Easy Beef Stir Fry Recipe

This easy Beef Stir Fry Recipe is loaded with juicy beef and crispy vegetables coated in easy stir fry sauce. A restaurant-quality dinner ready in 30 minutes!

Other stir fry recipes we keep in regular rotation are these Korean ground beef and rice, healthy beef and broccoli and sausage stir fry.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Restaurant quality meal: This beef stir fry recipe is Chinese inspired take out right at home!
• Healthier: You’re able to control the amount of sugar and sodium and avoid the MSG. High protein recipe that comes together in 30 minutes.
• Delicious: Thinly sliced pieces of tender juicy beef and crisp veggies are tossed around in a sweet and savory teriyaki sauce.

Ingredients for Beef Stir Fry

• Beef steak: Sirloin steak, ribeye steak, tri-tip, tenderloin, flank steak, or shoulder steak can be used. Make sure to thinly slice against the grain.
• Vegetables: Sliced red bell pepper and yellow bell pepper, brown mushrooms, broccoli, and white onion.
• Beef stir fry sauce: Soy sauce or Bragg’s liquid aminos, beef broth or water, then maple syrup, honey or brown sugar. Cornstarch.
• Minced garlic and ginger: If you don’t have any fresh ginger, you can substitute it with 1 teaspoon of dried ginger instead. Or just omit.
• Oil for frying: The best oil to use is the oil with a high smoke point. The healthiest choice is avocado oil with a smoke point of 520 degrees F. You can also use toasted sesame oil to give it an awesome Asian flare!
• Garnishes: Sesame seeds for an added earthy, nutty crunch. But it also looks pretty!

How to Make Beef Stir Fry

Here is a quick overview how to make it. There is a full recipe card below.

To get a good sear on beef and veggies, I recommend to use a large non-stick skillet. I find a wok does not sear food well on a residential stove but rather steams it. But use what you are used to!

• Prep: Chop the veggies and beef, whisk together ingredients for the stir fry sauce.
• Stir fry beef in batches: Preheat your pan until very hot and add add half of the beef. Cook uncovered until nicely browned on all sides. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with remaining meat.
• Stir fry the mushrooms: Return the skillet to high heat and add the mushrooms. Cook until brown. Mushrooms produce a lot of water, so cooking them on their own will help avoid the other veggies getting mushy. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Stir fry peppers and onions: Cook bell peppers and onions, stirring a couple of times. The residual brown bits from the beef, as well as the high heat, will help give the veggies a bit of a char.

• Add the stir fry sauce: Give mixture a good stir, pour into the skillet, mix and let the sauce come to a boil. Cook until thickened, stirring a few times.
• Combine and garnish: Grab all of your cooked ingredients and add them back into the skillet. Stir everything together gently. Turn off the heat, garnish with sesame seeds and serve it nice and hot!

Tips for Best Results

This recipe is super easy but there are a few things you can do to get the best beef stir fry ever!

• Be ready: “Stir fry” means to cook small pieces of food quickly on high heat while stirring constantly. So make sure all ingredients are prepped before you light the stove.
• Avoid mushy veggies: Add stir fry sauce before vegetables look cooked so they stay crispy.
• Cornstarch settles: Whisk sauce once again before adding it to the wok to blend the cornstarch that has settled.
• Best veggies for stir fry: You want veggies that will cook quickly when sliced thin. Bell peppers, zucchini, snow peas, sugar snap peas, carrots, and broccoli are great. You could also try cabbage, asparagus, mushrooms, bok choy, water chestnuts, and garlic. Check out this awesome guide to Asian vegetables.
• Dark colored sauce: If you would like dark stir fry sauce, use brown sugar.

Variations

• Frozen veggies: You can use a frozen veggie mix or the package labeled “stir fry blend” vegetables. I always use one for Instant Pot stir fry. Just cook until veggies are heated through and to your preferred doneness. Keep in mind frozen veggies are already somewhat “cooked” by the freezing process. They also contain a bit more water, so you might need to drain the extra liquid before adding the sauce.
• Additions: 3/4 cup toasted cashews, sliced almonds, or bean sprouts.
• Less meat: If you’re aiming to eat less red meat, use only 1 pound of meat.
• Like a little heat? Toss in some red pepper flakes. Some might even enjoy sliced jalapeno.
• No soy sauce? Try using Bragg’s liquid aminos or coconut aminos. You may need to adjust the salt with coconut aminos because they tend to have less than soy sauce.

Serving Ideas

Instant Pot brown rice, Instant Pot quinoa, Instant Pot long grain white rice and brown rice vermicelli are just a few options that go well with any stir fry.

You can also serve it over whole wheat spaghetti, brown rice or quinoa.

To keep it light and low carb, serve on its own, with a small side salad like butter lettuce salad or over cauliflower rice for a low carb meal.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Beef stir fry will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Leftovers will be just as tasty the next day.

Reheat: Simmer on the stovetop with a splash of water or broth until heated through while stirring occasionally. If you’ve packed it for lunch at work, you can also reheat it in the microwave.

FAQs

More Stir Fry Recipes to Try

• Chicken and broccoli stir fry
• Salmon stir fry
• Buckwheat stir fry
• Broccoli mushroom stir fry
• Egg roll in a bowl
• Chicken soba noodles