Chinese Orange Beef: 30 minute sticky-sweet stir-fry recipe
This 30-minute Chinese Orange Beef Stir-Fry recipe rivals any takeout, but so much easier! Featuring tender and crispy strips of steak dancing in a sticky-sweet orange glaze. Serve over rice or noodles for a family weeknight dinner winner! Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.
Garnish/Serving Suggestions: Red Pepper Flakes, Sesame Seeds, White or Brown Rice, and Orange Wedges
Instructions
Marinate Beef for 15-20 minutes: To a large mixing bowl or resealable gallon storage bag, add 3 tablespoon orange juice, all the Chinese five spice powder, all the baking soda, crushed red pepper flakes (if using), 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and a scant 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Use a whisk to stir the ingredients completely together. Next, add the strips of beef to the marinade. The, use tongs or chopsticks to thoroughly coat the strips of beef in the marinade. Set aside and let the steak marinate on the counter for 15 to 20 minutes.
Make Orange Stir Fry Sauce: In a 2-cup liquid measure or bowl, combine the remaining orange juice with the marmalade, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper before using a whisk to thoroughly combine the stir fry sauce. Then set the sauce aside.
When you’re ready to start cooking – Coat Beef in Cornstarch: Once you’re ready to cook, add all the cornstarch to the bowl with the marinating beef. Again, use your tongs, or chopsticks to thoroughly mix the ingredients and coat the slices of beef in the cornstarch.
Brown Beef in TWO Batches: Heat the oil in a large wok, well-seasoned cast iron pan, or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high to high heat. Once the oil is shimmering and almost to the point of smoking, add half of the beef to the pan, arranging the slices in an even layer with minimal overlap, and let it cook WITHOUT STIRRING for 45 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes, or until the bottom side turns golden brown. Then, stir and continue to cook the strips of beef for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer the browned beef from the pan to a large plate and season with a pinch of salt. Then, repeat the browning process with the remaining slices of steak, adding more oil to the pan if necessary, and transferring the brown beef to the plate and seasoning with a pinch of salt when it’s done cooking.
Wipe Pan: Reduce the heat to medium and use your tongs to hold a few sheets of paper towels. Use the paper towels to whip the excess oil from the bottom of the pan, reserving 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan.
Cook Aromatics: Add the garlic, white/light green scallions, and grated ginger. Season with a ¼ teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until aromatic.
Add Orange Sauce: Add the orange stir fry sauce to the pan and give the sauce a good stir. Increase heat and bring the sauce to a rapid simmer. Then, immediately reduced the heat to maintain a simmer. Let the sauce cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the sauce is thickened.
Add Beef Back to Pan: Add all the browned crispy beef back to the pan. Stir the beef into the orange sauce, tossing the beef to thoroughly coat. Once the beef is coated and warm, remove the pan from the heat.
Add Remaining Scallions, Zest, and Basil: Add the dark green scallions, all the orange zest, and half the basil leaves. Stir the orange beef stir fry until combined. Taste and adjust for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper for overall flavor, basil for freshness, and orange juice or zest for acidity.
Serve: Garnish orange stir fried beef with remaining basil, sesame seeds and crushed red pepper flakes, if using. Serve immediately over rice with orange wedges on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
Read Recipe Before Starting: As with all stir fries, this recipe cooks very quickly. I recommend reading the recipe all the way through before starting. I’ve made notes and cues for prepping your ingredients (mis en place) to make this stir-fry recipe as smooth a process to cook as possible.
Beef Steaks: As mentioned above, since this stir-fry cooks fast, you’ll need to use a good quality-to-decent cut of beef steaks (not a tougher cut that requires braising and low-slow cooking). I recommend flat iron beef steak, boneless ribeye steak, boneless short ribs, or top sirloin steak.
Thinly Slicing Steaks: To make quick and easy work out of thinly slicing steaks against the grain – wrap the steaks individually in plastic wrap and place them into the freezer for 35-45 minutes, or until steaks are slightly firm – DO NOT freeze the steaks completely.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and the nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 4 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.