Quick & Easy Beef Stir Fry Recipe

🛒 Ingredients You'll Need

This recipe is extremely versatile and that's one of the reasons this is the best beef stir fry recipe out there. There are some core ingredients that are essential for that unmatched flavor you won't find in other versions. The best beef to use for this steak stir fry is flat iron steak, flank steak, or sirloin. Flank tends to be a little tough, which is why I love using flat iron steak. Next to filet mignon, flat iron steak is the most tender cut you can buy. It has amazing marbling and texture. You can find it at your local grocery store and is not overly expensive.

You can use any combination of vegetables you want, but fresh is best. I'm not a fan of using frozen vegetables in this dish because they lack the crisp vibrance and flavor fresh vegetables deliver in every bite. I tend to use fresh broccoli, bell peppers, fresh sliced mushrooms, and water chestnuts. Asparagus, snow peas, onions, and bean sprouts are other good vegetable choices you can add.

For the sauce, the core ingredients I use are soy sauce, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, and sliced green onions. That's all you need to make the most delicious beef stir fry sauce. To make the sauce thicker, use a cornstarch slurry which consists of cornstarch and water.

👩‍🍳 How To Make Beef Tender

A well-marbled piece of beef, like flat iron steak and filet mignon, will naturally be tender. But you can also tenderize other cuts such as flank, skirt, and sirloin fairly easy. These tend to be less expensive which is why they are used in a lot of beef stir fry recipes. The velveting technique is popular because it's easy and quick to do. Velveting involves tossing the beef with either baking soda or using cornstarch and some type of salty and acidic liquid such as rice vinegar or soy sauce. Some people even add an egg white. Once those ingredients are combined, let it marinate for 30 minutes and then saute the meat in oil. Velveting works well for tenderizing because it binds the meat and keeps moisture inside from escaping before cooking.

Cutting against the grain is also key to ensuring steak is tender. You can use this technique on any cut of beef and by cutting against the grain, it will help break down the fibers which makes it easier to chew. To do this, look closely at the way the grains (long lines in the meat) are running on the steak. Using a sharp knife, slice at a slight angle in the opposite direction the lines are running across the long lines, about ¼ inch thick. Make sure you are not slicing parallel with the lines.

📋 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

Start by chopping the fresh vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Wash thoroughly and set aside. Next, start preparing the stir fry sauce. Add the soy sauce, finely chopped ginger, chopped garlic, and green onion slices to a small bowl. Whisk to combine and then set aside.

Add the raw chopped vegetables to the skillet with the juice remaining from the steak.  Stir-fry over medium-high heat until the vegetables just begin to wilt, about 3-5 minutes.

Next, add the partially cooked beef into the skillet with the stir-fried vegetables. Toss to combine and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add the sauce and mix to combine. Continue to stir fry for 3-5 more minutes until the vegetables are al dente. You want the vegetables to be slightly crunchy.

If the sauce is still a bit too thin for your preference, you can thicken the sauce by adding a cornstarch slurry. To thicken the sauce, add one tablespoon of cornstarch to one tablespoon of water into a small bowl. While the skillet is still on medium heat, whisk the ingredients together until it forms a slurry. Then, whisk the cornstarch slurry into the beef and vegetable mixture and toss until the sauce starts to thicken, about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and set it aside.

You are now ready to enjoy! One of the best skillet dinners you will ever make, it's filling, extremely tasty, and leaves people coming back for more!

🍽️ How To Serve

I enjoy this dish with rice or with noodles. Chow mein noodles pair amazingly well. To make this an even more healthy beef stir fry, try serving it with brown rice or completely on its own. You don't have to serve it with a starchy carb. I enjoy eating just the steak and veggies stir-fried in the garlic ginger sauce. It's out of this world delicious! You also have the option to wrap the mixture in lettuce and enjoy eating them as lettuce cups. Boston and iceberg lettuce both work really well.

🙋🏼 Frequently Ask Questions

💭 Expert Tips

• You can prepare the steak and vegetables 24 hours ahead of time and place them in a sealed container in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook. You can also stir the sauce ingredients together up to 24 hours in advance. Make sure to store the meat, vegetables, and sauce separately in the refrigerator.
• Using fresh vegetables is best. If you use frozen veggies, let the vegetables thaw completely before adding them to the skillet, ensuring you pat away any excess moisture.
• If you choose to use asparagus in this dish, you'll need to parboil the asparagus pieces for 2 minutes, drain them, and then rinse them in cold water. From there, saute the asparagus in a wok or skillet in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for about 2 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the skillet and then add the asparagus with the other vegetables.
• To make it easier to slice, put the steak in the freezer 15 minutes before slicing.
• Don't overcook the steak. Overcooking the sliced beef will make it tough and dry. As soon as the thinly sliced strips of beef have minimal to no pink, the steak is done.
• Store any remaining leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• To freeze, store the cooked beef and vegetables in an airtight freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, allow the cooked meat and vegetables to thaw in the refrigerator and then warm in a skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Prepare and add the stir fry sauce during the reheating process.

🥩 More Steak Recipes

I love any dish where the star of the show is steak. And I have a lot of amazing steak recipes you need to try! For example, this steak with creamy balsamic mushroom sauce is delicious and perfect when you want to make a dinner that will impress! It's easy to make and pan-seared to perfection! And if you're looking for an amazing steak marinade recipe, you'll love this one! It's the absolute best steak marinade recipe that will quickly become your "go-to" for any cut of steak! 

I can't wait to hear how this recipe turned out for you! If you’ve tried this or any other recipe of mine on the website, make sure you rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Make sure you sign up for my newsletter here so you never miss a recipe I'm making!!

Quick & Easy Beef Stir Fry Recipe

Stir fries are great for dinner and this one is ready in less than 30 minutes! This beef stir fry recipe is made with tender steak cooked in a quick and tasty stir fry sauce with fresh and colorful vegetables.

5 from 9 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Asian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 159kcal

Author: Amanda Mason

Equipment

• ▢
  Deep Skillet or Wok

Ingredients

For The Stir Fry

• ▢ 1 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ ½ lb fresh broccoli cut into bite-sized pieces
• ▢ 1 lb flank steak or flat iron steak, sliced and cut into thin strips, 2 inches long and ¼ inch wide
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper, seeded, de-ribbed, and cut into thin strips 2 inches long and ¼ inch wide
• ▢ 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
• ▢ 1 8 ounce can water chestnuts, drained and sliced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch, optional for slurry
• ▢ 1 tablespooon water, optional for slurry

For The Sauce

• ▢ 3 tablespoons soy sauce,
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• ▢ 1 garlic clove, minced
• ▢ 1 green onion, sliced

Instructions

• Start by chopping the fresh vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Wash thoroughly and set aside.
• Next, start preparing the stir fry sauce. Add the soy sauce, finely chopped ginger, chopped garlic, and green onion slices to a small bowl. Whisk to combine and then set aside.
• Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet or wok over medium-high heat and saute the beef strips in 2 batches, for 2-3 minutes, until browned but still pink inside. Remove the steak from the skillet and set aside. 
• Add the raw chopped vegetables to the skillet with the juice remaining from the steak. 
• Stir-fry over medium-high heat until the vegetables just begin to wilt, about 3-5 minutes.
• Next, add the partially cooked beef into the skillet with the stir fried vegetables. Toss to combine and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Add the stir fry sauce and mix to combine. Continue to stir fry for 3-5 more minutes until the vegetables are al dente.

  Expert Tip: You want the vegetables to be slightly crunchy.
• If the sauce is still a bit too thin for your preference, you can thicken the stir fry sauce by adding a cornstarch slurry. To thicken the sauce, add one tablespoon of cornstarch to one tablespoons of water into a small bowl.
• While the skillet is still on medium-heat, whisk the ingredients together until it forms a slurry. Then, whisk the cornstarch slurry into the beef and vegetable stir fry and toss until the sauce starts to thicken, about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
• Serve over rice, noodles, or enjoy it without the added carbs!

Notes

• To make it easier to slice, put the steak in the freezer 15 minutes before slicing.
• You can prepare the steak and vegetables 24 hours ahead of time and place them in a sealed container in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook. You can also stir the sauce ingredients together up to 24 hours in advance. Make sure to store the meat, vegetables, and sauce separately in the refrigerator.
• Using fresh vegetables is best. If you use frozen veggies, let the vegetables thaw completely before adding them,, ensuring you pat dry any excess moisture.
• If you choose to use asparagus in this dish, you'll need to parboil the asparagus pieces for 2 minutes, drain, and then rinse in cold water. From there, saute the asparagus in a wok or skillet in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for about 2 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the skillet and then add in the asparagus with the other vegetables.
• Don't overcook the steak. Overcooking the sliced beef will make it tough and dry. As soon as the thinly sliced strips of beef have minimal to no pink, the steak is done.
• Store any remaining leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• To freeze, store the cooked beef and vegetables in an airtight freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. To re-heat, allow the cooked meat and vegetables to thaw in the refrigerator and then warm in a skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Prepare and add the sauce during the reheating process.

Nutrition

Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 84mg | Potassium: 550mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 876IU | Vitamin C: 60mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg

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Update Notes: This post was originally published in March 2012, but was re-published with updated step-by-step instructions, pictures, and tips in January 2022.