Beef and Sugar Snap Pea Stir Fry Recipe

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This is the absolute best BEEF STIR FRY RECIPE! It’s a super easy 30 minute dinner that is delicious. The dish includes tender slices of flank steak and sugar snap pea pods. The Asian inspired sauce has plenty of umami and is made with beef stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar and cornstarch. This one is an all time favorite dinner recipe!

My personal chef clients love STIR FRYS and Asian dishes. Spicy Jalapeno Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry, Instant Pot Asian Beef Stew, Better Than Takeout Fried Rice, Fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls are all favorites that are frequently featured on my clients’ menus. My Beef and Sugar Snap Pea Stir Fry recipe is one that my clients love as it is tastier and healthier than Chinese takeout food.

Beef Stir Fry Recipe

I’m not going to lie. It took a lot of recipe testing to get my beef stir fry recipe just right. Either my beef was too tough and chewy, the sauce was watery and tasteless, or the vegetables were soggy. And all of these made for a disappointing beef stir fry recipe.

So I got to work in the kitchen!

To make the most delicious beef stir fry, flank steak is sliced paper thin. It only takes a couple minutes to cook in a hot, hot, hot pan.

The Asian inspired sauce is one of my favorites. The key to getting that authentic Chinese takeout food flavor is the addition of oyster sauce. The dark caramel colored sauce with a complex umami flavor that is both salty and just slightly sweet.

I love to serve this beef stir fry recipe over rice. And my recipe for fluffy rice is the perfect one to use.

the ingredients for beef stir fry

• flank steak ~ A flavorful and versatile cut of steak. Slice it thinly against the grain. It is lean so do not overcook it.
• baking soda ~ The ingredient for tender steak in this beef stir fry recipe.
• reduced sodium soy sauce ~ Use this low salt soy sauce so the stir fry sauce is not too salty.
• reduced sodium beef stock ~ Adds a nice beefy flavor without too much salt.
• oyster sauce ~ The key ingredient to get that takeout Chinese food taste. A thick, salty, sweet sauce with a umami rich savoriness.
• light brown sugar ~ Adds a caramelly touch of sweetness.
• cornstarch ~ The ingredient to make the sauce thick and glossy so it coats the beef and sugar snap peas beautifully.
• toasted sesame oil ~ Adds a slight nutty flavor to the cooked beef.
• sugar snap peas ~ For a bright green pop of color.
• sesame seeds ~ Adds an extra bit of flavor to the beef stir fry.
• cooked hot rice ~ my foolproof recipe for fluffy rice is perfect for soaking up the delicious sauce.

how to slice flank steak

Slicing a flank steak correctly helps to ensure that is not tough after it is cooked.

Start with a cold steak. It is easier to thinly slice steak when it is cold. Place the steak on a cutting board. Using a sharp chef’s knife, slice thin pieces of steak against the grain. About 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices are ideal. You want to slice the steak in the opposite direction as the long muscle fibers.

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how to make my beef stir fry recipe

A 30 minute dinner recipe (including clean up)!

• Slice ~ Against the grain is the way to slice the flank steak so it is tender.
• Marinate ~ The combination of baking soda, reduced sodium soy sauce and water helps keep the steak tender when cooked.
• Blanch ~ Quickly cook the sugar snap peas in boiling water.
• Mix ~ Combine the sauce ingredients of reduced sodium soy sauce, reduced sodium beef stock, oyster sauce, light brown sugar, and cornstarch.
• Stir Fry ~ Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add toasted sesame oil and the steak. Quickly stir and fry the steak (only a few minutes) while stirring occasionally.
• Pour ~ Add the sauce into the pan with the steak and bring to a boil. Stir to coat the steak.
• Toss in ~ Add the sugar snap peas. Quickly stir to just coat the veggies with the sauce.
• Sprinkle ~ A touch of sesame seeds finishes the dish. Time to eat!

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chef cooking tips for making beef stir fry

• Don’t skip marinating the steak ~ It’s a scientific reaction. This combination of ingredients neutralizes the acid so the steak is more alkaline. This causes the proteins in the steak not to bind and tighten up when cooked. The result is more tender beef.
• Quickly blanch the sugar snap peas ~ Only a couple minutes is needed to cook the peas. You want bright green veggies with a slight crunch to them.
• Avoid overcooking the steak ~ Cooking the steak too long will make it tough. You want to cook the beef to medium rare to medium.
• Give the sauce a stir before adding it to the cooked steak ~ The sauce can separate after sitting for a few minutes. Give it a stir to recombine all the ingredients.

If you make my beef stir fry recipe, I’d love hearing from you. Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations.

Also check out my Facebook and Pinterest pages for lots of fabulous foodie stories, videos, cooking tips, and recipes.

more easy dinner recipes to try

• Everything But the Bagel Chicken Bites
• Baked Shrimp with Feta and Tomatoes
• Creamy Tomato Pasta
• Spicy Chili with Butternut Squash

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