Beef and bok choy is a quick wok stir fry: thin slices of flank steak in an oyster sauce and soy marinade, cooked with ginger, garlic, carrot and green onion, then tossed with a pound of baby bok choy that was stir fried and steamed on its own first. A light sauce of oyster sauce, two soy sauces and rice wine coats everything. It takes 15 minutes once the prep is done and serves 4.
How to make it: Wash the bok choy well and cut it into halves or quarters. Slice the flank steak thin against the grain and marinate it. Stir fry the bok choy with garlic, steam it for under a minute and set it aside. Then stir fry the aromatics and beef, add the sauce, check the beef reaches 145°F, and toss the bok choy back in for the last 30 seconds.
Why You’ll Love It
- Fast: the wok work takes about 5 minutes once everything is cut and mixed.
- Tender beef: thin slices cut against the grain and a cornstarch marinade keep the flank steak soft.
- Crisp-tender greens: the bok choy cooks in its own short pass, so it stays bright.
- A full pound of vegetables: bok choy, carrot and green onion share the plate with the beef.
Why Is Chinese Stir Fry Beef So Tender?
Three things do the work here, and all three happen before the beef ever hits the wok.
- The cut and the slice. Flank steak has long, visible grain. Remove the silver skin, then slice across the grain at an angle into 1/4-inch pieces. Thin, angled slices cook in a couple of minutes.
- The marinade. Oyster sauce, light soy sauce, rice wine, water, white pepper, sugar, baking soda and cornstarch coat every slice. Mix the beef in it for a full 2 minutes, then keep it in the refrigerator while you prep everything else.
- A spoonful of oil. Right before cooking, stir 1 tablespoon of oil into the marinated beef. It helps seal in the juices to keep the meat tender.
In the wok, spread the slices out, let them sit for a minute, then flip and stir. Short, hot cooking keeps them soft. Use a food thermometer and take the beef to 145°F.
How to Clean and Cook Bok Choy
Bok choy holds grit between its stems, so wash it before you cut anything. Soak it in a large bowl of water for 10 minutes, tear off the outer leaves and rinse off the dirt. Then hold each head stem side up and swish it in the water to dislodge whatever is left. Drain it stem side up in a strainer so the water runs out.
Halve or quarter the heads, depending on their size, so they cook quickly. If you’re using large bok choy instead of baby heads, cut the stems and leaves apart, since they cook at different speeds. The stems go in first and the leaves follow.
The bok choy cooks in its own pass: about 1 to 2 minutes in the wok with garlic, a splash of cooking wine, then 2 tablespoons of water and a lid for just 40 to 50 seconds. It comes out, the wok gets rinsed, and it only goes back in for the last 30 seconds with the beef.
Ingredient Notes
Flank steak: 12 ounces, silver skin removed, sliced 1/4 inch thick against the grain.
Bok choy: 1 pound. Baby bok choy can be halved or quartered whole.
Aromatics: 3 cloves of garlic (split between the bok choy and the beef), 1/2 ounce of ginger, 1/2 ounce of carrot and the white parts of 2 green onions. Save the green tops for another dish.
Marinade: oyster sauce, light soy sauce, rice wine, water, white pepper, sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 2 tablespoons cornstarch.
Sauce: oyster sauce, light and dark soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, a dash of white pepper and, if you like, 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon. Dark soy sauce adds color more than salt.
Slurry: 1 teaspoon cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water. Use it only if the sauce looks thin.
To finish: 1 teaspoon sesame oil, stirred in at the very end.
Ingredients
For the beef and vegetables
- 1 pound bok choy, soaked and rinsed; quartered or halved, depending on size
- 12 ounces flank steak, silver skin removed; sliced against the grain at an angle into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1/2 ounce carrot, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 3 cloves garlic, minced; half goes in with the bok choy, half with the beef
- 1/2 ounce ginger, cut into 1/4-inch slices, then quartered
- 2 stalks green onion, white parts only, halved
For the marinade
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon oil, stirred into the marinated beef
For the sauce and slurry
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons rice wine
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 dash white pepper
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon, optional
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch, for the slurry
- 1 tablespoon water, for the slurry
For stir frying
- 2 tablespoons oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon cooking wine
- 2 tablespoons water, plus 1 more if needed
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
How to Make Beef and Bok Choy
1. Wash the bok choy. Soak the bok choy in a large bowl of water for 10 minutes. Tear off the outer leaves and rinse off the dirt. Hold the bok choy stem side up and agitate it to dislodge any remaining dirt and debris. Drain it in a strainer, stem side up, so the water runs out.
2. Slice the beef. Remove the silver skin from the flank steak. Cut the steak against the grain, at an angle, into 1/4-inch slices and put the slices in a bowl.
3. Make the marinade. In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, 2 tablespoons water, 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 2 tablespoons cornstarch until well combined.
4. Marinate the beef. Pour the marinade over the beef and mix lightly for 2 minutes. Keep the beef in the refrigerator while you prep the rest.
5. Prep the aromatics. Mince the garlic. Cut the ginger into 1/4-inch slices, then into quarters. Slice the carrot 1/4 inch thick. Halve the green onion whites.
6. Cut the bok choy. Quarter or halve each head, depending on its size, so it cooks quickly.
7. Make the sauce and slurry. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons light soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce, 2 teaspoons rice wine, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 dash white pepper and, if using, 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon. In another bowl, mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. Stir 1 tablespoon oil into the marinated beef.
8. Stir fry the bok choy. Heat the wok on high with 1 tablespoon oil. When it begins to smoke, lower the heat to medium, add half the garlic for 30 seconds, then the bok choy for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cooking wine for 20 seconds, then 2 tablespoons water. Cover and steam on low for 40 to 50 seconds. Uncover, add 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt, toss, strain and set aside. Rinse the wok.
9. Stir fry the beef and combine. Heat the clean wok on high with the remaining oil. Lower the heat and stir fry the ginger, carrot, green onion whites and remaining garlic for 1 minute. Raise the heat to medium, spread the beef out, and after 1 minute flip and stir. Lower the heat, add the sauce, and the slurry if it needs it. Check that the beef has reached 145°F, add the bok choy for 30 seconds, then stir in the sesame oil.
Common Mistakes When Cooking Bok Choy
- Skipping the soak: grit hides at the base of the stems. Soak, rinse and drain it stem side up.
- Cooking it whole: halves and quarters cook quickly; whole heads don’t.
- Cooking it with the beef from the start: give the bok choy its own short pass and add it back only for the final 30 seconds.
- Steaming too long: keep the lid on for just 40 to 50 seconds.
- Treating big stems and leaves the same: on large bok choy, separate them and start the stems first.
Variations
- Egg white marinade: another way to tenderize is to massage the sliced beef with egg white until it feels sticky, then add the sauces and cornstarch.
- Large bok choy: cut the stems and leaves apart and cook the stems a little longer.
- No bouillon: the chicken bouillon in the sauce is optional; leave it out.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze up to 3 to 4 months for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave.
Reheating: Cover and reheat until it reaches 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Serve it over steamed rice, or next to egg fried rice.
More stir fries: Chinese beef and onion stir fry, Mongolian beef stir fry with ramen, beef and broccoli ramen stir fry, garlic chicken stir fry and chicken and broccoli stir fry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Chinese stir fry beef so tender?
The beef is sliced thin against the grain, coated in a marinade with cornstarch and baking soda, and mixed with a spoonful of oil before it goes in the wok, which helps seal in the juices.
What are common mistakes when cooking bok choy?
Not washing out the grit, cooking it whole, and cooking it too long. Soak and rinse it, cut it in halves or quarters, and steam it for under a minute.
Does bok choy go with beef?
Yes. In this stir fry it cooks separately and joins the beef and sauce for the last 30 seconds.
What temperature should the beef reach?
145°F on a food thermometer.
Do I need a wok?
The recipe is written for a wok, heated until the oil begins to smoke.
How long do leftovers keep?
3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat to 165°F.
Final Notes
Wash the bok choy well, slice the beef thin against the grain and give each its own turn in the wok. If you try the egg white marinade, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Beef and Bok Choy
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Ingredients
- 1 pound bok choy soaked and rinsed; quartered or halved, depending on size
- 12 ounces flank steak silver skin removed; sliced against the grain at an angle into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1/2 ounce carrot cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 3 cloves garlic minced; half goes in with the bok choy, half with the beef
- 1/2 ounce ginger cut into 1/4-inch slices, then quartered
- 2 stalks green onion white parts only, halved
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce for the marinade
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce for the marinade
- 1 tablespoon rice wine for the marinade
- 2 tablespoons water for the marinade
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper for the marinade
- 1 teaspoon sugar for the marinade
- 1 teaspoon baking soda for the marinade
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch for the marinade
- 1 tablespoon oil stirred into the marinated beef
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce for the sauce
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce for the sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce for the sauce
- 2 teaspoons rice wine for the sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar for the sauce
- 1 dash white pepper for the sauce
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon optional, for the sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch for the slurry, used only if the sauce needs it
- 1 tablespoon water for the slurry
- 2 tablespoons oil for stir frying, divided
- 1 teaspoon cooking wine for the bok choy
- 2 tablespoons water for steaming the bok choy; 1 more tablespoon if needed
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar for the bok choy
- 1/2 teaspoon salt for the bok choy
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil stirred in at the end
Instructions
- Soak the bok choy in a large bowl of water for 10 minutes. Tear off the outer leaves and rinse off the dirt. Hold the bok choy stem side up and agitate it to dislodge any remaining dirt and debris. Drain it in a strainer, stem side up, so the water runs out.
- Remove the silver skin from the flank steak. Cut the steak against the grain, at an angle, into 1/4-inch slices and put the slices in a bowl.
- In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, 2 tablespoons water, 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 2 tablespoons cornstarch until well combined.
- Pour the marinade over the beef and mix lightly for 2 minutes. Set the beef aside in the refrigerator while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Peel and mince the garlic. Cut the ginger into 1/4-inch slices, then into quarters. Cut the carrot into 1/4-inch slices. Slice the whites off the green onions and halve them; save the green tops for other uses.
- Depending on the size of your bok choy, quarter or halve all of it. This helps it cook quickly.
- In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons light soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce, 2 teaspoons rice wine, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 dash white pepper and, if using, 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon. In a separate bowl, mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water to make a slurry. Stir 1 tablespoon oil into the marinated beef and set it aside; this helps seal in the juices to keep the meat tender.
- Heat a wok on high and add 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil begins to smoke, lower the heat to medium and add half of the minced garlic. Stir fry the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the bok choy and stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes, tossing now and then. Add 1 teaspoon cooking wine and stir fry for another 20 seconds, then add 2 tablespoons water (1 more tablespoon if needed). Cover and steam on low heat for just 40 to 50 seconds. Uncover, toss the bok choy, and add 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir fry to combine, turn off the heat, strain the bok choy and set it aside. Rinse the wok.
- Heat the clean wok on high and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil begins to smoke, lower the heat and add the ginger, carrot, green onion whites and the remaining garlic. Stir fry for 1 minute. Raise the heat to medium and add the marinated beef, spreading the pieces out. After 1 minute, flip and stir the beef. Lower the heat, pour in the sauce and stir fry to combine; if it does not look saucy enough, add the cornstarch slurry. Check that the beef has reached 145°F on a food thermometer. Add the bok choy and stir fry everything together for 30 seconds, then stir in 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Lay the bok choy on the bottom of a serving plate and top it with the rest of the stir fry.
Notes
Nutrition
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