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
- Total Time:
- 50 mins
- Serves:
- 4 servings
- Rating:
- 5.0/5
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.
Really enjoy your recipes
Thanks Margaret!
Thanks!! Easy and fast! I used leftover roast that was cut up into bite-sized pieces. This was on the table in 30 min! I used broccoli slaw with some other random veggies that needed to be used up. Rice went in the microwave for 17 min. I also added sriracha to the sauce to add spice and some epicure Asian seasoning. YUMMY!
I absolutely love teriyaki, it is and always has been one of my favourite foods. Fantastic flavour, but weird slimy coating on beef. I can only assume this is because of the cornstarch. My family is gluten free, but this is the first time that I have dredged a protein in cornstarch. Even when making gravy with cornstarch, it goes weird and jelly-like (I do not use cornstarch for this purpose any longer). I will try an alternative starch for dredging next time.
You could try it with a gluten-free flour Sharon! We’d love to hear how it turns out for you
Amazing!! I used broccolini, red pepper and onion as the veggies. I had to sauté them for 10 min or longer on med-low. I used a heavy stainless pan to cook the beef (I got sirloin), and then, did the veggies in a separate pan so they could cook at the same time. Then, I added the sauce to the stainless pan after cooking the meat. The liquid allowed me to scrape up all the tasty bits that collected on the bottom from cooking the sirloin. It was the most delicious meal I’ve cooked in awhile (I am not a good cook).
It sounds like your a great cook Sarah! Glad you enjoyed this recipe :)
delicious
Absolutely delicious!
I add about 50% more of everything, except beef and soy sauce. We like more veggie and sauce. Need to make the sauce less sugar, but maintain sweetness. Have to work on that, but the dish is awesome and everyone in the family loves it.
This was so easy and so delicious!
A bit laborious but worth the effort. The instructions were spot on, easy to follow with ingredients I had on hand. The meat was tender, vegetables cooked but still crisp. Best of all it was tasty and hubby gave it 2 thumbs up. It’s a keeper.
Yay! That is awesome Isabel, glad you enjoyed it!
This was our dinner tonight and it was great! The sauce was perfect! I loved the taste and was just the right thickness. Made jasmine rice with it. Enjoyed by all!
We aren’t an OJ family. What can you use instead?
Any kind of juice. Pineapple is a great choice (even from a can of pineapple chunks in juice which could then be added to the stirfry).
Your directions for this recipe, I’m sorry to say, are awful. Right after you say to turn the temp to medium high, you say to bring to SIMMER, not to a boil. It’s incredibly confusing.
I tossed strips of sirloin steak tips with corn starch and followed your recipe exactly—EXCELLENT flavor. I’m all about color, so my veggies were the same as yours, minus the carrots. Garnished with bean sprouts, green onions, and sesame seeds. Beautiful presentation :-) THANK YOU!
Can I get the full ingredients list for the picture you posted????
The ingredients listed in the recipe are the ones we used. For the mixed vegetables, we chose a combination of broccoli, carrots, baby bok choy, and red bell peppers. We then garnished with bean sprouts and sliced green onions. I hope that helps Savannah!
Thanks it is!
I love to cook, and bake. I’m always on the hunt for new recipes, and ideas. And of course I love saving money. I have enjoyed your site many times.
So happy you are enjoying our recipes Carrie! Have fun in the kitchen :)
Can I use ground ginger if I don’t have minced.
Hi Ann, ground ginger is more concentrated than minced so I would start with ¼-½ teaspoon of ground ginger and taste test form there.
Wonderful, easy delicious. Thank you!
Hi Holly
This is the first time I have ever commented on anything on the internet but I just love the sauce for the stir fry and had to tell you. First time I made it I had left over roast beef to use up and it was so good now I us it with chicken to . It’s the greatest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for sharing it with me.
ps I did not have sesame oil so I used olive oil
Kathy
So happy to hear you loved it Kathy!
I made this last night and it was so YUMMY!! My teenage boys loved it !! Definitely on the dinner rotation!!!
Easy and delicious, the cornstarch step on the beef is a game changer! So tender.