Description
This quick and flavorful Beef Stir Fry with Honey and Black Pepper Sauce combines tender slices of beef with a sweet and spicy sauce. Featuring a perfect balance of honey’s natural sweetness and coarsely crushed black pepper’s bold heat, this dish is perfect for a speedy weeknight dinner. Cooked in a wok or heavy skillet, it’s ready in just 15 minutes and pairs wonderfully with steamed rice or cauliflower rice for a low-carb option.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce Ingredients
- 2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce (substitute with hoisin sauce if desired)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (can be replaced with Mirin or dry sherry)
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp coarsely crushed black pepper (or 1/2 tsp ground black pepper)
Stir Fry Ingredients
- 2 tbsp peanut oil (or vegetable or canola oil)
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 1/2 onion, peeled and sliced
- 500g (1 lb) thinly sliced beef (tenderloin, flank, sirloin, porterhouse, strip, or any cut suitable for stir frying)
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce: In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, honey, oyster sauce, cooking wine, water, and crushed black pepper until well combined. Set aside.
- Heat the oil: Place a wok or large heavy-based skillet over high heat. Add the peanut oil and heat until it begins to smoke slightly, indicating it’s hot enough for stir frying.
- Cook aromatics: Add sliced onion and minced garlic to the hot oil. Stir continuously and cook for about 1 minute until the onion turns translucent, taking care not to let the garlic burn.
- Stir fry the beef: Add the thinly sliced beef to the wok. Stir fry for about 1 minute until the beef is just cooked to your preference. Quickly remove the beef and onions from the wok and place them in a bowl to prevent overcooking.
- Syrup the sauce: Reduce heat to medium-high and pour the prepared sauce into the wok. Let the sauce simmer for approximately 1 minute until it thickens and becomes syrupy with larger caramel-colored bubbles.
- Combine and warm through: Return the cooked beef and onions along with any juices that have collected back into the wok. Toss everything in the syrupy sauce, gently warming for no more than 1 minute to avoid overcooking the beef.
- Serve immediately: Plate the stir fry hot, accompanied by steamed rice or cauliflower rice for a low-carb option. Enjoy your flavorful honey and black pepper beef stir fry!
Notes
- You can substitute oyster sauce with hoisin sauce if preferred.
- Chinese cooking wine can be replaced with Mirin or dry sherry if those are more available.
- Choose tender cuts of beef suitable for quick stir frying such as tenderloin, flank, sirloin, porterhouse, or strip steak for best texture.
- Be careful not to overcook the beef during the final step to keep it tender and juicy.
- For a low-carb alternative, serve with cauliflower rice instead of traditional steamed rice.
