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Beef Stir Fry Recipe

5 from 1 vote
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posted: 05/05/25

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

My Beef Stir Fry is going to be added to your meal rotation so quickly! With a delicious sauce that works as both a marinade and a sauce for this great dinner, you will fall in love with all the flavors in this simple recipe.

Pan of beef stir fry with bowl of white rice and bowl of seasoning sitting in background

My family loves stir fry recipes! We have so many of them here on Simple Joy, but we really can’t seem to get enough of how easy and full of flavor they are. Homemade takeout is truly my favorite.

In this great Beef Stir Fry, we are making a delicious sauce that works as both the marinade for the beef and the sauce. Your family will love this fantastic and easy beef recipe.

Beef Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients

The sauce in this recipe acts as both a marinade and a sauce. We mix it up and then divide it in two, using half for the marinade and saving half to use as the sauce in the recipe. It is full of tangy flavors that will have everyone asking for seconds.

  • Water: The water in this sauce adds bulk to this sauce without affecting the taste.
  • Teriyaki Sauce: This homemade teriyaki sauce adds some amazing flavor and subtle sweetness to the recipe.
  • Soy Sauce: The foundation for most stir fry sauces. We are going with low sodium soy sauce so that we get the great soy flavor without too much saltiness. See my recommendation below for a gluten-free option.
  • Hoisin Sauce: The main ingredient in this very unique condiment is fermented soybean paste. Hoisin brings a nice tang to this sauce.
  • Garlic and Ginger: These are both minced and fresh in this recipe, adding the best layers of flavor to this sauce.
  • Brown Sugar: Just a little bit of brown sugar helps to balance the acidity and salt of the other ingredients without being too sweet.
  • Chili Paste: Made from hot chilis, this gives the sauce a little spice. For a spicier sauce, add a full tablespoon. For a less spicy recipe, add only one teaspoon.
  • Corn Starch: This is what finishes the sauce off and helps it thicken.
Overhead view of plate of beef stir fry over white rice. Pan of beef stir fry, bowl of white rice, and chopsticks sitting beside.

How to Make Beef Stir Fry

Step 1: Make the Sauce

Mix together the ingredients for the sauce and divide it. You will need one cup to marinate the beef, and the remainder will be reserved for making the final recipe.

overhead of a measuring cup full of marinade for beef stir fry

Step 2: Marinate the Beef

In a reusable container or a plastic bag that seals well, add the meat then pour the marinade over it. Let the meat marinate for at least four hours, but no longer than 24 hours. See more on this below.

Step 3: Cook the Beef

After removing the beef from the marinade, Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the marinated beef to brown. Remove from the pan.

overhead of beef for beef stir fry cooking in a skillet

Step 4: Add the Veggies

Cook in the hot skillet until they are tender.

overhead of vegetables cooking for beef stir fry

Step 5: Put it all Together

After the vegetables have finished cooking, drain off any excess liquid they have created. Then add in the sauce you made in step and reserved. Let the sauce thicken a little. Finally, return the beef to the skillet and stir it all together.

overhead of beef returned to skillet for beef stir fry

Best Beef For Stir Fry

The best cut of beef for this recipe is flank steak. The key to cooking with flank steak is to marinate it before using it to tenderize the meat. If you are unable to find flank steak, you could substitute it with skirt steak. I would urge you to avoid pre-cut beef that is labeled “stir fry meat.” Even with marinating, it won’t become nearly as tender.

Cut your flank steak into thin slices against the grain like in the video in the recipe card. To determine the grain of the meat, look at the lines in it. You want to slice perpendicular to those lines.

Marinating Beef

The beef needs to marinate long enough for it to become tender, but not too long that it becomes gummy. The range for this recipe is 4 to 24 hours. The actual cooking of beef stir fry is very quick – just 15 minutes. To save time, marinate your beef the night before so you are ready to roll when you get home from work.

overhead view of pan of beef stir fry. Bowl of white rice and chopsticks sitting beside

Vegetables for Beef Stir Fry

I love using a combination of peppers, broccoli, and carrots when I make stir fries. These are the veggies that my family loves and will always eat. That being said, you could use other veggies here as well. Here are some options:

  • Mushrooms: These can be added with other vegetables.
  • Zucchini: This can be added at the same time as the other vegetables. Keep in mind that they will contribute a significant amount of moisture to the dish, so you will definitely want to drain the skillet before you move on to the final steps.
  • Onions: These also should be added at the same time as the other vegetables.
  • Snow Peas: Add the snow peas after the broccoli, peppers, and carrots have already been cooking for five minutes. They need only a minute or two.
  • Green Onions: I wouldn’t recommend using both white and green onions. But if you want to use green onions, you could either add them at the same time as you would add the snow peas, or you could use raw green onions as a garnish at the end.
  • Baby Corn: These should be added at the very end with the sauce and the beef, they will only need to be warmed through.
  • Water Chestnuts: Like the baby corn, you will want to add these at the very end.

Serving

Serve your stir fry over rice. We always make Instant Pot Rice for a great hands off option while we are cooking. For a lighter option, serve it over Cauliflower Rice, which lowers the carbs of the dish compared to serving it with rice. It is easy to make and very filling. Get an extra serving of vegetables without the carbs of regular rice with this rice substitute.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Store any leftover stir fry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. I recommend storing the beef and vegetables separately from the rice. Reheat over low heat and serve over fresh or reheated rice. Always use your best discretion when storing and reheating leftovers.

plate of beef stir fry served over rice with pan of beef stir fry sitting in background

What to Serve with Beef Stir Fry

I love this as a complete dish served over some rice. It makes for a really filling dinner for our hungry brood.

But if you are looking to add more to the menu, here are a few great options for side dishes.

  • Egg Drop Soup: This soup is so easy and pairs perfectly with the stir fry.
  • Edamame Salad: Not your typical side dish, this can be prepped ahead of time and adds some great nutrition to your dinner.
  • Asian Cucumber Salad: I adore this salad, and it is a great way to add some more veggie to the table.

If you try this easy beef stir fry recipe or any of my others, please leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Pan of beef stir fry with bowl of white rice and bowl of seasoning sitting in background
5 from 1 vote

Beef Stir Fry

Serves: 6 servings
(tap # to scale)
Prep: 15 minutes
Marinating Time: 4 hours
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 4 hours 27 minutes
My Beef Stir Fry is going to be added to your meal rotation so quickly! With a delicious sauce that works as both a marinade and a sauce for this great dinner, you will fall in love with all the flavors in this simple recipe.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (29.57 ml)
  • 1 pound flank steak cut into thin strips against the grain, see note 1 (453.6 grams)
  • 1 medium red bell pepper diced, see note 2
  • 1 medium yellow bell pepper diced
  • 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
  • 1 head of broccoli cut into florets

Sauce

  • 3/4 cup water (177 ml)
  • 3/4 cup teriyaki sauce (177 ml)
  • 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce (118 ml)
  • 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce (44.4 ml)
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 3 tablespoons ginger
  • 2 tablespoon brown sugar (26.6 grams)
  • 3 teaspoons chili paste see note 3
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch (21 grams)

Instructions

  • Prepare the sauce, mixing together the water, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, brown sugar and chili paste. Pour one cup of the sauce over the sliced beef in a reusable container and marinate for at least four hours.
    1 pound flank steak, 3/4 cup water, 3/4 cup teriyaki sauce, 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce, 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 6 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons ginger, 2 tablespoon brown sugar, 3 teaspoons chili paste
  • Add the cornstarch to the remaining sauce, approximately 1 1/2 cups, whisking to combine. Whisking it right into the sauce allows us to skip making a cornstarch slurry while cooking. Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the stir fry.
    2 tablespoons corn starch
  • Heat the oil in a large 12 inch skillet. Remove the beef from the marinade, and discard the remaining marinade. Add the sliced beef to the skillet and cook until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the beef from the skillet.
    2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • Add the vegetables to the skillet over medium-high heat. Stir to combine. Cover and cook until they are tender, another 5 to 7 minutes, stirring once or twice.
    1 medium red bell pepper, 1 medium yellow bell pepper, 2 medium carrots, 1 head of broccoli
  • When the vegetables are tender, pour off any excess liquid. Add the sauce you prepared earlier and allow to thicken, about 1 to 2 minutes. You will know it is finished when the sauce thickens and darkens in color. Return the beef to the skillet and stir to combine.
  • Serve over rice.

Notes

  1. If you are unable to find flank steak, you can use skirt steak. But keep in mind both need to be marinated at least 4 hours. Avoid meat that has been pre-cut and labeled “stir fry meat” as it is very tough even after marinating.
  2. If the vegetables listed here don’t appeal to you, you can replace some or all of them with the following veggies: mushrooms, zucchini, onions, snow peas, green onions, baby corn, or water chestnuts. See my notes in the post for when to add each of these in relation to the other veggies used.
  3. This is my favorite brand, but if you can’t find it, you could simply add some red pepper flakes. Depending on how spicy you would like it, I would consider adding 1/2 to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
Serving: 1.16cups Calories: 294kcal (15%) Carbohydrates: 30g (10%) Protein: 24g (48%) Fat: 9g (14%) Saturated Fat: 2g (13%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g Monounsaturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0.03g Cholesterol: 46mg (15%) Sodium: 2366mg (103%) Potassium: 933mg (27%) Fiber: 4g (17%) Sugar: 15g (17%) Vitamin A: 4695IU (94%) Vitamin C: 155mg (188%) Calcium: 102mg (10%) Iron: 3mg (17%)
Author: Lisa Longley
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Pan of beef stir fry with bowl of white rice and bowl of seasoning sitting in background

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Beef Stir Fry

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Hi! I'm Lisa Longley, and I am committed to giving you simple dinner ideas and recipes that are easy to make; recipes that will fill your home with joy. I am the owner and author of SimpleJoy.com and I'm so glad that you are here.

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