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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Published: Sep 13, 2021 · Modified: Jan 13, 2022 by Julia · This post may contain affiliate links · 22 Comments

    Beef and Onion Stir-Fry

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Beef and onion stir-fry is one of those dishes that only takes ten minutes to cook up but is so fragrant and delicious it becomes a necessary staple. With really only two key ingredients (beef and onions, you guessed it!), it's impossible to mess this up. Plus, this is technically a one-pan recipe as we'll be cooking the beef and onions at separate times and combining them at the end with a sauce. The key to the flavors is the combination of our different sauces!

    Jump to:
    • What cut of beef should I use?
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • What can I eat this with?
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    What cut of beef should I use?

    I don't have a particular cut that I'm partial to. If shopping at an Asian market, it's easy to choose a cut and have the butcher slice it thinly for you. You can also purchase the thinly cut meats from the packaged sections that are specifically prepared for KBBQ or hot pot. The following will all work:

    • Sirloin
    • Ribeye
    • Tenderloin

    Again, the key is to ensure you get the meats thinly sliced at the butcher (they have all the professional equipment that gets the best pieces) so each piece cooks quickly and is perfectly coated with our sauce mixture.

    Ingredients

    Beef & Marinade:

    • Beef sirloin, rib eye, or tenderloin: Must be thinly cut in even pieces or it won't cook evenly. As I mentioned above, the best way to have this meat prepped is to ask the butcher to slice thinly or to purchase the pre-packaged portions for hotpot and KBBQ.
    • Cornstarch: Some might ask, why cornstarch when we're not frying? This ingredients helps the sauce adhere to the protein.
    • Soy sauce
    • Shaoxing wine: A necessary marinade in any Asian cooking. I'd recommend getting one if you haven't as you'll see it in a lot of my recipes such as my Chinese Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings and even in my Chinese Shrimp and Pork Dumplings. It's so versatile!

    Sauce:

    • Light soy sauce (low sodium)
    • Dark soy sauce
    • Oyster sauce (when I run out of oyster sauce, I'll sub with hoisin sauce)
    • Granulated sugar
    • Sesame oil
    • White pepper powder

    Rest of the dish:

    • Large white onion, sliced
    • Garlic
    • Scallion: Instead of chopping these into small piece, slice into 2-inch pieces to place over the beef.

    Instructions

    1. If not yet sliced, thinly slice your cut off meat so they are more bite-sized pieces.
    2. Marinade the beef in soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch. Toss to evenly coat and let sit for at least 15 minutes.
    3. Heat up oil in a pan on medium heat and stir-fry beef until brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
    4. Cook down the onions in the same pan. Be patient as we want the onions to get soft so this could take up to 10 minutes.
    5. When onions are cooked, add the cooked beef back in the pan. Add in the sauce mixture and coat the beef and onions evenly. Continue to stir-fry until beef is completely cooked, about another 3-4 minutes.
    6. Add in the chopped scallions and give it one last toss. Serve with a bowl of rice, and let the delicious sauces soak into the rice. Sprinkle over some optional white sesame seeds.

    What can I eat this with?

    Because this dish has such a rich sauce, this is perfect over a bowl of steamed rice. You'll want to make sure the rice is nicely coated with the sauce for the best experience.

    However, if you're a noodle fan like me, you can easily pour this over a bowl of thin noodles and mix it up for a simple noodle "stir-fry." So many great Chinese dishes require a delicious and fragrant base sauce that's perfect over our staple grains, try other ones such as my Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce (Instant Pot), Chinese Chicken and Broccoli or my Vegetarian Mapo Tofu (Vegan-Friendly) recipes.

    beef onion stir-fry

    📖 Recipe

    beef onion stir-fry
    Print Pin
    5 from 23 votes

    Beef Onion Stir-Fry

    This beef and onion stir-fry has a delicious sauce that is best served over steamed rice and only takes less than 10 minutes to cook up!
    Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
    Cuisine Chinese
    Prep Time 25 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 35 minutes
    Servings 4
    Author Julia

    Ingredients

    BEEF & MARINADE:

    • 1 lb beef sirloin/ribeye/tenderloin (thinly sliced)
    • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
    • 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
    • 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine (sub dry sherry)

    SAUCE:

    • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (low sodium)
    • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
    • 2 teaspoon oyster sauce
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
    • White pepper powder to taste

    REST OF THE DISH:

    • 1 tablespoon neutral oil
    • ½ large white onion sliced
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 2 stalks scallion 3 inch slices

    Instructions

    • If not yet sliced, thinly slice your cut of meat so they are bite-sized pieces.
    • Marinade the beef in soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch. Toss to evenly coat and let sit for at least 15 minutes.
    • Heat up oil in a pan on medium heat and stir-fry beef until brown, but not fully cooked. Remove from pan and set aside in a separate bowl.
    • Cook down the onions in the same pan on medium heat. Be patient as we want the onions to get soft so this could take up to 10 minutes.
    • When onions are soft, add the cooked beef back in the pan. Add in the sauce mixture. Continue to stir-fry until beef is completely cooked, about another 3-4 minutes.
    • Add in the chopped scallions and give it one last toss. Serve with a bowl of rice.
    « Chinese Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chef Dennis says

      September 14, 2021 at 12:23 am

      5 stars
      This beef and onion stir-fry is making my tummy growl! I am so excited to make this and savor it.

      Reply
    2. shelby says

      September 14, 2021 at 7:18 am

      5 stars
      I am always on the look out for quick and easy dinner recipes. This one is bursting with flavor and how the flavor flows into the rice is lick the plate clean delicious!

      Reply
    3. Heather says

      September 14, 2021 at 2:19 pm

      5 stars
      Hooray for quick AND tasty recipes - this one sounds like a real winner! I've never tried this beef and onion combo and cannot wait to make for a quick weeknight dinner.

      Reply
    4. Megan Ellam says

      September 14, 2021 at 4:24 pm

      5 stars
      My kind of meal. Quick and easy and super tasty! Thanks so much for a great recipe.

      Reply
    5. Amanda Dixon says

      September 14, 2021 at 5:51 pm

      5 stars
      This stir fry was wonderful! It was so quick and easy, and the sauce was wonderfully flavored.

      Reply
    6. Sara says

      September 14, 2021 at 5:58 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a great weeknight meal when you have a million other things going on and don’t have a ton of time to spend in the kitchen. My entire family loves it, which is a nice added bonus!

      Reply
    7. Kristina says

      September 15, 2021 at 3:43 am

      5 stars
      Sometimes simple is the best. and this was amazing! My family loved every bit of it.

      Reply
    8. Anna says

      September 17, 2021 at 2:31 am

      5 stars
      This stir fry was delicious! Quick and easy to make, and so much flavour!

      Reply
    9. Audrey says

      September 17, 2021 at 4:52 am

      5 stars
      This made for a quick and easy dinner.

      Reply
    10. Mihaela | https://theworldisanoyster.com/ says

      September 17, 2021 at 6:11 am

      5 stars
      I love stir fry and this looks amazing - definitely worth a try very soon!

      Reply
    11. Kayla DiMaggio says

      September 17, 2021 at 6:42 am

      5 stars
      This beef and onion stir fry was so easy to make and made such a delicious dinner!

      Reply
    12. Lillian says

      September 17, 2021 at 6:52 am

      5 stars
      This is the perfect meal for my lazy nights. Easy, and packed with flavor and protein!

      Reply
    13. Amy Roskelley says

      September 17, 2021 at 7:50 am

      5 stars
      This looks so good!

      Reply
    14. Pam Greer says

      September 17, 2021 at 1:06 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious stir fry! We loved it!

      Reply
    15. Jenny says

      September 18, 2021 at 6:55 am

      5 stars
      So good. Effortless but so delicious. We loved your beef and onion stir fry and will make it again and again. Thanks so much for the recipe.

      Reply
    16. NATALIA OLLER says

      September 18, 2021 at 9:07 am

      5 stars
      Incredible! Followed the recipe exactly except I used teriyaki sauce (didn't have soy sauce that day). The flavor was outstanding, the beef was some of the most tender I’ve eaten in a while. I’m going to make this again!

      Reply
    17. Leslie Sawmiller says

      September 18, 2021 at 10:55 am

      5 stars
      I love a good stir fry recipe and love mixing up different variations. This recipe is perfect!

      Reply
    18. Toni says

      September 18, 2021 at 5:39 pm

      5 stars
      Such a perfect meal any night of the week!

      Reply
    19. Nicole says

      September 19, 2021 at 7:29 pm

      Man this looks great!

      Reply
    20. Amy says

      September 19, 2021 at 8:27 pm

      5 stars
      Always looking for quick and simple recipes and this was delicious! Adding it to one of our go-to recipes!

      Reply
    21. Jamie says

      September 19, 2021 at 9:57 pm

      5 stars
      I love the all flavors in this dish! This is so fast and easy to make and perfect for any weeknight meal! My family loves it!

      Reply
    22. Chenée says

      September 20, 2021 at 12:18 am

      5 stars
      This looks so good! The marinade and sauce look perfect. I can't wait to try it!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm J! I'm a marketer by day, food photographer and recipe-tester by any other time available. The Floured Camera was born from my need to make quick, delicious, and (sometimes) healthy dishes for when I'm craving my favorite Asian childhood dishes!

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