Ultra tender beef stir fried in a savory black bean garlic sauce with bell peppers, snow peas, and ginger. This quick and easy beef with black bean sauce is made in one pan! A tasty main dish for the whole family to enjoy.
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Beef with Black Bean Sauce features juicy beef stir fried with red peppers, snap beans, and fresh ginger in a flavorful garlicky black bean sauce.
This is a scrumptious and popular stir fry dish in Chinese cuisine and commonly served at many Chinese restaurants. It serves best with white rice or brown rice!
My mother would make us this dish when I was little. I used to find the black beans so peculiar looking that I didn't want to eat it. But now that I am older, I appreciate those little black beans as they're packed with umami flavor!
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.
- Flank steak: I recommend this cut of beef for its tenderness. Or substitute with skirt steak, hanger steak, flat iron steak, tri-tip steak, sirloin flap steak.
- Red bell pepper: or substitute with any colored bell pepper of your choice. Or substitute with broccoli, carrots, button mushrooms, or celery.
- Snow peas: or substitute with snap peas.
- Garlic: or substitute with onions
- Ginger
- Cold water: to help cook the vegetables faster.
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. Avoid olive oil, coconut oil or any heavy scented oils.
Beef Marinade
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce
- Cornstarch: this locks in the moisture for the beef.
- Shaoxing wine: a Chinese rice cooking wine. Or substitute with Dry Sherry. For a non-alcoholic or gluten-free version, substitute with any broth.
- Baking soda: the key ingredient to velvet the beef as it raises the acidity preventing protein bonds. Do not skip this and don't worry you won't taste it!
- White pepper: or sub with black pepper
- Neutral oil
Stir-Fry Sauce
- Black Bean Garlic Sauce: the key ingredient to the sauce. If you're gluten-free: substitute with a gluten-free black bean sauce.
Black bean sauce is made of soy sauce (made from black soybeans), fermented black beans, water, sugar, salt, oil, and other additives to make it shelf stable. It's a thick chunky texture, dark brown in color and has a deep umami flavor.
- Oyster sauce: or substitute with vegetarian stir fry sauce if you don't like oysters. If you're gluten-free: substitute with a gluten-free version.
- White granulated sugar: to help balance the saltiness
- Shaoxing wine: or sub with dry sherry or any broth if you're gluten-free.
- Sesame oil: if you're allergic, feel free to omit.
- Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch, tapioca starch, or rice flour.
- Chicken stock, unsalted: or substitute with beef stock, vegetable stock or as a last resort water.
Expert Tips
- To easily thinly slice flank steak, freeze the steak for 45-60 minutes exposed to the cold air. This will harden the exterior making it easier to cut with a sharp knife.
- Slice beef on an angle to make wider strips.
- Marinate beef for at least 20 minutes for ultra tender beef!
- Do not skip the baking soda or cornstarch in the velveting marinade! This is the secret to making this taste like takeout.
- Don't overcook the vegetables! They should be crisp.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make beef with black bean sauce:
Slice and Marinate Beef
Thinly slice flank steak on a bias into ¼-inch thick pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Tip: to thinly slice beef easily, freeze flank steak for 45-60 mins fully exposed and once it’s hardened on the surface, slice with a sharp knife.
Marinate beef with Marinade ingredients as listed above for 20 minutes.
Make Sauce and Fry Beef
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine Stir Fry Sauce ingredients. Set aside.
In a wok or large pan on medium heat, heat oil or any neutral oil. Fry marinated beef in hot oil in a single layer until 95% cooked. Remove and set aside.
Cook Vegetables and Sauce
Increase to medium-high heat, add ginger, garlic, red bell pepper, snow peas into pan. Then add cold water. Cook until veggies are crisp but tender, about 1 minute.
Pour in stir fry sauce. Mix with veggies. Simmer sauce to thicken.
Toss in Cooked Beef
Once sauce has thickened, add back in cooked beef. Toss everything together. Serve 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? I wouldn't recommend freezing this beef with black bean sauce as the snow peas will become mushy.
Pairing Suggestions
This black bean beef stir-fry serves well with:
- starters like egg rolls, crab rangoons, egg drop soup, hot and sour soup
- white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, or fried rice
- cooked vegetables like spicy garlic bok choy, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
FAQ
This is the black bean garlic sauce I like to use. It's by Lee Kum Kee but you can use any brand that you enjoy. 
Add 1-2 teaspoon of chili powder or chili sauce to the sauce mixture.
The secret way to getting any cut of beef so tender in Chinese cooking is a combination of baking soda, corn starch and a neutral oil. By marinating the beef like this, you'll have the most tender beef just like at restaurant!
Yes, feel free to substitute with sliced chicken or pork. Extra-firm tofu can work but skip the marinade process for this protein.
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Beef with Black Bean Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ lb flank steak or sub with skirt steak, hanger steak, flat iron steak or tri tip steak
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 cup snow peas ends trimmed (or sub with snap peas)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ inch ginger peeled and sliced
- ¼ cup water cold
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Beef Marinade:
- ½ tablespoon regular soy sauce (not dark soy sauce)
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch or sub with potato starch/tapioca starch
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine or sub with rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper or sub with black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Stir-fry Sauce:
- 3 tablespoon black bean garlic sauce
- ½ tablespoon oyster sauce or sub with vegetarian stir fry sauce
- 2 teaspoon white granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon Shaoxing wine or sub with rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil toasted kind
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or sub with potato starch/tapioca starch
- ½ cup chicken stock unsalted (or sub with beef or vegetable stock)
Instructions
- Thinly slice flank steak against the grain on an angle into ¼-inch thick pieces. Transfer beef into a large bowl. Tip: to easily slice steak thinly, freeze thawed flank steak for 45-60 mins. Once it’s hardened on the surface, it'll be much easier to slice into thin pieces with a sharp knife.
- Marinate beef with Marinade ingredients as listed above for 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl combine Stir Fry Sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- In a wok or large frying pan on medium heat, heat vegetable oil or any neutral oil. Fry marinated beef in hot oil in a single layer until 95% cooked. Remove and set aside.
- Increase to medium-high heat, add ginger, garlic, red bell pepper, snow peas into pan. Then add cold water. Cook until veggies are crisp but tender, about 1 minute.
- Pour in stir fry sauce. Mix with veggies. Simmer sauce to thicken.
- Once sauce has thickened, add back in cooked beef. Toss everything together. Serve and enjoy!
Mlss
Just made this and tossed some udon noodles with it, it was amazing, the beef was so tender et the sauce so good I had to finish it with a spoon! Thank you for your amazingly delicious recipes
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe! I'm so glad you enjoyed it and found the beef tender 🙂
Kevina Tierney
Another delicious recipe that I plan to make again in the future!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making this one too, Kevina! I'm so glad you're enjoying my recipes 🙂 Have a lovely day!
Susan
Easy, delicious and light-- enjoyed it!
christieathome
Happy to hear this! Thanks for making my recipe Susan!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
This is such a great dinner idea for back-to-school meal planning! Your homemade sauce is fantastic and the minimal prep is ideal for busy weeknights!
Caleb - Never Ending Journeys
This beef stir fry looks so flavorful! I love the choice of veggies, too!