This post Easy Classic Chinese Beef Stew Fry was last updated on 2022.
This is made with a simple but super flavourful, classic Chinese stir fry sauce. It’s a real sauce, one that tastes just like you get at proper Chinese restaurants!
Chinese Beef Stir Fry
Stir fries are my go-to for those nights when I can’t deal with more than the bare minimum effort for dinner. I know that I can make stir fries with any greens in my refrigerator. Even if all I have is green beans and an onion, (and some protein!) As long as I have a tasty sauce, I’m one happy gal!
So I have a secret weapon for super fast midweek meals – a homemade all purpose stir fry sauce. I call him Charlie. As in – Charlie Brown, because it’s a brown sauce. Ha ha ha. Don’t kill yourself laughing at my lack of originality!
Charlie is my secret weapon. It takes just minutes to make and keeps in the fridge for several weeks. He tastes a lot like the sauce in many Chinese stir fries but isn’t exactly the same. He can be used as a base for many Chinese dishes, with a few additional flavourings.
And he’s real.It tastes just like authentic Chinese stir-fry sauce with the right depth of flavour.
Say hi Charlie! That’s him on the bottom right photo. Looks unimpressive, doesn’t he? No hint of the power within! 🙂
The beauty of Charlie is that he will reside in your fridge for weeks, then when you need him, he’s always ready to go. Give him a good shake, then stir him into your stir fry. He’s already got cornstarch/cornflour in him so he turns into a glorious thick sauce that coats your stir fry beautifully.
It’s been over a year since I last shared a recipe using Charlie. The reason I thought of this is because Super Food Ideas (Australia’s #1 food magazine!) Charlie asked me to write a feature that featured a series recipes. You will be Be amazedYou’d be surprised at what you can do with him. Not just stir fries – soups, sauces, noodle stir fries and even using him as a marinade.
So I spent last week developing recipes for the Super Food Ideas feature (which comes out in early February – I’ll share more about that when the issue is released!). I also had some ingredients left over so I decided to share this stir-fry recipe.
If you want more ideas for how to use Charlie, you can have a look at this post – 10 Classic Chinese Dishes, 1 Amazing Sauce, where I share 10 more Chinese dishes (all on one page!) Charlie can be used to make many other dishes.
Here’s a classic Beef Stir Fry with Charlie. 🙂 BUT I’ve also provided the ingredients to make the sauce from scratch too. Enjoy! – Nagi x
Option: Stir fries with tenderised beef
Have you ever noticed how the meat in Chinese cuisine is so tender? How your stir fries are never the same at home? The secret is tenderising the meat – a method called velveting.
That’s right. You can find a cheerful Chinese restaurant that uses inexpensive stewing beef to make stir-fries with tenderized beef strips.
Learn how to use this simple and highly effective method. How to Tenderise Beef: The Chinese Way.
This option is only for stir fries made with inexpensive beef.
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Easy Classic Chinese Beef Stir Fry
Ingredients
Sauce (Note 1
- 3 tsp cornstarch / corn flour*
- 2 tbsp plus 1/3 cup Water Separated
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (Note 2)*
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce*
- 2 tbsp Mirin or Chinese cooking wine (Note 3)*
- 1 tsp white sugar*
- 1/2 tsp Sesame oil (optional)*
- Dash of black pepper*
Stir Fry
- 2 tbsp Peanut oil
- 1 Clove of garlic Crushed
- 7 oz / 200 g Beef Note 4) – Good quality, thinly cut
- 1/2 Small onion , sliced (yellow-brown or white).
- 1/2 Capsicum/red bell pepper , sliced
- 1 Small carrot Divide in half lengthwise. Slice thinly on each side.
- 3 baby pak Choy/bok Choy , quartered lengthwise
- 2 Stems scallion / shallots , cut into 1.5″/3cm pieces
To Serve
- White rice steamed
- Sesame seeds (optional)
- Fresh cilantro / coriander (optional)
Instructions
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Mix the cornstarch with 2 tbsp water in a small bowl. Stir until well combined.
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Mix the remaining sauce ingredients with 1/3 cup of water.
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Combine the beef and 2 tablespoons Sauce in a bowl. Mix gently. Allow to rest for 15 min.
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The remaining Sauce should be reduced by 1/3 cup. Set aside.
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On high heat, heat oil in a wok. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 15 seconds.
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Stir in onion and cook for one minute.
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Cook the beef until it turns a light brown color, but not to its maximum.
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Stir fry bell peppers and carrots for 30 seconds.
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Mix Sauce with the Chicken and Cook for 30 Seconds
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Mix in the pak choy, scallions/shallots, and continue to cook for about 1 minute or until the Sauce thickens.
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Take out of the heat immediately
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Serve immediately with rice or Cauliflower Rice for a low-carb, low-cal option. If desired, garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds
Recipe Notes
2. Soy –This recipe calls for ordinary all-purpose soy sauce. I use Kikkoman. Avoid using light soy sauce (too salty), or dark soy sauce.
3. Chinese cuisine wineStir fry sauces are only possible with the use of alcohol. It will cook out. If you are unable to get the alcohol, you can substitute chicken broth.
4. Beef – This stir fry cooks quickly, so make sure to use a good cut of beef. This recipe is great with flank, sirloin and sirloin.
Cut the beef against its grain. The beef’s fibres tend to be in one direction when you examine it. You will need to place the beef before you, so that the fibers are facing left to right. Next, cut the fibers. Then, cut parallel to the direction that the fibres are going (see here for an illustrative picture). This cuts the beef more tender.
If you don’t tenderize slow-cooked cuts like chuck, they won’t be suitable for cooking (see How to tenderize beef in a Chinese restaurant)
Nutrition per serving, excluding rice. The oil can be halved and a non-stick skillet can be used to reduce the calories.
