There’s a certain magic that happens when you combine tender beef with a deeply savoury, aromatic garlic sauce. It’s one of those dishes that fills the kitchen with an incredible aroma and signals that dinner is going to be something special, even on a Tuesday night. This Garlic Beef recipe is the culmination of many attempts to create that perfect balance – a dish that’s rich without being heavy, and packed with flavour that clings to every single piece of beef. I make this at least once a week – it’s become a family favourite.

What we’re aiming for here is that wonderful contrast in textures. You get beautifully seared, tender strips of beef that are succulent and juicy, all coated in a glossy, sticky sauce that’s sweet, salty, and humming with garlic and ginger. It’s not just a stir-fry; it’s a thoughtfully constructed meal that comes together in about 30 minutes, making it brilliant for those evenings when time is short but you refuse to compromise on taste. We’re using simple ingredients to build layers of genuine flavour.

This garlic beef recipe is ideal when you want a satisfying meal without spending hours over the stove. It’s a dish that always gets compliments, and it works beautifully for a quiet family dinner or when you have a friend over. Paired with some simple steamed rice and greens, it becomes a complete, wholesome meal that feels both comforting and a little bit indulgent.

Recipe Overview

This recipe focuses on creating tender beef strips and a robust, glossy garlic sauce. The key is to marinate the beef briefly and cook it in a very hot pan to get a good sear without overcooking it. I’ve found that letting the sauce bubble for a minute or two is crucial for it to reach that perfect, coating consistency. It’s a straightforward process that delivers fantastic results every time.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Servings: 4 people
• Difficulty: Easy

Why You’ll Love This Garlic Beef Recipe

• Genuine Flavour: The sauce is the star here. It’s a deep, savoury blend of dark soy sauce, a touch of honey for sweetness, pungent fresh garlic, and a background warmth from ginger. It’s not just one-note salty; it’s complex and utterly moreish.
• Ready in Under 30 Minutes: From slicing the beef to serving, this entire dish is on the table in about half an hour. It’s a wonderful recipe for busy weeknights when you’re craving something substantial and delicious.
• Flexible Recipe: You can easily adapt this. Add a handful of tenderstem broccoli or sliced bell peppers in the last few minutes of cooking. If you don’t have honey, maple syrup works just as well. For a different texture, try our Easy Ground Beef Tacos Recipe next time.
• Great for Meal Prep: The components can be prepped ahead. You can slice the beef and vegetables, and mix the sauce ingredients together in a jar. When it’s time to cook, everything comes together in minutes.
• Family Tested: This is a recipe that everyone in my house enjoys. My husband, who’s usually picky, asked for seconds the first time I made it!

Garlic Beef Recipe

⏱️ 15 min prep  •  🍳 15 min cook  •  👥 4 servings

📌 Pin This Recipe

Ingredients You’ll Need

For this recipe, using good quality beef like sirloin or rump makes a real difference to the final texture. For the soy sauce, I always reach for Kikkoman All-Purpose Soy Sauce as it has a brilliant, well-rounded flavour that isn’t overly salty. Don’t be tempted to use garlic powder; freshly minced garlic is essential for that vibrant, aromatic punch.

• For the Beef:
• 500g sirloin or rump steak, thinly sliced against the grain
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• A pinch of black pepper
• For the Garlic Sauce:
• 4 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 150ml low-sodium beef or chicken stock
• 6-8 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water (to make a slurry)
• For Cooking & Garnish:
• 2 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Marcus’s Tip: Pop the beef in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before you plan to cook. This firms it up, making it much easier to slice into thin, even strips.

How to Make This Garlic Beef Recipe

The process is all about preparation and timing. We’ll marinate the beef first, then sear it quickly before creating that gorgeous sauce in the same pan to capture all the flavour. Keep your ingredients close at hand, as things move quickly once the pan is hot.

1. Marinate the Beef: In a medium bowl, add the sliced beef. Sprinkle over the 1 tbsp of cornflour, 1 tbsp of light soy sauce, sesame oil, and black pepper. Use your hands or a spoon to mix well, ensuring every piece of beef is coated. Set aside for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. Prepare the Sauce: In a separate bowl or jug, whisk together the dark soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, beef stock, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Set this aside. In a small cup, mix the 1 tbsp of cornflour with 2 tbsp of cold water to create your slurry for thickening later.
3. Sear the Beef: Heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok over a high heat. You want the pan to be very hot. Working in two batches to avoid overcrowding, add half the beef in a single layer. Sear for 1-2 minutes per side, until you have a lovely brown crust. What works best for me is to leave it untouched for the first minute to develop that beautiful brown crust. Remove the seared beef from the pan and set it on a plate. Repeat with the remaining beef, adding the second tbsp of oil if needed.
4. Create the Sauce: Lower the heat to medium. Pour the prepared sauce mixture into the same pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan – this is where so much flavour is hiding!
5. Thicken the Sauce: Bring the sauce to a simmer. Let it bubble for 1-2 minutes. Give your cornflour slurry a quick stir, then slowly pour it into the pan while whisking continuously. The sauce will start to thicken and turn glossy almost immediately.
6. Combine and Serve: Return the seared beef and any juices from the plate back to the pan. Stir everything together to coat the beef in the glorious, thick sauce. Let it warm through for about a minute.
7. Garnish and Enjoy: Take the pan off the heat. Stir in most of the sliced spring onions. Serve the garlic beef immediately over steamed rice, garnished with the remaining spring onions and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.

Tips From My Kitchen

• Temperature Control is Key: For tender beef, your pan must be searingly hot before the meat goes in. This creates a fantastic crust on the outside while keeping the inside juicy. If the pan isn’t hot enough, the beef will steam instead of sear, resulting in a grey and chewy texture.
• The Secret Step: Marinating: The initial coating of cornflour on the beef isn’t just for flavour; it’s a technique called velveting. I learned that it creates a protective layer that helps keep the beef incredibly tender during the high-heat cooking process. Don’t skip it!
• Make-Ahead Magic: To save time, you can slice the beef and vegetables up to a day in advance and store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge. The sauce can also be mixed and kept in a sealed jar. This turns the recipe into a 15-minute assembly job.
• Storing Leftovers: Any leftover garlic beef can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it gently in a pan over a low heat or in the microwave until just warmed through to prevent the beef from becoming tough.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Overcrowding the pan: Tipping all the beef in at once will drop the pan’s temperature dramatically. The meat will steam in its own juices instead of searing. Cook in two batches to ensure each piece has space to make contact with the hot surface and brown properly.
• Using a cool pan: As mentioned in the tips, a scorching hot pan is non-negotiable for this recipe. Let your pan heat up for a few minutes before adding the oil. You should hear a distinct sizzle when the beef hits the pan.
• Slicing with the grain: Always slice beef against the grain for stir-fries. This shortens the muscle fibres, making the meat much more tender and easier to chew. Look for the lines running through the meat and cut across them.

Delicious Variations to Try

Once you’ve mastered the basic garlic beef recipe, it’s great fun to start experimenting. The sauce is a brilliant base for all sorts of additions and substitutions.

• A Bit of a Kick: Add 1-2 teaspoons of red chilli flakes or a dash of sriracha to the sauce mixture for a welcome bit of heat that cuts through the richness.
• A Veggie-Packed Version: Make it a complete one-pan meal. Add quick-cooking vegetables like broccoli florets, mangetout, or sliced bell peppers to the pan after you’ve made the sauce, and cook until tender-crisp before adding the beef back in. It’s a bit like our popular Creamy Chicken And Rice Recipe in its all-in-one approach.
• Try it with Chicken or Pork: This recipe works wonderfully with other proteins. Use thinly sliced chicken breast or pork tenderloin, following the same marinating and searing steps.

What to Serve With This Garlic Beef

This dish is crying out for something to soak up that amazing sauce. Here are a few of my favourite pairings:

• Fluffy Jasmine Rice: Its slightly sticky texture and fragrant aroma are the perfect neutral base for the powerful flavours of the garlic beef.
• Steamed Bok Choy or Tenderstem Broccoli: A side of simple steamed greens with a tiny drizzle of sesame oil provides a fresh, clean contrast to the rich sauce.
• A Crisp Lager: The clean, refreshing character of a light lager or pilsner cuts through the savoury sauce beautifully. For a wine pairing, an off-dry Riesling works a treat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Garlic Beef Recipe

A quick and flavorful stir-fry featuring tender, seared beef coated in a rich, glossy garlic and soy sauce. Perfect for a weeknight dinner served over steamed rice.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Calories: 410

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the Beef

• 500 g sirloin or rump steak thinly sliced against the grain
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• A pinch of black pepper

For the Garlic Sauce

• 4 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 150 ml low-sodium beef or chicken stock
• 6-8 cloves of garlic finely minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
• 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water to make a slurry

For Cooking & Garnish

• 2 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil
• 2 spring onions finely sliced
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

 

1. Marinate the Beef: In a medium bowl, add the sliced beef. Sprinkle over the 1 tbsp of cornflour, 1 tbsp of light soy sauce, sesame oil, and black pepper. Use your hands or a spoon to mix well, ensuring every piece of beef is coated. Set aside for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. Prepare the Sauce: In a separate bowl or jug, whisk together the dark soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, beef stock, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Set this aside. In a small cup, mix the 1 tbsp of cornflour with 2 tbsp of cold water to create your slurry for thickening later.
3. Sear the Beef: Heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok over a high heat. You want the pan to be very hot. Working in two batches to avoid overcrowding, add half the beef in a single layer. Sear for 1-2 minutes per side, until you have a lovely brown crust. What works best for me is to leave it untouched for the first minute to develop that beautiful brown crust. Remove the seared beef from the pan and set it on a plate. Repeat with the remaining beef, adding the second tbsp of oil if needed.
4. Create the Sauce: Lower the heat to medium. Pour the prepared sauce mixture into the same pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan – this is where so much flavour is hiding!
5. Thicken the Sauce: Bring the sauce to a simmer. Let it bubble for 1-2 minutes. Give your cornflour slurry a quick stir, then slowly pour it into the pan while whisking continuously. The sauce will start to thicken and turn glossy almost immediately.
6. Combine and Serve: Return the seared beef and any juices from the plate back to the pan. Stir everything together to coat the beef in the glorious, thick sauce. Let it warm through for about a minute.
7. Garnish and Enjoy: Take the pan off the heat. Stir in most of the sliced spring onions. Serve the garlic beef immediately over steamed rice, garnished with the remaining spring onions and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.

Notes

Serve immediately over steamed rice. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

I really hope you give this garlic beef recipe a go. It’s one of those reliable, flavour-packed dishes that has saved many a weeknight dinner in our house. It feels like a treat but is so straightforward to make. If you do try it, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you in the comments below!

Happy cooking,
Marcus