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Home » Quick & Easy

Easy Beef Stir Fry With Red Onion And Peppers

February 27, 2021 by Lima 55 Comments

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Tender marinated beef stir fry in a finger licking garlic-ginger pepper sauce. This one-pan restaurant style stir fry is one of the fastest and easiest recipes that you'll make all year! Incredibly versatile, you can mix up the beef and the veggies for whatever you have at hand. The sky is the limit on variations!

Tender marinated beef stir fry in a finger licking garlic-ginger sauce. This beef stir fry is one of the fastest and easiest recipes you'll make all year!

Why make this recipe?

This is the recipe that gets me through work deadlines and delays that leave little time to cook! No long simmering or deep frying needed. Easy to cook and hands down delicious! Shake it up by changing the beef with chicken, tofu or shrimp. Jazz up the vegetables with variations in texture and taste with baby corn spears, mushrooms, water chestnuts, green beans and snow peas. Garnish options are endless - add peanuts or fried noodles or even crumbled Doritos for a satisfying crunch.

Tender marinated beef stir fry in a finger licking garlic-ginger sauce. This beef stir fry is one of the fastest and easiest recipes you'll make all year!

Ingredients

Tender marinated beef stir fry in a finger licking garlic-ginger sauce. This beef stir fry is one of the fastest and easiest recipes you'll make all year!
  • The beef needs to be thinly sliced so it cooks quickly. I used beef stew meat thinly sliced against the grain. To help make the slicing process easier, I put the beef into the freezer for about a half hour prior to cutting to firm it up. You can also use other cuts like flank steak, sirloin, and tri-tip. Lean beef seems to work best - the cooking time is too short to render the fat.
  • Vegetables - I use jalapeno, red peppers and red onion. Any type of fast cooking vegetables work - slice hard vegetables like carrots into thin slices or matchsticks to help speed up the cooking process.
  • Garlic and ginger is used to flavor the oil as a base for that delicious sauce.
  • Fish sauce provides that umami taste.
  • Butter can be fully or partially substituted with oil if you like, but it really does add a lot of flavor to this dish.
  • When added to marinades, corn flour helps bind the liquid ingredients and prevent overcooking in the wok. As a result you have much more flavorful, tender and evenly cooked meat.

How to make this recipe

Tender marinated beef stir fry in a finger licking garlic-ginger sauce. This beef stir fry is one of the fastest and easiest recipes you'll make all year!
  1. Marinate the beef - put the beef, soy sauce, egg, black pepper and corn flour in a bowl. Mix well then set aside.
  2. Pour all the ingredients for the Stir Fry Sauce into a bowl - fish sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, sugar. black pepper. Mix then set aside.
  3. Mix the corn flour and water room temperature in a bowl and set aside.
  4. Heat a wok or heavy bottomed skillet on high heat until smoking. Add the butter and garlic. Sauté the garlic until lightly golden around the edges. Add the ginger and continue to sauté until golden.
  5. Add the beef. Sauté for about 1 minute. Add the vegetables. Sauté for about 1 minute. Add the corn flour slurry. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes. Add the sesame oil. Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve immediately while hot.

Side dish suggestions

I love eating this dish with plain white steaming hot rice. However the dish also works really well as a side to other dishes like Ultimate Chicken Fried Rice. Chicken and Shrimp Fried Wontons are a great starter.

End this delicious meal with cold Shemai - Creamy Vermicelli in Sweet Rose Infused Cream and Mini Blueberry Pies.

Tender marinated beef stir fry in a finger licking garlic-ginger sauce. This beef stir fry is one of the fastest and easiest recipes you'll make all year!

Tips & Notes

How do you make beef stir fry tender?

Several factors contribute towards juicy, tender beef in this recipe. First, cutting the meat into thin slices against the grain, shortens the muscle fibers, essentially making the beef tender. Second, the ingredients in the marinade also help soften the meat. Ginger and soy sauce breaks down myosin, a tough protein found in meat. Finally the egg and corn flour in the marinade forms a thin coat on the meat which stops the meat from overcooking resulting in a plush and silky velvet" texture. The formal version of this technique is called "velveting," a Chinese cooking technique that uses egg whites, corn flour and rice wine to get that soft and lusciously tender texture that is the hallmark of Chinese restaurant style beef .

What kind of meat is stir fry beef?

Sliced flank steak is the most popular cut of meat to use for stir fry. However, almost any type of lean meat such as stew meat, sirloin, tri-tip, ribeye, top loan, tenderloin, shoulder center, shoulder petite tender and shoulder top blade is suitable for stir fry beef.
Because stir fry beef is cooked very quickly on high heat, lean meat is better since the fat in marbled meats don't break down quickly enough resulting in hard rubbery pieces when stir fried. Cutting the strips against the grain is crucial for shortening the protein fibers so that the meat cooked on high heat has that melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Should you marinate meat for stir fry?

I do recommend marinating meat for stir fries because it really does add to the flavor and lusciously tender texture. While 20 minutes is a good time to shoot for, I have had great results with only a 10 minute marination which is the time needed to prep the vegetable, mix the sauce and fire up the wok.
That being said - the recipe will still work if you don't have the time to marinate the beef because a lot of flavor is already in the sauce.

How do Chinese restaurants get their beef so tender?

The secret to tender, Chinese-restaurant style beef is to marinate the beef in a mixture of egg white, corn starch, salt and sugar in addition to other flavors like soy sauce and/or rice wine. For optimal results marinate the beef for at least an hour. I have had good results with beef marinated for a minimum of 20 minutes to 6 hours. Marinating beef over 24 hours is not recommended as the texture changes and the beef becomes very mushy.

How do you marinate beef for stir fry?

My go-to beef stir fry marinade has only four ingredients: two tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon blackpepper, one beaten egg and four tablespoons of cornflour for every pound of stir fried beef..

Finally, if you make this recipe..

I'd love to hear how it went - please leave a comment and rate this recipe. Above all, I love hearing from all of you and will do my best to answer each and every comment!

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Tender marinated beef stir fry in a finger licking garlic-ginger sauce. This beef stir fry is one of the fastest and easiest recipes you'll make all year!

Beef Stir Fry Recipe

Tender marinated beef stir fry in a finger licking garlic-ginger sauce. This beef stir fry is one of the fastest and easiest recipes you'll make all year!
5 from 33 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Dinner, Main
Cuisine Asian, Chinese
Servings 4 people
Calories 240 kcal

Equipment

  • heavy bottomed skillet or wok

Ingredients
  

Beef Marinade

  • ½ lb beef thinly sliced flat and broad pieces
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 egg room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground, to taste
  • 2 tablespoon corn flour

Vegetables

  • 1 jalapeno sliced, optional
  • 1 cup red onion sliced thick, into cubes
  • ½ cup red pepper sliced thick, into cubes

Stir Fry Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground, to taste

Corn Flour Slurry

  • 1 tablespoon corn flour
  • 1 cup water room temperature

Stir Fry

  • 2 tablespoon butter or ¼ cup oil
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon ginger minced
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil optional

Garnish

  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds optional

Instructions
 

  • Marinate the beef - put the beef, soy sauce, egg, black pepper and cornflour in a bowl. Mix well then set aside.
    Add the corn slurry. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes. Garnish and serve immediately while hot,
  • Pour all the ingredient for the Stir Fry Sauce - fish sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, sugar. black pepper and sesame oil. Mix then set aside.
    Add the corn slurry. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes. Garnish and serve immediately while hot,
  • Mix the corn flour and water room temperature in a bowl and set aside.
    Add the corn slurry. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes. Garnish and serve immediately while hot,
  • Heat a wok or heavy bottomed skillet on high heat until smoking. Add the butter and garlic. Sauté the garlic until lightly golden around the edges. Add the ginger and continue to sauté until golden.
    Add the corn slurry. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes. Garnish and serve immediately while hot,
  • Add the beef. Sauté for about 1 minute. Add the vegetables. Sauté for about 1 minute. Add the corn slurry. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes. Add the sesame oil. Mix. Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve immediately while hot,
    Add the corn slurry. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes. Garnish and serve immediately while hot,

Video

Notes

  • Freezing the beef in the freezer for a half hour prior to slicing makes it easier to cut thin slices
  • Because the cooking time is so short its best if you prepare all the cooking ingredients before stir frying the beef
  • Omit the corn flour slurry and use your favorite sugar substitute for a low carb option

Nutrition

  • The nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator and is intended for informational purposes only and should be used as a general guideline. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should independently verify it using your preferred tool.  The serving size assumes four servings per recipe.
Nutrition for Beef Stir Fry
Keyword beef stir fry, beef stir fry recipe, beef stir fry with vegetable, chinese stir fry, pepper steak stir fry, perfect beef stir fry
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jere Cassidy

    February 27, 2021 at 3:36 pm

    5 stars
    I need to get fish sauce. I think that is the missing flavor in my stir-fries. I love all the peppers and onions you added to this. Can't wait to give it a try.

    Reply
    • Lima

      March 01, 2021 at 8:01 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  2. Beth

    February 27, 2021 at 3:39 pm

    5 stars
    This looks so tasty and full of flavor! Can’t wait to give this a try! So excited to make this! My family is going to love this!

    Reply
    • Lima

      February 28, 2021 at 7:17 pm

      Thank you Beth!

      Reply
  3. Elizabeth

    February 27, 2021 at 4:08 pm

    5 stars
    This is delicious! The tip for marinating the beef is a GAME CHANGER. So tender and good!

    Reply
    • Lima

      February 28, 2021 at 7:18 pm

      Glad you like it! Thank you!

      Reply
  4. Julie Menghini

    February 27, 2021 at 5:21 pm

    5 stars
    The meat looks so tender and the ginger garlic sauce sounds amazing. This is a perfect stir fry.

    Reply
    • Lima

      February 28, 2021 at 7:17 pm

      Thank you Julie!

      Reply
  5. Biana

    February 27, 2021 at 6:42 pm

    5 stars
    This looks so good! I now know what to make for dinner, thank you.

    Reply
    • Lima

      February 28, 2021 at 7:17 pm

      Thank you Biana!

      Reply
  6. Jacqueline Meldrum

    February 27, 2021 at 7:40 pm

    Finishing it off with sesame seeds makes all the difference.

    Reply
    • Lima

      February 28, 2021 at 7:16 pm

      Thank you Jacqueline!

      Reply
  7. Sara Welch

    February 27, 2021 at 8:31 pm

    5 stars
    Enjoyed this for dinner last night and it does not disappoint! So bold and hearty; easily, a new favorite recipe in my home!

    Reply
    • Lima

      February 28, 2021 at 7:15 pm

      Thank you Sara. I love your blog - its awesome!

      Reply
  8. Adrianne

    February 27, 2021 at 9:26 pm

    5 stars
    I am a massive stir fry fan and yours looks delicious!! The ingredients images are fantastic as they are so detailed. Will look forward to this for dinner one night.

    Reply
    • Lima

      February 28, 2021 at 7:15 pm

      Thank you so much for your kind words. You made my day!

      Reply
  9. Julia

    February 27, 2021 at 9:36 pm

    5 stars
    Tasty and so easy to make this dinner, my whole family enjoyed it!

    Reply
    • Lima

      February 28, 2021 at 7:15 pm

      Delighted to hear it went well!

      Reply
  10. Claudia Lamascolo

    February 28, 2021 at 8:21 am

    5 stars
    Fantastic flavoring this stir fry and its terrific the next day if there are any lefovers!

    Reply
    • Lima

      February 28, 2021 at 7:14 pm

      Thank you Claudia!

      Reply
  11. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry

    February 28, 2021 at 10:16 am

    5 stars
    Stir fries are one of our go to's for a quick and easy meal! This one sounds delicious and that sauce sounds sooo good!

    Reply
    • Lima

      February 28, 2021 at 7:14 pm

      Thank you Bintu!

      Reply
  12. Amy

    February 28, 2021 at 10:42 am

    5 stars
    Yum, this definitely needs to go into my weekly dinner rotation!

    Reply
    • Lima

      February 28, 2021 at 7:14 pm

      Thank you! I hope you like it. The stir fry sauce combo also works well with chicken and shrimp in case that is helpful.

      Reply
  13. Jacqueline Meldrum

    February 28, 2021 at 11:17 am

    5 stars
    Using the sesame oil is a good idea. I never think to use it.

    Reply
    • Lima

      February 28, 2021 at 7:13 pm

      To be honest, my husband suggested it - I really like it after I tried it.

      Reply
  14. Michelle

    February 28, 2021 at 12:45 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing! Stir fry is such a great, fresh, FAST way to get dinner on the table! Yum!

    Reply
    • Lima

      February 28, 2021 at 7:12 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  15. Beth

    February 28, 2021 at 7:27 pm

    5 stars
    This was amazing! I made this recipe for my boyfriend and I, so delicious and full of flavor! We loved this and I will definitely be making this again soon!

    Reply
    • Lima

      February 28, 2021 at 10:20 pm

      Awesome! Thank you Beth!

      Reply
  16. Megan Lehr

    February 28, 2021 at 8:01 pm

    5 stars
    I am always looking for a new stir fry recipes because they are so easy! This hit the spot!

    Reply
    • Lima

      February 28, 2021 at 10:19 pm

      I am so glad! Thank you!

      Reply
  17. veenaazmanov

    February 28, 2021 at 10:52 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious Marinade of all the sauces. Amazing combination of veggies and meat. I love your easy to make recipe. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Lima

      March 01, 2021 at 7:56 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  18. Sumit

    March 01, 2021 at 12:07 am

    5 stars
    Wonderful ... Loved the recipe and the photos. Thanks for sharing

    Reply
    • Lima

      March 01, 2021 at 7:56 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  19. Nathan

    March 22, 2021 at 3:39 pm

    5 stars
    This looks absolutely fantastic! Love the idea to add jalepenos, I don't think I've seen them used in a stir fry before. Can't wait to try it out!

    Reply
  20. Kathryn

    March 22, 2021 at 3:47 pm

    5 stars
    We love beef stir fry over in our house -- and this one is top notch. Thank you so much for the easy to follow directions in the recipe!

    Reply
  21. Michelle

    March 22, 2021 at 4:42 pm

    5 stars
    My family loved this stir fry! We had it for dinner last night and even our picky eater ate her whole plate

    Reply
    • Lima

      March 27, 2021 at 8:37 pm

      Haha! Awesome! Thanks!

      Reply
  22. Carrie Robinson

    March 22, 2021 at 4:54 pm

    5 stars
    Forget ordering in takeout! This looks absolutely delicious! Definitely adding this to my weekly dinner rotation soon. 🙂

    Reply
  23. Marie-Charlotte Chatelain

    March 22, 2021 at 5:06 pm

    5 stars
    This stir fry sounds amazing! Would love this served on cauliflower rice! WIN

    Reply
  24. Biana

    March 22, 2021 at 8:50 pm

    5 stars
    Looks so colorful and delicious! Will be making it soon.

    Reply
  25. Jennifer

    March 22, 2021 at 9:09 pm

    5 stars
    Such a flavorful and easy to make stir fry. Love that it has a kick!

    Reply
    • Lima

      March 27, 2021 at 8:37 pm

      Glad that you liked it!

      Reply
  26. Jo

    March 22, 2021 at 9:14 pm

    5 stars
    This beef stir fry is AMAZING!! Seriously so much flavor and so delicious! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  27. Michelle

    March 22, 2021 at 9:39 pm

    5 stars
    Such an easy and delicious beef stir fry! A keeper!

    Reply
  28. Brianna

    March 22, 2021 at 9:48 pm

    5 stars
    Quick and easy, my family loved this!

    Reply
  29. Sharon

    March 23, 2021 at 11:30 am

    5 stars
    This stir fry is so simple to make it's perfect for busy weeknights. The meat comes out tender and full of flavor.

    Reply
  30. Dannii

    March 23, 2021 at 11:48 am

    5 stars
    I am always looking for new easy stir frys to try and this looks delicious.

    Reply
  31. Lilly

    March 23, 2021 at 12:19 pm

    5 stars
    Yummy! This is always a great recipe! My boyfriend and I love it! Can’t wait to make this again soon!

    Reply
    • Lima

      March 27, 2021 at 8:37 pm

      Thank you so much Lilly!

      Reply
  32. Michelle

    March 23, 2021 at 3:23 pm

    5 stars
    Looove stir fry! So easy and yummy! The sauce is outstanding

    Reply
  33. Tara

    June 13, 2021 at 8:01 pm

    5 stars
    Such a wonderful and easy meal! All those flavors sound absolutely incredible and I love the addition of the red pepper.

    Reply
    • Lima

      June 15, 2021 at 8:43 pm

      I love this dipping sauce too! Hope you try it!

      Reply

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Hi! Welcome to Clove and Cumin! We are foodies who love to cook! Learn how tiny changes like adding a few drops of fish sauce, a sprinkle of sugar or just a little vinegar can transform an ordinary meal into something wicked good!

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