Chinese Stir-Fried Beef With Three Vegetables Recipe

By
Liv Wan
Liv Wan
Liv Wan is a former professional chef who has published three cookbooks about Chinese and Taiwanese cuisine.
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Updated on 05/31/22
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 4 servings

This recipe for Chinese stir-fry beef with three vegetables features an interesting contrast of textures and flavors that pleases both kids and adults. Marinated tender flank steak is stir-fried with bok choy, mushrooms, and red onion in a flavorful dark soy sauce with rice wine or sherry sauce. Not only is this delicious but, since the number three symbolizes prosperity in the Chinese culture (and there are 3 vegetables), it's considered a lucky dish.

If you are not familiar with how to stir-fry beef, before you start preparing this dish, you may want to arm yourself with some pointers, such as freezing the meat for easy slicing.

Chinese Stir-Fry Beef With Three Vegetables

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Ingredients

  • For the Marinade
  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (or Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry)
  • 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • For the Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon dry sherry (or rice wine)
  • For the Stir-Fry
  • 1 pound flank steak (or top sirloin beef, thinly sliced)
  • 4 to 5 tablespoons neutral oil (such as vegetable or canola)
  • 1 clove garlic (crushed and chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger (minced)
  • 1/2 cup onion (chopped)
  • 2 bok choy stalks (leaves separated, leaves and stalks cut diagonally)
  • 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms (washed and thinly sliced)
  • Optional: 2 green onions (sliced diagonally)

Steps to Make It

Make the Marinade

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together light soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, and cornstarch.

    Whisk sauce
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  3. Add the sliced beef to the marinade, coating all sides, and let rest for 15 minutes.

Make the Sauce

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Whisk together sauce
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  2. In a small bowl, whisk together dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, and dry sherry. Mix well until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Stir-Fry the Dish

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for stir fry
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  2. Heat a wok and add 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot, add the beef, discarding the marinade. Stir-fry until it is nearly cooked.

    In wok
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  3. Remove beef from the wok and drain on paper towels.

    Remove beef
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  4. Clean out the wok, reserving 2 tablespoons cooking juices (or more if desired) to add to the sauce later.

  5. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons oil to the wok. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry briefly.

    Heat wok
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  6. Add the chopped onions and stir-fry until they are tender.

    Add onion
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  7. Then add the bok choy stalks and stir-fry a bit longer.

    Add bokchoy
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  8. Next, add the mushrooms and then the bok choy leaves.

    Add mushrooms
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  9. Push the vegetables up to the side, re-stir the sauce, and pour it into the middle.

    Push to side
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  10. Turn up the heat, push the vegetables back into the sauce, and mix well.​

    Push vegetables back into the sauce
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  11. Return the cooked beef to the wok and mix again.

    Return to heat
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  12. Stir in the green onions, if using.

    Stir in green onions
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  13. Serve hot with rice.

Tips

  • Before cooking, separate the bok choy leaves from the stalks. Add the stalks to the wok first, as they take longer to cook. The leaves can be tossed in and wilted last minute to avoid overcooking.
  • Add or substitute other vegetables as you wish. Carrots and broccoli make a nice addition but will need to be either sautéed longer or blanched first for an al dente tooth.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
514 Calories
29g Fat
25g Carbs
42g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 514
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 101mg 34%
Sodium 1449mg 63%
Total Carbohydrate 25g 9%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Protein 42g
Calcium 349mg 27%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)