Chinese Beef and Onion Stir Fry

Ingredients

• 300 gsirloin steak (or rib-eye, flank or blade steak)
• 1/2white onion (or yellow onion)
• 4–5 slicesginger
• 3 clovesgarlic, minced or thinly sliced
• 1 stalkspring onion, cut into 5 cm pieces
• 1 tablespoonsoy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoonShaoxing cooking wine
• 2 tablespoonswater
• 1 teaspoonsesame oil
• 1 teaspooncornflour, added after marinating
• 1 tablespoonoil, added after marinating
• 1 tablespoonreduced-salt soy sauce
• 1 tablespooncornflour
• 1 teaspoonsugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoonsoyster sauce
• 1/2 tablespoonhoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoonsesame oil
• 1/2 tablespoonShaoxing cooking wine (or dry sherry or rice wine)
• 1 teaspoondark soy sauce (or regular soy sauce)
• 120 ml (1/2 cup)water

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare vegetables

   Peel and slice the onion, separating the segments. Thinly slice or mince the garlic, slice the ginger, and discard the spring onion root. Cut the spring onion into 5 cm pieces, halving the thick white section lengthways.

2. 2

   Slice the beef

   Cut the beef thinly against the grain and place it in a bowl. If it is difficult to slice, firm it up in the freezer for 15 minutes first.

3. 3

   Marinate beef

   Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing cooking wine, 2 tablespoons water and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes; do not add the cornflour or oil yet.

4. 4

   Coat the beef

   Mix 1 teaspoon cornflour into the marinated beef until evenly distributed. Add 1 tablespoon oil, mix again and set aside.

5. 5

   Mix the sauce

   In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon cornflour until smooth. Mix in the sugar, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing cooking wine and dark soy sauce. Stir in 120 ml water and set aside.

6. 6

   Sear the beef

   Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat. When very hot, add oil and the beef, spreading the strips over the pan to sear. Stir-fry for about 2–4 minutes, until the beef is around 90% cooked, then remove it from the pan and set it aside.

7. 7

   Cook aromatics

   Add a little more oil to the pan and toast the ginger for 1 minute, until lightly browned. Add the onion and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until soft and slightly browned.

8. 8

   Thicken sauce

   Push the onion, ginger and garlic to the side of the pan. Stir the sauce again, as the cornflour settles, then pour it into the hot pan. Keep stirring until it thickens and changes from a milky colour to dark brown.

9. 9

   Finish the stir-fry

   Stir the onion into the sauce, then return the beef to the pan and add the spring onion. Stir-fry everything for about 1 minute, then serve with steamed rice.

What is Chinese beef and onion stir-fry?

This is a quick wok-style dish of sliced beef and onion coated in a savoury, thickened sauce. Stir-frying is a familiar Chinese cooking technique, using high heat and brief cooking to bring together meat, vegetables and sauce.

This version combines soy, oyster and hoisin sauces with ginger and sesame oil. Marinating the beef and adding cornflour in stages help it stay tender while the sauce turns glossy.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 257 calories, 24g protein, 11g carbs, 12g fat.

The beef provides most of the protein, while the sugar, onion and cornflour contribute carbohydrates. The beef, sesame oil and cooking oil contribute fat, and the soy, oyster and hoisin sauces bring much of the saltiness. Serve with steamed rice and add a portion of vegetables on the side to round out the plate.

Choose and slice the beef

Cut against the grain: slicing across the muscle fibres helps make each strip easier to bite. Aim for thin, even pieces so they cook quickly and at a similar rate.

Suitable cuts: sirloin is used here, while rib-eye, flank or blade steak are listed alternatives. A short spell in the freezer can firm the steak and make thin slicing easier.

Marinate before adding cornflour

The first marinade uses soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, water and sesame oil, with a 15-minute rest. The recipe adds cornflour only after this stage, followed by oil, so keep those ingredients back until the beef has marinated.

Mix the cornflour thoroughly through the strips so they are evenly coated. This helps create a light coating as the beef cooks.

Get the pan properly hot

A very hot frying pan or wok lets the beef sear rather than sit and simmer. Spread the strips over the pan surface, and avoid piling them into one heap.

Work in batches if your pan is too crowded to give the beef contact with the hot surface. The recipe gives 2–4 minutes as a guide, depending on how thinly the meat is cut.

Watch the sauce thicken

Mix the sauce again just before it goes into the pan: cornflour tends to settle at the bottom of the bowl. Stir it as it heats, watching for it to thicken and turn from milky to dark brown.

The beef is returned at the end and cooks in the sauce for about 1 minute. This brief finish brings the components together without leaving the strips in the pan for long.

Serve with rice

Steamed rice is the suggested accompaniment and works well with the savoury sauce. Serve as soon as the beef and spring onion have had their final minute in the pan.

If you want vegetables alongside, keep them separate or serve them on the side so the beef, onion and sauce remain the focus of the dish.

Recipe notes & tips

• Slice the beef against the grain for more tender-feeling strips.
• Have the vegetables and sauce ready before heating the pan, as stir-frying moves quickly.
• Spread the beef across the hot pan to give it a chance to brown.
• Stir the sauce just before adding it so the settled cornflour is evenly mixed in.
• Keep the beef out of the pan while the sauce thickens, then return it for the final minute.

Variations

• Change the cut: use rib-eye, flank or blade steak in place of sirloin.
• Use yellow onion: swap it for the white onion if that is what you have.
• Switch the wine: use dry sherry or rice wine in place of the Shaoxing cooking wine in the sauce.
• Use regular soy sauce: substitute it for the dark soy sauce if needed.
• Adjust the aromatics: mince the garlic rather than slicing it thinly.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Slicing with the grain: cut across the visible fibres to make the strips easier to bite.
• Adding cornflour too soon: wait until the 15-minute marinade is complete before coating the beef.
• Crowding the pan: spread the beef out so it can sear, or cook it in batches.
• Skipping the sauce stir: mix it again before pouring, as the cornflour settles.
• Overcooking the beef: remove it when it is around 90% cooked and return it for the final minute.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and eat within 3 days. Reheat in a frying pan until piping hot, adding a small splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.

Frequently asked questions