Beef Recipes

How To Prepare Beef For Stir Fry?

Webster West

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!

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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.

How To Prepare Beef For Stir Fry?

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 To Prepare Beef For Stir Fry?

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.

How To Prepare Beef For Stir Fry?

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.

How To Prepare Beef For Stir Fry?

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

  • Thin slice the beef against the grain (a little thicker than ⅛ inch thin at 45-degree angle)
  • Add I Heart Umami beef stir-fry marinade – coconut aminos, fish sauce, toasted sesame oil or olive oil.
  • Add arrowroot starch to replace corn starch and little baking soda to tenderize and velvet the beef.
  • Mix well and set aside in the fridge for 15-20 minutes or up to 24 hrs.

    • In summary

    To make a great Chinese beef stir-fry, follow these principles –

  • Select the right cut of beef
  • Thin slice against the grain at 45 degree angle and marinade for at least 15 minutes.
  • Use a stainless skillet and preheat the skillet well.
  • Sear the beef in one layer without disturbing for about 2 minutes and the flip side about 30 seconds.
  • Pair it with vegetables and serve hot or in room temperature.

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    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 Prepare Beef For Stir Fry?

    How to make beef stir-fry tender

  • ▢ 1.5 to 2 tbsp avocado oil

    • Optional garnish:

  • ▢ Chopped scallions
  • ▢ Toasted sesame seeds
  • ▢ Dry red chili flakes
  • Thin slice the beef against the grain at 45 degree angle. Each slice should be a little thicker than ⅛ inch but thinner than ¼ inch in thickness.
  • Add I Heart Umami beef stir-fry marinade from coconut aminos to baking soda. Baking soda will tenderize the meat. Arrowroot will help create a golden brown sear. Gently mix well and set aside in the fridge for 10-15 minutes or up to 24 hours.
  • Preheat a 10-12 inch stainless steel skillet over medium 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. OR Carefully place your hand 2.5-3 inches away from the skillet surface to test the temperature. When it feels too hot to place your hand nearby, the skillet is ready. If your skillet is overheated (i.e. smoking), simply set it aside for a few minutes to cool down a bit.
  • Add oil. Pan fry the beef in one even layer without disturbing for about 2 minutes or until the beef is in golden brown color. Some beef slices might overlap with one another and that’s totally okay.
  • Use a spatula with a firm tip to cook the flip side for about 30 seconds. Please don’t over cook the beef or they will turn watery and less tasty. Set the beef along with the pan juice aside in one bowl. If you have pairing ingredients (i.e. vegetables), cover the bowl and keep it warm while you work on other ingredients.
  • Garnish with scallions, sesame seeds, and dry chili flakes, if using.

    • 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?

    How To Cook Tender Stir Fry Beef
    1. Select An Appropriate Cut of Beef. Choose a cut of steak such as flank steak or better. …
    2. Slice Against The Grain. Inspect the steak and look for long muscle fibers. …
    3. Cut Thin Slices. Make thin cuts about 1/4 inch or thinner. …
    4. Toss With Corn Starch. …
    5. Don’t Overcook.

    Should you marinate beef for stir-fry?

    Marinating beef for your stir-fry is an important second step of velveting that should never be skipped. The marinade isn’t as much about soaking the beef in a lot of liquid or adding a bunch of different flavorings like you may be used to. It’s about giving the beef an extra juicy texture.

    How do Chinese cooks make their beef so tender?

    Velveting is a Chinese method of marinating which keeps delicate meat and seafood moist and tender during cooking. The velveting technique is very easy and gives amazing results.

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