Chinese Style Satay Beef

Tender juicy beef marinated in an nutty savory satay sauce with lemongrass, ginger, garlic, red chili, and peanut butter. This Chinese style satay beef is made from scratch and ready in 30 minutes! A great main dish that is better-than-takeout.

Chinese style satay beef is different from the satay you find in South East Asia (specifically Malaysia and Singapore) where the meat is skewered and less saucy.

This type of satay beef uses flank steak and is sliced into very thin pieces. Then marinated to make the beef ultra-tender and stir fried in a delicious nutty satay sauce.

It's commonly served at Chinese restaurants on a hot sizzling plate with steamed rice and veggies. At the Hong Kong style cafés (aka "cha-chang-teng"), the beef is usually served with soup noodles or in a sandwich between milk bread.

The best part is it's easy to make at home, especially if you have a blender or food processor to grind the satay paste. The beef is super flavorful and so tender and you can make a large batch at a fraction of the cost.

Ingredients & Substitutes

Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements. 

• Flank Steak: or substitute with sirloin tip steak, tri-tip steak, hanger steak, or top round steak. If you're not a fan of beef, substitute with sliced chicken thighs, pork shoulder or pork belly.
• Bell Peppers: feel free to use any colored bell pepper of your choice. Or substitute with broccoli or carrots or omit this ingredient altogether.
• 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 of your choice. 
• Baking Soda: to tenderize the beef. Do not skip!
• Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch.
• Garlic
• Neutral Oil

Homemade Satay Sauce

• Peanut Butter: ideally smooth peanut butter to make the blending process easier. Or substitute with chunky peanut butter but blend the paste until smooth.
• Ginger: or substitute with fresh ginger.
• Lemongrass: either the fresh kind using only the white parts and not the green stems. Or substitute with the frozen kind.
• Sesame Oil: or substitute with sesame seeds. If you're allergic, omit this ingredient.
• Brown Sugar: light or dark brown sugar both work.
• Shallot: or substitute with ¼ onion.
• 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.
• Garlic
• Large Red Chili: for spice or substitute with ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes like gochugaru or crushed red chili flakes.

Note: Most Asian grocers will carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.  

Instructions

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make satay beef:

1. First thinly slice flank steak on an angle against the grain into ¼-inch thick pieces. Transfer beef to a large bowl. Tip: if you freeze the steak for 45-60 minutes exposed to the cold air, this will allow you to slice the steak very thinly.
2. Then marinate beef slices with marinade ingredients as listed and mix well. Let this marinate for at least 15 minutes as you work on the other ingredients.
3. In a blender or food processor, add satay sauce ingredients as listed above and blend until smooth. Set aside.
4. Then heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat, fry marinated beef. Fry until the edges are brown and the meat is 50-60% cooked, about 5 minutes.
5. Add in chopped bell peppers here and fry for 2 minutes.
6. When the beef is 75% cooked, pour in the satay sauce and stir fry with the beef. Cook for 1-2 minutes until beef is cooked through and not red. Finally 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 don't recommend freezing satay beef with the vegetables because the veggies will become mushy.

Pairing Suggestions

Chinese style satay beef 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
• chow mein, lo mein, plain noodles
• cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.

FAQ

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