Stir fry is a great dish for using up leftover cuts of beef. But sometimes you want to really wow your guests with a sizzling dish that showcases the best flavors and textures possible. In that case, you can’t just reach for any old skirt or flank steak. You’ll want the experience that only comes from using juicy beef tenderloin. Take your next stir fry experience to a whole new level by using one of the best cuts of beef along with your favorite vegetables.
What Cut of Beef Is Best For Stir-Fry?
Most people use an inexpensive cut of beef for this kind of recipe. Some people use crumbled ground beef, but this creates a somewhat grainy texture and doesn’t give the meat a chance to absorb the sauce very well. Others choose bargain steak cuts like the flank, skirt, or top round steak. If you’re making a weekday dinner that has to fit your family’s food budget, that’s perfectly fine. But for those occasions when you want something more impressive, using a better cut of beef is the quickest way to upgrade the meal.
There’s no need to go all the way to Filet Mignon just to get a better steak stir fry. Beef tenderloin is the perfect balance between flavor, tenderness, and cost. It’s usually quite a bit less expensive than more fancy steak cuts despite the fact that Filet Mignon is cut from this section of meat. If you buy it whole, you can cut it up yourself for the most melt-in-your-mouth stir fry you’ve experienced in your life. There’s also nothing wrong with trimming a medallion or two from the thickest part before you use the rest of it for your dish.
Tips for the Best Beef Tenderloin Stir Fry
You need a wok that works for your stove top for the best stir fry. Large frying pans just don’t offer enough space or correct contact with the heat source. Stir fries cooked in frying pans turn out soggy or overcooked rather than crisp and lightly charred. If your electric or infrared stove top doesn’t play well with woks, consider buying a small propane burner for a direct source of high heat.
Most people who cook up a beef stir fry with less than spectacular results are using a tough cut of beef. Starting with something flavorful and tender will result in a delicious dish. Even with a soft beef tenderloin, you’ll want to use a sharp knife to make thin cuts of the meat and fat. This ensures quick cooking and avoids any chance of mushiness or toughness from overcooking.
You also need fresh vegetables, not frozen ones that will start with a mushy and less than stellar flavor. Don’t overload the stir fry with a lot of vegetables that are high in water content like peppers, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, and spinach. Use them sparingly so they add color and flavor without steaming the other ingredients or watering down your sauce. If you only want to use high-moisture ingredients, simply cook them first separately and make sure the majority of the moisture is gone before adding the meat and then the sauce.
Which Vegetables Are a Must-Have for Stir Fry?
Everyone has a different idea of the right vegetables to use in a stir fry. While it’s all a matter of personal preference, some of the best options for pairing with the rich flavor of beef include:
- Broccoli
- Red and yellow peppers
- Mushrooms
- Snow peas
- Red or yellow onion
- Asparagus
- Eggplant
- Baby corn
- Okra
- Asian greens like Bok Choy or Napa Cabbage.
What Else Can I Mix Into My Stir Fry?
Vegetables and meat make up the base of your stir fry, but they’re not the only ingredients you need. Even if you plan to cover everything with sauce, you should finely mince some ginger, garlic, and other aromatic ingredients like lemongrass or galangal if you can find them. Pastes from from these flavorful ingredients will also work and are easier to order over long distances. It’s also common in China to toss in some nuts like salted peanuts or cashews to add a little pop to the finished stir fry. Or try bean sprouts, sesame seeds, and chopped green onions add after the stir fry comes out of the wok.
Creating a Great Stir Fry Sauce
This recipe uses a simple combination of brown sugar, pineapple juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil that is affordable and easy to mix up yourself. It’ll bring a teriyaki-like taste to the stir fry without overpowering the vegetables or being too sweet for the beef. If you’re not up to making a sauce from scratch, you can also use your favorite pre-made stir fry sauce. Or you can use mirin, ponzu, and other exciting ingredients to create a variation on this classic sauce.
Variations
- Consider focusing on just one or two vegetables, like broccoli and onions.
- Skip the button mushrooms and toss in more exotic varieties like wood ear, straw, oyster, and morel mushrooms.
- Give the sauce a spicy twist by tossing in kimchi at the end of cooking or using Korean gochujang chili paste.
- Go all green by mixing together Napa cabbage, spinach, bok choy, broccolini, and turnip greens, and top the finished stir fry with green onions.
Beef Tenderloin Stir Fry Recipe
This basic and all-round stir fry recipe is easy to adjust and customize according to your own preferences. It’s built on silky beef tenderloin that will give the finished dish a luxury touch.
Ingredients
For the Stir Fry
- 2 tablespoons of high heat cooking oil, divided
- 1 pound of beef tenderloin, sliced very thinly across the grain
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 1-inch knob of ginger, minced
- 3 cups of fresh broccoli florets
- 1 large red or yellow pepper, chopped
- ½ red or yellow onion, chopped
- 15 oz can of baby corn, drained
- 6 ounces of mushrooms, chopped
For the Sauce
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup pineapple sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
1. Mix all of the sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch and cold water. Set the sauce and other two ingredients aside, ready to use.
2. Set the wok over high heat and let 1 tablespoon of oil heat up in it. Fry the beef first, moving the meat around as it fries with a fork or long pair of chopsticks. It should only take about 4 to 5 minutes to cook the meat if you have the heat high enough. Set the meat aside on a plate.
3. Add the other tablespoon of oil and the vegetables. Hold the garlic and ginger aside until the vegetables are nearly done, which should take about 6 to 8 minutes of stir frying. Add the ginger and garlic. As they begin to brown, pour in the combined sauce ingredients. Mix the cornstarch and water together, then add that to the sauce in the pan. Stir vigorously and turn down the heat to medium. As the sauce bubbles and thickens, add the beef. When the sauce is thickened to the desired amount, remove from heat and serve over rice.
Notes
Jasmine and Basmati rice have more flavor and a better texture to support a saucy stir fry like this one.
Conclusion
Get your vegetables while enjoying the delicious flavor and texture of beef tenderloin with this stir fry recipe. It’ll likely become a regular star for weekend meals that get everyone gathering around the table.
Beef Tenderloin Stir Fry
Ingredients
For the Stir Fry
- 2 tablespoons of high heat cooking oil divided
- 1 pound of beef tenderloin sliced very thinly across the grain
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1 1- inch knob of ginger minced
- 3 cups of fresh broccoli florets
- 1 large red or yellow pepper chopped
- ½ red or yellow onion chopped
- 15 oz can of baby corn drained
- 6 ounces of mushrooms chopped
For the Sauce
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup pineapple sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Mix all of the sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch and cold water. Set the sauce and other two ingredients aside, ready to use.
- Set the wok over high heat and let 1 tablespoon of oil heat up in it. Fry the beef first, moving the meat around as it fries with a fork or long pair of chopsticks. It should only take about 4 to 5 minutes to cook the meat if you have the heat high enough. Set the meat aside on a plate.
- Add the other tablespoon of oil and the vegetables. Hold the garlic and ginger aside until the vegetables are nearly done, which should take about 6 to 8 minutes of stir frying. Add the ginger and garlic. As they begin to brown, pour in the combined sauce ingredients. Mix the cornstarch and water together, then add that to the sauce in the pan. Stir vigorously and turn down the heat to medium. As the sauce bubbles and thickens, add the beef. When the sauce is thickened to the desired amount, remove from heat and serve over rice.