This Beef and Ginger Stir Fry delivers a vibrant, restaurant-quality meal faster than takeout. The star is fresh ginger, providing a warm, peppery zing that cuts through the savory sauce and tender beef. It’s a perfect weeknight dish that feels special enough for company.
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Why You’ll Love This Beef and Ginger Stir Fry
- Fast & Satisfying: Ready in about 20 minutes of active time.
- Perfect Flavor Balance: Salty, sweet, and tangy sauce with a spicy ginger kick.
- Adaptable Template: Easily swap in your favorite vegetables.
- Incredible Texture: Velvety beef paired with crisp-tender vegetables.
Ingredients & Tools
- 450 g beef sirloin or flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
- 3 tbsp fresh ginger, julienned or finely grated
- 1 large head of broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 spring onions, sliced (whites and greens separated)
- 2 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil, divided
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
- 60 ml soy sauce (or tamari)
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 60 ml beef or vegetable stock
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
Tools: A large wok or a very large, heavy-bottomed frying pan, and a set of tongs.
Notes: Don’t skip the cornflour for the beef—it’s the secret to that velvety texture and helps the sauce thicken beautifully later on. And using fresh ginger, not the powdered stuff, is non-negotiable for that signature zing.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories: | 380 kcal |
| Protein: | 32 g |
| Fat: | 16 g |
| Carbs: | 25 g |
| Fiber: | 5 g |
Serves: 4 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes
Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes
- Slice your beef when it’s partially frozen. This is the single best trick for getting paper-thin, restaurant-style slices. Pop the steak in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes until it’s firm but not solid. It makes slicing against the grain so much easier.
- What does “velveting the beef” mean? It’s a Chinese restaurant technique where you marinate the meat with a little cornflour and liquid. This creates a protective coating that seals in the juices during high-heat cooking, resulting in an unbelievably tender bite. It’s a simple step with a huge payoff.
- Have everything prepped and within arm’s reach. Stir-frying is a fast process. Once you start cooking, there’s no time to chop that last clove of garlic or measure the soy sauce. This “mise en place” is the key to a stress-free and successful stir-fry.
- Don’t be shy with the ginger. Fresh ginger is the star, so be generous. I like to julienne it into thin matchsticks so you get little bursts of flavor, but finely grating it will infuse the entire dish more evenly—your choice!
How to Make Beef and Ginger Stir Fry
Step 1: Prepare the Beef. In a medium bowl, combine the thinly sliced beef, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, the rice wine, and the cornflour. Use your hands to toss everything together until every piece of beef is evenly coated. Let this sit for at least 10 minutes while you prep the rest of your ingredients. You’ll notice the cornflour will create a slightly pasty coating—that’s exactly what you want for velveting.
Step 2: Make the Stir-Fry Sauce. In a small bowl or a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the remaining soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, sesame oil, beef stock, and rice vinegar. Whisk it until the honey is fully dissolved. Having this sauce mixed and ready to go is crucial—it allows you to add it to the wok in one swift motion, which helps everything cook evenly and quickly.
Step 3: Cook the Beef. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in your wok or large pan over high heat until it’s shimmering and just starting to smoke. Add the beef in a single layer, spreading it out. Let it sear undisturbed for about 60-90 seconds to get a good brown crust, then flip and cook for another 30-60 seconds until just cooked through. Don’t overcrowd the pan—cook in two batches if needed. Transfer the beef to a clean plate.
Step 4: Stir-Fry the Aromatics and Vegetables. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok. Immediately add the julienned ginger and the white parts of the spring onions. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds until incredibly fragrant. Then, add the broccoli florets and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add a splash of water (about 2 tablespoons) and cover the wok for 1 minute to steam the broccoli slightly. Remove the lid, add the sliced bell pepper, and stir-fry for another 2 minutes until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
Step 5: Bring It All Together. Push the vegetables to one side of the wok. Add the minced garlic to the cleared space and let it cook for just 15-20 seconds until fragrant—be careful not to burn it! Now, return the cooked beef (and any accumulated juices) back to the wok. Give your prepared sauce a quick final whisk and pour it over everything.
Step 6: Final Toss and Serve. Toss everything together vigorously. The sauce will bubble and thicken almost immediately thanks to the cornflour from the beef marinade. It should look glossy and coat the back of a spoon. Once everything is heated through and beautifully coated, turn off the heat. Stir in the green parts of the spring onions. Give it one final toss and serve immediately over steamed rice.
Storage & Freshness Guide
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 1 month; thaw in fridge before reheating.
- Reviving: Reheat in a wok or pan with a splash of water to restore gloss and texture.
Serving Suggestions
Complementary Dishes
- Steamed Jasmine Rice — The fluffy, slightly sticky grains are the perfect canvas for soaking up every last drop of that incredible savory sauce.
- Simple Cucumber Salad — Thinly sliced cucumbers with a quick dressing of rice vinegar, a pinch of sugar, and chilli flakes provides a cool, crisp, and tangy contrast to the warm, rich stir-fry.
- Vegetable Spring Rolls — A few crispy, baked or air-fried spring rolls on the side add a delightful textural difference and make the meal feel like a true feast.
Drinks
- Jasmine Green Tea — Its delicate, floral notes cleanse the palate between bites and complement the ginger’s spice without overpowering it.
- A Crisp Lager — The light carbonation and clean finish of a cold lager cut through the richness of the dish beautifully, making each bite taste fresh again.
- Ginger Beer (non-alcoholic) — A fun, thematic choice that doubles down on the ginger flavor in a sweet and fizzy way that’s incredibly refreshing.
Something Sweet
- Lychee Sorbet — The floral, perfumed sweetness of lychee is a classic and light way to end the meal, clearing the palate of any lingering savory notes.
- Fortune Cookies — It’s a cliché for a reason! They’re fun, crunchy, and a little bit sweet—a playful and traditional finish to a stir-fry dinner.
- Mango Sticky Rice — If you’re feeling ambitious, the creamy, sweet coconut and mango combination is a heavenly partner to the savory, gingery flavors you’ve just enjoyed.
Top Mistakes to Avoid
- Mistake: Crowding the wok. If you add too much beef or vegetables at once, the temperature of the wok plummets. Instead of searing, you end up steaming everything, which leads to soggy, grey beef and limp vegetables. Cook in batches for the best results.
- Mistake: Using bottled minced garlic and ginger. The flavor just isn’t the same. They often contain preservatives and lack the bright, pungent punch of fresh aromatics. For a dish where ginger is the star, fresh is absolutely essential.
- Mistake: Overcooking the beef. The beef cooks incredibly fast. You just want to sear the outside until it’s no longer pink. It will continue to cook slightly when you add it back to the wok with the sauce. Overcooking is the fastest way to turn tender beef into tough, chewy strips.
- Mistake: Adding the sauce too early. If you add the sauce before your vegetables are nearly done, they’ll stew in the liquid and become mushy. The sauce should be one of the last things to go in, just to coat and heat through.
Expert Tips
- Tip: Freeze your ginger for easier grating. Keep a knob of ginger in the freezer. When you need it, you can grate it directly from frozen (skin and all!) on a microplane. It creates a fine, fluffy paste that incorporates seamlessly into the sauce and is far less messy.
- Tip: Blanch your broccoli first for vibrant color. For an even more professional look, briefly blanch your broccoli florets in boiling salted water for 60 seconds, then shock them in ice water. This sets the bright green color and means they need even less time in the wok.
- Tip: Add a splash of Chinese black vinegar at the end. Just a teaspoon stirred in right before serving adds a wonderful, complex layer of malty acidity that elevates the entire dish from great to unforgettable.
- Tip: Use a kitchen thermometer for your oil. If you’re unsure about your oil being hot enough, a thermometer takes the guesswork out. You’re aiming for around 200°C for that perfect sear on the beef.
FAQs
Can I make this Beef and Ginger Stir Fry ahead of time?
You can prep the components ahead, but I don’t recommend cooking it fully in advance. The vegetables will lose their crispness upon reheating. The best plan is to slice the beef and vegetables and make the sauce the night before, storing them separately in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat, the actual cooking process will only take about 10 minutes, so you get a fresh meal with minimal evening effort.
What’s a good substitute for oyster sauce to make this vegetarian?
Absolutely! To make a vegetarian version, use mushrooms or tofu instead of beef. For the sauce, swap the oyster sauce for an equal amount of vegetarian stir-fry sauce or mushroom stir-fry sauce. You can also mix 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce for a similar sweet and salty depth. The beef stock should, of course, be replaced with vegetable stock.
My sauce didn’t thicken. What went wrong?
This usually happens if the cornflour in the beef marinade wasn’t evenly distributed or if the wok wasn’t hot enough when the sauce was added. The sauce thickens by coming to a rapid boil. If it’s too thin, mix 1 teaspoon of cornflour with 1 tablespoon of cold water to create a “slurry” and stir it into the stir-fry. Let it bubble for another 30 seconds, and it should thicken up nicely.
Can I use a different cut of beef?
You can, but choose wisely. Sirloin and flank are ideal because they are flavorful and become tender when sliced thinly and cooked quickly. Tougher, cheaper cuts like chuck steak are not suitable for stir-frying as they require long, slow cooking to become tender. If you must substitute, rump steak or even thinly sliced pork loin would be your next best options.
How do I properly store and reheat leftovers?
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, I strongly recommend using a wok or frying pan over medium heat with a tiny splash of water. The microwave will steam the vegetables and make them soggy. Stir-frying them again for a few minutes will help restore some of the original texture and make the sauce glossy again.
Beef And Ginger Stir Fry
Make this easy Beef and Ginger Stir Fry recipe in just 25 minutes for a savory, tender meal. Faster than takeout and packed with flavor. Get the recipe now!
Ingredients
For the main ingredients
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450 g beef sirloin or flank steak (thinly sliced against the grain)
-
3 tbsp fresh ginger (julienned or finely grated)
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1 large head broccoli (cut into small florets)
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1 large red bell pepper (thinly sliced)
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4 cloves garlic (minced)
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2 spring onions (sliced (whites and greens separated))
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2 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil (divided)
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1 tbsp cornflour
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1 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
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60 ml soy sauce or tamari
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2 tbsp oyster sauce
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1 tbsp honey or brown sugar
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2 tsp sesame oil
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60 ml beef or vegetable stock
-
1 tsp rice vinegar
Instructions
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In a medium bowl, combine the thinly sliced beef, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, the rice wine, and the cornflour. Use your hands to toss everything together until every piece of beef is evenly coated. Let this sit for at least 10 minutes while you prep the rest of your ingredients.01
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In a small bowl or a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the remaining soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, sesame oil, beef stock, and rice vinegar. Whisk it until the honey is fully dissolved.02
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Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in your wok or large pan over high heat until it’s shimmering and just starting to smoke. Add the beef in a single layer, spreading it out. Let it sear undisturbed for about 60-90 seconds to get a good brown crust, then flip and cook for another 30-60 seconds until just cooked through. Transfer the beef to a clean plate.03
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Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok. Immediately add the julienned ginger and the white parts of the spring onions. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds until incredibly fragrant. Then, add the broccoli florets and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add a splash of water (about 2 tablespoons) and cover the wok for 1 minute to steam the broccoli slightly. Remove the lid, add the sliced bell pepper, and stir-fry for another 2 minutes until the vegetables are crisp-tender.04
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Push the vegetables to one side of the wok. Add the minced garlic to the cleared space and let it cook for just 15-20 seconds until fragrant. Now, return the cooked beef (and any accumulated juices) back to the wok. Give your prepared sauce a quick final whisk and pour it over everything.05
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Toss everything together vigorously. The sauce will bubble and thicken almost immediately thanks to the cornflour from the beef marinade. Once everything is heated through and beautifully coated, turn off the heat. Stir in the green parts of the spring onions. Give it one final toss and serve immediately over steamed rice.06
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