Tender beef stir fried with aromatic onions in a light savory sauce. This quick and easy beef onion stir fry is perfect as a main and made with simple ingredients! This rivals takeout and is a crowd pleaser for the family!
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Beef Onion Stir Fry is a popular Chinese dish featuring beef steak stir-fried with lots of white and green onions in tasty soy based sauce.
The beef is ultra-tender thanks to the velveting process that Chinese restaurants use, where the baking soda prevents any protein bonding!
This is one of my favourite ways to enjoy beef and I love serving it with white rice and veggies for a satiating meal!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Flank steak: or substitute with top sirloin, hanger steak, skirt steak, or flat iron steak.
- White or yellow onions
- Green onions or scallions
- Garlic cloves
- Neutral oil: like vegetable oil, avocado oil or any scentless oil with a high smoke point.
Beef Marinade
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce.
- Cornstarch, or potato starch: The starch absorbs any surrounding moisture into the meat making it more tender.
- Shaoxing wine or rice vinegar: or substitute with Dry Sherry or any broth
- Sesame oil: please omit if you're allergic
- Baking soda: the key ingredient in Chinese cuisine to tenderize meat by raising the pH to prevent protein bonding! Do not skip!
- Neutral oil
Sauce
- Shaoxing wine or rice vinegar: or substitute with Dry Sherry or any broth
- Oyster sauce: Or substitute with vegetarian stir fry sauce. Do not confuse this with Hoisin sauce.
- Dark soy sauce: not the same as regular soy sauce as it's darker and thicker
- Cornstarch, or potato starch
- Black pepper or white pepper
- Cold water
- White granulated sugar or brown sugar (missing in the image above)
Variations
- If you’re gluten-free, substitute both soy sauce with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce of your choice. Substitute the oyster sauce with a gluten-free version.
Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients or check Amazon.
Expert Tips
- Slice the beef on a bias for a more tender bite.
- Prep your ingredients in advance as the cooking process is quick!
- Velvet the beef in the marinade and don't skip the baking soda! Don't worry you can't taste it since we're using such a small amount.
- Brown the beef as this brings out more flavor.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make beef onion stir fry:
Prepare Beef
Slice flank steak against the grain, on an angle into ¼-inch thin slices. Transfer to a medium bowl. Tip: to easily slice beef thinly, freeze the exposed beef for 40 minutes until the exterior is hard to touch and slice with a sharp knife.
Marinate beef with Marinade ingredients as listed above at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
Create Sauce & Cook Onions
In a small bowl, combine Sauce ingredients as listed above. Set aside.
In a large pan on low heat, heat vegetable oil. Stir fry white onions and scallion whites for 30 seconds. Remove and set aside.
Brown Beef and Add Sauce
Increase to medium-high heat, add marinated beef in a single layer and spread apart. Brown beef on each side for 2-3 minutes per side.
Reduce to medium heat, pour prepared sauce in a circular motion, and stir fry for another 30-60 seconds until sauce thickens.
Finish with Onions
Toss back in garlic, scallion greens, and cooked onions from before. Stir fry for another 30-60 seconds. Remove off heat and enjoy!
Storage
- Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
- Freezer friendly? This can be stored in a freezer friendly bag and frozen up to 3 months or until you see freezer burn. To reheat, defrost it and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a pan.
Pairing Suggestions
This Chinese dish serves well with crab rangoons, hot and sour soup, white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, fried rice, chow mein, lo mein, plain noodles, cooked vegetables like spicy garlic bok choy, or garlic green beans.
FAQ
Yes, feel free to add any vegetables that you enjoy ideally veggies with a low water content like bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, snap or snow peas, and any Asian greens.
Yes, you can substitute with chicken or pork.
This can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. When ready to enjoy, reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat.
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📖 Recipe
Quick Easy Chinese Beef Onion Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 lb flank steak
- 1 medium white onion sliced and separated in layers
- 4 scallions cut into 2-inch segments with whites and greens separated
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Beef Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 1.5 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch
- 2 teaspoon Shaoxing wine or rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce or vegetarian stir fry sauce
- ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce or sub with regular soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch or potato starch
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or white pepper
- 4 tablespoon cold water
- 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar or brown sugar
Instructions
- Slice flank steak against the grain, on an angle into ¼-inch thin slices. Transfer to a medium bowl. Tip: to easily slice beef thinly, freeze the exposed beef for 40 minutes until the exterior is hard to touch and slice with a sharp knife.
- Marinate beef with Marinade ingredients as listed above. Marinate at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine Sauce ingredients as listed above. Set aside.
- In a large skillet on low heat, heat vegetable oil. Stir fry white onions and scallion whites for 30 seconds. Remove and set aside.
- Increase to medium high heat, add marinated beef in a single layer and spread apart. Brown beef on each side for 2-3 minutes per side.
- Reduce to medium heat, pour prepared sauce in a circular motion, and stir fry for another 30-60 seconds until sauce thickens.
- Toss back in garlic, scallion greens, and cooked onions from before. Stir fry for another 30-60 seconds. Remove off heat and enjoy with a bowl of plain rice and your favourite vegetables!
Sabeeha
I made these and it came out so well! I'm so happy with it tasted.. it wasn't dry and neither was it spicy ( I can't eat spice so I appreciate the recipe a lot lol)
Was super easy to make..
So I'm Definitely going to make it again
Christie Lai
Fabulous! Thanks so much for making my recipe and leaving this positive review! Glad you enjoyed it, Sabeeha.
Mendo Nana
Really great recipe and directions. We love it and it has become my husband’s go to for Beef and Onions.. no more going out. We both really enjoy it. Thank you. Absolutely perfect!!!
Christie Lai
So happy to read this! Thank you so much for making my recipe and for leaving this positive review, Mendo!
Bennie
This is by far the best stir fry recipe!!! Told my husband we need to find/order dark soy sauce. Here in Montana it's not easily found, or at least not within a few towns near us 🤣 I've put this recipe in my go to list of recipes. Best part: Beef is tender and stir fry is not soupy! Thanks so much for sharing 😊
Christie Lai
This comment made my day! Thank you so much for making my recipe and for leaving this positive review, Bennie. Glad you enjoyed it!