Beef Tenderloin & Vegetable Stir Fry

This Beef Tenderloin & Vegetable Stir Fry recipe is a very tasty dish loaded with tender beef and a plethora of fresh vegetables. Perfect for dinner anytime.

You can’t go wrong with thinly sliced tenderloin beef with pretty much anything — and stir-fries are a great choice. And because it is simple to pull together and packs a ton of flavor, it’s a recipe to add into your rotation.

As far as preparation is concerned, the bulk of your time will be spent slicing the tenderloin. Just pull out your knife sharpener and you’ll be ready to go. That is unless you go for pre-sliced beef.

What type of beef should I use in a stir fry?

If you were to visit a Chinese restaurant, you’ll find they use flank steak in many of their dishes, like their beef and vegetable stir fries. However, other tender cuts could be used including sirloin, ribeye, strip loin, or flat iron. I chose to go with tenderloin for this recipe. Tenderloin beef carries less connective tissue which is why this cut is so tender.

Should I marinate my beef before using it in a stir fry?

An astounding yes! How do you think that Chinese takeout that you love so much ends up so tender? The marinade. The process used is called “velveting”. Velveting involves coating and marinating thinly sliced pieces of beef in a mixture of cornstarch, oil, eggs, salt, pepper, and soy sauce and placing it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. In this time, a thin coating is formed on the beef and the egg tenderizes the meat by changing its pH.

Yep, just a little food science for ya.

Is it important to cut my beef slices thin?

The thicker your beef, the longer it will take to cook. And the longer you are cooking it, the outside tends to be overcooked while the inside is undercooked. Plus, an overcooked slice of beef will result in a tough piece of beef and no one wants that. So slice them thin, but not to where they are translucent.

Another bonus: Because the beef is sliced so thin, it takes no time to cook so you can go from prep to eating in a blink of an eye. A little exaggeration, but you get my drift. 🙂

How to Make Beef Stir Fry:

To begin this recipe you will first need to thinly slice the beef tenderloin and remove the excess fat. Or, you could just skip this step altogether and purchase the pre-cut beef strips (see the different cuts to use above).

Add the sliced beef into a large bowl along with the beef marinade ingredients and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Once your beef is ready, cook your beef for 2 to 3 minutes in a wok, pan or cast iron skillet (paid link).

Slice your red bell peppers into strips and sautée them along with the broccoli in a half cup of water for 5 minutes at a high-heat. Add the snow peas to the pan and cook them along with the other vegetables for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pan and drain any excess liquid.

With this step, feel free to add any other vegetables you enjoy. That’s the reason I love stir-fries. You can really make it your own.

In a separate bowl add all sauce ingredients and whisk (paid link) together.

For the sauce, I went with hoisin. Hoisin is also referred to as “Peking sauce”. It’s a rich, thick sauce with a sweet, tangy flavor. Who would have thought fermented bean paste sweetened and flavored with seasonings and spices would be so good. It’s the most important ingredient in giving this beef stir fry that trademark Chinese-American take-out flavor.

Another option is oyster sauce. Oyster sauce is not as sweet as hoisin sauce but offers an umami flavor from its shellfish base. Those who don’t eat shellfish (that would be me), should opt for hoisin.

Lower the temperature on your pan and add the sauce, vegetables, and cooked beef. Allow to simmer for 2 minutes. Serve alone or on a bed of rice.

I hope you will thoroughly enjoy this dish if you are a stir fry lover. You can put this Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry on the menu any day of the week.

Here are a few more low carb beef recipes you may enjoy:

• Delicious Instant Pot® Beef Stew
• French Onion Gouda Stuffed Meatballs
• Classic Southern Style Meatloaf
• Filet Mignon Dinner for Two
• Low-Carb Tex-Mex Casserole

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