This is made with a simple but super flavourful, classic Chinese stir fry sauce. It’s a real sauce, one that tastes just like you get at proper Chinese restaurants!
Chinese Beef Stir Fry
Stir fries are my go-to for those nights when I can’t deal with more than the bare minimum effort for dinner. I know I can always knock up a stir fry using whatever greens I have left in my fridge. Even if I only have green beans and an onion (and some protein!). As long as I have a tasty sauce, I’m one happy gal!
So I have a secret weapon for super fast midweek meals – a homemade all purpose stir fry sauce. I call him Charlie. As in – Charlie Brown, because it’s a brown sauce. Ha ha ha. Don’t kill yourself laughing at my lack of originality!
Charlie is my secret weapon because he takes minutes to make and lasts in the fridge for weeks and weeks. He is similar to the sauce of many Chinese stir fries, but not an exact replica of any. Which means he is a great base to use for a seemingly endless array of Chinese dishes with the addition of a few extra flavourings.
And he’s real. He tastes like a real Chinese stir fry sauce, with proper depth of flavour.
Say hi to Charlie! That’s him on the bottom right photo. Looks unimpressive, doesn’t he? No hint of the power within! 🙂
The beauty of Charlie is that he will reside in your fridge for weeks, then when you need him, he’s always ready to go. Just give him a good shake, pour him in your stir fry and add water. He’s already got cornstarch/cornflour in him so he turns into a glorious thick sauce that coats your stir fry beautifully.
It’s been over a year since I last shared a recipe using Charlie. The reason I thought of this is because Super Food Ideas (Australia’s #1 food magazine!) asked me to do a feature with a series of recipes using Charlie. You will be amazed what you can make with him! Not just stir fries – soups, sauces, noodle stir fries and even using him as a marinade.
So I spent last week developing recipes for the Super Food Ideas feature (which comes out in early February – I’ll share more about that when the issue is released!). And I had a handful of ingredients leftover which is why I decided to share this stir fry recipe today.
If you want more ideas for how to use Charlie, you can have a look at this post – 10 Classic Chinese Dishes, 1 Amazing Sauce, where I share 10 more Chinese dishes (all on one page!) that you can make using Charlie.
For now, I present to you this classic Beef Stir Fry made using Charlie. 🙂 BUT I’ve also provided the ingredients to make the sauce from scratch too. Enjoy! – Nagi x
Option: Tenderising beef for stir fries
Ever notice how the meat in Chinese dishes is so incredibly tender, and how your stir fries at home are just never the same? The secret is tenderising the meat – a method called velveting.
That’s right. Your cheerful local Chinese restaurant is using economical stewing beef to make stir fries with ultra tender strips of beef by tenderising it!
Find out how to use this simple, highly effective method: How to Tenderise Beef (the Chinese way).
This is optional only, when wanting to make stir fries with economical beef or you simply want extra tender beef, Chinese restaurant style!
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Easy Classic Chinese Beef Stir Fry
Ingredients
Sauce (Note 1)
- 3 tsp cornstarch / corn flour*
- 2 tbsp + 1/3 cup water , separated
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (Note 2)*
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce*
- 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine OR Mirin (Note 3)*
- 1 tsp white sugar*
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil (optional)*
- Dash of black pepper*
Stir Fry
- 2 tbsp peanut oil
- 1 garlic clove , crushed
- 7 oz / 200 g beef , good quality, thinly sliced (Note 4)
- 1/2 small onion , sliced (yellow, brown or white)
- 1/2 red bell pepper / capsicum , sliced
- 1 small carrot , halved lengthwise and sliced thinly on the diagonal
- 3 baby pak choy / bok choy , quartered lengthwise
- 2 stems scallion / shallots , cut into 1.5″/3cm pieces
To Serve
- Steamed white rice
- Sesame seeds (optional)
- Fresh cilantro / coriander (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the cornstarch and 2 tbsp of water in a small bowl, mix until smooth.
- Mix in remaining Sauce ingredients EXCEPT the 1/3 cup water.
- Place the beef and 2 tbsp of Sauce in a bowl and mix gently. Set aside for 15 minutes.
- Add 1/3 cup water into the remaining Sauce. Set aside.
- Heat oil in wok over high heat. Add garlic and cook for 15 seconds.
- Add onion and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the beef and cook until it changes colour from red to light brown but not cooked through.
- Add bell pepper and carrots and stir fry for 30 seconds.
- Add Sauce and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add pak choy and scallions/shallots and cook for a further 1 minute until the Sauce is thickened.
- Remove from heat immediately.
- Serve immediately with rice – or for a low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice! Garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro, if using.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition per serving, excluding rice. You can reduce the calories by 80 calories by using a non stick skillet and halving the oil.
Thank you for this recipe! My husband was so impressed and my daughter had 3 bowls!
This is her favorite dish now and my husband can’t wait until it’s made again! Easy and delicious!!
So nice last week am giving it a go tonight, “Charlie’ has gone into all sorts of meals this week. Hubby particularly likes it on boiled potatoes. Thanks Nagi.
I am happy you liked it Kate! N x
Forgot to give you a star rating. I would easily double it
Wow Nagi this recipe .was wonderful. Charlie certainly made all the difference. My husband always complained I never got Stir fry right, but cooking your recipe he ate every bit of it. I added some ground black pepper and Tabasco for the Chili heat he always likes in stir fry.
Raising my glass of wine to you. Cheers
Charlie is the BOMB!! N x
This was so quick, easy and delicious… Thanks Nagi!! ANother one to the favourites list.
I actually used blade steak (don’t @ me! LOL) I recently discovered that blade steak can be quite tender and in this dish, sliced thinly against the grain (I didn’t have time to tenderise it, so I lived on the edge and risked it!) it was perfect!
Yum! Subbed sugar for hoisin sauce . Veg I added what we had which was broccoli, beans and some coleslaw mix. Velveted some unspecified stirfry beef from the freezer. Best stirfry we’ve had in forever and so versatile for whatever you have on hand. So easy! Recipetin eats is my food bible 🤣
I am glad that you liked it Jasmin! N x
Like I was at a restaurant.
Great and easy.
Thank you Kevin!! N x
Hi Nagi, oh that was devine, nailed it, thank you
I cooked this beef stir fry today, must tell you it was delicious.
I tenderise the beef using the carb soda, wow the beef was soo tender.
Lovely. Thank you so much Nagi, Charlie Brown is living in my fridge.
Great stir fry recipe and I’m so glad I tried the velveting method.
It’s the 💣!! N x
In loved this recipe it turned out perfect and my husband loved it!!!
eating it now.easy as and tasty. Added a little extra soy suace and brcoli
Everyone loved the flavour and I tried the bicarbonate on the steak beforehand and another winner
Great recipe! Loved the tenderizing tip, the beef came out just like a Chinese restaurant!
Excellent recipes
Home Run! Charlie and this recipe were a big hit. The velveting trick is fabulous!
This recipe and the tenderizing technique is such a winner. Thanks so much!
Oh my gosh, this has just changed stir-frys in our house forever! This is an amazing recipe and velveting the meet has just changed my life! Thank you so much 🤤
Tried this recipe, it was really easy to prep and cook. It tastes amazing.
Instead of corn starch I used an egg to thicken the sauce.
Hi Nagi,
Love your recipes.
This stir fry is great, and a regular at home.
I have a question – I recently bought some new measuring spoons, and saw that the tablespoon is 20ml. Previously I had thought that it was 15ml, as in my old ones. Research tells me 15ml is American, and 20ml is Australian. I never knew there was a difference. Which size do you use, and does it make a difference?
Thanks.
Stuart
Yes there is a difference between USA and Australian cups and teaspoons…in stir fries it wouldn’t make much difference. In my baking recipes I specify if it affects the outcome. N x