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Overhead shot of a frypan cooking the last step of Ginger Beef. The fry pan is filled with crispy strips of beef in a dark brown sauce. To the top left of the fry pan is a bowl of white rice, and to the upper right of the frypan is a wooden bowl filled with onions, garlic, and ginger.

Ginger Beef

Leanne Neill
This flavorful dish features thinly sliced strips of beef that are lightly battered, deep fried until crispy, and then smothered in a sticky sweet and spicy sauce that you just can’t stop thinking about. This is an iconic Chinese-Canadian dish served at almost all Chinese restaurants throughout Canada. Its popularity is starting to find its way into America as well.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Marinating Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Canadian, Chinese
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs flank steak (or top sirloin) cut into 1/8" slices against the grain
  • 1 cup cornstarch (145g)
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (35g)
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper can be subbed with 3/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 cup water + more if necessary
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large carrot julienned and cut to 1-2" long
  • 1 medium onion cut finely into 1-2" slices
  • 1 medium green pepper cut finely into 1-2" slices
  • 1 medium red pepper cut finely into 1-2" slices
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced (26g)
  • 2 heaping tbsp minced fresh ginger (30g)

Sauce

  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar (sub with apple cider vinegar)
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons chinese cooking wine (sub with dry sherry, or leave out)
  • 1-2 teaspoons crushed red chillis optional
  • canola oil for deep frying about 2-3" in your pot
  • sesame seeds and/or green onions garnish (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Slice the beef against the grain into very thin slices (about 1/8” thick). It can help to put the beef in the freezer for an hour before cutting. This will not completely freeze the meat but will make it much easier to achieve a thin slice. Set meat aside.
  • Prepare the batter by combining the cornstarch, flour, white pepper, water, and egg into a large mixing bowl. Whisk the ingredients until there are no lumps.
  • Place the sliced beef into the batter mixture and allow it to marinate for 1 hour. If you have a lot of beef and you are having trouble getting the batter between all the pieces of meat you can add a little more water to discourage the meat from clumping together, you can add another ¼ cup or so if necessary.
  • While beef is marinating, prepare the sauce by combining soy sauce, sugar, water, rice vinegar, cooking wine, and crushed chili pepper flakes into a large bowl. Mix until well combined and sugar is dissolved. Set bowl aside.
  • Finely julienne the large carrot into 1-2” lengths. Cut up onion into 1-2” long, thin slices. Cut up bell peppers into 1-2” long, thin slices. Place the cut-up vegetables in a bowl and set aside.
  • Mince the garlic and ginger - set aside
  • Once the meat has finished marinating, pour oil into a large saucepan, wok, or Dutch oven to be at least 2-3” deep. Heat the oil to 350 F. It’s best to use a meat thermometer to know when the oil is hot enough, and to monitor the oil temperature periodically during cooking. The oil temperature drops dramatically once you begin deep frying. Try to keep the temperature at 350F during the whole cooking process.
  • When the oil has reached 350F, remove some of the beef slices from the marinating batter bowl and gently place in the hot oil. Work in batches so that the meat is not too crowded. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until the batter is a nice golden-dark brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat to drain on a paper towel. Continue until all the beef has been cooked.
  • Heat a frypan on medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil and all the vegetables, garlic and ginger. Fry until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
  • Add the sauce to the fry pan and bring to a simmer. Continue cooking for 3 minutes to reduce a little bit. Add in the cooked beef and stir through so everything has been warmed up and coated in the sauce.
  • Serve over rice and enjoy. Garnish with sesame seeds and or green onions if you like.

Notes

  1. White pepper is the traditional spice used, but if you can’t find it at your grocery store you can substitute ¾ teaspoon of finely ground black pepper.
  2. Keep the marinating batter as thick as possible while still being able to separate the pieces of sliced beef.  Start with ½ cup of water and add more as necessary.
  3. If you don’t have rice vinegar you can substitute with apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
  4. Chinese cooking wine can be substituted with dry sherry
  5. Two teaspoons of chili pepper flakes make a fairly spicey dish.  One teaspoon is more of a hint of spiciness.
Keyword Calgary Ginger Beef, Chinese Beef Stir Fry, Ginger Beef