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.
Super easy to make and so delicious. Hint on how to beef is amazing. Will definitely be cooking this recipe often.
Thanks so much for your delicious recipes. They are so easy to follow, and the results are superb.
Super easy n super delicious.Hints to tenderise meat is amazing.
Easy to make and tastes great
Great recipe! I like a variety of vegetables so I added some broccoli, sugar snap peas, water chestnuts, and baby corn. You can’t go wrong with this recipe!
I just love all your recipes and tips Nagi and I am looking forward to cooking more of your lovely food
Fab just loved the stir fry … look forward to maki g more diffrant ones .
Thanks so much Gisele! N x
Hi! Thank you so much for those great recipes! I’ve successfully tried 4 until now, even though i’m not much of a cook. I can’t find a western style chinese recipe of beef with mixed veggetables… please help! Thanks P.S. I replace the wine with Apple cider vinegar and get great results; less complicated than the chicken broth!
If I use brown sugar instead of white is there an insignificant difference?
I’ve used both white sugar and brown sugar, as well as honey as sweeteners. There is a very slight difference in taste, I find that white sugar is more balanced, brown sugar gives a little more of a caramelised taste to the sauce and honey ends up being a little sweeter. They all work well and are worth experimenting with! This recipe allows for many variations and I’ve yet to be disappointed from thoughtful deviations. If you feel like trying brown sugar, then by all means try it! it won’t ruin the recipe!
You are so right with that feedback Luc! It’s a very flexible recipe! N x
I’m so excited with this recipe. I’m looking forward to try it tonight and hoping it will be as yummy as yours.
This recipe is just delicious we had this stir fry for dinner tonight. Just superb
That’s great to hear Sandra, thanks so much!! N x
This was a very refreshing dish on a warm autumn evening. I added a few sliced button mushrooms and doubled up on the garlic . That sauce really is something else Naji, thanks so much for all of the wonderful recipes you share. Your chicken fried rice recipe is a cracker too!
Wow, this recipe is soo good and so easy. I cook a lot but this is my best Chinese dish! And the way to tenderize the meat works miracle! Thank you!!!
This recipe is incredible, it tasted better than the Chinese restaurants. I velveted the beef which made a big difference in tenderness and added broccolini and ginger too. Can’t wait to make this again, thanks Nagi!
Hi – We love this recipe!!! If we added ‘sweet chili sauce’ to this recipe, how much would you recommend?
The whole family loved it , tender and crisp with just the right flavour in the sauce. Totally recommend.
Make this Excellent recipe recommend to everyone
Followed this recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly – truly delicious! I’m now a Charlie convert with a jar in my fridge! 🙂
Hi Nagi, this was the best stir fry at home I’ve had in in a while, I did substitute with chicken & velveted the meat, so so tender, I used carrot, snow peas, button squash & Malabar greens, then followed your recipe and your Charlie sauce is now my go to favourite, thanks Julie
Sounds perfect Julie!! N x
I added shiitake mushrooms, it was delicious as well. Next time will try adding ginger too. Your recipes are great.
I’ve done both and can confirm they work marvelously with this recipe! I can’t alwys find shiitake mushrooms, but sliced button mushrooms are nice as well. Ginger is now a 100% forever addition to this recipe whenever I cook it, it adds so much to it! Add it along with the garlic.
Thanks for those great tips Luc!! N x
This recipe is really, awesome it’s become one of my staples.
Wanted to know though, can you freeze the sauce if you wanna make some in bulk?
Hi Santiago, unfortunately you can’t freeze it as it changes the consistency of the cornflour once thawed. You can make my all purpose starry sauce though and store in the fridge 🙂 N x