Every wonder why the meat in Chinese restaurants is so tender? In this blog post, I’m revealing all the secrets for how to make beef stir-fry tender, plus simple velveting beef techniques so you can make flavorful and healthy beef stir-fry every single time!
If you are new to my blog I Heart Umami, welcome! I share many healthy delicious Asian-inspired recipes and all of them are gluten-free and with no added sugar. Subscribe to I Heart Umami to learn how to make healthy yummy food easily!
How to Cook Perfect Beef Stir Fry Every Time
Best Beef For Stir-Fry
If you are wondering how to make beef stir-fry, it starts with the type of cuts that are most suitable for stir-fries. Personally, I prefer beef loin flap sirloin tips, followed by skirt steak, flank steak, then sirloin.
To trim or not to trim the beef fat is up to your personal preference. From an ancestral and Paleo perspective, we encourage people to purchase organic and grass fed beef. The fat content from these animals are better for us. If use conventional cut, I recommend trimming some extra fat and try to keep the meat on the leaner side.
Best Beef Stir-Fry Marinade
A good cut of steak doesn’t need much seasoning. Most of the time coarse sea salt and pepper will be more than enough. To add more flavor to beef stir-fry marinade, my recommend using my I Heart Umami go-to beef marinade – Coconut aminos (soy-sauce substitute), Red Boat fish sauce, toasted sesame oil, and ground black pepper. You can swap sesame oil for olive oil if you can’t have seed oil. You can also skip black pepper if you are on AIP.
How Long To Marinade and Velvet Stir-Fry Beef
If you use my go-to beef marinade, 15 minutes in the fridge or up to 24 hours will be a great time frame to marinade the beef for stir-fry.
Best Pan For Stir-Frying
I particularly mention home cooks because most household stove tops are never going to reach the heat intensity level as restaurants’. The best pan for stir-fry, in my opinion, is stainless steel skillet. Ideally, a 12-inch skillet will give you more room for stir-frying. A 10-inch skillet will be more suitable for cooking for one or two people. The next ideal pan for stir-fry is cast iron. Both skillets conduct and maintain heat well. Stainless steel is slightly better than cast iron for stir-fry because stainless is much lighter and easier to lift and toss. You can read more about the top 7 stir-fry mistakes to avoid here.
The temperature of the skillet
The temperature of your skillet plays an important part in Chinese stir-fry. Watch my Youtube video on how to properly preheat your skillet for stir-fry two ways and be sure to subscribe to I Heart Umami Youtube channel!
How To Know When Pan Is Hot Enough
Method 1 – Water Drop Test Pre-heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Test the temperature of the skillet with ½ tsp water. When the skillet is at the perfect temperature, one or two beads will form immediately and the pan is ready.
Method 2 – Pre-heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Carefully place your hand 2.5-3 inches away from the surface to test the temperature. When it feels too hot to place your hand nearby, the skillet is ready.
This is the method I use more often. It’s easier than the water drop test but requires more intuition. The timing will depend on the type and thickness of your skillet, a thinner skillet will take less time to get hot than a thicker material skillet.
If you are a blogger or chef and have found success in your beef stir-fry after reading this blog post, please send me your blog or recipe post and link back to this original article. I’m happy to review and add your success story to my website!
How To Velvet Beef for Tender Beef Stir-Fry
In summary
To make a great Chinese beef stir-fry, follow these principles –
Recipes you can try
Subscribe to I Heart Umami for more healthy cooking tips and learn how to make 10 mouthwatering Paleo meals in under 10 minutes each!
How to make beef stir-fry tender
Optional garnish:
Want to learn more about my Asian-inspired paleo pantry? Check out my Whole30 Pantry guide here!
FAQ
How do I make sure beef is tender for stir-fry?
- Select An Appropriate Cut of Beef. Choose a cut of steak such as flank steak or better. …
- Slice Against The Grain. Inspect the steak and look for long muscle fibers. …
- Cut Thin Slices. Make thin cuts about 1/4 inch or thinner. …
- Toss With Corn Starch. …
- Don’t Overcook.
Should you marinate beef for stir-fry?
How do Chinese cooks make their beef so tender?