Stir-Fry Basics

Skip the takeout and make a simple stir-fry meal at home. Stir-fry your beef strips then add your favorite vegetables, sauce and other ingredients, and you’ll have a delicious one-dish meal on the table in minutes.

Stir-Frying Basics

Skip the takeout — it's just as fast (and fresher) to cook this simple one-pan meal at home. Stir-frying is best done with bite-sized pieces of food and lots of added flavors from aromatics (garlic, ginger, scallion) and Asian condiments (soy, hoisin, chili paste, etc.).

Prep & Preheat

This is a quick-cook technique, so it's important to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go. Preheat the wok or skillet.

Cook the Beef

Some recipes recommend cooking the beef completely before moving on to the next step, while others call for giving the beef a quick brown, then removing it from the pan, cooking the vegetables, and returning it to the pan to finish. You can quickly pull out a piece of beef to test for doneness.

Veggie Time

Follow recipe guidelines, but generally it’s important to cook things in order depending on how quickly they cook — onions first, then firm veggies such as broccoli and carrots, and finally leafy ingredients such as spinach.

Sauce it up

Now's the time to add the ingredients for a sauce, or even a bottled sauce, depending on your recipe. Stir well to ensure the beef and vegetables are evenly coated.

serve & Savor

Most stir-fry recipes go straight from pan to plate, and are often served over rice, noodles, or spiralized vegetables.

Get the most of your stir-fry by marinating your beef cut:

Always marinate in the refrigerator, never at room temperature.
Allow ¼ to ½ cup of marinade for every pound of beef.
Marinate in a food-safe plastic bag or in a non-reactive container such as glass or plastic.
Turn or stir the beef occasionally to allow even exposure to the marinade.
Before cooking, remove beef from marinade and pat dry with a paper towel to promote even browning and prevent steaming.
If a marinade is to be used for basting or as a sauce, reserve a portion of it before adding it to the beef. Marinade that has been in contact with uncooked meat must be brought to a full rolling boil for a least one minute before it can be used for basting or as a sauce.

Cooking Tip

Placing your beef in the freezer for around 30 minutes makes it easier to slice.

Glossary

Smoke Point

This term refers to the temperature at which various cooking oils begin to break down and produce smoke. Oils with higher smoke points — such as canola, peanut or grapeseed — are better suited for cooking at higher temperatures.