again before adding it to the pan to recombine the ingredients. The cornstarch tends to sink to the bottom of the bowl.
- Don’t overcook the vegetables. Add the sauce and cooked beef to the pan when the veggies are still crisp-tender. They will soften a bit more in the sauce.
Make Ahead Tips
- The stir fry sauce can be made up to one week ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container.
- The vegetables can be washed and chopped up to two days ahead, and stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them.
- Leftover stir fry can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
Beef Stir Fry
Ingredients
Stir Fry Sauce
- ½ cup low sodium beef broth
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ⅛-¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
Stir Fry
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, or olive oil, divided
- 1 pound sirloin steak or flank steak, thinly sliced into bite-size pieces
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups bite-sized broccoli florets
- 2 medium carrots, sliced thinly on the diagonal
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin slices
- 1 cup snow peas or snap peas
- 4 green onions, white and light green parts only, sliced
For Serving
- rice or noodles
- sesame seeds, optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Combine all stir fry sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the beef to the pan and sprinkle evenly with the black pepper. Cook until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the beef to a clean plate.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the broccoli and carrots and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add the bell peppers and snow peas or snap peas to the pan and continue stir frying the vegetables until crisp-tender, about 2 more minutes.
- Whisk the stir fry sauce to recombine. Add the sauce to the pan, followed by the cooked beef. Cook for about 2 minutes, until sauce has thickened.
- Stir in the green onions. Serve stir fry over cooked rice or noodles, with a sprinkle of sesame seeds if desired.
Notes
- The stir fry sauce can be made up to one week ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. The vegetables can be washed and chopped up to two days ahead, and stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
We have an abundance of venison so I’m always looking for a way to prepare it so the gamey taste is not prevalent. One trick is to soak the meat in whole milk for 24 hrs, which I had, then prepare. This recipe worked excellent with the venison! Super tender, no game taste either. The combo of the veggies was great. Except for the pre soak of the meat I followed the recipe as is. Great success, it’s a keeper.