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Ginger beef stir fry in a pan

Ginger Beef Stir Fry

By Maggie Zhu
4.85 from 13 votes
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
I absolutely love making this easy 45-minute ginger beef stir fry recipe for my family. It is a Chinese takeout classic that I make with chewy, crispy slices of flank steak coated in a savory, sweet, and tangy ginger sauce, then finished with green onions, red bell pepper, and baby bok choy.

Ingredients

Marinating

  • 1 lb 450 g flank steak
  • 1 egg , beaten
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Sauce (Footnote 1)

Beef and stir-fry

  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
  • 3 green onions , sliced on the bias, white and green part separated
  • 2 cloves garlic , thinly sliced
  • 1 thumb ginger , julinned
  • 1 red pepper , sliced
  • 2 baby bok choy , sliced into bite-size pieces
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)

Instructions

  • Halve the flank steak lengthwise into two big pieces, then slice against the grain into 1/4” (4-cm) thick pieces.
  • Beat the egg in a medium-sized bowl. Add the sliced beef, ginger, baking soda and salt. Mix well and let marinate for 20 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.
  • Combine the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well.
  • When you’re ready to cook, add the 1/3 cup cornstarch to the marinated beef, 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir to coat the beef, until it forms an uneven coating with a little dry cornstarch left unattached.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok (or 24” skillet) over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook in batches, add the beef and spread it into a single layer in the skillet. Cook without touching the beef for 3 minutes, or until the bottom has browned. Flip to brown the other side, 2 minutes or so. Transfer the beef to a big plate and repeat with the rest of the beef. Once all the beef is cooked, remove the pan from the stove. Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes. (*Footnote 2)
  • Place the pan back onto the stove and turn to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil.
  • Add the green onion, ginger, and garlic. Stir a few times to release the fragrance.
  • Add the bell pepper and baby bok choy. Turn to medium high heat. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
  • Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch completely. Pour into the pan. Stir and cook until it thickens (*Footnote 3). Add back the beef pieces. Stir to coat the beef with sauce.
  • Transfer everything to a plate immediately and garnish with roasted sesame seeds. Serve hot over steamed rice as a main dish.

Notes

  1. I made a sticky sauce that’s just enough to coat all the ingredients and season everything well, without turning the beef soggy. If you make extra sauce to serve with rice, be aware that more liquid will cause the beef to turn soft very quickly. 
  2. If you don’t plan to serve the dish soon, you can set the beef aside and cook the sauce right before serving. The beef will stay crispy this way. Once tossed with the sauce, the beef will still have some crispy texture but it starts to lose crispiness quickly. 
  3. The sauce thickens in a few seconds, so make sure you have the cooked beef ready to add back immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 4g, Calories: 304kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 42mg, Sodium: 898mg, Potassium: 152mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 3596IU, Vitamin C: 66mg, Calcium: 83mg, Iron: 1mg