Ginger Beef is a must eat dish in Calgary Alberta Canada. In 1975, a Chinese chef, George Wong at The Silver Inn in Calgary, invented Ginger Beef.
Still today, it is a must eat when ordering Westernized Chinese dishes. Every Chinese restaurant in Canada has Ginger Beef on their menu.
Ginger Beef Recipe
For the beef:
1 cup cornstarch
1 pound flank steak, cut into thin strips
2 cup oil, about 1 inch deep, for frying
For the sauce:
4 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
6 tablespoons rice wine
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
For the vegetables:
2 tablespoons oil, for stir-frying
2 tablespoons carrots, cut into matchstick size pieces
1 tablespoon minced ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 stalks scallions, julienned, separate white and green parts
For the cornstarch slurry
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
Instruction
First, place 1 cup of cornstarch in a large bowl. Toss the flank steak in cornstarch. Mix until everything is coated evenly.
Then pour the oil into a wok. Heat it up over high heat until it reaches 350°F. You can test the oil with 1 steak strip first. If you see lots of bubbles around it then the oil is ready.
Put 1/4 of the beef strips work. Quickly separate them with chopsticks or a fork. Deep fry until the coating is crisp and golden, about 3 minutes. Remove the beef and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with the remaining beef strips.
To make the sauce, in a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, rice wine, sugar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.
In another pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil, the carrot, scallions (the white and middle parts), ginger, and garlic. Cook over high heat until the aroma comes out. Pour in the sauce and cook until it’s boiling. Introduce the cornstarch slurry to thickening the sauce. Transfer the beef strips back into the pan. Stir-fry until combined. Lastly, add the green part of the scallions.
What to do with the used frying oil?
A. If the oil is still in good quality, and doesn’t look cloudy and dark. First, bring the oil to room temperature. Then, pour the oil into a glass jar through a coffee filter or a cheese cloth. Store the oil in a cool and dry place. And reuse it in the future.
B. If the oil is not in a good quality, then throw it away. First, bring the oil back to room temperature. Then pour the oil into a non-breakable container with a lid. Seal the container and toss it in the trash. Never pour the used oil down in your sink. It can clog your sink.
6 thoughts on “Crispy Ginger Beef Recipe”
Awesome recipe! 🙂 Made it with some extra carrots, and threw in some bell peppers for extra veggies. We used a little less vinegar (4 tbsp). Tastes delicious! Not ordering this again in a restaurant. Thanks for the recipe!!
Hi Sam,
I’m so happy to hear your positive feedback on this recipe! Happy cooking and eating! 🙂
Hi there, I’m a Dutch guy who grew up in Antwerp. Every year since I was one-year-old, we would visit my family in Crossfield, AB, Canada. So as you can imagine, I remember going for lunch to our local Chinese restaurant and having that.. oh-so, delicious Ginger beef with some noodles. Until this day (I’m now 30 years old) I have never seen it come across a menu, anywhere. I was browsing YouTube for some Asian Street Food vids (which I just find very delicious to see) and thought I’d try searching for “Ginger Beef” and your video popped up. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you for sharing this detailed recipe. I will be trying to make this myself and who knows.. introduce my Dutch and Belgian friends to this delicious meal. I’m not sure if you have a noodle recommendation to go with the beef? Thanks and keep doing what you’re doing. Have a good one, Laurent.
Hi Laurent,
I always believe that food has some kind of magical powder, and it brings back precious memories. I sincerely thank you for writing this heartwarming comment. The ginger beef should go very well with my Dan Dan Noodles https://cicili.tv/sichuan-dan-dan-noodles-recipe/. I hope you’ll enjoy your meal.
Best wishes,
CiCi
I am a ginger beef snob!!! There is only one kind in my mind and when a restaurant doesn’t do crispy beef or make it saucy I am always disappointed. Now I can make this whenever I’m craving PERFECT ginger beef!!! Crispy, spicy, sweet delicious. Thank you for this recipe!!!
Hi Hailey,
I love crispy ginger beef as well! I hope you’ll enjoy this homemade recipe and best wishes! 🙂