Chinese Beef and Mushroom Stir Fry

5 from 1 vote

This Chinese beef and mushroom stir fry features tender beef, with a delicious garlicky, sweet and savory sauce stir-fried with bite-sized button mushrooms. It’s easy to make, and so much better than takeout!

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Main

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Calories: 200kcal

Author: Joyce Lee

Ingredients

1 340g rib eye steak (or chuck steaks)
227 g mushrooms (white button or brown creminis, approx 1½ cups)
1 small onion (thinly sliced, approx. ¼ cup)
3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced, 1 tablespoon reserved for marinade)
2 tablespoons butter (unsalted)
2-3 tablespoons oil
2 stalks green onions

Beef Marinade

1 tablespoon thinly sliced garlic cloves (reserved from preparation step)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon cold water
1 tablespoon oil (mixed in right before searing the beef)

Stir Fry Sauce

1½ teaspoons light soy sauce
½ teaspoon dark soy (optional, for color, can sub with reg. soy sauce)
1½ teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
½ cup cold water
1 tablespoon sriracha (Optional, to make it spicy)

Instructions

Preparation

Start by wiping 227 g mushrooms (approx. 1½ cups) clean with a paper towel in a gentle brushing motion. We don't want to use any water during this step, because it will cause the mushrooms to become soggy while stir-frying.
If the stem bottoms are very dirty, you can also slice the ends off and discard them.
Next, cut the mushrooms in half. If they're very large, cut them into quarters. The goal is to have small, bite-sized pieces.
Slice 3 cloves garlic into very thin pieces. Reserve 1 tablespoon thinly sliced garlic cloves for the marinade.
Peel and finely slice 1 small onion, and set it aside for later.
Then, cut the root end of 2 stalks green onions and discard it. Then cut the green onions into 2-inch length pieces. Cut the white parts again length-wise so that it's not so thick. set it a side for the end.

Prepare the Stir Fry Sauce

In a small bowl, combine 1½ teaspoons light soy sauce, ½ teaspoon dark soy (optional, for color, can sub with regular soy sauce), with 1½ teaspoons cornstarch and mix well until the cornstarch has dissolved.
Then, add 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, and ½ cup cold water and mix everything very well. If you want your sauce to be spicy, add 1 tablespoon sriracha to it, else omit it.

Marinate the Beef

If your ribeye steak has a large bone, cut it out and remove it. (I like to save the bones in a Ziploc in the freezer until I have enough, and then I use them to make beef broth.) Then, cut the steak into 1-inch cubes.
Add the steak cubes into a bowl, with the reserved 1 tablespoon thinly sliced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon cold water and mix it well for about 30 seconds. The beef should absorb most of the liquid.
Then add 1 tablespoon oil and mix everything together. Let it marinate for about 30 minutes at room temperature. (The longer you marinate it, the more flavorful it will be.)

Making the Beef and Mushroom Stir Fry

Begin by adding oil to a hot skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the beef cubes in a single layer and cook them until they are 50% done (about 30 seconds per side). Don't touch the beef to let it crust. You may need to do this in batches.
Once cooked, plate the beef. (It's okay if they are still pink, this will keep it tender and you'll cook them again later.)
Adjust the stovetop to medium heat.
Next, add 1-2 tablespoons of oil, and 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Once the butter melts, add in the mushrooms and sliced onions and stir-fry them for 2-3 minutes.
Add in the garlic slices and keep stir frying until they are golden and fragrant.
Add the cooked beef back into the skillet. Pour in the sauce mixture. Coat everything in the sauce and stir fry for about 2 minutes.
Add the green onions and stir fry for 1 minute.
Your Chinese beef and mushroom stir fry is ready to be served! This dish is best enjoyed with steamed rice.

Notes

Best Beef Cuts to Use: For this beef stir-fry, I highly recommend using rib-eye steaks or chuck steaks because they are incredibly flavorful and tender. When shopping for rib eye steak or chuck, always try to find a good fat marbling within the meat. This will give you the best flavor and tenderness. (If you can't find chuck steaks, you can buy a chuck roast (also called top or bottom blade roast) and slice them into 1-inch thick steaks and freeze the rest to use another time.)
Cube the Beef Instead of Slicing: I like cutting the steak into cubes and making them into steak bites gives you more beef flavor than a thin slice of beef because there's more beef in each bite. This is also why I also cut the mushrooms in chunks instead of slices as well. That being said, you can opt to cut your mushrooms in slices, if that's what you prefer.
Don't Wash the Mushrooms with Water: Whenever you deal with button mushrooms, you never want to wet it or wash it with water because it will absorbs a bit of the water and it makes the mushroom soggy. To clean them, you just need to take a paper towel, and wipe off all the dirt.
Don't Crowd the Pan: When browning the beef, don't overcrowd the pan. This will ensure that the beef sears and browns nicely, adding a rich flavor to the dish.
Don't Overcook the Beef: It's okay if you see a bit of pink after you brown the beef because you will cook it again with the sauce at the end, which will further cook the beef. If you overcook the beef, it may be tough and chewy.
Add More Oil Before Adding the Butter: It's important to add oil to the pan before you add the butter. The oil will keep the smoking point low, helping the butter melt without burning and smoking.
Why I Don't Use Baking Soda to Tenderize Beef: Most people will use baking soda to tenderize beef, but I find that it completely removes all the beefy flavor, so you sacrifice flavor for texture. This is why I highly recommend using only rib eye, and chuck steaks (bottom or top blade roast), for this recipe. It gives you incredible beefy flavor in every bite and has an excellent tender texture without any special preparation.

Nutrition