Beijing beef is actually an American-style Chinese dish. In China and Taiwan, this dish doesn’t exist. I think everyone, like me, knows Panda Express Beijing Beef best. It tastes salty and slightly sweet and sour, which makes you want to eat another bowl of rice. I’ll show you without deep-fried the beef. So you can cook this dish at home and it’s lower in fat and calories than the one from Panda Express.
Beijing beef recipe
Only inexpensive cuts of beef should be used for this recipe, such as flank steak, tenderloin, or sirloin. I use flank steak. I add baking soda and beaten egg to the beef to make the flank steak tender and juicy. You can refer to my other post, “How To Velvet Beef For Stir Fry?”. I’ll show you how to cut the beef and how to tenderize it.
Also, I don’t deep fry the beef, but dip it in cornstarch on both sides and set it aside for 5 minutes. Then you sear the beef in the pan with oil after it gets wet, it can get crispy, which is healthier and has fewer calories.
Ingredients
This dish is so simple, only need below ingredients:
- Onion – cut into 1” chunks. If it’s a small onion, use all the onions. If it’s a large onion, you can use half or 3/4.
- Red bell pepper – cut into 1” chunks. If it’s small red bell pepper, use all of it. If it’s large red bell pepper, you can use half or 3/4.
- If you like more vegetables, you can add vegetables that don’t produce moisture. For example, carrots, cucumbers, or zucchini…
- Fresh garlic – chopped or minced.
Marinate beef with soy sauce, rice wine, and baking soda. Mix well and marinate for at least 10 minutes (you can also leave it overnight). Add cornstarch and oil before cooking.
If you want to let it sit overnight, don’t add baking soda. Don’t add the baking soda for more than 30 minutes, or the meat will be tough.
Beijing beef sauce.
To make Beijing beef sauce, mix brown sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, ketchup, cornstarch, vinegar, sweet chili sauce, and water in a small bowl. Set aside. The Sweet Chili Sauce is optional if you don’t have it. You don’t need to get it. Ketchup and oyster sauce will do the trick.
How to make
- Prepare the beef – Always cut against the grain direction to make the flank steak more tender. You can refer to my other post, "How To Velvet Beef For Stir Fry?" I'll show you how to cut the beef and how to tenderize it.
- Marinate beef – Marinate with soy sauce, beaten egg, baking soda, and rice wine. Mix well and marinate for at least 10 minutes. (you can also leave it overnight) Add cornstarch before cooking.
- Prepare vegetables.
- In a large wok or skillet, heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil over medium-high heat. Place the flank steak in it in a single layer. When you put the beef in, dip it into the oil in the pan to crisp it up.
- Don't turn it, but wait for 2 to 3 minutes before turning the other side. Fry it until it's golden brown and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Remove it from the pan.PRO TIP: Don't overcrowd the pan and turn the beef after 2-3 minutes so you get a crispy flank steak.
- Fry the spices – In the same pan, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, and the garlic, and fry them for 10-15 seconds.
- Add the sauce to the pan and simmer for 1 minute.
- Add the onion, stir for 1 minute.
- Return the beef and add red bell pepper- Add the beef and red bell pepper back in, if you want the beef crispy, you don't have to toss it in the Beijing sauce for too long, about 1 minute is enough.
Can I prep it ahead of time?
I like to make this recipe fresh but you can definitely prep it ahead of time.
- Slice Beef: you can do this at any time before marinating or just before marinating then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Marinate Beef: marinate your beef 20 minutes up to 8 hours before cooking.
- Make Beijing Sauce: make the sauce by mixing all sauce ingredients and storing them in the refrigerator before using.
Recipe substitution and variations:
- Meats: chicken thighs, breasts, and pork strips are great meat substitutions.
- Add veggies: if you’d like more vegetables, snow peas, broccoli and carrots are a great addition.
- Make it vegetarian: fried tofu, cauliflowers, and mushrooms.
Watch how to make it:
More beef stir fry recipes:
★ Mongolian Beef
★ Beef Chop Suey (Chinese Beef Stir Fry with Vegetables)
★ Beijing Beef
★ Szechuan Beef
★ Pepper Steak With Onion
Ingredients
Marinade Beef:
- 300g 0.67 lb flank steak, ,sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon rice wine ,Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon oil
Stir Fry Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 4 garlic, minced
- 1/2 onion, cut into 1” chunks
- 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1” chunks
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Beijing Sauce:
- 1/2 bowl water
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce (optional)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Cut the beef – To make the flank steak more tender, always cut against the grain direction. (Note 1) You can refer to my other post, "How To Velvet Beef For Stir Fry?" I'll show you how to cut the beef and how to tenderize it.
- Marinate beef – Marinate with all ingredients. Mix well and marinate for at least 10 minutes (you can also leave it overnight). Add cornstarch 10 minutes later. (Note 2)
- Pan-fry beef – Add the canola oil to a large frying pan and heat on medium-high heat. Add the steak to the pan in a single layer (to get a good sear) and cook on each side for 1 minute. If you overcrowd the pan, your steak won't be seared, it'll be steamy. When the steak is done searing, remove it from the pan.
- Beijing Sauce- Mix brown sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, ketchup, cornstarch, vinegar, sweet chili sauce, and water in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Prepare the vegetables- Cut onion and red bell pepper into 1” chunks. Chopped fresh garlic. Set aside.
- Fry the spices – In the same pan, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, and the garlic, and fry them for 10-15 seconds.
- Add the sauce to the pan and simmer for 1 minute.
- Add the onion, stir for 1 minute.
- Return the beef and add red bell pepper- Add the beef and red bell pepper back in, if you want the beef crispy, you don't have to toss it in the Beijing sauce for too long, about 1 minute is enough.
- Ready to serve.
Video
Tips & Notes:
- Cut the beef against the direction of the grain so that the tissue can be separated and the bite is easier to make.
- If you want to marinate for more than half an hour or overnight, you should add baking soda and cornstarch 10 minutes before cooking. Otherwise, the beef will be tough if you add baking soda too long.
- After dipping, let the cornstarch, rest for 5 minutes before frying. This will help the cornstarch stick to the meat and make it crispier and not come off during frying.
Anna Lee says
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