Kick Up Your Dinner Game with Spicy Orange Ginger Beef Stir-Fry

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Tangy orange juice is mixed with ginger in this easy stir-fry.  Spicy Orange Ginger Beef Stir-Fry is a family favorite take-in recipe.

 

This stir-fry is truly DELICIOUS!! I had this idea in my head of how I wanted it to taste and FINALLY this one actually tasted like that. I was so impressed with myself. The flavors were spot on and fantastic!! I couldn’t wait for lunch the next day so I could eat it again!! That’s a rare occasion. I eat dinner for lunch all the time, but I rarely am that excited about eating leftovers for lunch. This was seriously that good.

 

The best part about this, for me, is the simple fact that eye of round is typically in the marked down meat section at my grocery.  Not many know what to do with it, me included.  But used in a stir-fry recipe, it’s tender and very low in fat!  As an added bonus, I think we have 4 packages in the freezer still.  It’s perfect for stir-fry, beef stroganoff, slow cooking, braising, and pressure cooked like this Mongolian beef.  I used it for my Swiss Steak recipe.  So, don’t shy away from a cut of meat because you don’t know what it is.  Google is your friend in this area.

 

 

What is Stir-Fry?

 

Stir-frying is a Asian cooking technique that involves quickly cooking ingredients in hot oil while stirring continuously. The method ensures that the food retains its vibrant colors, crisp textures, and nutritional value. It’s a versatile technique that can be used to prepare a variety of dishes, from meat and seafood to vegetables and tofu. 

 

I’ve taken this method and applied it to multiple types of cuisines like Cajun, Latin, and even European.  I’m a firm believe that stir-fry is not just an Asian dish.  It’s a great cooking method to put a healthy and quick meal on the table on the busiest of weeknights for your family.  Swap the sauce, the meat, the veggies, and think outside of Asia to get creative with this versatile method of cooking.

 

What is Oranges and Lemons Day?

 

Oranges and Lemons Day is an English celebration.  The story goes that boatloads of oranges and lemons were brought to Clare Market which prompted the employees in the Clement’s Inn to customarily hand them out to the residents.  In the early 1900s a reverend had the bells of the St. Clements Danes Church restored.  On March 31, 1920 the bells were blessed and covered with oranges and lemons before playing the song from the Oranges and Lemons nursery rhyme from the 1700s which has a line that says, “oranges and lemons/say the bells of St. Clements.”  While the first day this was celebrated was March 31, it has since been loved to the 4th Thursday of March.

 

 

Do oranges and ginger go well together?

 

The combination of orange and ginger creates a harmonious blend of sweet and spicy flavors that elevate any dish. The zesty aroma of orange complements the warm, pungent flavors of ginger which results in a tantalizing stir-fry experience. When used in this beef stir-fry recipe, these ingredients add a layer of complexity that transforms these simple ingredients into a gourmet dinner.

 

What Cuts of Beef are Good for Stir-Fry?

 

Choosing the right cut of beef is essential for a successful stir-fry. If you pick the wrong cut, the meat could be tough or dry.  Either one would make this stir-fry recipe not delicious and something you probably wouldn’t make again.  You wouldn’t realize that the cut of meat might have been the reason your recipe didn’t turn as tasty as mine did.

 

The best cuts are those that are tender and cook quickly.  I’ve used eye of round in this recipe, but I’ve also used chuck steak and top round in stir-fry recipes.  For Latin or Tex-Mex recipes, I like using flank or skirt steak especially after marinating the meat.  Finally, you could use a tender sirloin for stir-fry recipes.  These cuts are well-marbled which ensures that the beef remains juicy and flavorful through the high-heat stir-fry style of cooking.

 

 

What are Good Vegetables for Stir-Fry Recipes?

 

A good stir-fry dish is colorful and packed with a variety of vegetables.  You want a mixture of flavors and textures in a great stir-fry recipe.  My stir-fry recipes usually start with bell peppers and onions, but for this I went with more Asian inspired vegetables like baby corn and water chestnuts.  And I added some broccoli for more flavor and crunch.

 

There are a wealth of vegetables to use in stir-fry recipes.  Sometimes I add in some snap peas or snow peas for a more sweet and crunchy texture.  Carrots are a little tricky in story fry recipes because they take longer to cook than most.  However, getting using frozen carrots makes it easier to add them to a stir-fry.  There’s cabbage like purple, napa, and bok choy.  And mushrooms!  Shiitake, trumpet, oyster, maitake just to name a few.  My international grocery store has a wealth of mushrooms.  And different vegetables for stir-fry recipes.

 

 

Ingredients for this Beef Stir-Fry with Orange and Ginger

 

For me, these ingredients are pantry staples minus the water chestnuts.  For some reason I haven’t been able to find them easily at my usual grocery stores.  If that’s the case and I really want them in the recipe, I opt for the frozen stir-fry blend that has them in there. 

 

Pantry ingredients –  low sodium tamari soy sauce (low sodium regular soy sauce is fine), cornstarch, marmalade, sesame seed oil, red pepper flakes (crushed red pepper), garlic, canned baby corn, canned water chestnuts, rice

Refrigerator ingredients – thinly sliced eye of round, orange juice concentrate, fresh ginger, broccoli stir-fry mix, sliced green onions

 

Instructions for Making This Beef Stir-Fry Recipe

 

First, you want to marinate the eye of round.  This tenderizes the meat and gives it some added flavors for this stir-fry.  Combine 1/3 cup of tamari with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and stir with a whisk until the cornstarch combines with the soy sauce.  Add the beef and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes.

 

 

Prepare the vegetables by draining the water chestnuts and the baby corn.  My broccoli stir-fry mix was frozen, so I put it in the strainer and ran some hot tap water over the mix to start the thawing process.  The veggies thawed by the time the meat was finished marinating.

 

Next, prepare the stir-fry sauce by combining the remaining soy sauce with the remaining cornstarch.  Stir in the sesame oil, marmalade, orange juice concentrate, orange zest, red pepper flakes, ginger, and garlic. 

 

Set the sauce aside and start heating up a pan on high heat.  The higher the better.  Once you start making the beef stir-fry you cannot get sidetracked or step away until you pour the sauce into the pan.  Add the beef and stir constantly until the beef is browned which takes about 5 to 7 minutes.  Then add in the vegetables and stir until they are heated through; about 3 to 5 minutes. 

 

 

Finally, add the stir-fry sauce.  Scrap up any browned bits from cooking the beef and then bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the sauce for 7 to 10 minutes or until it thickens.  Serve the mixture over cooked rice and garnish with sliced green onions.

 

Tips for Cooking Beef Stir-Fry

 

Make sure your pan is super hot.  The hotter the better.  Some of the more famous restaurants in Asian use a funneled heat source for their woks.  Fast and quick is the theme and if you’re pan isn’t hot enough it’s not going to be a quick recipe.  Since your pan is super hot, you want an oil that can take that kind of heat.  Something with a high smoking point is perfect for stir-fry recipes like this one.  Sunflower oil, peanut oil, and even canola oil will work great with stir-fry recipes.

 

 

Do not overcrowd the pan.  I’ve done this so many times.  The meat doesn’t have room to cook and will start to steam instead.  So not ideal for a stir-fry.  If your pan is smaller, then you might want to cook the meat in batches if necessary.  And make sure to keep the ingredients moving to prevent sticking and burning.  Hence the name STIR-fry.  You might think a wooden spoon would be best, but I use a spatula to toss the ingredients around.  It’s larger and you can quickly stir more of the ingredients in one flip of the spatula than a wooden spoon.

 

Serving and enjoying spicy orange ginger beef stir-fry

 

Serve your Spicy Orange Ginger Beef Stir-Fry over a bed of steamed rice or noodles. Garnish with fresh green onions for an extra burst of flavor.  I almost always have to serve mine with some egg rolls.  One of these days I’ll have to make Mom’s egg rolls.  But for now, I just opt for some premade frozen ones I heat up in the air fryer.  We’re enjoying the Pagoda brand lately.  Sometimes I opt for some steamed dumplings, too.  Or some steamed edamame.  Either way, this stir-fry recipe is one your family will enjoy and so will you because it’s quick and easy to whip up.

Recipes with Oranges and Lemons

• Blood Orange Spritz Cookies from That Recipe
• Cranberry Orange Marmalade from Art of Natural Living
• Mandarin Orange Salad from Creative Cynchronicity

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