Easy 30 Minute Steak Stir Fry

It’s the ultimate weeknight dinner because it’s ready in less than 30 minutes, and leftovers keep well for several days in the fridge. I love making this quick and easy stir-fry. Steak strips, onions, and bell peppers are quickly cooked, then flavored with a simple Chinese-style sauce. Sesame oil and sesame seeds finish the dish, rounding out the flavors and enhancing the presentation. This dish is pretty, flavorful, and quick. It’s also one of those dishes where the leftovers are really good! So sometimes I double the recipe and use a wok or a huge 14-inch skillet to cook everything. I can then enjoy the leftovers for several days.

Ingredients

Here’s an overview of what you’ll need to make this easy steak stir-fry. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. For the sauce: Soy sauce (or a gluten-free alternative), rice vinegar, honey (real or sugar-free), and cornstarch. I almost always use light soy sauce in my recipes. The traditional sauce is extremely salty. Avocado oil: This neutral-tasting oil has a high smoke point, making it very suitable for cooking. Sliced top sirloin steak: You can splurge and use tenderloin instead - sirloin can be a little tough - but I usually opt for sirloin. It’s delicious and much more affordable than tenderloin, and top sirloin is actually fairly tender. Vegetables: Onions, bell peppers, and snow peas. It’s fun to use peppers in different colors. It makes this dish very pretty! Garlic and ginger: Mince them yourself or use the stuff that comes in a jar. I don’t recommend using the powdered versions in this recipe. To finish the dish: Sesame oil and sesame seeds. You don’t actually cook them, you just top the cooked dish with them.

Instructions

Making this steak stir-fry recipe is very easy. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps: Prepare the sauce. Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set them aside. Cook the beef. Next, cook the beef strips in the oil. Remove to a platter. Try not to overcook the beef - as mentioned above, sirloin can become tough pretty easily. Cook the vegetables. In the same skillet, cook the vegetables. Again, try not to overcook them. Stir-fry veggies should be tender-crisp. Add the sauce. Leave the vegetables in the skillet and add the sauce and the cooked beef. Finish cooking. Cook until the sauce thickens. Keep this step brief to avoid overcooking the meat and the vegetables. Garnish. Off heat, drizzle the dish with sesame oil and garnish it with sesame seeds.

Expert tip

Like all stir fry recipes (such as this tasty pork stir fry with broccoli or this beef and broccoli), the part that takes the longest when making this one is prepping the vegetables. Once you have everything prepped, the cooking itself is a matter of minutes. So you should definitely prep everything in advance! Slice the vegetables and mix the sauce - because once you start cooking, you won’t have time for any prep work.

Frequently asked questions

Serving suggestions

You can serve this stir-fry on shirataki noodles, cauliflower rice, or - if you don’t mind the carbs - use the obvious choice, rice.

Storing leftovers

As mentioned above, the leftovers of this dish are very good. You can keep them in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave on 50% power.

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