This Beef Stir-Fry combines tender beef, crisp veggies, and a homemade sauce that brings restaurant-style flavor to an easy weeknight dinner. Serve it over seasoned rice, low-carb cauliflower rice, or sesame ramen noodles to soak up every bit of the delicious sauce.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights: Beef Stir Fry
- Flavor: Savory, slightly sweet, and citrusy, with bright orange, a warm spicy kick from the ginger and garlic, and a rich sesame-soy finish.
- Why Make It: Cooking the beef and vegetables separately keeps the steak browned and the vegetables crisp-tender.
- Tools: A wok is handy, but a large skillet works just as well and gives the beef room to brown.
Total Time: 50 Mins (20 Mins Prep) Servings: 4 Cooking Method: Stovetop
Ingredient Notes
- Steak: Flank steak or sirloin steak both work well. Flank steak has a rich, beefy flavor, while sirloin is a little more tender. Or replace with skirt steak.
- Vegetables: Use about 4 cups of your favorite mixed vegetables. Bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, snap peas, mushrooms, and onions all work well. Cut everything into similar-sized pieces so the vegetables cook evenly.
- Orange Juice: Adds natural sweetness and bright acidity to balance the savory soy sauce. Pineapple juice is a good substitute if you prefer a slightly sweeter, more tropical flavor.
- Low-Sodium Soy Sauce: Adds salty, savory flavor without making the sauce overly salty. Tamari or coconut aminos can be used as alternatives.
- Brown Sugar: Light or dark brown sugar both work well, or swap for honey.
How to Make Beef Stir Fry
- Whisk the sauce ingredients (full recipe below), slice the beef across the grain, and toss it with cornstarch.
- Cook the beef in batches in a hot skillet, then set it aside.
- Stir-fry the vegetables, then remove them from the skillet.
- Simmer the sauce, whisk in the cornstarch slurry, then return the beef and vegetables to the pan.
Reheat and Repeat
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store rice or noodles separately when possible so they don’t absorb all of the sauce.
- Freeze the beef stir fry in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. The beef and sauce freeze well, although some vegetables will be softer after thawing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat leftovers in a skillet over medium heat. If the sauce has thickened, add a splash of water or broth.
Stir-Fry Favorites at Home
Did you enjoy this Beef Stir Fry? Leave a comment and rating below.
Beef Stir Fry
Tender strips of beef and crisp vegetables are tossed in a sweet and savory orange ginger sauce. This easy beef stir fry brings takeout-style flavor to the dinner table.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound flank steak or sirloin steak
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 cups mixed vegetables
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
For the Sauce
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- ⅓ cup water
- ¼ cup less sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar light or dark
- 1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk the sauce ingredients except cornstarch. Set aside.
- Trim any silverskin, connective tissue, or large bits of fat from the beef. Cut ¼-inch slices across the grain.
- Season the beef with salt & pepper and toss with cornstarch. Set aside while you prepare the vegetables.
- Cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
- In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef and cook until browned, about 2 to 3 minutes (beef does not need to be cooked through). Transfer to a bowl and repeat with the remaining beef.
- Add the vegetables to the skillet, adding more oil if needed, and cook until tender-crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the beef.
- To make the sauce, reduce the heat to medium. Stir the sauce, pour it into the skillet, and bring to a simmer. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water (or broth).
- Gradually add the cornstarch slurry to the simmering sauce while whisking to reach the desired consistency, you may not use all of the cornstarch mixture. Let simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add the vegetables and beef with any juices to the pan and cook until heated through. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
- Serve with noodles or over rice.
Notes
- For easier slicing, place the beef in the freezer for 15 minutes before cutting.
- Prepare all ingredients ahead of time, as a stir-fry comes together quickly.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan, or the beef won’t crisp.
- The meat, vegetables, and sauce can be prepared and stored separately for up to 48 hours before cooking.
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 423 | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 681mg | Potassium: 863mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 9285IU | Vitamin C: 29.9mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 3.9mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Chinese© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
That looks amazing but HELP, my wife will not eat any kind of peppers! Do you have a suggestion for me regarding vegetables?
You can replace the peppers with any vegetable! Cabbage, broccoli, snap peas, carrots, celery, mushrooms, bok choy, or onions are all great in stirfry.
This is the most amazing stir fry!! I never leave reviews but wow! This one was worth a 5 star!!
Thank you for your review Deedee! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I’ve made this a few times. Always delicious especially with fresh garden vegetables. This time, at the step to heat the sauce, I added some additional orange juice and to make it a one-pot meal, I cooked Chinese instant noodles (the 2 to 3 minute egg noodle type) in the sauce and omitted the cornstarch. The sauce is a bit runnier but it worked fine. Looking forward to leftovers for tomorrow.
Made this over the weekend. Delicious! It was a big hit.
Hi – it looks so good. I want to use chicken, rather than beef. Are there any changes to your recipe if chicken is used? Thanks a lot!
This recipe works well with Chicken swapped in for the beef. But we also have this chicken stir fry recipe that is delicious.
For those who really have to watch sodium (me) I use Amino’s. There are a couple just check how much. Depends on where you live or it is available. I use coconut. Sooooo much better especially if you retain water.
Is that chop suey in the picture along with the noodles. And how much chop suey?
No Chop Suey was used in this recipe Ann.
This is soooooooo yummy!
Saw one of your recipes, a stir fry, using strips of sirloin steak and a garlic ginger-soy sauce. Can’t remember what it was called, can not find it again?
Here are a few it could be:
Mongolian beef
Pepper Steak
Beef & Bok Choy
I’ve been using this recipe for years and it’s hands-down the best. Everyone I’ve ever made it for absolutely devours it and always goes back for seconds. Can’t recommend it enough — 20/10!!
Way too much corn starch! Orange juice was weird tasting in the sauce. This recipe needs help!
this was really good and very easy to make! I was looking for a recipe that didn’t require a bunch of seasonings I didn’t have and didn’t want to buy. I would definitely recommend it
How would this freeze?
This should freeze just fine. The veggies will be a little bit softer when thawed but will still taste delicious.
Can this be made in the slow cooker?
Hi Cindy, I have never tried this recipe in a slow cooker but I would love to hear how it turns out for you!
Very good !
Made this evening. I used round steak thinly cut and lightly smoked with applewood. Then finished cooking meat as recipe stated. This is definitely a recipe that I’m saving and cooking again.
Great recipes. We loved all your recipes Pot Roast in slow cooked. Beef chunks and noodles.
I made it with a small chicken breast and over 4 cups of fresh vegetables. Cut back on sugar, so delicious! I had carrots, hot pepper, bell pepper, purple cauliflower, broccoli, celery, onion,