Kitchen notes · a little help before you start

Sesame Beef Stir Fry

Name: Sesame Beef Stir Fry
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 tsp + 1/2 Tbsp garlic (minced); 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp fresh ginger (grated); 2 Tbsp + 2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce; 1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp rice vinegar; 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp sesame oil; 1 Tbsp sesame seeds; 1/2 tsp Chinese 5 spice; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 1 lb flank steak (thinly sliced); 1 cup snow peas (sliced in half across); 1/2 cup carrots (sliced); 8 each green onions (sliced); 1/4 cup beef broth; 2 Tbsp honey (or light brown sugar); 1 tsp cornstarch; 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes; 2 Tbsp vegetable oil (for cooking)

Sesame and ginger give thin beef slices a fragrant, savory coating in this quick stir fry. Sweet carrots and crisp snow peas add texture around the steak, while a little honey rounds out the sauce that gathers over every bite.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 12 min
Total: 27 min
Original yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 17 listed

Make it part of your week

Estimating…

Main courseAsianPrep: 15 minutes or lessTotal: 30 minutes or lessStir fry

Recipe categories & planning details

Meal type: Main course
Cuisine: Asian
Cooking method: Stir fry
Preparation & total time: Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less

A few quick notes

1. Sear in batches

Remove excess marinade and cook the steak in one layer, using batches if the skillet is too crowded.

2. Cook vegetables separately

Remove the steak before briefly cooking peas, carrots and green onion in the remaining oil.

3. Whisk sauce smooth

Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl before returning steak and sauce to the vegetables to thicken.

Get to know the ingredients

Flank steak

Slice the steak thinly while it's partially frozen to make slicing easier.

Snow peas

Slice the snow peas in half across before their brief cooking stage with carrots and green onion.

Sweetener

Honey or light brown sugar can be whisked into the finishing sauce before it goes into the skillet.

The last little job

Coat the beef

Return the steak with the whisked sauce and stir until the sauce thickens around the beef and vegetables.

A little more help as you go

Marinate briefly

Coat the flank steak with the marinade and leave it for fifteen minutes before searing.

Optional noodles

The directions allow stirring in cooked ramen noodles at the end if you want them in the finished stir fry.

A few questions you might have

How can I slice the beef very thinly?

Try slicing flank steak while it is still partially frozen, which makes thin slices easier to cut.

Should I cook the steak all at once?

Use a single layer and work in batches if needed, removing each batch before cooking the vegetables.

Can brown sugar replace honey?

Yes. The sauce allows honey or light brown sugar, whisked with the broth and other sauce ingredients.

When do I add the sauce?

Return the steak to the cooked vegetables with the whisked sauce and stir until the coating thickens.

Can I add noodles?

The directions offer stirring cooked ramen noodles in at the end before serving the finished beef stir fry.

Any more cooking tips?

Tips: Slice the flank steak when it’s still partially frozen. This lets you get the slices super thin, with minimal effort!

Storage & reheating safety

For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.

These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures

Recipe source: cafedelites.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.

Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.

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