Ginger Beef
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
You won’t be able to find a better Ginger Beef recipe than this one! Made with tender strips of flank steak battered and fried to crisp perfection, then tossed in a sweet sauce spiked with plenty of ginger. It’s sure to be top of your list for making your own takeout dishes at home!
Easy Ginger Beef Recipe
I can never say no when Chinese takeout is on the menu for dinner. I love to find ways to make all my favorite dishes in the comfort of my own home. Sure, it’s nice to have all the work taken care of when you go to a restaurant, but I really like to have full control over the fat, sugar, and salt that goes into my meals.
It’s a little extra effort to make this ginger beef versus my other favorite takeout dishes, but let me tell you that effort really goes the extra mile. Even so this ginger beef can still be on your dinner table in just 30 minutes! Crispy and tender beef tossed in that bold, sweet and spicy sauce? It’s like nothing else! I’ll be surprised if you end up with any leftovers.
What is ginger beef?
This dish is very popular in Western Canada, and has origins in my home town, Calgary, Alberta. It’s made of crispy fried strips of beef tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce flavored with lots of ginger and garlic. If you’ve never had the pleasure of trying this absolute sweet and savory perfection, you’re about to have your mind blown.
Ingredients
- Flank steak – Skirt steak will also work, cut into long thin strips.
- Vegetable oil – For frying. Soybean, peanut, safflower, and canola oils will also work.
- Cornstarch – You’ll need a full cup so make sure there’s lots in your container.
- Flour – All-purpose flour. You can use gluten-free flour if needed.
- White pepper – Or regular black pepper if it’s all you have.
- Water
- Egg – Use a large egg.
- Soy sauce – I used both low sodium and dark soy sauces.
- Rice vinegar – If you can’t find any, regular white vinegar will work.
- Brown sugar – Light or dark brown sugar will work too.
- Chili flakes – Use more, less, or none at all per your spice tolerance.
- Sesame oil – I highly suggest finding toasted sesame oil. The flavor is amazing!
- Garlic & ginger – Either freshly minced or from a jar.
- Garnish – Sesame seeds and green onion.
How to make ginger beef
- Batter the beef: Cut the flank steak into 1/4″ thin strips, slicing against the grain. It may help to freeze the meat for 10-20 minutes before slicing. Whisk the cornstarch, flour, and white pepper together in a mixing bowl. Add the water and egg and whisk until the batter is smooth. Toss the beef strips in with the batter to coat.
- Fry the beef: Add the vegetable oil to a pot, filling it 2-3 inches with the oil. Heat the oil to 350F. Add the beef strips, working in batches, and use a fork to stir and break them apart as they cook. Fry for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the beef strips with a slotted spoon and let them drain on a paper towel lined plate.
- Cook the sauce: Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the sauce to the skillet and let it bubble, while stirring, for 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Finish: Add the fried beef strips to the skillet and toss to coat well in the sauce. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thickened and fully coats each beef strip. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion.
What to serve with ginger beef
Since this recipe does require a bit of effort, you can keep this simple with some steamed rice. If you want to keep the takeout fakeout theme going for the night, give these sides a try:
- Easy Fried Rice
- Easy Shrimp Fried Rice
- Egg Roll Soup
- Egg Drop Soup
- Asian Style Udon Noodles
- Chow Mein
- Spicy Peanut Noodles
- Sesame Noodles
How to store leftovers
Transfer your ginger beef to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can reheat in the microwave, or in a skillet over medium heat. If you are using a skillet, add a splash of beef broth or water to keep the sauce from drying out too much as the leftovers reheat.
You can freeze leftovers if you’d like. They’ll last 2-3 months frozen. You can reheat in the microwave, or reheat in a skillet. If you choose the skillet method, let the ginger beef thaw overnight in the fridge.
Keep in mind the ginger beef will lose its crispiness when reheated. It’ll still taste just as delicious! Since it’s all tossed in sauce, you won’t be able to reheat while maintaining crispiness.
Other Great Canadian Recipes To Try
- Classic Canadian Caesar Recipe
- How To Make Poutine
- Nanaimo Bars
- Halifax Donair
- Canadian Butter Tarts
Looking to recreate more of your takeout favorites?
- Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
- Mongolian Beef
- Asian Style Pepper Steak
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Orange Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Crispy Sticky Beef
- Easy Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Black Pepper Beef
- Beijing Beef
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Ginger Beef
Ingredients
- 1 pound flank steak (cut into 1/4" thin strips)
- 2-3 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
Batter
- 1 cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- ¾ cup water
- 1 egg
Sauce
- ⅓ cup soy sauce (low sodium)
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
Stir fry
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon ginger (fresh, minced)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 green onions (thinly sliced)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Batter the beef: Cut the flank steak into ¼" thin strips, slicing against the grain. It may help to freeze the meat for 10-20 minutes before slicing. Whisk the cornstarch, flour, and white pepper together in a mixing bowl. Add the water and egg and whisk until the batter is smooth. Toss the beef strips in with the batter to coat.
- Fry the beef: Add the vegetable oil to a pot, filling it 2-3 inches with the oil. Heat the oil to 350℉. Add the beef strips, working in batches, and use a fork to stir and break them apart as they cook. Fry for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the beef strips with a slotted spoon and let them drain on a paper towel lined plate.
- Cook the sauce: Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the sauce to the skillet and let it bubble, while stirring, for 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Finish: Add the fried beef strips to the skillet and toss to coat well in the sauce. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thickened and fully coats each beef strip. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion.
Notes
- Transfer your ginger beef to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can reheat in the microwave, or in a skillet over medium heat. If you are using a skillet, add a splash of beef broth or water to keep the sauce from drying out too much as the leftovers reheat.
- You can freeze leftovers if you’d like. They’ll last 2-3 months frozen. You can reheat in the microwave, or reheat in a skillet. If you choose the skillet method, let the ginger beef thaw overnight in the fridge.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
