Chinese Beef Tomato Stir-fry. Tender flank beef steak cooked in a delicious, sweet tomato ketchup stir fry sauce with onion, garlic and ginger. Perfect with some hot steamed rice. A popular dish in Chinese cuisine. Great for dinner or lunch. Ready in just 30 minutes.
I love this dish so much. This dish truly brings back memories at the dinner table for my family and I. My mom would make her version at least once every month. Her version was a Chinese tomato beef egg recipe. We would always enjoy this dish together with some hot rice. The best part is when the sweet tomato sauce smothers your rice, and you get a little bite of that beef with the tomato. Healthy, easy to make and comforting.
Easy to make!
This Chinese tomato beef stir fry is incredible easy to make. You are simply marinating your beef in a quick marinade to prepare it and make it more tender. It’s best if you can do this step overnight for extra tender juicy beef. Then you’ll fry the beef with onion, ketchup and ginger until the beef is 75% cooked. Next you’ll add in your cornstarch slurry with the chopped tomatoes giving it a mix. Then allowing this to simmer until the sauce is thicker adding some sugar to increase the sweetness (optional). And that’s it! Very simple if you ask me.
Is there a vegetarian version?
If you’re a vegetarian, you can check out my Tomato Egg Stir Fry which is very similar to my beef stir fry with tomatoes and onions.
Watch how I made it!
Tips for Tomato Beef Stir Fry
I will share some tips below to guide you on how to make this beef stir fry with tomatoes and onions:
- Use flank steak and slice it thinly. To slice thin wide pieces, slice it on an angle against the grain. To ensure very thin slices of beef, you can freeze it for 30 minutes to 1 hour and slice it then.
- Marinate your beef overnight or a couple of hours for an ultra tender juicy beef.
- Prepare all your ingredients in advance. This is important because if you’re multitasking you can easily overcook your beef or tomatoes.
- Slice your tomatoes into large wedges to ensure they don’t disintegrate into the sauce.
- Only cook your beef until 75% cooked and then quickly add in your onions, ginger, and ketchup. If you cook the beef fully and then add in your other ingredients, it will cause for an overcooked beef. But let’s say if you do, it’s not the end of the world. The sauce will make it moist, but your beef will just not be as bouncy.
- Once you add in your remaining ingredients, give it a GENTLE stir to ensure you don’t break apart the tomatoes.
- Allow the sauce to simmer so it thickens by simmering for a few minutes over medium heat.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about this beef with tomatoes and onions:
What cut of beef should I use for this recipe?
Flank steak. If you can’t find this cut, use top sirloin but I would suggest slicing off the thick fat surrounding it and use a meat tenderizer to hammer it into thinner pieces.
What tomatoes should I use?
Large tomatoes are the best for this recipe as you want to cut them into large wedges, so they don’t break apart in the sauce.
Other Chinese recipes you may like!
If you enjoyed this tomato beef stir fry recipe then you may enjoy these other Cantonese recipes:
SATAY BEEF SANDWICH
HONG KONG HAM EGG SANDWICH
SATAY BEEF NOODLE SOUP
CHINESE STYLE SATAY BEEF
CANTONESE CREAM CORN FISH
CHINESE SALT AND PEPPER PORK
CHINESE BEEF NOODLE STIR-FRY
For this recipe
You will need the following ingredients for my tomato egg beef stir fry:
- 0.685 lbs Flank steak, thinly sliced
- 2 large Tomatoes, sliced into large wedges
- 1 large cooking Onion, diced
- ½ tablespoon ginger, thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoon Ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 cup Water
- 2 stalks Green onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
Beef marinade:
- ¼ teaspoon Baking soda
- 2 teaspoon Soy sauce
- 1.5 teaspoon Cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon Water
- 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
How to make Beef Tomato Stir Fry
- Slice your beef into wide thin pieces on angle and against the grain if you’re using flank steak. Transfer it to a mixing bowl and marinade with beef marinade ingredients. Mix well and pack the beef slices into a ball so the marinade really soaks into the meat. Set aside to prepare your other ingredients. For extra tender beef: let this marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Slice tomatoes into large wedges, onions into diced pieces and finely slice green onions.
- Whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 cup of water. Set aside.
- Into a hot pan or wok set over medium heat, add cooking oil. Once oil is hot, add marinated beef and quickly disperse the beef evenly across the pan to cook. Cook until it’s 75% cooked or mostly brown.
- Next add onion, ginger, ketchup and mix well. Cook until onions are softened, about 1 minute.
- Then pour in cornstarch slurry, followed by tomatoes and mix until everything is combined. Allow the sauce to simmer and thicken, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in sugar and gently mix (you don’t want the tomatoes to break apart). Garnish with green onions and serve hot. Enjoy!
Give it a try!
Well, I hope you give my recipe for beef tomato stir fry a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.
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Easy Chinese Beef Tomato Stir-fry
Ingredients
- 0.685 lbs Flank steak thinly sliced
- 2 large tomatoes sliced into large wedges
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- ½ tablespoon ginger thinly sliced with skin on
- 4 tablespoon Ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 cup Water
- 2 stalks Green onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Beef marinade:
- ¼ teaspoon Baking soda
- 2 teaspoon regular soy sauce not light or dark!
- 1.5 teaspoon Cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon Water
- 2 teaspoon garlic minced
Instructions
- Slice your beef into wide thin pieces on angle and against the grain if you’re using flank steak. Transfer it to a mixing bowl and marinade with beef marinade ingredients. Mix well and pack the beef slices into a ball so the marinade really soaks into the meat. Set aside to prepare your other ingredients. For extra tender beef: let this marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Slice tomatoes into large wedges, onions into diced pieces and finely slice green onions.
- Whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 cup of water. Set aside.
- Into a hot pan or wok set over medium heat, add cooking oil. Once oil is hot, add marinated beef and quickly disperse the beef evenly across the pan to cook. Cook until it’s 75% cooked or mostly brown.
- Next add onion, ginger, ketchup and mix well. Cook until onions are softened, about 1 minute.
- Then pour in cornstarch slurry, followed by tomatoes and mix until everything is combined. Allow the sauce to simmer and thicken, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in sugar and gently mix (you don’t want the tomatoes to break apart). Garnish with green onions and serve hot. Enjoy!
Katherine | Love In My Oven
Flank steak is so great, isn't it?! This looks super flavorful, Christie! And tomato is always a hit with my family. We'd enjoy this!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
The sweet and savory elements of your sauce compliment the steak so perfectly. This is one dish that would make all of the men in my life very happy!!