This easy beef stir fry with frozen vegetables comes together in under 30 minutes. It features tender steak strips, mixed vegetables, and a simple homemade sauce. We use frozen vegetables for convenience, but fresh works just as well. Serve it over white rice or noodles for a satisfying meal your family will enjoy!
Recipe at a glance
- Main ingredients: Top sirloin or top round, frozen mixed vegetables, soy sauce, hoisin sauce
- Time: 28 minutes (15 prep, 13 cook)
- Method: Stovetop, skillet or wok
- Best for: Quick weeknight dinners served over rice or noodles
- Servings: 4
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What's great about this recipe
- Stretches a pound of beef. A full pound of steak feeds four when it's paired with plenty of vegetables, so it's an affordable dinner without skimping on flavor.
- Freezer-friendly shortcut. Keep a bag of frozen vegetables on hand and you're always ready to make this, with no chopping needed.
- Comes together fast. Once everything's prepped, the beef and vegetables cook in about 10 minutes, so dinner's ready in no time.
Budget Check
- The full recipe is about $17.90-$18.50
- Per serving (4 servings): about $4.47-$4.62
Uses conventional ingredients. Based on recent U.S. averages. Actual prices will vary by store and region. Garnishes not included.
Ingredients you'll need
- Beef - We use top sirloin for this recipe. It's tender, lean, and perfect for quick cooking. Sirloin tips work too; if they're in chunks, just slice them into thin strips. For a shortcut, pre-sliced top round from the store works well, though it's not quite as tender.
- Salt - Used to season the steak (we use kosher salt).
- Sauce - Water and cornstarch thicken the sauce and give it a glossy finish. Reduced-sodium soy sauce and hoisin sauce add major flavor; find them in the international aisle of most grocery stores. Brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness, while fresh garlic, ginger (powder or fresh), and crushed red pepper round it out.
- Oil - Use an oil with a high smoke point, such as avocado oil, light olive oil, or canola oil.
- Vegetables - We use a frozen blend of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, cooked just enough to defrost. If you prefer fresh, steam-in-the-bag vegetables work well; just cook them until barely tender first. Pick your favorite blend.
- Garnish - Sliced green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
📖 See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
How to make beef stir fry with frozen vegetables
Before you start: Slice the steak into thin strips (roughly ¼ inch) and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt. If your kitchen is cool, let it sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to take the chill off.
Make the stir fry sauce. Add the water and cornstarch to a jar or medium bowl, and stir with a fork or small whisk until the cornstarch dissolves.
Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper. Stir vigorously until well combined.
If you're not using the sauce right away, keep it refrigerated and give it a good stir before cooking, since the cornstarch settles at the bottom.
- If you're using frozen vegetables, like we did, defrost them in the microwave or a small pot, cooking for slightly less than half the recommended time on the package. You only want to defrost them.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. When it's hot and nearly smoking, add the beef in a single layer. Cook for 1½-2 minutes without stirring.
- Flip the beef in sections to brown the other side, and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir the beef and keep browning for 1-2 more minutes, until it's no longer pink and any liquid has cooked off.
- Add the vegetables and sauce to the skillet. As soon as the sauce starts boiling, lower the heat to medium-low.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are as tender as you like. Taste and add salt, if needed. As a reference, we didn't add extra salt to ours.
Serve the beef stir fry over white rice or noodles, and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Recipe tips and notes
- Go easy on the salt. The soy sauce and hoisin both add plenty, so use just a little. You can always add more at the end.
- Start the rice first. If you're serving this with rice or noodles, get them going first, and start the stir fry once they're almost done.
- Prep everything ahead. The cooking takes less than 15 minutes and needs your full attention, so have everything sliced, mixed, and ready before you turn on the heat.
- Keep the beef tender. Slice it thin, cook it in a single layer, and don't stir for the first couple of minutes so it browns instead of steaming.
Serving suggestions
- White rice is our go-to. Serve the beef stir fry over a bed of fluffy white rice to soak up every bit of the sauce.
- Egg fried rice turns it into a heartier, takeout-style dinner.
- Sesame noodles are a great option if you'd rather have noodles than rice.
Frequently asked questions
We give them a quick head start in the microwave or a small pot, for slightly less than half the package time. Added straight from frozen, they can release water and thin out the sauce.
Use a tender cut like top sirloin, slice it thin (about ¼ inch), and cook it in a single layer over high heat without stirring for the first couple of minutes. That way it browns quickly instead of steaming.
We use a frozen blend of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots because the pieces cook evenly and hold their texture. Any frozen stir fry blend with similar-sized pieces will work the same way.
Storing and reheating
- Refrigerator - Let it cool, then store it in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freezer - Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. The vegetables will be a little softer after freezing.
- Reheating - Warm it in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water, covered, stirring occasionally. Or microwave it loosely covered, in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until hot.
- Food safety - Don't leave cooked food out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Reheat leftovers to 165°F.
More easy stir fry recipes
If you enjoyed this beef stir fry with frozen vegetables, try some of our other quick weeknight stir fries. Our classic beef and broccoli is a takeout favorite, and our ground beef stir fry with cabbage is an easy, budget-friendly option. For a change of protein, try our chicken broccoli stir fry or pork and cabbage stir fry.
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📖 Recipe
Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 pound Beef cut into ¼ inch strips (use top sirloin, sirloin tips, or pre-sliced top round)
- ½ teaspoon Salt plus extra if needed at the end (we use Kosher salt)
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- ¼ cup Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 2 Large Garlic Cloves grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Powder use fresh if you have it on hand, grated or minced
- Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes or to taste
- 2 tablespoons Oil use an oil with a high smoke point, such as avocado, light olive, or canola
- 14-16 ounces Mixed Vegetables frozen or fresh (if using fresh, get the steam-in-the-bag variety; we used a frozen blend of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots
- Sliced Green Onions for garnish optional
- Sesame Seeds for garnish optional
Instructions
Prepare the steak
- Slice the steak into thin strips (roughly ¼ inch). Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt. Let the steak sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to remove the chill from the meat (if your kitchen is cool).
Make the stir fry sauce
- Add the water and cornstarch to a jar or to a medium bowl.
- Use a fork or a small whisk to stir the mixture until the cornstarch dissolves.
- Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper (if using).
- Stir the sauce vigorously until well combined.
- If you are not using the sauce right away, make sure to give it a good stir right before cooking. The corn starch will settle at the bottom so get in there and stir well until it is incorporated again. If you make it ahead, keep it refrigerated.
Prepare the vegetables
- If you are using fresh vegetables get the steam-in-the-bag variety. Cook them just enough to get them going, half of the recommended time on the package should be enough.
- If you are using frozen vegetables, like we did, cook them in the microwave or a small pot for slightly less than half the recommended time on the package. You only want to defrost them.
Cook the beef and vegetables
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. When the oil is hot, almost smoking, add the beef.
- Spread the beef to cover the bottom of the skillet so that it's in a single layer.
- Cook the beef strips for 1½-2 minutes without stirring.
- Flip the beef in sections to brown on the other side and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir the beef and continue browning for 1-2 more minutes until it's no longer pink, and any liquid has cooked out.
- Add the vegetables and the prepared sauce to the skillet. As soon as the sauce starts boiling, lower the heat to medium-low.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables reach the desired tenderness.
- Taste and add salt, if needed. As a reference, we didn't add extra salt to ours.
- Serve the stir fry over white rice or noodles and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Notes
- Use little salt in this recipe since the soy sauce and hoisin sauce both contain a good amount. You can always add more at the end if needed.
- If you're serving the stir fry with rice or noodles, start them first. This dish takes less than 15 minutes from start to finish and requires your full attention.
- Have everything prepped before you start cooking.
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Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
Les
Can I leave the beef tips in the sauce before cooking?
Elizabeth
You can but the sauce will cook out and thicken as you brown the meat so the final dish won't be the same.
Evelyn
I loved making your stir fry it was so easy to make and taste so good. My husband don't usually like food like that but he enjoyed every bite he ate. I will be making it again. Thanks for this recipe.
Elizabeth
Hi Evelyn,
It's my pleasure! Really happy to hear you both enjoyed it.
Helen Mora
It is like this Recipe was Tailor-Made just for Moi!!!
I LOVE Asian Cuisine, and Especially Stir Fry. Unfortunately I have had numerous injuries from Falls, & CDounle Bilateral Carpal Tunnel Surgeries, so I am extremely limited to how long I can stand, and how much Prep Work that I can do. So when I saw this Recipe using Frozen Veggies, OMG the Heaven's Opened Up, & the Angel's began To Sing!!!
Thank You So Very Much is by the way my favorite older Cousin's name, whom I worshipped growing up).
But You, Elizabeth are Truly an Angel sent from Heaven for me to give me this Wonderful Recipe so I can have my Beloved Stir Fry without having to go out & spend too much money, which as a Disabled Senior Citizen who is on a very tight budget Can Splurge and Truly Enjoy & Savor Every Bite of your Magnificent Stir Fry.
So once again, Thank You, Elizabeth for giving me this Wonderful Recipe which is a Gift that I will treasure forever!!! ❤️❤️❤️ ( Which.
Elizabeth
Hi Helen,
Thank you for your very kind comment. It is my pleasure, and makes me very happy to hear that you were able to enjoy the recipe.
Liz
There aren't directions for fresh veggies. Both of the directions sound like frozen veggies. Bag veggies are only available frozen....so yeah.
Elizabeth
Hi Liz,
"If you are using fresh vegetables get the steam-in the-bag variety. Cook them just enough to get them going, half the recommended time on the package should do it." There are steam in the bag fresh vegetables, I get them all the time in the refrigerated section of the produce aisle. Two brands that I know of (and use) are Pero Family Farms and Eat Smart. Perhaps they are not available where you are located but that doesn't mean they don't exist.