Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry with Sesame Ginger Sauce
Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry is a vibrant and tasty meal idea for any night of the week. This classic combo of savory beef, fresh or frozen vegetables, and a flavorful sauce promises to make this a family favorite. This delicious recipe is easy to customize based on what you have on-hand.
Also Read: Oven Roasted Broccoli, Beef stew with Red Wine, How to Cook Tasty Frozen Vegetables.
Using Fresh Vegetables in Stir Fry
I love the vibrant color, flavor, texture and nutrients that vegetables add to a stir fry. The possibilities as to which veggies to use are endless – but there are some helpful tips to ensure you get great results.
- pick a theme to create a particular flavor profile – choosing too many veggies can actually be overkill especially if they’re strong flavored. For example pick asparagus OR broccoli – not both.
- cut vegetables in even sized pieces so they’ll cook at the same rate
- use high heat to quickly cook veggies
- start with aromatics like onions, ginger and garlic and fry until aromatic – not brown!
- if using, add mushrooms to let them release their moisture
- add hardy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, or shredded cabbage and cook until al dente
- next, add tender veggies like green beans, baby corn, peas, zucchini and fresh peppers. They won’t take long to cook, so keep a close eye on them.
- finally finish off with greens like spinach
All of this goes VERY quickly when cooking on high heat. That’s why you’re constantly stirring in a stir fry. Also, make sure you have everything prepped and ready to go.
Frozen Vegetables in Stir Fry
Frozen vegetables make a quick stir fry even faster! They’re a great way to add variety and it’s nice to have them already chopped and ready to toss in. Some of the best frozen vegetables to add are frozen edamame, green beans, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, corn or mixed stir fry vegetables.
For even cooking and best results, cut those frozen veggies into even sized pieces.
PRO TIP: Frozen vegetables are blanched (partially cooked) before they are frozen, so they’ll need less time to cook than if they were fresh. Watch them carefully once they hit the pan to prevent over-cooking.
How to use Frozen Mixed Stir Fry Vegetables
I love using the frozen stir fry mixes because they include vegetables I may not otherwise have like baby corn, snow peas or water chestnuts. But a frozen bag of mixed tender and hardy veggies does present some challenges. How do you get tender carrots without overcooking the zucchini and sweet peppers? Here are my tips for cooking with frozen mixed stir fry vegetables:
- Separate them – Instead of dumping the whole bag in at once, take out the most tender vegetables like zucchini and sweet peppers and set them aside to add to the pan at the very end of cooking. It’s an extra step – but if you’re sensitive to vegetable texture, it’s worth it.
- Cut them – Cut any large pieces of hardy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and carrots into smaller pieces.
- Remove ice crystals – if you have ice build up in your frozen veggies, pick out or shake out the ice using a sieve
- Do not thaw – Cook frozen veggies while still frozen to prevent them from getting mushy
- Don’t crowd the pan – The idea of a stir fry is to sear the food quickly over high heat – if the pan gets crowded by veggies that have a lot of ice and moisture, they will steam and get soggy. Avoid that fate by using a really big pan and adding a few at time starting with the hardiest veggies first.
👇🏼Here’s how to deal with a bag of mixed stir fry veggies if they’re not all the same size.
Video: How to Cook Different Sized Frozen Vegetables
4 Tips for Tender Stir Fry Beef
Tasty and tender beef is the trick to an amazing beef and vegetable stir fry – here are some tips to ensure tender beef.
1. How to Choose Beef for Stir Fry
Choose cuts of beef known for tenderness including sirloin, tenderloin, or flank steak. These cuts are less tough and cook quickly.
2. How to Cut Beef for Stir Fry
Slice the beef thinly against the grain. Cutting against the grain shortens the muscle fibers, making the meat more tender and less chewy.
3. How to Marinate Beef for Stir Fry
Marinating the beef for at least 30 minutes before cooking breaks down muscle fibers, making your meat even more tender and adding tons of flavor. A marinade is made of oil, acid, seasoning and salt. When making your own marinade, use a ratio of 3 parts oil to 1 part acid. In this recipe I use soy sauce, beef stock, rice vinegar, sugar, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil for a simple and flavorful marinade.
4. How to Cook Beef for Stir Fry
- Cook fast! Stir fry the beef quickly over high heat. Overcooking makes tough, chewy meat. Cook in small batches to ensure each slice gets some contact with the hot surface.
- Add the beef towards the end of the stir fry process to prevent it from overcooking. This ensures the beef retains its juicy tenderness. When using a wok, push the vegetables and other ingredients up the sides, away from the heat while cooking the beef. If you have a smaller pan, consider removing the vegetables while the beef is cooking. Return them to the pan to reheat in the last minute.
- Let the meat rest before serving. After all this careful prep and quick cooking, a little rest keeps the beef moist.
Recipe for Ginger Beef Stir Fry
Beef & Vegetable Stir Fry
Ingredients
Marinade & Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 cup soup stock
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp ginger grated
- ½ tsp hot pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
Stir Fry Meat & Vegetables
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- 450 g beef (flank steak or cut stir fry strips) (1 lb)
- 3 cups sliced hardy vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
- 3 cups sliced tender vegetables (peppers, snap peas, zucchini)
- 2 Tbsp grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Garnish
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- 2-3 chopped green onions
Instructions
- Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, soup stock, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and hot pepper. Pour half into shallow dish, add meat and marinate for 30 minutes on counter. Dissolve corn starch in rest and set aside.
- Heat canola oil in large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add meat (discard marinade) and stir fry for 4-5 minutes until no longer pink. Remove and set aside.
- Add hardy vegetables to pan and stir fry for 3-5 minutes.
- Add tender vegetables, garlic and ginger and stir fry until tender crisp, 2-3 minutes.
- Add sauce to pan and simmer to thicken. Add meat and stir to coat evenly and heat through.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.
Notes
- Try different animal proteins like chicken, turkey or salmon instead of beef or pork.
- Make it vegetarian with protein options like tofu, edamame, peanuts, cashews,
black beans or black eyed peas. - Use a frozen stir fry vegetable blend for convenience, speed and variety.
- Use Tamari sauce instead of soy sauce to make this dish gluten free.
- Toss in any vegetables or dark leafy greens you have that need to be used up.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Will you make this Beef & Vegetable Stir Fry recipe? Do you have other favorite flavors or ingredients? I’d love to hear your recipe ideas for a flavorful stir fry. Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram at #getgettys or Facebook @GettyStewart.HomeEconomist.
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