Stir fry is easy to make once you learn the basics. Start with this delicious beef stir fry with vegetables and you’ll gain confidence quickly.

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: Stir fry meals are fast, healthy, and so flavorful! Perfect for weeknight meals.

How long it takes: just over a half hour, depending on how fast you are with a knife
Equipment you’ll need: sharp knife, cutting board, measuring utensil, large skillet or wok
Servings: 4

Beef stir fry with vegetables served on top of rice.
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Making stir fry is something I think every cook should know how to do. Why?

  • Easy: Once you know the basics, making a stir fry is easy.
  • Fast: Everything cooks very quickly in a stir fry, making it a perfect choice for weeknight dinner. The veggies and the sauce can be prepped ahead of time.
  • Healthy: Lean protein + tons of veggies + rice = balanced and healthy meal. Choose brown rice if you can resist the sweet fragrance of jasmine rice. Stir fries can be served with noodles, too. For something different, try coconut rice. Classic white rice always works, too.
  • Versatile: You can use up any veggies in your fridge with any kind of meat you have on hand. 

Once you know the basic formula, it is so easy to throw together a quick stir-fry. Easy as pie. Or, easy as stir fry? ‘Cause pie is hard to make. Easy to eat though.

Looking for more Chinese restaurant favorites? Try air fryer egg rolls or air fryer crab Rangoon. Try making your own orange chicken or bourbon chicken. These spicy Asian chicken wings are finger-lickin’ good.

Beef and vegetable stir fry filling the frame.

What You’ll Need For a Stir Fry

Protein

  • Beef: Use a lean cut such as flank steak. Cut against the grain. This recipe calls for beef but any protein can easily be substituted.
  • Chicken: Boneless dark meat or white meat, cut into bite-sized pieces, thinly sliced, or even ground meat.
  • Pork: thinly sliced or ground. Try egg roll in a bowl, a variation of a stir fry, that is made with ground pork or chicken.
  • Shrimp: Use fresh or frozen shrimp (thawed).
  • Crispy tofu: For crispy cubes, try air fryer tofu or all purpose baked tofu. Either method is easy to make and can be done ahead of time.

Vegetables

The possibilities for vegetables really are endless. Here’s a list of some of the most popular vegetables used for stir fries: carrots, broccoli, onions (yellow, red, green onions), sugar snap peas or snow peas, green beans, celery, mushrooms, cauliflower, kale (thinly shredded), bean sprouts, eggplant, and so on.

Sauce

This recipe includes a tangy brown sauce made with soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, and ginger. Sauces are pretty much interchangeable in stir fry recipes so don’t be afraid to mix and match sauces.

Enhance the flavor of your stir fry and/or sauce by adding grated ginger or minced garlic. To make your stir fry spicy, add red pepper flakes to taste.

Cornstarch is essential to thicken the sauce so that the sauce really coats everything. Arrowroot starch is a good gluten-free alternative.

If you’re in a hurry or are a beginner, buy your favorite pre-made sauce from the store. I prefer homemade but there are lots of great options on the store shelves.

Overhead view of ingredients needed including beef.

Don't Have A Wok?

No problem! Any large skillet or frying pan will work. A pan with curved sides works better than a straight-sided skillet.

How To Make This Stir Fry

After perusing the above list, I bet you’re coming up with ideas for all sorts of fantastic stir fries. I’d encourage you to try this recipe; I modestly think it’s the best beef stir fry. There are more of my stir fry recipes listed below.

Prep all the ingredients: Begin by prepping and assembling all the ingredients you’ll need. It’s important to have everything ready before you turn the pan on. Once you begin cooking your stir fry, things proceed at a rapid pace.

Start cooking the rice. If you want to serve rice, get that started right away. Don’t worry if the rice happens to get done before your stir fry does. Leave the cover on the pan and let it steam. It will be perfectly fine.

Stir up the sauce. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the sauce ingredients: soy sauce, dark brown sugar, rice vinegar, fresh ginger (grated), red pepper flakes, minced garlic, and cornstarch. Set that aside for now.

Sauce in a small glass bowl.

Slice the beef. Slice the beef thinly against the grain. In a medium sized bowl, mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with salt and pepper. Add the beef slices and toss until the beef is coated with the cornstarch mixture. This little trick helps seal in the juices and gives the meat a crisp brown exterior. Set the meat aside while you prep the vegetables.

Beef slices being tossed with cornstarch mixture.

Cut up the veggies. Peel and slice the carrots and onion. Wash the broccoli and cut it into bite size florets. Wash and trim the peas, removing any tough strings. If you are garnishing with green onions, prep those too.

Stir fry the meat: Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. When it’s hot, add a tablespoon of oil. I usually use olive oil but avocado, sesame, peanut, or grapeseed oils are good choices too. Add the beef to the pan. Cook, stirring the beef frequently, until it’s done, about five minutes. Dump the meat out of the pan into a bowl or on a plate.

Beef being cooked in a wok.

Stir fry the onions and carrots: Put the pan back on the heat, and add the onions and carrots. They should sizzle when they hit the pan.

Carrots and onions in wok.

Stir fry broccoli: Stir fry them for just a couple of minutes; then add the broccoli. Again, you should see some sizzle! If you don’t, turn up the heat or wait a bit longer before adding anything else. Stir fry the broccoli for a few minutes.

Broccoli in pan with carrots and onions.

Add the sauce: Give the sauce a quick stir to make sure the cornstarch hasn’t settled to the bottom. Add the sauce to the pan, stirring constantly, along with the peas and the beef, and any accumulated juices.

Beef and peas added to pan.

The sauce will cook very quickly. It will bubble and turn clear in just a minute or two.

Stir fry in black wok.

Serve: Your stir fry is ready to serve! Wasn’t that fast? Serve the beef and vegetables over a mound of steaming jasmine rice. Sprinkle sliced green onions on top for a garnish.

Stir fry in a bowl with rice.

FAQs

How do you make stir-fry meat tender?

Slice the meat very thinly against the grain. Make sure your pan is sizzling hot, add the meat, stirring constantly, and remove it from the pan the instant it’s done. Cooking the meat first and removing it from the pan before adding the other ingredients will help ensure that the meat isn’t overcooked. Stir the meat in right before serving.
Marinating the meat first can tenderize it; another process called velveting is often used in Chinese restaurants. For a more in-depth explanation, check out The Woks Of Life.

What is the best meat for beef stir-fry?

Use a tender lean cut such as flank steak, flat iron steak, sirloin, or tenderloin. Cut the meat very thinly against the grain. Click here for a 30 second video explaining how to do this.

Tips For A Successful Stir Fry

  • Preparation: Make sure everything is prepped, and ready to go before you turn your pan on. Stir fry moves quickly so you’ll want to have everything ready. That includes your sauce ingredients.
  • Preheat: Have your pan sizzling hot! Keep the heat high so that every ingredient gets cooked at a high temperature.
  • Plan: Cook items with similar cooking times together; don’t throw everything in the pan all at once. For example, in this recipe, I start with the beef and remove it when it’s cooked, then I add the carrots and onions, which take a little longer to cook, then the broccoli, stir the quick-cooking peas, and the beef in at the very end.
Stir fry on a black fork.

Make-Ahead Ideas

Prep your vegetables and meat up to a day ahead and store in covered bowls or zip top bags. Remember to keep the vegetables separated according to when you’ll add them to the stir-fry, i.e. longer cooking vegetables together, fast cooking vegetables together. Stir together the sauce ingredients up to a day ahead and store in the refrigerator.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Refrigerate: Promptly refrigerate leftover stir fry in a covered container. It will keep for three to four days. I find it’s works better to store the stir fry with the leftover rice and reheat them together.

Freeze: Stir fry can be frozen in a freezer safe container or bag for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the fridge for best results.

Reheat: Microwave individual portions until heated through. Try not to overheat the mixture. If you have a larger amount, reheat mixture in a skillet over medium heat.

More Stir-Fry Recipes

Interested in a weekly meal plan (it’s free!) that includes this stir fry recipe? Take a look at my Meal Plan (#4) or Meal Plan (#12). You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let me do the planning for you this week!

We’ll be adding a new meal plan weekly. If you’re interested, browse all of our meal plans.

Recipe

Beef Stir Fry With Vegetables

4.80 from 15 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 21 minutes
Total Time: 36 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Stir fry is easy to make once you learn the basics. Start with this delicious beef stir fry with vegetables and you'll gain confidence quickly.
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Ingredients 

Sauce:

  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (more to taste)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

Stir Fry:

  • 1 pound flank or flat iron steak, cut into very thin slices against the grain
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup thinly sliced carrots, cut diagonally
  • 1 small red onion, sliced vertically, or about 1 cup
  • 2 cups broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
  • 1 ½ cups sugar snap or snow peas
  • 4 cups cooked rice, for serving
  • 2 or 3 green onions, thinly sliced, for serving

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl combine sauce ingredients and set aside.
  • Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with salt and pepper. Toss sliced beef with cornstarch mixture; set aside while you prep the vegetables.
  • Heat oil in a wok or large pan over high heat. Tilt pan and swirl to coat the sides. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or desired doneness is achieved. Remove beef from pan and place on a plate.
  • Return pan to high heat and add the onions and carrots; stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the broccoli; stir fry for 3 more minutes. Stir in sauce mixture (stir sauce mixture well before adding), beef and any accumulated juices, and snow peas; cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce is thickened and peas are cooked to desired doneness.
  • Serve over rice and garnish with sliced green onions.

Notes

  • You can use whatever meat or vegetable you like. This recipe is very versatile. Cooking times will vary, however.
  • Recipe card updated 5/5/2022.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 538kcal, Carbohydrates: 77g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 68mg, Sodium: 974mg, Potassium: 905mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 6127IU, Vitamin C: 68mg, Calcium: 119mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.80 from 15 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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36 Comments

  1. Samantha says:

    5 stars
    This was amazing. Used white wine vinegar but wow definitely saving for the future too! Flavor was in unbelievable I did it in my cast iron with frozen vieggies

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      So glad you enjoyed it! Really appreciate you leaving a review, it means a lot!

  2. cristian says:

    If your carrots are ready in 2 minutes, you must be growing a different kind than mine.

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      Hey Cristian! A few things:

      1) The carrots are sliced thinly, causing them to cook a little faster.
      2) Stir fries are cooked at high heat so the carrots cook at a higher temp, decreasing the cook time.
      3) They actually cook more than 2 minutes. They are started first because they do take a little longer to cook. They stay in the pan for the remainder of the cooking time (approximately an additional 5 minutes, including some time in the sauce, which softens the carrots).

      Hope that helps!

  3. Brian says:

    5 stars
    Excellent stir fry. Will do again

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!

  4. Stacy says:

    5 stars
    My daughter said this was the best stir fry I’ve ever made. I used half beef and half chicken breast (I was short on beef) and added water chestnuts in with the snap peas at the end. This is a good one!

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      Oh I’m so glad to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, it really means so much to me!

  5. Diane says:

    5 stars
    Made this today for lunch with a couple of substitutions for what I had on hand ( mushrooms instead of snow peas and sliced sweet onions instead of adding green onions at the end ) and family loved it! Easy and flavorful! Thanks so much!

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      So glad you enjoyed! Thanks for leaving a review!

  6. Char says:

    5 stars
    Made this last night, family loved it! Even the little ones. This recipe is a keeper!

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review – it means so much to me.

  7. Meredith In Sock Monkey Slippers says:

    Looks like a fabulous and easy dinner!