Beef Stir Fry Recipe

We're cooking up a new pan of Spicy Beef Stir Fry tonight, my friends! Would you care for a bowl?

This easy beef stir fry is all about tender, thin-sliced beef seared hot and fast, then tossed with broccoli and peppers in a bold, spicy stir fry sauce. It's on the table in about 20 minutes, and I'll show you how to dial the heat down if you're feeding a crowd.

We've been making a lot of stir fry recipes in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen as of late. I love a good stir fry for many different reasons.

• First, they cook up quickly. You can have a stir fry dish cooked up and on the table in 20 minutes, or under 30 minutes if you're a slow cook like me.
• Second, they're super easy to customize. You can make them with different vegetables to your own preference, even tossing in veggies from the fridge you need to use up. You can use just about any protein - shrimp, chicken, pork, beef, tofu - or even go vegetarian.
• Third, stir fries taste fantastic! My stir fries are always huge on flavor with my own preferred ingredients that are perfect for the spicy food lover. Today's recipe is just that - nice and spicy and loaded with the flavors my spicy food loving friends crave.

I hope you enjoy it!

Let's talk about how to make beef stir fry, shall we?

Beef Stir Fry Ingredients

For the Beef Stir Fry Sauce:

• Doubanjiang. You can use gochujang or another spicy chili paste as a substitute.
• Hot Paprika. As a substitute, use a combination of cayenne and sweet paprika. You can use other spicier chili powders as well.
• Sesame Oil.
• Soy Sauce.
• Rice Wine Vinegar.
• Brown Sugar. Honey is a good substitute, for a bit of sweetness.
• Garlic.
• Ginger.
• Chicken Broth.
• Red Pepper Flakes.
• Corn Starch Slurry. 1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with 1 tablespoon water, to help thicken the sauce.

For the Beef Stir Fry:

• Sesame Oil. Or use olive oil or vegetable oil
• Beef Ribeye. Cut into thin slices or bite-sized pieces, to your preference, slicing against the grain. You can use other cuts of beef. See below for the best cuts of beef for stir fry.
• Corn Starch.
• Salt and Pepper.
• Vegetables. I am using broccoli, bell peppers and jalapeno peppers for my beef stir fry. You can use any of your favorites. See below for more vegetable ideas.

For Serving:

• Chopped green onion, spicy red pepper flakes.

Best Cut of Beef for Stir Fry

I love ribeye for this recipe. It's well marbled, so it stays juicy even when it's seared hard over high heat. But you don't need to splurge. Here are the best cuts for beef stir fry:

• Ribeye. My favorite. Rich, tender and forgiving.
• Sirloin. The budget-friendly go-to. Lean but tender when sliced thin.
• Flank Steak. Big beefy flavor with a clear grain, which makes it easy to slice correctly.
• Skirt Steak. Super flavorful and quick-cooking. Slice it very thin. I just love it.
• Strip Steak or Tenderloin. Tender and amazing if you've got them on hand.

Skip stew meat and chuck. They need long, slow cooking and turn chewy in a fast stir fry.

How to Slice Beef for Stir Fry

Slicing is the difference between tender beef and chewy beef. Two tips:

• Firm It Up First. Pop the steak in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes. It firms up and is much easier to slice thinly.
• Slice Against the Grain. Find the lines running through the meat and cut across them, about 1/4 inch thick. That shortens the muscle fibers so every bite is tender.

How to Keep Stir Fry Beef Tender

• Coat It in Corn Starch. Tossing the beef in corn starch before cooking is a simple form of velveting. It protects the meat, keeps it juicy, and helps the sauce cling.
• Get the Pan Very Hot. You want a hard, quick sear, not a slow simmer.
• Don't Crowd the Pan. Cook the beef in batches if needed. Too much beef at once drops the heat and the beef steams instead of searing.
• Don't Overcook It. The beef goes back into the pan at the end, so pull it a little early.
• Optional: Baking Soda. For tougher, cheaper cuts, toss the sliced beef with a little baking soda, rest it 15 to 20 minutes, then rinse and pat dry before the corn starch. It's a restaurant trick for super tender beef.

Best Vegetables for Beef Stir Fry

I use broccoli, bell pepper and jalapeno, but use your favorites like snow peas, snap peas, carrots, mushrooms, bok choy, baby corn, water chestnuts, onion or zucchini. Cut everything to a similar size and add harder vegetables, like broccoli and carrots, first so they finish cooking at the same time.

How to Make Beef Stir Fry - the Recipe Method

Make the Stir Fry Sauce

Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl until well combined. Set aside until ready to use.

Make the Beef Stir Fry

Heat the Oil. Heat the oil in a large pan or wok to medium-high heat.

Coat the Beef. Toss the beef with the corn starch, salt and pepper to coat.

Stir Fry the Beef. Add the beef to the hot pan and cook the beef for 2 minutes or to your preference, stirring often. Remove the beef and set aside.

Stir Fry the Vegetables. Add the broccoli and chopped peppers to the hot pan. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the Stir Fry Sauce. Add the stir fry sauce and stir. Bring to a quick boil, then simmer for 3 minutes, stirring a bit, or until the vegetables are cooked to your liking. The stir fry sauce will thicken in the pan and coat the beef and vegetables.

Stir in the Beef. Stir the sliced beef back into the pan with the vegetables and warm through.

Garnish and Serve. I like my beef stir fry with either steamed white rice or stir fry noodles. Sesame seeds are a popular garnish as well.

Boom! Done! Your spicy stir fry is ready to serve! Looks wonderful, doesn't it? Super easy to make, which is a huge bonus, and you can easily customize the spice levels and ingredients.

How Spicy Is This Beef Stir Fry? (Making It Mild)

This is a spicy beef stir fry, my friends. The heat comes from doubanjiang, hot paprika, red pepper flakes and fresh jalapeno. To tone it down:

• Use 1 tablespoon doubanjiang instead of 2.
• Swap the hot paprika for sweet paprika.
• Skip the red pepper flakes.
• Use more bell pepper in place of the jalapeno.

To make it hotter, add a spoonful of chili crisp, fresh Thai chilies, or a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.

Storage, Make Ahead & Freezing

• Make Ahead. Whisk the sauce up to 5 days ahead and refrigerate. Slice the beef and chop the vegetables the day before.
• Leftovers. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a hot skillet or the microwave.
• Freezing. Freeze for up to 3 months. The vegetables soften a bit after thawing, but the flavor holds up.

That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my beef stir fry recipe. Let me know if you make it and how you change it up to make it your own. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!

More Spicy Stir Fry Recipes to Try

• Spicy Shrimp Stir Fry
• Pork Stir Fry
• Chicken Stir Fry
• Teriyaki Shrimp Stir Fry
• Bo Luc Lac (Vietnamese Shaking Beef)
• Stir Fry Sauce

More Beef Stir Fry Recipes to Try

• Mongolian Beef
• Szechuan Beef
• Hunan Beef
• Pepper Steak
• Steak Fried Rice
• Lomo Saltado (Peruvian Beef Stir Fry with French Fries)

Try These Spicy Noodle Dishes Next

• Drunken Noodles
• Spicy Chicken Fried Rice
• Steak Fried Rice
• Spicy Ramen Noodles
• Miso Ramen
• Yakisoba Noodles

Beef Stir Fry FAQ

What is the best cut of beef for stir fry?

Ribeye is my favorite for its marbling and tenderness. Sirloin, flank steak and skirt steak are excellent, more affordable options. Avoid stew meat and chuck, which need slow cooking.

How do you keep beef tender in a stir fry?

Slice it thinly against the grain, coat it in corn starch, and sear it quickly over very high heat in batches so the pan stays hot. Don't overcook it, since it goes back in the pan at the end.

Do you have to marinate beef for stir fry?

No. A quick toss in corn starch, salt and pepper is all this recipe needs. The sauce brings the flavor. For tougher cuts, a short baking soda treatment helps tenderize the beef.

What is the sauce for beef stir fry made of?

Mine is doubanjiang (Chinese chili bean paste), hot paprika, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, chicken broth and red pepper flakes, thickened with a corn starch slurry.

Can I make beef stir fry less spicy?

Yes. Use half the doubanjiang, swap the hot paprika for sweet paprika, skip the red pepper flakes, and use bell pepper instead of jalapeno.

What can I substitute for doubanjiang?

Gochujang is the best substitute. Sambal oelek or another chili paste also works, though the flavor will change.

What do you serve with beef stir fry?

Steamed white rice, fried rice, or stir fry noodles. It's also a balanced meal on its own with plenty of vegetables.