Easy Beef Chop Suey

Ingredients

• 250 g (about 8.8 oz)beef steak, such as rump, chuck, ribeye or sirloin
• 2–3 clovesgarlic, minced or finely chopped
• ½onion, thinly sliced
• 8–10 stalksTenderstem broccoli, cut into 5 cm pieces, or regular broccoli
• 8–10baby corn, halved lengthways
• 1carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 2 stalkscelery, thinly sliced
• 8–10mushrooms, such as shiitake, button, portobello or white, cut into small pieces
• 8–10snow peas or mangetout, trimmed and strings removed
• 1 handfulbean sprouts, rinsed
• 2–3 tbspneutral cooking oil
• 1 tsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp watercornflour slurry
• 1 tspcornflour or potato starch
• 1 tsplight soy sauce or regular soy sauce
• 1 tspShaoxing wine, Chinese cooking rice wine, Japanese mirin or rice vinegar
• 1 tspbrown or white sugar
• ¼ tspbicarbonate of soda
• 1 tspcooking oil, such as vegetable, sunflower, rapeseed or sesame oil
• 3 tbspwater
• 1 tspbrown or white sugar
• 1 tspdark soy sauce
• 1 tbsplight soy sauce
• 2 tbspoyster sauce
• 1 tspsesame oil
• ⅛ tspwhite pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the ingredients

   Slice the beef thinly against the grain and put it in a bowl with the marinade ingredients. Mix well and leave for 10–15 minutes. Stir the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

2. 2

   Sear the beef

   Heat a large wok or pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp oil. Sear the beef for 2–3 minutes, until charred, then turn the slices and stir-fry for another 1–2 minutes, until no longer pink. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.

3. 3

   Stir-fry vegetables

   Wipe away any crumbs or burnt bits from the pan. Add 1 tbsp oil, then stir-fry the garlic and onion for a few seconds until fragrant. Add the broccoli, baby corn, carrot and mushrooms, followed by the celery and mangetout.

4. 4

   Add sauce and beef

   Pour the sauce into the pan and bring it to a simmer. Return the cooked beef to the pan, add the bean sprouts and toss briefly.

5. 5

   Thicken and serve

   Add the cornflour slurry and stir until everything is coated and the sauce is thick and glossy. Serve immediately with plain rice or noodles.

What is beef chop suey?

Chop suey is a stir-fry dish associated with American-Chinese cooking, typically made with meat and a mixture of vegetables in a savoury sauce. This version pairs thinly sliced beef with crisp vegetables and a glossy, oyster-and-soy-based sauce.

The ingredients cook in stages, so the beef can brown before the vegetables and sauce are added. That helps keep the finished dish lively rather than stewed.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 275 calories, 15g protein, 16g carbs, 17g fat.

The beef supplies most of the protein, while the sugar and vegetables contribute carbohydrates. The cooking oil, sesame oil and oyster sauce contribute fat, so serve a portion with rice or noodles and add extra vegetables if you want a more balanced plate.

Choosing the beef

Cut: Rump, sirloin or another tender steak works well when sliced thinly across the grain. The recipe also lists chuck and ribeye as options.

Marinade: Cornflour, soy sauce, wine, sugar and bicarbonate of soda coat and season the slices before cooking. Give the beef the stated 10–15 minutes to sit while you prepare the rest.

Keep the vegetables ready

Cutting: Prepare the vegetables before heating the wok, since the stir-frying stage moves quickly. Thin, similar-sized pieces cook more evenly.

Order: Broccoli, baby corn, carrot and mushrooms go in before the celery and mangetout. The bean sprouts are added near the end, just before the brief toss with the beef.

Brown the beef in batches if needed

Heat: Let the wok or pan get properly hot over medium-high heat before adding the oil and beef. If the slices crowd the pan, they may release moisture instead of searing; cook them in batches if necessary.

Doneness: The method calls for 2–3 minutes to char the first side, then another 1–2 minutes after turning, until the slices are no longer pink. Remove them before cooking the vegetables.

Get a glossy sauce

Simmer: Add the prepared sauce to the vegetables and bring it to a simmer before returning the beef to the pan. This gives the sauce a chance to coat the ingredients as you toss them.

Thicken: Stir the cornflour slurry before adding it, then mix it through the dish until the sauce looks thick and glossy. Serve straight away for the best contrast between sauce and vegetables.

What to serve with it

Rice: Plain rice is a simple base that soaks up the savoury sauce without competing with the vegetables.

Noodles: Serve with noodles for a heartier meal; the recipe also suggests chow mein noodles or fried rice. Add the accompaniment separately so it does not dilute the sauce in the wok.

Recipe notes & tips

• Slice the beef against the grain for shorter, more tender pieces.
• Have the sauce and vegetables ready before you start stir-frying.
• Use a large wok or pan so the beef has room to sear.
• Trim the mangetout and remove its strings before cooking.
• Stir the cornflour slurry again just before adding it to the pan.

Variations

• Swap the mushrooms: Use shiitake, button, portobello or white mushrooms as listed.
• Change the broccoli: Use a regular broccoli head instead of Tenderstem broccoli.
• Choose a wine substitute: Use mirin or rice vinegar in place of Shaoxing wine.
• Use potato starch: Substitute it for the cornflour in the beef marinade.
• Pick your accompaniment: Serve with plain rice, fried rice or chow mein noodles.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Cutting with the grain: The beef can seem chewier; slice across the grain instead.
• Crowding the pan: The beef may steam rather than char; sear it in batches if needed.
• Skipping the marinade time: The beef misses its stated resting period; leave it for 10–15 minutes.
• Adding slurry too early: The sauce will not thicken at the right stage; add it after the beef and sprouts.
• Cooking the sprouts too long: They can lose their fresh bite; toss them in briefly near the end.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers promptly in a covered container and eat within 3 days. Reheat in a pan until piping hot, stirring so the beef and vegetables heat evenly.

Frequently asked questions