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Garlic Beef Stir Fry with vegetables is one of my favorite easy meals. The combination of tender beef, fresh vegetables, and a rich garlic stir fry sauce make dinner satisfying. Serve this over rice, riced cauliflower, or noodles for a complete meal everyone will ask you to make regularly.
How To Make Garlic Beef Stir Fry
This is one of the easiest stir fry recipes you will ever find. The entire recipe is in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post. But I’ll share some helpful tips for you first!
Prepare the Stir Fry Sauce
I always start by preparing my sauce for this beef stir fry recipe. Whisk the ingredients together and set the sauce aside until you are ready to add to the beef and vegetables.
Here’s what I used in my sauce:
- Soy Sauce – Both regular and reduced-sodium soy sauce work great.
- Garlic cloves – You can buy jarred minced garlic to save time.
- Corn starch
- Canola oil – Any type of oil will work. I’ve used olive oil before.
- Pepper
- Ginger paste or ginger powder
Thinly Slice the Beef
Next, I will prepare my beef if I have not already. Slicing the beef thinly gives you a faster cook time. Thicker cuts will take longer to cook and won’t get that crispy texture you are looking for in a stir fry. However, if your vegetables are larger pieces, you may want a bit thicker cut of meat for your beef stir fry.
Heat the Wok
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. You will want a really large skillet if you don’t have a wok. It makes it so much easier to fry everything together.
Fry the Beef First
Once the oil is hot, add in your beef and stir as it cooks for 2-3 minutes until the beef is turning crispy on the outside. It’s important to fry up the beef first so it completely cooks.
Fry the Vegetables
You will remove the beef from the pan and set aside to begin cooking your vegetables. You just need a quick cook on these to soften slightly and add a bit of flavor and crispness to the edges. Once they are ready, you will add the beef and sauce back to the pan and cook for a few more minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.
What veggies do you like to put in your stir fry? The great thing about stir fry is that you can literally use up any leftover vegetables in your fridge. Just about any vegetable can go in a stir fry.
I used these vegetables in my stir fry:
- Broccoli
- Bell Pepper
- Water chestnuts
- Green Onion
I’ve seen other people add cauliflower, onions, and even sliced carrots to stir fry too.
Do I Need A Beef Stir Fry Marinade?
This recipe does not include a separate marinade for your beef. However, if you are using a tougher cut of meat like flank steak or skirt steak instead of sirloin, you may want to use part of the sauce as a marinade for an hour prior to cooking the beef stir fry.
If you choose to use the sauce as a marinade, make it and divide it in half. Pour half of the mixture over your sliced beef and cover to refrigerate for one hour to overnight prior to cooking.
How to Serve Beef Stir Fry
This classic stir fry recipe is a perfect option to go over some freshly steamed jasmine rice. If you are trying to follow a diet that limits grains, you can also serve this with riced cauliflower or even spaghetti squash. Zoodles and ramen noodles are other options that pair wonderfully with both the flavors and textures of this rich and flavorful stir fry recipe.
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More Stir Fry Recipes
I love making stir fry! I hope you enjoyed this recipe. Here are a few more you will like too.
- Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir Fry
- Soy Marinated Flank Steak Stir Fry
- Sweet and Chili Shrimp Stir Fry
- Asian Pepper Steak Stir Fry
Garlic Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 lbs boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch strips
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup red pepper, sliced
- 1/2 cup green pepper, sliced
- 1/2 cup water chestnuts, optional or replace with pearl onions
- Garnish: sliced green onion, sesame seeds
Stir Fry Sauce
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tsp canola oil
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ginger paste or ginger powder
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.
- Heat a skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add oil. Once hot, add beef and stir fry until browned. Remove from pan.
- Add vegetables to the hot skillet or wok. Stir fry until slightly crisp, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
- Return beef to the pan and stir in sauce. Cook until sauce is thicken, approximately 2 minutes.
- Serve over cooked rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions.
Notes
- Slicing the beef thinly gives you a faster cook time. Thicker cuts will take longer to cook and won't get that crispy texture you are looking for in this Garlic Beef Stir Fry.
- It's important to fry up the beef first so it completely cooks.
- If your vegetables are larger pieces, you may want a bit thicker cut of meat for your beef stir fry.
- You will want a really large skillet if you don't have a wok. It makes it so much easier to fry everything together.
- Prepping ahead is essential for a stir fry. Stir fry’s cook very quickly, so have all ingredient chopped and sauces whisked!
- Don't overcook your veggies. You just need a quick stir fry on the vegetables, to soften slightly and add a bit of flavor and crispness to the edges.
- Slice the steak against the grain for the most tender beef! By slicing perpendicular to the grain in the steak, you make the steak super tender, instead of chewy and tough.
Nutrition
