Description
This Beef Stir-Fry with Vegetables is a quick and flavorful dish featuring tender flank steak, crisp bok choy, mushrooms, and snap peas, all tossed in a savory soy-based sauce thickened to perfection. Perfect for a satisfying weeknight dinner, it combines delicious textures and vibrant flavors with minimal fuss.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Marinade
- 12 ounces flank steak, sliced ⅛-inch (3mm) thick into 2-3 inch (6-7cm) pieces
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
- 1 teaspoon water
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Vegetables
- 4 cups bok choy, cut into 1x3-inch (2.5x7.5cm) pieces, washed and drained
- ¾ cup Bunashimeji or Beech mushrooms, washed and drained
- ¾ cup sugar snap peas or snow peas, washed and drained
Sauce
- ½ cup warm water (or beef stock or chicken stock)
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
For Cooking
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil), divided
- ½ teaspoon minced ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed into a slurry with 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Marinate the beef: In a bowl, combine the flank steak slices with 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 2 teaspoons neutral oil, 1 teaspoon water, and ¼ teaspoon baking soda. Mix well until the beef is evenly coated. Set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight if preparing in advance.
- Prepare the vegetables: Wash and drain the bok choy, mushrooms, and snap peas. Cut the bok choy into 1x3-inch pieces and set all vegetables aside.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the warm water (or broth), ¼ teaspoon sesame oil, 2 teaspoons light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, and ¼ teaspoon sugar until fully combined.
- Heat the wok and sear the beef: Heat a wok over high heat until lightly smoking. Add 2 tablespoons of neutral oil and spread around the wok’s perimeter. Add the marinated beef in a single layer and sear without stirring for 30 seconds. Flip the beef pieces and sear the other side for another 30 seconds, until about 80% cooked. Turn off the heat and remove the beef from the wok.
- Cook the aromatics and mushrooms: Turn the heat back on to high. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and minced ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the minced garlic and cook for 5 seconds. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for 15 seconds to give them a good sear. Pour in the Shaoxing wine and stir quickly.
- Add vegetables and sauce: Add the snap peas and bok choy to the wok and stir-fry over the highest heat for about 20 seconds until the bok choy begins to wilt. Stir in the prepared sauce mixture and return the beef to the wok, gathering all ingredients in the center.
- Finish cooking with slurry: Once the mixture comes back to a simmer and the wok sides begin to superheat, stir-fry everything in a circular motion to toss the beef and vegetables against the wok’s sides. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the center while stirring quickly. Cook for another 20 seconds until the sauce thickens and clings well to all the ingredients. Ensure there is no standing sauce.
- Serve: Remove from heat and serve the beef stir-fry immediately, ideally with steamed rice or noodles.
Notes
- For more tender beef, marinate it overnight if time allows.
- Feel free to substitute or add other vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, or broccoli depending on preference and availability.
- Use high heat and a well-seasoned wok for best searing results and flavor development.
- If you don’t have Shaoxing wine, dry sherry or mirin can be used as alternatives.
- Adjust the soy sauce amounts to control saltiness according to taste or dietary needs.
- To keep the dish gluten free, use tamari or a gluten-free soy sauce in place of regular soy sauces and oyster sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 377 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 797 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Cholesterol: 68 mg
