Go from no dinner, to a gorgeous plate of Ginger Beef Stir-Fry with Noodles in just 20 minutes! Quick and simple to prepare, with a punch of flavor, this is a dish that will make a regular appearance on your dinner table.
Have you stir-fried at home? If you haven’t, put it at the top of your cooking ‘to-do list’ for 2016! It’s a simple cooking technique that boasts a lot of flavor! It takes minimal prep work and even less time on the stove. Seriously, it takes about the same amount of time to fry a single egg, as it does to stir-fry a meal. You don’t need any special equipment, all you need is a really hot pan with really hot oil.
You can certainly stir-fry in a skillet. But if you’re a fan of stir-fry, it’s absolutely worth buying a wok. The curved bottom with slopping sides allows the oil to pool at the bottom of the pan so you can use less of it when cooking. Likewise, the heat is concentrated at the bottom, so you can get a wonderful sear on ingredients while using very little oil. At which point you can move the ingredients to the sides where there are lower temperatures to finish cooking. Which in turn, will free up space at the bottom to add more ingredients. The shape of the wok also aids in quick stirring and tossing so that you’re less likely to have a ‘man overboard situation’ – losing ingredients over the side of the pan.
The wok is fundamental to Chinese cuisine, but the flavors of this dish are certainly Vietnamese inspired. The stir-fry sauce used in this recipe is actually very similar to the marinade in my bun thit nuong recipe, an absolutely delicious and rightly popular Vietnamese dish of grilled pork on a bed of vermicelli noodles. The strips of flank steak tossed in cornstarch prior to cooking is what thickens the sauce in the pan during the cooking process to perfectly coat each piece of tender beef.
This Vietnamese-style stir fry has it all! Layers of flavor and texture, tender pieces of beef, flavorful sauce, supple greens, noodles to soak up all of that wonderful sauce, and a dipping sauce to add just the right amount of acidity to the dish.
- Stir-Fry Sauce
- 2 inch piece of ginger, grated
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Dipping Sauce
- 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons mirin
- Beef
- 1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced diagonally, against the grain
- 2 tablespoon canola oil, divided
- 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
- For Serving
- 1 - 7 ounce package of rice vermicelli noodles
- 5 ounces mixed baby greens
- 1 small bunch of cilantro
- 2 scallions, green parts thinly sliced
- dry-roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
- In a small bowl, add the stir-fry ingredients - ginger, garlic, brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and black pepper. Stir well to combine and set aside.
- In another small bowl, combine the ingredients for the dipping sauce. For a lighter tasting sauce, you can add 1-2 Tbs of water, if you like. Set aside until ready to use.
- Soak the dry vermicelli noodles in a large bowl of hot water. Allow to soak for several minutes, giving the noodles a stir every so often to loosen them up. Taste a few strands to make sure they're done, then drain and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the sliced beef, canola oil, and cornstarch. Mix well with your hands, making sure to evenly coat each slice.
- Heat a large, dry skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Just when the pan begins to smoke, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and once shimmering, add the beef (if you're using a flat-bottomed skillet, use 2 tablespoons of oil, or enough to thinly coat the bottom). Cook one side of the beef for 30 seconds, then flip and cook the other side for another 30 seconds. Then add the stir-fry sauce. Toss and stir for 1 - 2 minutes, until cooked. (If you're doing this in a small skillet, I suggest stir-frying in two batches).
- Divide the mixed greens and cilantro among your serving bowls. Top with vermicelli noodles and the stir-fried beef. Garnish with the chopped peanuts and scallions. Serve with dipping sauce. Enjoy!
I love to make stir fries, and this one looks absolutely amazing. Your photos are beyond beautiful.
Thanks, Julie! I love stir fries too. They’re quick to make with big flavor! What’s not to love about that? 🙂
the composition of the photo right above your recipe is beyond words. beeeeyond words. the arrangement of the greens in the top photo cannot be improved upon and makes me all warm and happy on the inside. i was so excited and upset/jealous about the cured egg post, i forgot to compliment the photo of your hand holding the yolk over the dish of salt. honestly… is this donna hay land?!? please don’t forget us little people on your way up 🙂
Hello my dear! So sorry it’s taken me a couple of days to get back to you – we’ve had a busy weekend, to include the discovery of a ‘new’ Burmese restaurant (lots of inspiration)! I just googled Donna Hay – great magazine! I’m looking forward to diving in and taking a look around! Thank you so much for your not just very kind words, but they’re always so thoughtful. xxoo!
This stir fry looks absolutely delicious!
Thanks so much!
This beef stir-fry looks delicious, love how quickly it comes together, perfect for those rushed evenings!
Yes yes yes!! I so need recipes like this for uni/hospital days and being on a reasonably tight budget. Might need to invest in a wok though – we have one at home in NZ and it does make everything so much easier. Beautiful photos too 🙂
I love stir-fry dishes for quick meals! And at least if you have to invest in another wok, they’re fairly inexpensive 🙂
I will stir fry anything and everything! lol! Seriously, I really like having all my ingredients ready to go and cooking it all up, then presto! Dinner is served in under 5 minutes! I’m a huge fan of vermicelli rice noodles (Yum Woon Sen is my favorite noodle salad of all time) and I love that you used them here. Since I’m in the process of moving and I can’t even think about cooking time consuming meals, I’m so happy to have this recipe to make when I need to put a healthy dinner on the table. Plus I can use up the vermicelli noodles I have in my pantry, then I don’t have to move them. Yay! It’s s win-win all the way around!! 🙂
Oh my gosh, where are you moving?! It’s such a fun and exciting time, but not without some stress. We just had our big move over the summer, and boy that’s the last time I want to move for awhile. I think the hardest part is living off of takeout for so long. Well… I hope you can get a few good stir fry dishes in before you pack everything up. At least those are quick and easy 🙂
So fresh and delicious! I want to dig right in! Your photos are just gorgeous and can’t wait to pin, share and send smoke signals as this is a dish in 2016 that no one will want to miss.
*Big smiles* You’re the best, Bobbi 🙂 xo
I learn so much when I visit you. Hubby and I received an electric wok as a wedding gift, many (many) years ago…sorry to say, I no longer have it. And actually, I’m not even sure where it went. 🙁 Thankfully we don’t need one to make this dish, which looks divine. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Gorgeous photos, my friend!
I’d say you’re probably better off just using a really hot ‘regular’ skillet on the stove over an electric wok anyway 😉
Thank you so much for your kind words my dear. Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!
I love a quick dinner, faster and better than any takeout. This is a delicious and flavorful dish that I can’t wait to try.
Thanks, Janette!
I LOVE stir fry, because hello easy deliciousness! This ginger beef stir fry looks and sounds absolutely amazing, Kathleen!! The flavors are totally screaming “eat me. NOW!” Serious drool fest hapa-ning over here! 😉 This is perfectly acceptable for breakfast right? Because I am craving a big ole bowl! Pinned! Cheers, doll! xo
Oh course this is perfectly acceptable for breakfast! I grew up with my dad eating leftover pizza and Chinese food for breakfast, so this is totally normal for me 😉
Omg I’m dyinggg….can I please have a bite of this!?? I actually don’t own a wok yet, but that is changing after this post! Absolutely gorgeous and mouthwatering, Kathleen! <3
Yay! I think you’re really going to enjoy cooking with it! xo
You are speaking my language, Kathleen. Love this! Pure comfort food for me. You can’t beat a delicious, nutritious dinner, and it’s made in 20 minutes! You are inspiring me to pull the wok out this week.
Go for it girl! Put that wok to work 😉
Love the flavors! Thanks for sharing some more details about stir frying! This looks amazing and I’ll definitely make it!
So glad you enjoyed the extra details, Mira 🙂
It’s taken me awhile to be brave enough to get the pan and oil as hot as it needs to be for a good stir-fry, but I’m getting better at it. This gorgeous number is boosting my courage even more, because yum!!
Keep at it girl! Before you know it, you’ll be wokin’ and rollin’! I’m sorry, I just couldn’t help myself… I know, I’m a big cheese ball 😛
This beef and noodles are what I am craving right now! Looks fantastic! I really haven’t used my wok enough. It is always hidden in the deepest spot of my cabinet. I have to dig it out now for these flavorful beef and noodles. Beautifully dish, girl!
Thank you my dear! Happy cooking 🙂