Sesame Beef

Super juicy and flavorful, you’ve got to make sesame beef tonight! It’s made with less oil than at a Chinese restaurant, so you can savor the flavor in a healthier way! {Gluten-Free Adaptable}

Sesame Beef: A Healthier Version

One dish that seems incredibly popular at most Chinese restaurants in America is sesame beef. The problem with this delicious dish is that in restaurants, they tend to flash-fry it with tons of oil in the wok and then cook it with a sauce. So something that would be a reasonable choice for a meal is now packing on more calories.

But this homemade takeout-style sesame beef gives you juicy and tender results with the same flavors without all that oil. I’ll show you how to pan fry it so you’re using way less oil than the restaurants use. It’s a little less crispy, but it’s incredibly delicious. And you can indulge without gobbling up more calories than you bargained for.

Sesame beef ingredients

What cut of beef to use

Choose a good cut of beef like flank or skirt steak and slice it against the grain so it’s easy to bite and chew. This plus the marinade means you’ll have beef that melts in your mouth with a tenderness you’ll love.

If you choose a tougher cut of beef, you can add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda into the marinade. It will help tenderize the beef for a juicy and tender texture.

Set up

I’ve combined the aromatics into the marinade. This means you only need 3 bowls to do the prep work which makes a huge difference.

When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:

• Marianted beef
• Mixed sauce combined with aromatics
• Sesame seeds

How to cook sesame beef

Cooking pan fried beef is super easy:

1. Pan fry the beef until crispy
2. Set the beef aside so it crisps up even more
3. Reduce the sauce until sticky
4. Mix the beef back and add the sesame seeds

The pan-fry method is much easier for anyone, even beginners, to master. The result is tender juicy beef that is crispy on the outside. This method is so much easier than what Chinese restaurant does – flash fry the beef in a lot of oil.

What to Serve with the Sesame Beef

Make plenty of steamed rice and spoon this sesame beef on top. I also like blanching some veggies on the side to pile onto a bowl of rice and sesame beef for a well-rounded meal. Bok choy, spinach, broccoli, or even asparagus all make fine additions to your sesame beef. I have a feeling it might just become a regular in your weekly meal rotation after you try it!

Quick & delicious sides to accompany

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Sesame Beef

Super juicy and flavorful, you’ve got to make sesame beef tonight! It’s made with less oil than at a Chinese restaurant, so you can savor the flavor in a healthier way! {Gluten-Free Adaptable}To make the dish gluten-free, use dry sherry to replace Shaoxing wine. And use tamari to replace soy sauce.

Author: Maggie Zhu

Course: Main

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: takeout

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Beef and Marinade

• 1 lb (450 g) beef flank steak (or skirt steak) sliced against the grain into 1/4” (5 mm) pieces
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup cornstarch

Sauce

• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon I am willow
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Cooking

• 2 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
• Toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

• Combine the beef and marinade ingredients in a medium-size bowl. Marinate for 15 minutes white preparing other ingredients.

• Combine the sauce ingredients in a medium-size bowl and stir to mix well.

• Add the oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat and heat until hot. Add the marinated beef and spread without overlapping. Cook undisturbed until the bottom turns golden brown, about 1 minute. Flip and brown the other side, another minute or so. Turn to low heat. Transfer the beef into a plate and set aside.

• Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch completely, pour into the pan. Turn to medium heat and bring the sauce to a boil. Stir and cook until the sauce is thickened.

• Turn off the heat and add the cooked beef back. Toss to coat evenly, then sprinkle with sesame seeds to garnish.

• Serve hot over steamed rice as a main dish.

Notes

1. To make the dish gluten-free, use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine, and use tamari to replace soy sauce.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 348kcal, Carbohydrates: 17.5g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 14.5g, Saturated Fat: 3.9g, Cholesterol: 101mg, Sodium: 561mg, Potassium: 483mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 8.1g, Calcium: 5mg, Iron: 22mg

Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.