Beef Vegetable Stir-Fry

Succulent beef stir-fried with colorful vegetables in a savory brown sauce. This quick and easy Asian beef vegetable stir-fry is so delicious and ready in 30 minutes! A great main dish best served over rice and it's restaurant-quality.

My beef vegetable stir-fry features juicy flank steak, red bell pepper, broccoli, carrots, onions, and garlic cooked in a glossy brown sauce. This is a popular dish served at many Chinese restaurants or for takeout.

Whenever I'm craving a good beef stir-fry, I make this because I'm always looking for more ways to add fiber to my diet. The brown sauce makes the veggies so tasty, that it doesn't feel like a chore to eat them.

If you're not a fan of beef or the selected vegetables in this recipe, you can easily swap them for ones you like (see my list of Substitutes below).

Why you'll love this recipe:

• ready in 30 minutes.
• can be made ahead for meal preparation.
• great for the whole family, including kids.
• a fantastic way to add more veggies to your diet.
• the protein and vegetables can be substituted for ones you like.
• it's better-than-takeout!

Ingredients & Substitutes

Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements:

• Flank Steak: or substitute with skirt steak, flat iron steak, hanger steak, tri-tip steak, or flap steak. Not a fan of beef? Substitute with chicken, pork shoulder, or shrimp.
• Broccoli Florets: or substitute with frozen broccoli florets (rinsed with cold water), chopped cauliflower, green cabbage, green beans, asparagus, bok choy, or gai-lan.
• Red Bell Pepper: or substitute with yellow, orange or green bell peppers or celery.
• Carrots: or substitute with zucchini.
• Onion: or substitute with 1 large shallot.
• Neutral Cooking Oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil or coconut oil.
• Water: cold or room temperature to cook the veggies.

Marinade

• Water: cold or room temperature.
• Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch or tapioca starch.
• Regular Soy Sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce, tamari sauce, or coconut aminos.
• Baking Soda
• Neutral Cooking Oil: see examples above.

Stir-Fry Sauce

• Garlic Cloves: or substitute with ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
• Oyster Sauce: or substitute with vegetarian stir-fry sauce.
• Regular Soy Sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce, tamari sauce, or coconut aminos.
• Dark Soy Sauce: or substitute with dark mushroom soy sauce or regular soy sauce.
• Shaoxing Wine: a Chinese rice cooking wine available at Asian grocers. Or substitute with dry sherry wine, dry white wine, or chicken broth.
• White Granulated Sugar: or substitute with cane sugar.
• Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch or tapioca starch.
• Sesame Oil: or substitute with sesame seeds.
• Water: cold or room temperature.

Note: Asian ingredients are typically available at most Asian grocery stores or check online, like on Amazon.

Instructions

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make beef vegetable stir-fry:

1. In a large bowl, marinate sliced flank steak with the marinade ingredients as listed above for 20-25 mins. (Avoid over-marinating past this time frame or it can cause the beef to become mushy).

2. In a small bowl, combine the stir-fry sauce ingredients as listed above until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.

3. Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Cook the beef until cooked and slightly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Remove it from the pan.

4. Reduce to medium heat. Then add onions, broccoli florets, carrots, and red bell pepper into the pan. Then add ¼ cup or 60 ml water. Stir fry until all the water has evaporated, about 1 minute.

5. Pour in the stir-fry sauce and simmer until slightly thickened.

6. Add the cooked beef and toss in the sauce until evenly coated. Serve and enjoy!

Storage & Reheating

• Leftover beef vegetable stir-fry 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 on the stovetop at medium heat.
• Freezer friendly? This can be frozen for up to 3 months, but the vegetables will lose their crisp texture. To freeze: let the dish cool down completely and transfer to a freezer-safe bag. To reheat from frozen: defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot.

Pairing Suggestions

Beef vegetable stir-fry serves well with:

• starters like egg rolls, crab rangoons, egg drop soup, or hot and sour soup.
• white or brown rice, or fried rice.
• chow mein, lo mein, or plain noodles.
• cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
• protein dishes like Kung Pao Chicken, Cashew Chicken, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Bang Bang Shrimp, Egg Foo Young, Soy Garlic Tofu, Chinese Braised Tofu and more!

FAQ

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