My Make It Snappy Ginger Garlic Beef will help you serve a fantastic, flavorful meal in under 45 minutes. It comes together in just minutes and can be served in a variety of ways. This is essentially a stir-fry recipe, which never fails to impress, even though the method is so simple. Keep your tablespoon handy because that and a large non-stick skillet are just about all you need! We’re keeping mess to a minimum with this one pan dinner.
Some quick notes before you get started:
- My go-to secret ingredient for Asian inspired dishes is Toasted Sesame Oil. If you enjoy going out for Asian food but the pandemic has you sticking close to home, consider adding Toasted Sesame Oil to your pantry. It will take your homecooked Asian dishes over the top and your kitchen will smell even better than your favorite restaurant. Note: all sesame oils have a low smoke point meaning it’s not a good idea to use them as a base for your stir-fry. Over high heat, sesame oil can burn and become rancid. It’s best incorporated into sauces and dressings or used to finish noodles, soups and vegetables.
- As with all of my recipes, I encourage you to take some help from the grocery store when selecting the beef for your Ginger Garlic Beef. Nearly all grocery meat sections offer pre-sliced steak (usually flank, skirt or rib-eye) labeled for stir-fry. You can also request that your butcher slice your preferred cut of beef for you. Just let them know what you’re planning to make and they usually offer the service for free! Thinly slicing and tenderizing beef can be a long process. Save yourself the time and trouble and let the grocery store do the hard work for you!
- If you’re not a family that often cooks with ginger or garlic, one more shortcut option would be to buy the pre-minced versions offered in the produce section. Either vegetable can be a bit intimidating if it’s new for you, but trust me, they aren’t as scary as they look. Ginger root can be easily peeled by scraping the brownish skin away with the edge of a spoon.
- As always, embrace additions and substitutions! Use what you have and what your family enjoys! Substitute beef for chicken or shrimp, just be sure to mind cooking times (chicken will take longer than steak or shrimp). Add honey or more brown sugar to sweeten. Add sriracha or red pepper flakes to make it spicy!
- Use any vegetables you have on hand! Onions, broccoli florets, bell peppers, asparagus, mushrooms, carrots, and zucchini all work well in stir-fry dishes.
- Though it’s prepared in a stir-fry method, this Ginger Garlic Beef does not have to be served over rice! Try it over wilted spinach, ramen noodles, cauliflower rice or spiralized zucchini noodles.
- This dish can be made gluten free by replacing the soy sauce with tamari.
Additional Stir-Fry tips:
- Steak and vegetables will cook at different speeds and require different cooking times. Thinly sliced steak will take much less time to cook than the veggies, so you don’t want your meat to end up over-cooked. When in doubt, cook them separately, using the same pan. Cook the beef first, then remove to a plate. The beef will leave behind a layer of flavor that the veggies will pick up when they hit the pan. One pan means less mess!
- As I mentioned before, do not use toasted sesame oil as the base of your stir-fry. It burns very easily. Use an oil with a higher smoke point, such as vegetable oil.
- Prep your sauce and veggies ahead of time so they’re ready to go when it’s time to add them to the pan. Once the cooking starts, the process moves quickly, plan on sticking close by and giving the pan your full attention.
- Try to slice all vegetables into similar sizes, either strips or cubes. This allows them to cook evenly and enhances the final presentation!
Find the complete recipe here: Make It Snappy Ginger Garlic Beef
