Ginger Beef Stir Fry (One-Pan 30 Minute Recipe)
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Ginger Beef Stir Fry is a skirt steak stir fry with meat that’s so tender, it practically melts in your mouth! With tender-crisp green beans and a silky, rich ginger sauce, this Chinese dinner is gonna knock your socks off!!
Chinese cuisine is always rich and decadent, and it’s all about the fresh ingredients and seasonings!
There are a couple of secrets to making a homemade Asian meal just like your favorite Chinese restaurant – and I’m going to reveal them all right here!
What I love about the cooking process is that it’s simple to make this delicious recipe.
The recipe card below shows you exactly how to cook the beef strips so that this dish tastes like it comes directly from Chinese restaurants!
The beef slices are so tender! You can eat the whole thing as it is or pair it with some cauliflower rice and green onions for a fun and simple dish.
This is one of the best recipes and such an easy way to get a yummy meal on the dinner table. I love to top it with some sesame seeds and enjoy!
Table of Contents
Ginger Beef Stir Fry
This ginger beef recipe lays it all out: the mix of salty, sweet, and acidic ingredients for the perfect balance of flavors.
Toss the tremendously tender skirt steak with some crisp green beans and a silky smooth garlic sauce, and you’ll have a classic Chinese dinner that’s sure to wow your taste buds!!
If you’re in the mood for a different flavor, Crockpot Mongolian beef takes a bit longer to make – but it’s so soft and flavorful, it’s worth the wait!
Panda Express broccoli beef is a quick, 20-minute meal, and it shares the sweet and salty flavors of ginger beef stir fry.
Or give our simple, quick, and authentic fried rice a try. I recommend both!
Ginger Beef Recipe Ingredients & Substitutions
- Skirt Steak – Stir fried beef is all about using a quick-cooking, lean cut of meat.
Skirt steak stir fry is fabulous, but if you want a different cut, good options are sirloin, ribeye, top loin, or tenderloin. - Soy Sauce – I use regular soy sauce, but you can use low sodium if you’d prefer. If you want a gluten free option, try coconut aminos! It’s savory, not sweet!
- Ginger – Fresh is best! But if you can’t find fresh ginger root, you can use 1 teaspoon of ground ginger.
For easy peeling, use a vegetable peeler or the side of a metal spoon. It’s super easy to grate with a microplane grater, or mince it with a knife. - Sesame Oil – You do not want to overdo the sesame oil!
It gets real overpowering real fast. Your best substitutes are regular olive oil, avocado oil, or peanut oil. - Rice Wine Vinegar – This step isn’t necessary, but adds nice depth and acidity. Lemon juice, mirin, or white wine vinegar would have the same effect.
Ginger Skirt Steak Recipe Tips
- To create thin slices of beef, pop the meat in the freezer for 30 minutes or so beforehand! It’ll get nice and firm, making it easy to get even, thin slices.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Use a large, wide skillet or wok so that you don’t overcrowd the pan with beef. Otherwise, you’ll steam the beef rather than sear it.
How do you make stir-fry beef so it’s tender?
Well, the real secret to a traditional Chinese ginger beef stir fry recipe is the cornstarch!
It’s how you get the smooth, velvety texture that just clings to the sauce and carries the flavor all the way.
Slice the beef so that it’s an appropriate thickness. Always slice against the grain! Alternatively, you can pound a thicker cut until it’s about ¼“ thick.
This process also helps to tenderize!
Serving Suggestions
Ginger beef stir fry is fabulous on a bed of white or brown rice, or over ramen noodles. If you’re short on time, use my Instant Pot brown rice recipe.
One cup of uncooked rice will feed about 4 people, but it’s good to make a little extra for leftovers!
Fried rice, egg rolls or spring rolls, and steamed broccoli are fantastic Chinese stir fry companions.
Storing and Reheating Skirt Steak Stir Fry
Let the leftovers cool to room temp, transfer them to an airtight container, and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
The veggies will become soggy faster than the meat will, so you may want to store those separately, or whip up a fresh batch of green beans with your leftovers!
To reheat, add all of the ingredients to a skillet or wok and cook over medium heat until warmed through.
The microwave also works – just cook in short bursts to avoid overcooking and drying out the beef.
Ginger Beef Stir Fry FAQ
Marinating is an excellent way to add a bit of flavor and ensure that the meat is ultra tender.
You only need 30 minutes to add flavor with a marinade, but you can marinate skirt steak for up to 8 hours.
These two recipes are a bit different! Szechuan beef is breaded, for starters, with a sweet heat and crunchy texture.
Ginger beef stir fry, on the other hand, is not breaded and is not spicy. It has a silkier, softer texture and mild sauce that’s more ginger-y and garlicky than it is hot.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Classic Chinese Meals
Ginger Beef Stir Fry (One-Pan 30 Minute Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound skirt steak, thinly sliced into ¼-inch strips
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 cup soy sauce, or coconut aminos
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, optional
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- chopped green onions, for garnish
- sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Pat the skirt steak dry with paper towels. Place the beef in a large mixing bowl and season with salt, pepper, and cornstarch;Toss to combine and set aside.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When oil is hot, add green beans and saute for 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of water and cover the pan. Continue cooking for 5 more minutes.
- Use tongs to transfer the green beans to a plate and set aside. Use a paper towel to wipe any excess water out of the pan.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the hot pan. Add beef and stir fry for 4-5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, then add soy sauce, garlic, ginger, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil. Use tongs to coat the beef in the sauce.
- Add the green beans back to the pan and stir fry everything together for an additional minute.
- Garnish ginger beef with sesame seeds and chopped green onions on a bed of rice or noodles.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published September 2022, updated and republished July 2024
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It’s not feasible to order takeout every night, and this is the perfect recipe to substitute! It’s even better than the stuff I order from local places. Get’s me cooking more too!
This was really tasty! I used twice the amount of ginger cause I like ginger!
This ginger beef stir fry is absolutely amazing and so easy to make!
Hi Natalie!
Glad that you enjoyed the recipe!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn