Sesame beef is a Chinese dish made of fried crispy beef, tossed in a lightly sweet sauce with balanced acidity, toasted sesame oil, and sesame seeds. No wonder it’s a household hit!
While it’s not as well-known as the iconic Chinese American sesame chicken—it has all the makings of a regular rotation recipe.
Fried and Crispy Beef
Chicken fried steak aside, you probably haven’t ever really thought about shallow-frying your beef. But sometimes, stir-frying beef sometimes isn’t quite the same as *crispy beef.*
So what do I mean by crispy beef? Tender beef is marinated, coated in cornstarch, and wok-fried in neutral oil to crispy perfection.
The result isn’t something that crackles like fried chicken. Instead, you get a crusty edge and exterior that really clings to sauces and makes for a more savory eating experience that’ll have you chasing every bite with a little rice, if you’re like me.
I’ve been on a bit of a crispy beef kick. You’ll see this technique used in some of my favorite beef recipes, like our recently posted Kung Pao Beef, as well as long-time TWOL favorites, Mongolian Beef and Hunan Beef.
The twist here is that toasted sesame seeds added to the cornstarch coating gives an extra crunch and sesame flavor!
Don’t skip this step!
Velveting beef is a Chinese chef’s technique for marinating/flavoring and tenderizing beef for stir-fries. If you’ve tried making Chinese dishes at home, but can’t ever seem to get that same flavor and texture served at your favorite local Chinese restaurant or take-out place, chances are you haven’t been velveting your beef!
For details on what cuts of beef to use, how to properly slice, tenderize and marinate it, our post on How to Prepare Beef for Stir-fry tells it all. It may just be a life-changing cooking experience…
Optional Additions for Sesame Beef
This recipe has the minimum of what we think is required for a great sesame beef. But there are a few above-and-beyond extras you can add in to suit your own tastes:
- Minced ginger (just before adding the garlic)
- Whole dried red chilies (toast in oil just before adding the garlic)
- Crushed dried red chilies if you like the heat (toast in oil just before adding the garlic)
- Pinch of five spice powder, if you like to have some extra flavor (add to the sauce mixture)
- More scallions (some people just love green onions!)
On the flipside, I would recommend resisting the urge to add vegetables to this dish, as they will disturb the texture of the sesame beef, introducing water content that will make your beef less crispy.
Instead, to serve this sesame beef, cook a simple veggie dish and steam some white rice alongside it. Some good options are any of our leafy green stand-bys, like:
- Basic Stir-fried Bok Choy
- Blanched Choy Sum with Oyster Sauce
- Stir-fried Iceberg Lettuce
- Broccoli with Garlic Sauce
Gluten-free adaptable recipe!
This recipe is gluten-free adaptable. You’ll have to use gluten-free versions of 3 ingredients: use gluten-free light soy sauce (we like Lee Kum Kee), as well as Lee Kum Kee gluten-free oyster sauce (look for the green panda label). As a substitution for Shaoxing wine, use a dry cooking sherry.
Sesame Beef Recipe Instructions
Marinate the beef:
Combine the sliced beef with the water, cornstarch, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, oyster sauce, and baking soda. Stir well, and set aside to marinate for 1 hour. You can also do this the night before. (For convenience—it doesn’t make a significant difference in flavor.)
Prepare the sauce:
In a medium bowl or measuring cup with a pour spout, stir together the hot water, light brown sugar, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and white pepper. Set aside.
Dredge and sear the beef:
In a shallow dish, stir together the cornstarch and sesame seeds. Dredge the beef slices in this mixture until thoroughly coated. Give each slice a gentle shake to release excess cornstarch (grab a few at a time to expedite the process).
Heat the neutral oil in the wok or pan over medium-high heat. When a piece of beef sizzles in the oil (just before the oil begins to smoke), it’s ready for frying. Place the beef slices in the wok/pan in an even layer.
Shallow-fry for 1 minute on each side to achieve a crusty coating.
Transfer to a plate or sheet pan in one layer. Don’t pile the pieces on top of each other; you want the beef to stay crispy.
Finish the dish:
Let the particles in the oil settle, then drain the oil into a heat-proof bowl, leaving behind any sediment. Wipe the wok/pan clean with a paper towel. Add a tablespoon of oil back to the wok over medium heat, and add the chopped garlic. Cook for 15 seconds.
Then add the sauce mixture. Stir the sauce to deglaze the pan and bring it up to a simmer. Then add the scallions.
Add the cornstarch slurry mixture, and stir until the sauce thickens just enough to coat a spoon.
You can also add a teaspoon or two of hot water to thin out the sauce if it looks too thick for your liking. Add the beef, and toss until the pieces are coated in sauce.
Transfer to a plate and serve with lots of rice!
Sesame Beef
Ingredients
For marinating the beef:
- 12 ounces beef flank steak (sliced against the grain into ¼-inch/6mm slices)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
For the sauce:
- 2/3 cup hot water
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar (light or dark)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 pinch white pepper
For the rest of the dish:
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable oil)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon scallions (chopped)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (mixed into a slurry with 1 tablespoon water)
Instructions
Marinate the beef:
- Combine the sliced beef with the water, cornstarch, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, oyster sauce, and baking soda. Stir well, and set aside to marinate for 1 hour. You can also do this the night before. (For convenience—it doesn’t make a significant difference in flavor.)
Prepare the sauce:
- In a medium bowl or measuring cup with a pour spout, stir together the hot water, light brown sugar, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and white pepper. Set aside.
Dredge and sear the beef:
- In a shallow dish, stir together the cornstarch and sesame seeds. Dredge the beef slices in this mixture until thoroughly coated. Give each slice a gentle shake to release excess cornstarch (grab a few at a time to expedite the process).
- Heat the neutral oil in the wok or pan over medium-high heat. When a piece of beef sizzles in the oil (just before the oil begins to smoke), it’s ready for frying. Place the beef slices in the wok/pan in an even layer. Shallow-fry for 1 minute on each side to achieve a crusty coating, and transfer to a plate or sheet pan in one layer. Don’t pile the pieces on top of each other; you want the beef to stay crispy.
Finish the dish:
- Let the particles in the oil settle, then drain the oil into a heat-proof bowl, leaving behind any sediment. Wipe the wok/pan clean with a paper towel. Add a tablespoon of oil back to the wok over medium heat, and add the chopped garlic. Cook for 15 seconds.
- Then add the sauce mixture. Stir the sauce to deglaze the pan and bring it up to a simmer. Then add the scallions.
- Add the cornstarch slurry mixture, and stir until the sauce thickens just enough to coat a spoon. You can also add a teaspoon or two of hot water to thin out the sauce if it looks too thick for your liking. Add the beef, and toss until the pieces are coated in sauce. Transfer to a plate and serve with lots of rice!
