Orange Beef

This Orange Beef stir fry is a fantastic quick and easy dinner where tender strips of sirloin steak and crisp green beans are cooked in a flavorful citrusy sauce. On the table in just 25 minutes.

Easy Orange Beef Recipe

We love a stir fry with the perfect balance of savory, salty, tangy, and sweet. This Orange Beef is exactly that made with fresh, simple ingredients including tender beef, crisp charred green beans, aromatics, and a rich, umami orange sauce.

The flavors are deep and complex, but the dish itself is so quick and easy to make in under 30 minutes. We enjoy this dish at least once a month for an effortless dinner.

Ingredients Needed

This orange beef stir fry incorporates savory soy sauce, sweet brown sugar, and other traditional Asian flavors.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)

• Orange juice and zest – Fresh orange juice and zest add the bright, citrusy flavor.
• Rice vinegar – This adds that characteristic stir fry tang.
• Brown sugar – Some sweetness to balance out the acidic orange juice and vinegar.
• Soy sauce – Low-sodium to cut down on salt levels.
• Chili garlic sauce – It’s hot and tangy, with a punch of garlic. Adds flavor and a tiny bit of heat.
• Ginger – Freshly grated for wonderful aromatics and flavor.
• Cornstarch – To thicken the sauce.
• Sesame oil – Toasted sesame oil is used to sauté the beef and green beans. It adds an extra layer of flavor, instead of using vegetable oil and gives the sauce authentic Chinese stir fry flavor.
• Green beans – Ends cut, trimmed into 1 & 1/2-inch pieces. (Feel free to swap with some snap peas, asparagus, or broccoli. Note that the cooking time might need to be increased.)
• Beef sirloin – Beef sirloin is my first choice and go-to when choosing beef for stir fries. It’s lean, cooks quickly, and remains tender. Sliced very thin across the grain and then into 2-inch wide pieces.
• Seasoning – Salt and pepper.
• Scallions – These mild onions have a subtle peppery taste and are great in stir fry.

How to Make Chinese Orange Beef

One of my favorite things about this orange beef recipe is how quick and easy it is to make in just 25 minutes! Here’s a summary.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)

1. Make the sauce. Whisk together the orange zest, orange juice, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, ginger, and cornstarch.
2. Sauté the green beans. Cook the green beans in a bit of sesame oil in a hot nonstick skillet until charred and crisp-tender. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.
3. Brown the sirloin. Pat the beef dry, season with a bit of salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet, spreading the pieces out in an even layer as best you can. Let cook, without stirring, for 1 minute. Then give it a toss and transfer to the bowl with the green beans.
4. Add the sauce mixture. Give the orange juice mixture a swirl and add it to the skillet; cook scraping up any brown bits, until thickened.
5. Combine and serve. Add sirloin and green beans back into the skillet, along with any accumulated juices, and the scallions; toss to coat. Serve over cooked hot rice and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

• Slice beef across the grain. Slice thinly across (not with) the grain of your beef. This helps break down the fibers and make it tender.
• Add beef to a very hot skillet. This allows it to get a good sear and lock in the juices.
• Avoid over-crowding the pan. Over-crowding the meat will cool off the pan faster and also steam the beef instead of sear it.
• Don’t overcook the beef. Overcooking the beef will make it tough and hard to chew. In this recipe, the beef is cut into thin strips and seared for only a minute, then transferred to a plate, and added back in with the sauce to finish cooking.

Serving Suggestions

We enjoy stir fry over cooked white rice to soak up the delicious sauce. If you want a lower carb dinner option, brown rice or cauliflower rice are also great options. When it comes to side dishes, my go-to’s for any Asian stir fry are always egg rolls and crab rangoon. Just like takeout!

Proper Storage

• Fridge. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Freezer. Allow to cool completely, then store in an airtight freezer-safe container. It will keep up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating, keeping in mind that cooked frozen and thawed vegetables tend to have a mushy texture.
• Reheat. Reheat portions in the microwave until warmed through.

More Quick Stir Fry Recipes:

• Beef Stir Fry
• Korean Ground Beef
• Chicken Stir Fry
• Cashew Chicken
• Beef & Broccoli Ramen Stir Fry

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!

Orange Beef

5 from 12 Ratings

This Orange Beef stir fry is a fantastic quick and easy dinner where tender strips of sirloin steak and crisp green beans are cooked in a flavorful citrusy sauce. On the table in just 25 minutes.

Print Recipe Rate Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• zest from a small orange
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 3/4 pound fresh green beans , ends cut, trimmed into 2-inch pieces
• salt and pepper , to taste
• 1 & 1/2 pounds sirloin sliced very thin across the grain and then into 2-inch wide pieces
• 2 scallions , diced
• cooked white rice , for serving

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange zest, orange juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, ginger, and cornstarch.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium-high. Add the green beans and sauté for about 4 minutes until charred and crisp-tender. With a slotted spoon, transfer them to a large bowl.
• Make sure the skillet is still hot. Pat the sirloin dry with paper towels and season with a bit of salt and pepper; add to the skillet, spreading the pieces out in a single layer as best you can; let cook, without stirring, for 1 minute. Give it a toss and transfer to the bowl with the green beans.
• Give the orange juice mixture a quick stir to reincorporate the ingredients, then add it to the skillet; cook scraping up any brown bits, until thickened, about 2 minutes.
• Add the sirloin and green beans back into the skillet, along with any accumulated juices, and the scallions; toss to coat. Serve over cooked rice and enjoy.

Notes

Slice beef across the grain. Slice thinly across (not with) the grain of your beef. This helps break down the fibers and make it tender.

Add beef to a very hot skillet. This allows it to get a good sear and lock in the juices.

Avoid over-crowding the pan. Over-crowding the meat will cool off the pan faster and also steam the beef instead of sear it.

Don’t overcook the beef. Overcooking the beef will make it tough and hard to chew. In this recipe, the beef is cut into thin strips and seared for only a minute, then transferred to a plate, and added back in with the sauce to finish cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 518mg | Potassium: 891mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 709IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

Other Notes

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: orange beef, orange beef recipe, orange beef stir fry

Did you make this recipe?Snap a picture and mention @bellyfullblog!