Simple Chinese Beef and Onion Stir Fry recipe for beef with onion lovers! All you need are beef steak, onions, and pantry staple simple stir-fry sauces! We love to pair it with plain jasmine rice. It’s so good!
What type of beef do you use?
You can use flank steak, rump, sirloin, ribeye, or chuck steak but most beef steak cuts work well for making stir fry beef and onion. Make sure to cut the steak into thin strips or slices against the grain and allow it to marinate for a few minutes.
Best Onion to add to the Beef Stir Fry
Use sweet, crunchy onions like white, brown, yellow, or sweet onions. I used brown onions, which are also widely used in Chinese restaurants and takeaways in the UK. In the USA, they are known as yellow onions.
Make stir-fry sauce for Beef and Onion
This stir-fry sauce perfectly combines savoury, sweet, and salty flavours. It’s important to combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl before you start cooking. Preparation is the key to achieving the best beef stir fry!
How to Cook it Like a Pro?
Prepare the Beef and Onion
- Thinly slice the beef steak against the grain. Make sure to cut the beef slices evenly and thin, so they cook evenly when you stir fry it.
- Place the thinly sliced beef in a mixing bowl, and add grated ginger, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, cooking oil, baking soda, and white pepper. Mix the beef well by using your hands. Allow it to marinate for at least 15 minutes. You can cover it and keep it in the fridge for a longer time.
- Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set it aside. Cut the onion into thin slices or small squares evenly. You might want to separate the onions before cooking. Also, prepare spring onions by cutting them into 2-inch pieces.
- Heat the pan over medium-high heat, drizzle some oil, and add the onions. Saute the onions just for 1 minute. Remove the onions from the pan and set them aside on a plate.
Stir Fry the Beef with Onion
- In the same pan, drizzle more oil and add the marinated beef slices. Flatten the beef and let it sear for 1-2 minutes. Once the beef is slightly brown, flip the beef slices and add garlic. Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes until the beef is no longer pink.
- Now pour the sauce in and add the onions back to the pan. Finish with spring onions. Combine the beef well with the sauce and vegetables. Once the sauce is thick and glossy, transfer it to a serving plate.
What to serve together with this Onion Beef?
Plain jasmine rice is my go-to favourite combination! Feel free to try it with your favourite rice, egg-fried rice, or stir-fried plain chow mein. Drizzle a bit of chili oil if you like it spicier!
Can you cook this dish ahead?
Like other Chinese stir-fry dishes, it tastes best when cooked fresh and served straight away. That’s what I love! But if you are preparing dinner for guests, I suggest preparing all the sauces in a bowl ahead, marinating the beef, and keeping the veggies in the fridge.
Then stir fry it just before serving. Stir-frying takes only 10 minutes, maximum! Preparation is the only part that consumes a bit of time. But trust me, it's worth the effort!
Ingredients and Sauces That I used
Following is a quick guidance, and please find the measurement and printable instructions on the recipe card.
- Beef steak
- Onion
- Spring onion
- Minced garlic
- Sesame oil
- Cooking oil
For the Beef Marinade
- Regular soy sauce or Light soy sauce
- Grated ginger
- Cooking oil
- Cornstarch
- White pepper
- Baking Soda
- Sugar
Stir Fry Sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Regular soy sauce Or light soy sauce
- Dark soy sauce
- Sugar
- Water
- Cornstarch
- Chinese cooking rice wine ( Shao Xing Wine )
Don't Miss Out These 3 Key Tips!
- Don't be afraid to use baking soda! It is the key ingredient in creating melt-in-mouth juicy beef. If you make the beef marinade done right, you don't even need to use the expensive steak cut!
- Don't cook the beef too long or it will turn out tough. No one wants chewy beef!
- How to fix the watery sauce? Not a problem! If you find your sauce watery and you like it thicker, add a splash of cornstarch slurry. Cornstarch slurry is a mixture of cornstarch and water. It will create a thick, glossy sauce.
More Chinese Beef Stir Fry Recipes
If you enjoyed this beef with onion recipe, you'll love our following classic Asian beef recipes.
- Classic Beef Stir Fry ( Simple beef stir fry with bell peppers and onions. )
- Ginger Beef Stir Fry ( It's a must-try for ginger lovers! Loaded with ginger aroma. )
- Crispy Sesame Beef ( A new way to cook the crispy beef strips with savoury sauce. )
- Easy Beef Chop Suey ( It's my favourite classic Chinese takeout beef dish but better and healthier! )
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Related Recipes
📖 Recipe
Beef and Onion Stir Fry
Equipment
- Large pan or wok
Ingredients
- 400 grams Beef steak Ribeye, rump, sirlon, flank, or a choice of tender steak cut ( About 14oz )
- 1 Onion Large brown onion or sweet onion
- 3-4 Spring onion Green onions, cut thin slices
- 2-3 cloves Garlic Finely chopped ( minced )
- 2 tsp Sesame oil
- 1-2 tbsp Cooking oil Neutral flavour oil
Beef Marinade Ingredients
- 2 tsp Grated ginger Or ginger paste
- 1 tbsp Regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- 2 tsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch Or potato starch
- 1 tbsp Cooking oil Or sesame oil
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- ¼ tsp White pepper
Stir Fry Sauce
- 3 tbsp Oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp Regular soy sauce Or light soy sauce
- 1 tsp Dark soy sauce
- 2 tsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp Water
- ½ tsp Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Shao Xing Wine Chinese cooking rice wine
Instructions
- Slice the beef thinly against the grain and marinate the beef with rated ginger, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, cooking oil, baking soda, and white pepper. Mix the beef well. Allow it to marinate for at least 15 minutes. You can cover it and keep it in the fridge for a longer time.
- Cut the onion into thin slices or small squares evenly. You might want to separate the onions before cooking. Also, prepare spring onions by cutting them into 2-inch pieces.
- Heat the pan over medium-high heat, drizzle a bit of oil, and add the onions. Saute the onions just for 1 minute. Remove the onions from the pan and set them aside on a plate.
- In the same pan, drizzle more oil and add the marinated beef slices. Flatten the beef and let it sear for 1-2 minutes. Once the beef is slightly brown flip the beef slices and add garlic. Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the beef is no longer pink.
- Now pour the sauce in, and add the onions back into the pan. Finish with spring onions. Combine the beef well with the sauce and vegetables. Once the sauce is thickened to your desired consistency it's ready to enjoy!
Notes
- Marinating is the key for the tender beef and onion stir fry, so make sure you don't skip the marinating process.
- If you like the onions crunchy, saute the onions first, keep them aside and place them back in the pan after adding the sauce.
- Make it spicier by adding a bit of crushed chillies or chilli oil while stir-frying.
- You can add a bit of cornstarch+water mixture if the sauce is not thick enough.
Johnny says
Love this stir fry recipe. My favourites beef stir fry now.
Khin says
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.
Steve Taylor says
As British expats, in the USA, your recipes are really great to let us experience our old favorites here.
We're having this for dinner tonight !
Thanks a lot
Khin says
Thanks for your lovely feedback, Steve! I am so happy that you enjoyed this recipe.