Quick & Easy Beef Vegetable Stir-Fry Recipe
A quick and easy beef vegetable stir-fry perfect for a nutritious weeknight dinner. Tender sliced flank steak is marinated and stir-fried with fresh broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, and onions in a savory homemade sauce that thickens to coat every bite.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
Beef and Marinade
- 1 lb flank steak (or skirt steak / flat iron steak / hanger steak), sliced against the grain into 1/4-inch thick pieces
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (or potato starch / tapioca starch)
- 1 tsp regular soy sauce (or light soy sauce)
- 1/4 cup water (cold or room temp.)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
Vegetables
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 3/4 cup red bell pepper (diced)
- 1/2 cup carrots (sliced into 1/4“ thick rounds)
- 1/2 small onion (diced)
Sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce (or vegetarian stir-fry sauce)
- 1 tbsp regular soy sauce (or light soy sauce)
- 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine (or dry sherry / dry white wine / chicken stock)
- 1 tbsp white granulated sugar (or cane sugar)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (or potato starch / tapioca starch)
- 1/2 cup water (cold or room temp.)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Cooking Oil
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil (or any neutral oil) for frying beef and vegetables
Instructions
- Prepare and Slice the Beef: Slice the flank steak against the grain at a 45-degree angle into 1/4-inch thick pieces and transfer to a large mixing bowl to ensure tenderness and flavor absorption during marination.
- Marinate the Beef: Combine the marinade ingredients including baking soda, cornstarch, soy sauce, water, vegetable oil, and minced garlic with the sliced beef. Mix well and let it marinate for 20-25 minutes to tenderize and infuse flavor.
- Make the Stir-Fry Sauce: In a small bowl, mix oyster sauce, regular soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing cooking wine, white sugar, cornstarch, water, and sesame oil until the sugar fully dissolves. Set aside for later use.
- Cook the Beef: Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the marinated beef in a single layer. Stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes until the beef is cooked through and slightly browned on the edges. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.
- Stir-Fry the Vegetables: Reduce heat to medium and add diced onions, broccoli florets, sliced carrots, and diced red bell peppers to the pan. Pour in 1/4 cup water to help steam the vegetables and stir-fry until the water evaporates, approximately 1 minute, to keep the vegetables crisp and vibrant.
- Add the Sauce and Simmer: Pour the prepared stir-fry sauce into the vegetables and let it simmer for a few minutes until it thickens slightly, coating the vegetables evenly.
- Combine Beef and Vegetables: Return the cooked beef to the pan and toss everything together in the sauce until the beef is evenly coated and heated through. Serve immediately while hot and enjoy your flavorful stir-fry!
Notes
- For more tender beef, slice it thinly against the grain and marinate as instructed.
- You can substitute flank steak with skirt steak, flat iron steak, or hanger steak.
- Adjust vegetable quantities based on preference or seasonal availability.
- Shaoxing cooking wine can be replaced with dry sherry, dry white wine, or chicken stock for different flavor notes.
- Use cornstarch or potato/tapioca starch interchangeably for thickening.
- To keep vegetables crisp, do not overcook during the stir-fry process.
