Ingredients
Scale
For the Beef and Marinade:
- 1 pound flank steak, skirt steak, or top sirloin (cut against the grain into bite-sized pieces)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Stir Fry Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water
- 2 teaspoons rice wine or rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey or brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
For the Stir Fry:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 small to medium onion, sliced
- 1 small to medium red bell pepper, sliced thinly
- 1 carrot, peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
- 2 scallions, sliced thinly
- Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
- Steamed rice for serving (optional)
Instructions
- First, prepare the beef marinade. In a medium bowl or resealable plastic bag, mix the beef pieces with soy sauce, black pepper, and cornstarch. Let this sit for 15-30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator. The cornstarch helps tenderize the meat and keeps it juicy.
- While the beef marinates, make the stir fry sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, broth, rice wine, honey, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch until well combined. Set this aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add half of the marinated beef in a single layer. Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown on one side, then toss and cook for another 1-2 minutes. The beef doesn’t need to be fully cooked yet. Transfer to a bowl.
- Cook the second batch of beef the same way, adding more oil if needed. Transfer to the same bowl when done.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan. Add onions, red bell pepper, and carrots. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until onions become translucent.
- Add broccoli and cook for about 2 minutes until crisp-tender.
- Return the beef to the pan along with any juices that collected in the bowl. Toss everything together.
- Pour in the stir fry sauce and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the scallions and continue cooking until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Remove from heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds if using.
- Serve immediately with steamed rice if desired.
Notes
- Cut all ingredients before starting to cook – stir-frying moves fast!
- Slice the beef against the grain for more tender meat
- Use a very hot pan or wok for that authentic stir-fry sear
- Cook in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan
- Keep ingredients moving constantly for even cooking
- Have all sauce ingredients premixed for quick addition
- Add harder vegetables first, then gradually add softer ones
- Don’t overcook the vegetables – they should stay crisp
- Serve immediately for the best texture and flavor
- Make extra sauce if you like more to mix with rice
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stir-Fry
- Cuisine: Chinese-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg