This Korean Beef Stir Fry recipe has tender slices of beef, mixed veggies and a Korean stir fry sauce that all come together in less than 30 minutes. It’s a quick and easy dish that is full of flavor, super versatile and something everyone will love.
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Korean Beef Stir Fry
This super tasty Korean Beef Stir Fry uses simple ingredients that can be prepped ahead of time making for a quick and easy dinner any night of the week. Sure, the tender, juicy beef is a stand out, but the true star of this recipe is the soy ginger garlic sesame sauce. It’s a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy, a little bit savory and super delicious.
To compliment the beef, this stir fry is also full of crisp-tender pieces of broccoli, red peppers and carrots. Served over rice with fresh green onions and sesame seeds, this simple dish has maximum flavor and a variety of textures that will keep you satisfied.
Feel free to try this recipe using different proteins and veggies. Or, serve over noodles, zoodles or with a side of lettuce wraps.
Ingredients in Korean Beef Stir Fry
- Avocado Oil - you can also substitute any other cooking oil with a higher smoke point such as grapeseed oil.
- Beef - round steak, flank steak, stir fry steak are our favorites to use, but any steak will work.
- Broccoli - cut broccoli into 1” pieces.
- Red Bell Peppers - you can use any color of bell peppers, cut into 1” pieces.
- Carrots - you can either shred the carrots, or cut into small matchsticks or dice.
- Rice - serve over cooked white rice, or any kind of rice that you’d like.
- Toppings - we like to garnish this stir fry bowl simply with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients
- Black Pepper - ground black pepper.
- Red Pepper Flakes - add a little more or less depending on how spicy you like it.
- Garlic - fresh minced garlic.
- Brown Sugar - this adds a bit of sweetness which is characteristic of Korean beef stir fry. A touch of rice wine vinegar would taste great, too.
- Soy Sauce - we generally use a low sodium soy sauce for stir fry.
- Ginger - fresh ginger has a great flavor, but you can also substitute ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger.
- Sesame Oil - this adds great Asian flavor.
- Cornstarch Slurry - cornstarch mixed with cold water is added to the sauce to thicken at the end.
How to Make this Korean Beef Recipe
- Cook the beef. Slice beef into thin strips. In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the avocado oil. Once hot, add the beef and cook for about 1 minute, breaking up any clumps with a spoon. Be sure not to overcrowd the skillet, cooking the beef in two batches if necessary.
- Add the seasoning. Add the pepper, red pepper flakes and garlic and cook until the beef has a little pink remaining, or about 1-2 minutes more. Next, add the brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil. Cook until all ingredients are bubbling.
- Add the veggies. Next, add the broccoli, red peppers, and carrots. Bring to a simmer again and simmer until the broccoli is bright green, or about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the cornstarch slurry. In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and cold water until smooth, then add to the skillet and cook until the sauce is bubbly and thick. Remove from heat.
- Serve. Serve the beef stir fry in a bowl over cooked rice, topped with green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
We like to use round steak for a stir fry because it’s an economical option that stays nice and tender as long as it’s sliced into thin strips. Flank steak also works great, or you may also be able to find stir fry steak at your local grocery store or butcher shop. Otherwise, any kind of steak will work for a beef stir fry since the cook time is so quick.
It’s standard to serve Korean Beef Stir Fry over cooked white rice. However, noodles would work great or even large lettuce leaves to make lettuce wraps.
You never want to crowd the pan when making stir fry because the goal is to keep the ingredients crisp tender, not steamed! Therefore, the best pan is the largest skillet that you’ve got. Cast iron skillets work great, as would a wok. If you don’t have either, any large skillet will do the trick.
Storing and Reheating Beef Stir Fry
- Refrigerator: store leftover stir fry beef and veggies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: add a dash of sesame oil or avocado oil to a skillet and heat over medium. Add the leftover stir fry and warm, stirring frequently. You may want to add a dash of soy sauce or water to keep it from sticking. You can also reheat in the microwave on high, stirring every 30 seconds, until warmed through.
Korean Beef Stir Fry Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil
- 1 ½ pounds Beef Steak round steak or other, cut against the grain into thin strips
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 pinch Red Pepper Flakes
- 3 cloves Garlic minced, or 2 teaspoons
- 3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
- ⅓ cup Soy Sauce low sodium
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Ginger minced, or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons Sesame Oil
- 1 cup Broccoli cut into 1" pieces
- ½ Red Pepper cut into 1" pieces
- ⅔ cup Carrots shredded or cut into small pieces
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons Water cold
Garnish
- 1 ½ cups Cooked Rice
- 2 Tablespoons Green Onions sliced thinly
- 1 pinch Sesame Seeds
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the avocado oil. Once hot, add the beef and cook for about 1 minute, breaking up any clumps with a spoon. Be sure not to overcrowd the skillet, cooking the beef in two batches if necessary.
- Add the pepper, red pepper flakes and garlic and cook until the beef has a little pink remaining, or about 1-2 minutes more.
- Next, add the brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil. Cook until all ingredients are bubbling, then add the broccoli, red peppers, and carrots. Bring to a simmer again and simmer until the broccoli is bright green, or about 3 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and cold water until smooth, then add to the skillet and cook until the sauce is bubbly and thick.
- Serve the beef stir fry in a bowl over cooked rice, topped with green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Of the Best Asian-Inspired Recipes
- Asian Beef Kabobs
- PF Chang Copycat Lettuce Wrap Recipe
- Easy Teriyaki Beef Stir Fry
- Basil Chicken Stir Fry
- Coconut Rice
- Honey Soy Drumsticks
- Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
- More Side Dish Recipes
- More Easy Weeknight Meals
- How to Freeze Bell Peppers
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This quick and easy Korean Beef Stir Fry is a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy, a little bit savory and super delicious. It uses simple ingredients that can be prepped ahead of time making it a perfect meal for any night of the week.
Jed
I made this dish for my crew at the firehouse and it was a hit! I added some extra liquids so there would be more "gravy". Great flavorfull recipe, fast and easy.
Jill Baird
So happy to hear it! Thanks for the feedback, Jed!