Description
A flavorful Beijing Beef recipe featuring crispy battered flank steak stir-fried with a tangy, sweet, and slightly spicy sauce made from ketchup, hoisin, and soy. This Chinese-American classic is easy to prepare at home and perfect for serving over rice for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Coating
- 1 lb flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (optional for heat)
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1/2 white onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Other
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
- 1 tablespoon green onions, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare the beef coating: In a bowl, toss the thinly sliced flank steak with cornstarch until each piece is evenly coated. Set aside to allow the coating to adhere.
- Make the sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, black pepper, sugar, ketchup, water, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, and chili garlic sauce (if using). Set this flavorful mixture aside.
- Fry the beef: Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the coated beef slices in batches to avoid overcrowding and fry each batch for 3–4 minutes until they are crispy and browned. Remove the cooked beef onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
- Cook the vegetables: In the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Stir-fry the red bell pepper strips and sliced onion for 2–3 minutes until they begin to soften but still retain some crunch.
- Add aromatics: Add the minced garlic and grated ginger to the pan and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Simmer the sauce: Pour the prepared sauce mixture into the pan with the vegetables. Bring it to a gentle simmer and cook for 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly, coating the vegetables beautifully.
- Combine beef and sauce: Return the crispy beef to the pan and toss everything thoroughly so that the beef is well coated with the sauce and mixed with the vegetables. Cook for another 2 minutes until heated through and the sauce clings to the beef.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle chopped green onions over the dish and serve hot, ideally over steamed rice for a complete meal.
Notes
- For a healthier twist, pan-fry or air-fry the beef instead of deep frying.
- Adjust or omit the chili garlic sauce according to your preferred spice level.
- You can substitute flank steak with sirloin or skirt steak as alternatives.
