This 30-minute Steak stir-fry recipe is filling, tasty, and brimming with veggies. Super easy to make, it’s the perfect addition to your back-to-school weeknight dinner rotation.
We partnered with Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner., on behalf of the Beef Checkoff, to help you prepare for the back-to-school season with this protein-rich stir fry.
This Beef stir fry is a weeknight dinner lifesaver, especially when you’re dealing with the chaos of navigating the school season. When back-to-school preparation is in high-gear, it’s not just about buying new backpacks, pencils, and notebooks, shirts also a time to strategize about how you’re going to get healthy food on the table in between homework, after-school activities, and other day-to-day obligations. When you’re strapped for time, nothing beats a stir fry.
Teeming with Beef, this quick and easy stir fry is not only tasty, but it’s also full of protein and super versatile. Whether you’re packing lunches, preparing after-school snacks, or meal prepping for the week, it’s a wonderful dish to help you power through the week deliciously. My family loved this recipe and I know yours will too. Let’s get to it!
Steak Stir Fry Video
How to Make Steak Stir Fry
Making Steak stir fry only requires a couple, wholesome ingredients and a few simple steps to make. Below, find a quick hitter overview of the recipe.
- Prepare the Marinade: Using a whisk, mix together the marinade ingredients. Set aside.
- Chop the Veggies: Chop the bell pepper, broccoli, onion, and green onion. Set aside.
- Slice the Steak: Cut the Steak against the grain into thin slices using a sharp knife.
- Cook the Veggies: Over medium heat, stir fry the veggies in a wok or deep-frying pan and set aside.
- Stir Fry the Beef: In the same wok or pan, add the Beef and stir fry over high heat.
- Add Veggies & Sauce: Return the veggies into the wok with the Beef alongside the green onions. Add the sauce and stir fry until the sauce thickens. Enjoy as-is or alongside some steamed rice!
What does “against the grain” mean? Slicing against the grain means slicing against the muscle fibers in your cut of Beef versus alongside them. This breaks up the tough fibers and makes the Beef more tender and easier to chew!
Tips for the Best Beef Stir Fry
Below, find a collection of tips and tricks to help you make the best Beef stir fry on the planet.
- Slice the steak into similar-sized strips. By slicing your Steak into similar-sized pieces, you’ll promote even cooking.
- Partially freeze Steaks for easier slicing. Pop Steaks in the freezer for about 30 minutes before you slice them.
- Always slice Steak against the grain. Slicing against the muscle fibers of the Steak versus alongside them will make your stir fry more tender and easier to chew.
- Use Steak that is Choice or Prime grade. The better quality your Steak, the better quality your stir fry. Choice and Prime grades are superior.
- Pat Steaks dry before stir-frying. To help your Steak form a nice crust, pat it dry of any excess moisture with paper towels before stir frying.
What cut of Beef should I use? Always opt for Choice or Prime cuts of Beef. For this recipe, Flank Steak works best. However, you can also use Filet or Ribeye.
Serving Steak Stir Fry
This Steak stir fry can be served as a healthy lunch or dinner. You can also pack it into work lunches or serve it after-school as a hearty snack to tide you and your kids over until dinner (perfect for nights when you’re running to-and-from extracurricular activities!). For a well-rounded meal, pair it with some steamed white or brown rice, quinoa, or buckwheat.
Storing Steak Stir Fry
- Refrigerator: Store leftover Steak stir fry in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep fresh for up to 5 days. Reheat it in the microwave or in a pan/wok with a bit of oil.
- Freezer: Freeze Steak stir fry by first allowing it to cool completely. Then, transfer it to a freezer-safe plastic bag or airtight container. Reheat it in the microwave or in a pan/work with a bit of oil.
FAQ
How do I get tender Beef strips in my stir fry?
You get tender strips of Beef by cutting the Steak thinly and against the grain. By cutting through the Beef’s muscle fibers versus alongside them, you get more tender strips that are easier to chew.
Should I stir fry the meat or veggies first?
Always stir fry the veggies before the meat. Since they cook faster, you’ll want to set them aside until the Beef is done and add them back into the wok only when you’re ready to add in the sauce.
What cut of Steak should I use for stir fry?
Flank Steak or Strip Steak is by far the best cut for stir fry. It’s flavorful, readily available in grocery stores, and very affordable.
More Steak Recipes
- Grilled Ribeye Steak – Classic ribeye on the grill
- Easy Philly Cheesesteak (The Ultimate Guide) – A Momsdish favorite!
- Baked Steak with Vegetables – One-pan steak dinner
- 30-Minute Pepper Steak Stir Fry – Bell pepper and flank steak stir fry
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Beef Steak
- 1 red bell peppers
- 8 oz broccoli
- 1 medium onion
- 1/2 bunch green onions
- 2 tbsp oil, avocado or olive
Steak Stir Fry Marinade
- 6 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger
Instructions
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and ginger to create the stir fry marinade. Set aside.
- Chop the bell peppers into strips and cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Slice the onion into half rings and chop the green onion
- Slicing against the grain, cut the Steak into thin strips.
- Preheat a wok or deep-frying pan with oil. Add veggies (except green onion) and cook on medium-high until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- In the same wok or pan, add Beef strips over high-heat until the Beef turns golden brown.
- Add cooked veggies and green onions back into the wok with Beef. Pour the marinade in, give it a good toss, and cook on low for 2-4 minutes or until sauce slightly thickens.
- Serve as-is or along with your favorite side. Enjoy!
I made this for dinner and my steak was hard. Can u tell me possibly what I did wrong?
I'm sorry to hear that! What type of steak did you use?
Had everything but the green onions. I made the sauce, and marinated the steak in it for a few hours. Then followed the recipe. SO GOOD! And the steak was tender by marinating.
So glad you loved it! Marinating the meat is a great idea. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Absolutely delicious!
Thanks for the feedback! So glad you enjoyed it!
Looks amazing going to make tonight. Would like a recipe for steak and chicken faitas thank you
Hey Alfred, We have a few options on the blog for steak and chicken fajitas. I hope you try them soon and enjoy!
One of the photos of the sauce has what appears to be flour in it but it's not mentioned in the recipe. What is it for?
Hey Brian, Thank you for pointing that out! The image was mistakenly from a different recipe, but it’s been updated with the correct photo now. I appreciate your help, and just to clarify, there’s no flour in this recipe. Enjoy!
Doubled the sauce and marinated the steak for a few hours in it. Other than that, followed the recipe to a T. My family devoured it and it was so delicious they asked me to put it into rotation.
That’s amazing to hear! Doubling the sauce and marinating the steak sounds like a delicious idea —no wonder your family loved it! So glad it’s a keeper in your meal rotation.
THANKS FOR THE RECIPE. EVERYONE ENJOYED IT. WILL BE MAKING AGAIN. GLENN
I'm thrilled it was a hit Glenn. Thanks for sharing!
Decent base recipe. It was a bit bland and I wish I’d have added cornstarch to the sauce so it have coated the meat and veggies.
Thanks for your feedback! I'm glad you found it to be a good base recipe. I hope you tweak it to your liking more next time!
I'm making this tonight, so you don't actually marinade the steak ahead of time, right? The sauce you make is just a stir fry sauce?
Correct, you add it as a sauce. I hope you enjoy the dish! Please let us know how it turned out for you. 🙂
I made it last night.... delicious.... thank you for the recipe.....
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed our easy yet tasty steak stir fry! Thanks for sharing!
Delicious, but far too Salty. Next time, I will half the soya sauce and add a corn starch / water slurry.
There is a low-sodium soy sauce.
I'm sorry to hear it was too salty for your taste, but glad you found it overall delicious! Halving the soy sauce and using a corn starch and water slurry sounds like a great plan. I hope your next attempt is perfect!
Very easy and tasty! One of my favorite stir Fry's. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it Carol! Stir fry dishes are such a great way to have a quick and delicious meal. Enjoy!
Thi was good and tasty thank u Natalya💎💐💯🙈😍🙏🌍🦋😻♥️💖😘🥰🥳👌ᕙ[・・]ᕗ(◍•ᴗ•◍)❤♡˖꒰ᵕ༚ᵕ⑅꒱
I'm thrilled you loved it! Thanks for sharing.
This was very tasty, quick and easy! Thank you for sharing! Will be making again!
So glad you enjoyed this steak stir fry. I appreciate the feedback Irina. Thanks for sharing.
Can I marinate the meat in the "marinade" for a couple hours before cooking?
Hey Stephanie, That would work! Enjoy!
No! Follow the authentic recipe! 🙂 love ya
Would this work with chicken?
Hey Eliz, That would work. Enjoy!
Can you use frozen bell peppers in the dish
That should work Lori. They might be a bit softer or mushier than fresh peppers.
The recipe includes marinade but I don't see when to "marinate " the meat.
It's more of a sauce than a meat marinade.. but it's delicious.. I did not have fresh ginger, so I used dried ground ginger..
this is actually a pretty standard marinade for stir fry steak, while also being sauce. Pour it in a ziplock bag with your steak strips and leave that in the fridge for a few hours or overnight before doing anything else.
Hi Stephanie, lol... such a great point, its more of a sauce. Can you tell that English is my third language. Thanks for pointing it out 🙂
Even my verrrry picky husband loved it! I used Kikkomens stir fry sauce! Will definitely make this again!
Hi Penny, I love that we are making picky husbands happy.. lol... Thanks for sharing this, it really makes me happy to read comments.
A marinade is for....marinading meat so I put the beef in it for 30 minutes. Added garlic and halved snow peas as i didnt have broccoli.
Added a small amount of cornflour slurry to thicken sauce up slightly. Served with noodles and it was very tasty.
Hey Isabel,
Thanks for the feedback! So happy to hear you enjoyed this dish!
A great tasting recipe and some great comments I took on board when making mine. I added garlic, I had no sesame oil so substituted that for sunflower oil and added toasted sesame seeds to the top of the dish with the spring onions. I did add a couple of dustings of plain flour just to thicken it up slightly too.
Thanks for the feedback Nicholas!
I made this, not bad . I do believe some ingredients were left out. Cornstarch to help thicken the sauce and garlic . Meat should have been tossed in cornstarch or possibly a slurry made and added ,also garlic with the veggies. Just a suggestion.
Look up a recipe for Velveting. Makes everything better!!
Hi Kim, Thanks for the suggestions. Adding some garlic would be a nice touch. Enjoy!
Loveee this, added ikea gravy on top at the end and it was so good!
Hey Tori, YUM! Steak with gravy sounds so good. Enjoy!
I made this this week. It was easy & delicious. I added more meat (there were 9 of us eating) and also carrots, water chestnuts & mushrooms. To the sauce i also added minced garlic. I will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Becky, I love all the additions, especially water chestnuts. Thanks for giving the recipe a try, I'm so glad it was a hit!
Definitely going to add to my menu more often! We had lots of veggies to use from the garden so added snap peas and more peppers too. Also my husband is a big hunter so I used venison instead and served over rice. Very filling! Subed coconut aminos for soy sauce (gluten allergy) and coconut sugar for brown sugar and it turned out great! Sometimes the stir fry sauce is too salty for me but this was perfect! Thanks for an easy, yummy, cost efficient recipe!
Hi Brooke, I love how you adjusted the recipe to use what you have on hand! Thanks for sharing!
Perfect!
Hi Denny, I'm so happy to hear it turned out perfect!
I literally live on this!! I add a few more veggies (water chestnuts, snow peas, carrots) and season everything with Montreal steak seasoning, but it’s super easy and great for leftovers.
Hi Kate- yum! I am drooling as I'm reading your additions and twists on the recipe. I'm glad you're enjoying it!
I just made this for the first time and it was incredible!! My husband and I both loved it! We served it with white rice. It was easy and delicious! I followed the recipe to a T! It will be on my menu rotation for sure! Thank you!
Dale, this is so great to hear. I am happy that you guys love it. We also love serving it with rice. For work days, we would pack leftovers. So happy you got to try it.
Great dish! Family loved it. Used asparagus instead of broccoli. All of the ingredients balanced perfectly. Quick and easy on a week night. Thanks!
Hi Matt, I love the idea of using asparagus. Thanks for sharing your tip and so happy you enjoyed the recipe.
This was sooooo good! Added minced garlic, but other than a bit of pepper it needed nothing.
Hi Justin, I am thrilled to hear that you loved this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. Enjoy!!