Garlic beef is a scrumptious dish that you can easily put together. The tender and juicy beef pieces are cooked in a savory and sweet brown sauce along with buttery garlic. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or a beginner in the kitchen, garlic beef is a dish that promises satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment. {Gluten-Free Adaptable}
Garlic beef is a popular dish in China. The beef is cut to square pieces and cooked until juicy and tender, creating a satisfying mouthfeel. A large amount of garlic cloves are fried until golden and buttery tender, with a mild sweet taste. An oyster sauce and black pepper based brown sauce bring everything together, with a piece of melting butter to finish up. Top it on some steamed rice and you will have an exciting dinner in the comfort of your own home.
Garlic beef ingredients
What cut of beef to use
My favorite cut of beef to use is flank steak. It is quite tender once cooked and has a nice mouthfeel.
If you prefer a cheaper cut of beef, you might consider adding 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda into the marinade. It will tenderize a tough cut of beef and make it extra smooth. It is a trick that is commonly used in Chinese restaurants.
Set up
When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:
- Marinated beef
- Mixed sauce
- Garlic, peeled and cut
- Butter
This dish uses a surprisingly large quantity of garlic, two whole heads! But rest assured, the garlic will become very tender and mild when pan fried. It has great flavor and doesn’t taste too pungent like raw garlic.
How to cook garlic beef
Cooking garlic beef is super easy.
- Pan fry the garlic until golden and soft, then move it to a plate
- Sear the beef until browned
- Add back the cooked garlic and melt the butter
- Pour in the sauce and cook until thickened
It’s very important to not overcook the beef. Because of the soy sauce and the sugar in the marinade, the beef will brown quickly. You should proceed to the next cooking step when the beef is just browned and the inside is slightly undercooked. The beef will keep cooking after you add the sauce, and will be just done once the sauce thickens. You can even leave the beef a little medium rare if you prefer an even tenderer texture.
Once cooked, the beef will be beautifully browned on the outside and juicy tender inside. The sticky brown sauce has a ton of umami and is slightly sweet, so it pairs very well with the buttery garlic.
How to serve garlic beef
You can serve garlic beef with some steamed vegetables as a main dish. You can even serve it with some mashed potatoes, fries, or potato salad and a green salad. But my favorite way to serve it is with steamed rice.
Here are some easy dishes to go with garlic beef:
Other delicious beef recipes
Garlic Beef
Ingredients
Marinating
- 1 lb (450 g) flank steak diced into 1” (2 cm) cubes
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon I am willow
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Stir Fry
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 heads garlic peeled, outer larger cloves halved lengthwise
Instructions
-
Combine all the marinating ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix well. Let sit for 15 minutes while preparing other ingredients.
-
Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
-
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic and turn to medium-low heat. Cook and stir until the garlic has turned golden on both sides, but not too browned. Transfer the garlic to a plate and set aside. Reserve the garlic oil in the pan.
-
Spread the beef in the pan without overlapping and turn to medium-high heat. Let the bottom cook without touching until turning golden brown, 2 minutes or so. Flip to cook the other sides, until most sides have browned and the inside is still a bit pink (the beef will continue to cook until done in the sauce).
-
Add back the cooked garlic and butter. Turn to medium heat again. Stir and cook until the butter melts.
-
Pour in the sauce. Stir immediately to coat everything while the sauce thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer everything into a plate and serve hot over rice as a main dish.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 354kcal, Carbohydrates: 8.6g, Protein: 34.2g, Fat: 19.7g, Saturated Fat: 7.1g, Cholesterol: 74mg, Sodium: 402mg, Potassium: 453mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 2.7g, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 3mg
