Description
A classic Chinese-style stir-fry featuring tender beef strips and crisp green beans in a savory garlic sauce. This quick-cooking dish delivers bold flavors and perfect texture contrasts in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb flank steak or sirloin (thinly sliced against the grain)
- 12 oz fresh green beans (trimmed)
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil (divided)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger (grated)
- 2–3 dried red chilies (optional)
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds (for garnish)
- For the beef marinade:
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp baking soda (optional, for extra tenderness)
- For the sauce:
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup beef or chicken stock
- 1 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Marinate beef: Combine beef with marinade ingredients. Let sit 15-20 minutes while prepping other ingredients.
- Blanch green beans: Boil beans in salted water for 2 minutes, then shock in ice water. Drain and pat dry.
- Make sauce: Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.
- Stir-fry beef: Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok over high heat. Add beef in single layer and sear 1-2 minutes until browned but not fully cooked. Remove.
- Cook aromatics: Add remaining oil. Stir-fry garlic, ginger, and chilies (if using) for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir-fry beans: Add green beans and stir-fry 2-3 minutes until bright green with some charred spots.
- Combine: Return beef to wok. Add sauce and toss everything together for 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens and coats ingredients.
- Serve: Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
Notes
- For crisp-tender beans, don’t skip the blanching step
- Slice beef when partially frozen for easier thin cuts
- Substitute asparagus or snap peas for green beans
- Add 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms with the aromatics if desired
- For extra restaurant-style flavor, finish with 1 tbsp butter at the end
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stir-fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe (without rice)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 900mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 26g
- Cholesterol: 60mg