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    Home » Recipes » Asian Food

    Orange Beef

    Published: May 27, 2020 · Modified: Mar 3, 2021 by Elizabeth · Leave a Comment

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    Two images of the dish with white text on black block in the center that reads orange beef. The image used for pinterest.

    This orange beef is a take-out classic that’s quick and easy to make at home. It’s made with thinly sliced beef and a simple, sweet and tangy orange sauce.

    Like this orange chicken, orange beef only takes about 30 minutes to make, including the prep work. Actually, most Asian-inspired favorites are quick and easy, this beef and broccoli and beef and vegetable stir fry both come together in no-time.

    The orange beef garnished with orange zest, sesame seeds and sliced green onions and served in a rectangular, white platter.

    This site contains affiliate links to products. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Finding quick and easy recipes is important if you want to serve your family home-cooked meals. Asian inspired take-out favorites are great for this.

    Put together an Asian food pantry that you go-to on busy nights. Items like soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sesame seeds and hoisin sauce can be used to make a variety of dishes. If you have what you need on hand, you’re more likely to start on dinner and skip the take out.

    What cut of meat to use

    To make this orange beef we’re going to start with an affordable cut of meat, slice it super thin, coat it in flour and cornstarch and pan fry it until cooked and crispy.

    In this recipe we use flank steak. Flank is a lean, firm cut of beef that’s comes from the abdominal muscle. It’s flavorful, but rather tough and has a pronounced grain. Slice the meat across the grain to increase tenderness.

    If you don’t have flank steak, skirt steak (also slice across the grain) and sirloin make good alternatives.

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup Orange Juice, fresh squeezed is best – about 2-3 oranges depending on how juicy they are
    • ¼ cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
    • 3 tablespoons Orange Marmalade
    • 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon Ginger Powder
    • 1 Garlic Clove, grated or minced
    • ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper, optional – leave it out if you don’t like spicy
    • 3 tablespoons Canola Oil, or use your favorite oil but choose one with a high smoke point
    • 1 pound Flank Meat, trimmed and cut into thin slices
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
    • 1½ tablespoon Flour

    You will also need

    • Large re-sealable plastic bag

    Optional garnishes

    • Sesame Seeds
    • Sliced Green Onions
    • Orange Zest
    The ingredients for the orange beef arranged on a wood cutting board.

    Prep Work

    There’s not a lot of prep work required with this dish. Just make the orange sauce and slice the meat, that’s it!

    If you’re serving the orange beef with white rice, noodles or vegetables, make sure to get them started first. This dish takes about 20 minutes to make so we want to get any sides going before we start cooking.

    How to make the orange sauce

    This orange sauce is delicious! It’s a sweet and savory sauce made with fresh squeezed orange juice, orange marmalade, vinegar, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and red pepper flakes for a little zing.

    Cook’s note: Zest the orange before juicing if you plan on using it as garnish. Use a zester to make quick work of this.

    Juice the oranges. We used 2 large, extremely sweet and juicy, navel oranges to get ½ cup of orange juice. How many oranges you will need depends on how juicy they are. You can use bottled orange juice, but fresh squeezed really does make a difference.

    Use a microplane to grate the garlic, or mince it finely.

    Add the orange juice, soy sauce, orange marmalade, rice vinegar, ginger powder, garlic and crushed red pepper (if using) to a jar or a medium bowl.

    A green tablespoon adding orange marmalade to a glass canning jar.

    I like using canning jars to make sauces, dressings and marinades. They’re washable, reusable and convenient. If you make the sauce ahead of time, you can cover the jar tightly with a lid and refrigerate until ready to use.

    Cover and shake the jar, or stir the sauce with a fork or small whisk until well combined. Give the sauce a good stir right before using too.

    The orange sauce, which is a reddish-brown color in a canning jar displayed on a wood cutting board.

    Prepare the beef

    • Pat the meat dry with a paper towel.
    • Cut the steak into thin slices working against the grain.
    • Sprinkle the steak with the salt.
    • Add the cornstarch and flour to a large, re-sealable plastic bag. Add the sliced beef to the bag and seal it tightly leaving air inside the bag.
    • Shake the bag from side to side and up and down to coat the steak with the cornstarch and flour. Massage the bag a bit to separate the pieces and shake the bag again. Do this several times.

    Cook the beef

    We want to fry the steak slices in batches so that we don’t overcrowd the pan and the beef gets and nice crispy crust. Two batches should be enough.

    Heat the oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add half of the beef.

    Beef slices that are coated in flour and cornstarch arranged in a black, non-stick skillet.

    Arrange them in a single layer and cook 2-3 minutes. Use tongs to turn each piece and cook another 1-2 minutes, or until the steak pieces are a nice golden-brown color.

    Beef slices that have been cooked until golden-brown in a black non-stick skillet.

    Remove the steak from the skillet. Use tongs or a slotted spoon and set them on a plate or pan. Fry the rest of the meat following the same steps.

    When all of the beef is cooked through, lower the heat on the skillet to medium-low.

    If there is a pool of oil in the skillet, drain it but do not wash or wipe the pan. Add the prepared orange sauce and bring it to a simmer. Cook the sauce for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

    Add the beef to the sauce and cook 2-3 minutes or until it’s coated and the sauce thickens. Stir often and keep the sauce at a simmer. If it starts boiling too vigorously, lower the heat a bit.

    Garnish the orange beef with orange zest, sesame seeds and sliced green onions, if desired.

    A close up image of the orange beef garnished with orange zest, sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

    Serve the orange beef on a bed of white rice, noodles or with a side of steamed vegetables for a delicious meal your family will really enjoy!

    You may also like these take-out inspired recipes:

    • Stir Fry Sauce
    • Asian Chicken Skewers
    • Shrimp and Vegetable Stir Fry
    • Bacon and Eggs Fried Rice
    • Shrimp Lo Mein
    • Chicken Fried Rice
    • Asian Marinated Pork Tenderloin
    • Orange Glazed Pork Chops
    Orange beef garnished with orange zest, sesame seeds and sliced green onions and served in a rectangular, white platter.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Orange Beef

    This orange beef is a take-out classic that’s quick and easy to make at home. It’s made with thinly sliced beef and a simple, sweet and tangy orange sauce.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Total Time35 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Asian
    Keyword: beef, beef recipes, orange sauce, take-out
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 336kcal
    Author: Elizabeth

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup Orange Juice fresh squeezed is best – about 2-3 oranges depending on how juicy they are
    • ¼ cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
    • 3 tablespoons Orange Marmalade
    • 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon Ginger Powder
    • 1 Garlic Clove grated or minced
    • ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper optional – leave it out if you don’t like spicy
    • 3 tablespoons Canola Oil or use your favorite oil but choose something with a high smoke point
    • 1 pound Flank Meat trimmed and cut into thin slices
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
    • 1½ tablespoon Flour

    Instructions

    • You will also need: Large re-sealable plastic bag
    • Optional garnishes: sesame seeds, sliced green onions, orange zest
    • Add the orange juice, soy sauce, orange marmalade, rice vinegar, ginger powder, garlic and crushed red pepper (if using) to a jar or a medium bowl. Stir well to combine. Give the sauce a good stir right before using too.
    • Pat the meat dry with a paper towel. Cut the steak into thin slices working against the grain. Sprinkle the beef with the salt.
    • Add the cornstarch and flour to a large, re-sealable plastic bag. Add the sliced beef and seal it tightly leaving air inside the bag. Shake the bag from side to side and up and down to coat the steak. Massage the bag a bit to separate the pieces and shake again. Do this several times.
    • Heat the oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add half of the beef.
    • Arrange the beef in a single layer and cook 2-3 minutes. Use tongs to turn each piece and cook another 1-2 minutes, or until the steak pieces are a nice golden-brown color.
    • Remove the steak from the skillet. Use tongs or a slotted spoon and set them on a plate or pan.
    • Fry the rest of the meat following the same steps.
    • When all of the beef is cooked through lower the heat to medium-low. If there is a pool of oil in the skillet, drain it but do not wash or wipe the pan.
    • Add the prepared sauce and bring it to a simmer. Cook the sauce for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
    • Add the beef to the sauce and cook 2-3 minutes or until the beef is coated and the sauce thickens. Stir often and keep it at a simmer. If it starts boiling too vigorously, lower the heat a bit.
    • Garnish the orange beef with orange zest, sesame seeds and sliced green onions, if desired.

    Video

    Notes

    • Zest the orange before juicing if you plan on using it as garnish.
    • If you don’t have flank meat, skirt steak (also slice across the grain) and sirloin make good alternatives.
    • If you’re serving the orange beef with white rice, noodles or vegetables, get them started before you start cooking.
    • Fry the steak slices in batches so the pan is not overcrowded and the beef gets and crispy crust.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 893mg | Potassium: 477mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 99IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg
    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.

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    Hi, I’m Elizabeth! welcome to Cook2eatwell. Food is my favorite subject; I like to cook food, talk about food, write about food, and most importantly, eat food. Lucky for me, my husband Eddie feels the same way. 

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