you're making mealtime meaningful.
There are certain foods that bring back memories of the old days. It might be getting pizza or Chinese food at the mall in your days of youth. If we weren’t having a slice then it was getting some sweet and sour chicken or Beijing beef. In this Quick Beijing Beef we’re making a lightning fast version of this Panda Express favorite, complete with the special sauce. It’s quick and made right at home, yet somehow still captures the flavor of the original in each bite.
To start with mix up the sauce ingredients to let the flavors come together while you cook the beef and the veggies. You can make it as spicy as you want- or as mild. We’re starting with 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes and for me this was not too spicy at all. But, everyone has different taste buds so adjust this ingredient as needed to give you just the right level of heat.
Fry your beef strips in a hot pan to just-browned then add in the chopped peppers and onions. I love this recipe because it doesn’t require a lot of different produce and yet still turns out really delicious. I used both red and yellow bell peppers to make it look really colorful and appetizing.
Once the beef and veggies are cooked simply add in the sauce you mixed up earlier.
It is so simple and that’s where the “quick” part of this recipe comes in. Unlike the original, we’re not breading the beef and this means that we’re cutting out a lot of the preparation time.
Use skirt or flank steak for this recipe, cut into strips. If you local grocery sells beef labeled “stir fry” then that’s a great choice as well.
Serve with some rice or noodles and you’re ready to chow down in no time! This Quick Beijing Beef is good you might not need to hit the mall food court to satisfy your cravings.
Quick Beijing Beef
Yield(s): Serves 4
20m prep time
15m cook time
346 calories
Diet: Gluten-Free
you're making mealtime meaningful.
For the sauce:
- 1/2 cup cool water, divided
- 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the meat and vegetables:
- 1 ½ lbs flank steak or skirt steak, sliced into strips
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
- rice or noodles for serving
- optional: 1 tablespoon chopped green onion for garnish
For the sauce:
- In medium bowl whisk together 1/3 cup water, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, garlic and cornstarch.
For the beef and veggies:
- Heat a large cast iron skillet or wok over medium-high. Add beef and cook for 2-3 minutes or until browned, then add peppers, onion, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes more then pour sauce over beef and veggies.
- Reduce heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes or until sauce has cooked down.
- Serve over rice or noodles and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Creme de la Crumb.
