This beef and pepper stir-fry is made using strip steak, colorful bell peppers, ginger, garlic, and a few Asian sauces in just 20 minutes. Serve alongside rice or noodles.
Table of Content
Why I love stir-fry dishes:
- First of all, they are the best thing for working moms like me that have no time to cook.
- Furthermore, you can use frozen veggies so your prep time is almost zero. (though today I am using fresh bell peppers)
- Also, veggies stay crisp and retain all their nutrition unlike boiling them.
- And, noodles take only 4 minutes to cook.
- Also, you can use chicken or beef and you still don't need to change the recipe much.
- Stir-fry is high-heat cooking and cooks so fast!! Hence, dinner in less than 15 minutes is a possibility.
- Asian cooking is usually dependent on pre-made store brought sauces, which have a long (really long) shelf life. You can use them for a long time for such easy and quick dishes.
About this stir-fry
The recipe doesn't get any simpler. I am using skirt steak but you can also use chicken breast. Just make sure to cook the chicken for less long. For the marinade and sauce, I have used simple easy to find ingredients. Today, I am serving it with noodles but you can also serve it with steamed rice. For a gluten-free option you can also serve this over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles
The three golden rules of stir-fry
A stir-fry if done correctly is an absolute treat. The meat has to be well cooked, yet smoky not steam. The veggies have to be cooked al dente, meaning cooked but with a bite, not soft and not mushy. Getting it right means following these three golden rules.
- The right pan for a stir-fry is a wok. If you don't have a wok use, a light
sauté pan that you can heat on medium to high. Never use non-stick pots or heavy bottom pans. Non-stick will get ruined, and the heavy bottom pan will create steam. - Mise en
plas or prepare before you stir-fry. A stir-fry is a quick dish, which means you have to get all the things ready before you turn that heat on. Cut the ingredients you need, prepare the sauce, have the garnish chopped. Keep that serving platter on hand so you can take it off the heat quickly. - Quick-cooking - Most stir-fry dishes take not more than 7 to 10 minutes on the heat. The idea of stir-fry is to cook quickly on high heat so keep that flame on high or medium-high. Use a splash of water when necessary to bring down the temperature of the heat in the pan. Never leave the
wok unattended (yup, don't answer that phone).
Ingredients and substitutes
- Beef - Tender cuts such as sirloin, Tri-tip, ribeye, flat-iron, cut into strip nicely and can be used to make a stir-fry. Today I am using strip steak.
- Pepper- Try adding different color peppers as it looks very appetizing. Today, I am using red, green, and orange
- Onions - Sliced thickly these add a nice bite to the dish. If you don't like onions you can also slice them up thin, which adds flavor to the sauce.
- Garlic and ginger - Ain't no stir-fry without these two flavor boosters.
- Herbs - I love cilantro. And yet, Chinese parsley is most commonly used in stir-fry.
- Sauces - to keep things simple I am using the basic soy, honey, and sesame oil
- Shaoxing - is a Chinese cooking wine. Adds a nice flavor but you can omit it. Mirin or Japanese cooking sake is a great substitute too.
Step by step instructions
Prepare
- Cut the onions into slices and then separate the layers. Similarly, cut the peppers into long ¼ inch strips - set aside
- Next, cut the beef into long, thin strips. we cut the beef into longer and thinner strips as they cook faster.
Tip - Partially frozen beef cuts long and thin strips better than fully thawed soft beef. So, I cut when partially frozen and let it sit our until completely thawed - Place all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Combine well then add the beef strips and mix well. Leave the beef to marinate for an hour if possible but not necessary.
Tip - the beef can be left to marinate in the fridge overnight. Make sure to thaw at least an hour before cooking. - Drain the beef from the marinade and save the marinade aside. We will add the marinade back later.
Stir-fry
- Heat the wok on high and add one tablespoon of cooking oil. Add the ginger and garlic. Saute for 30 seconds.
Tip - We don't need too much oil as the marinade also has sesame oil. - Then, add the drained beef. Cook on medium-high for about 2 minutes stirring continuously, preferably with a flat spatula.
Tip - we stir continuously so the beef sears on all sides giving a nice color as well as crisp edges which taste nicer. - Next, pour in the marinade and let it cook for another 2 minutes on high until all the liquid has evaporated and the beef is cooked. Remove the beef from the wok and set it aside.
Tip - The marinade will help the beef cook further without drying out. - To the same wok, add the remaining one tablespoon of oil. Add the onions and saute for two minutes. Then, add the pepper and saute for another 2 minutes until almost tender. Season with salt and pepper
Tip - I like to season stir-fry veggies after they saute. This helps them retain moisture and stay crisp longer. - Return the beef back to the pan. Combine the cornstarch with ¼ cup water and add it to the pan. Saute on high for a minute or two stirring continuously. Finally, add the cilantro and combine well.
- Check and adjust the seasoning. If necessary add more salt. Transfer to a serving platter.
- Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
The best thing about stir-fry dishes is that they are so versatile and leave you so much freedom to add or subtract. In this stir-fry, you can use fewer or more peppers if you want. Try adding some broccoli, green beans, or carrot as I have done in my recipes for Chicken and green bread stir-fry, chicken and broccoli stir-fry.
Chicken is very popular in stir-fry recipes like my chicken and peppers stir-fry. You can also try thinly sliced pork, chopped sausages. Fish and seafood is always a great addition on their own or alongside the meat in a stir-fry. Try my shrimp stir-fry Asian cooking uses meat and seafood in stir-fry dishes very successfully.
It is recommended to use soybean oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil, or sunflower oil. All of these have a high smoking point. Any oil that works well for deep frying is preferable for stir-fry because a stir-fry is cooked on high heat. Olive oil, in contrast, is best used raw on salad and when cooking with a light saute method.
A wok made with carbon-steel and is light in weight. It can be cooked on very high heat and retains that high heat for long, giving you that smoky flavor right in the comfort of your own kitchen. You can cook veggies on high which is perfect for stir-fry. Having said that, you can certainly use a stainless steel frying pan. Do not use non-stick as you will ruin the pan with high heat cooking.
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Printable Recipe
Beef and Pepper Stir Fry
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Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) Strip steak (cut into strips)
- 1 Onion (chopped and layers separated)
- 3 (350 g) Bell peppers (different colors cut in strips (about 2 cups) )
- 1 clove Garlic (sliced)
- ½ inch Ginger (sliced)
- ¼ cup Cilantro (or parsley chopped )
- 2 tablespoon Canola oil
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- ¼ cup Water
Marinade/Sauce
- ¼ cup Soy sauce (I use low sodium)
- 1 tablespoon Dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoon Honey
- 1 teaspoon Sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper powder
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing sherry ((optional) (mirin or sake works too) )
Instructions
- Cut the onions into slices and then separate the layers. Similarly, cut the peppers into long ¼ inch strips - set aside
- Next, cut the beef into long, thin strips. we cut the beef into longer and thinner strips as they cook faster. Tip - Partially frozen beef cuts long and thin strips better than fully thawed soft beef. So, I cut when partially frozen and let it sit our until completely thawed
- Place all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Combine well then add the beef strips and mix well. Leave the beef to marinate for an hour if possible but not necessary.Tip - the beef can be left to marinate in the fridge overnight. Make sure to thaw at least an hour before cooking.
- Drain the beef from the marinade and save the marinade aside. We will add the marinade back later.
- Heat the wok on high and add one tablespoon of cooking oil. Add the ginger and garlic. Saute for 30 seconds.Tip - We don't need too much oil as the marinade also has sesame oil.
- Then, add the drained beef. Cook on medium-high for about 2 minutes stirring continuously, preferably with a flat spatula.Tip - we stir continuously so the beef sears on all sides giving a nice color as well as crisp edges which taste nicer.
- Next, pour in the marinade and let it cook for another 2 minutes on high until all the liquid has evaporated and the beef is cooked. Remove the beef from the wok and set it aside. Tip - The marinade will help the beef cook further without drying out.
- To the same wok, add the remaining one tablespoon of oil. Add the onions and saute for two minutes. Then, add the pepper and saute for another 2 minutes until almost tender. Season with salt and pepper Tip - I like to season stir-fry veggies after they saute. This helps them retain moisture and stay crisp longer.
- Return the beef back to the pan. Combine the cornstarch with ¼ cup water and add it to the pan. Saute on high for a minute or two stirring continuously. Finally, add the cilantro and combine well.
- Check and adjust the seasoning. If necessary add more salt. Transfer to a serving platter.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Stir-fry is quick cooking so always have all your ingredients ready before you start.
- High heat is always recommended for stir-fry. And yet, some veggies like broccoli, carrots, and beans benefit better from medium-high with a slash of water. While mushrooms and leaves benefit from high heat to quickly evaporate the released moisture.
- When adding any liquid, turn the heat up and stir at the same time so everything is coated in the starch before the water evaporates.
- Take the pan off the heat when done to prevent overcooking.
- Sometimes it’s best to transfer the stir-fry to a serving platter to prevent veggies from going mushy.
- Use salt sparingly because – sauces used in stir-frys have salt added to them as a preservative.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Danielle Wolter
I am a sucker for all asian flavors. Love the fish sauce, and I also love using dashi powder in my cooking. Stir fries are the best because they are so quick and typically very easy to make. Such a great recipe!
Veena Azmanov
Me too. Love Asian flavors.
Cheese Curd In Paradise
I love Stir Fry on busy nights! I love your tips with the different add-ins and meat. It is so helpful to have that information in front of me when I am meal planning!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Ashley. So happy you like my post.