This recipe for Szechuan Orange Ginger Beef is an incredibly flavored dish with ginger, soy sauce, garlic, and fresh vegetables.
I sat down with my 12-year old today, random cookbook in hand, and we played a little game. He claimed that he’s happy to eat everything that I make. I laughed and told him that he’s actually getting more picky as he gets older. More often than not, he gripes about what I’m making for dinner.
So with the cookbook in front of me, I flipped to miscellaneous pages and read recipe titles aloud… then watched for his reaction. I’d say about half of them were things he said he’d be happy to try. That didn’t impress me much. I’m not one to cater to my kiddo’s tastes, but I sure wish he’d be more excited about trying a variety of dishes (especially vegetables!). I’ll keep working on him.
Today’s recipe is one that he enjoyed (minus the peppers- UGH!) It’s a stir fry that has a ton of great flavor and color, and it’s one that everyone is the family is likely to eat.
The sauce is a simple Asian orange-ginger sauce. There are some red pepper flakes in there, but don’t be afraid to use them. They don’t spice up the dish that much at all- just added flavor.
This is a simple weeknight dinner recipe to whip up. Cooking the rice takes the longest, so get that going and then start the rest of the meal. The beef is stir fried first, then the veggies and sauce added in and that’s it. I serve ours over steamed brown rice, and we all love it!
Here are a few more stir fry recipes you might enjoy:
Szechuan Orange Ginger Beef
Ingredients
- 2 whole oranges
- ⅔ cup low sodium chicken broth, divided
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 pound beef top round, trimmed and cut into ⅛ x 2 inch slices
- ¾ pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1½ inch lengths
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
- 4 stalks green onions, cut into 2 inch lengths
- 2 tablespoons peeled, grated fresh ginger
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups hot cooked brown rice
Instructions
- Cut thin strips of the rind off one of the oranges with a vegetable peeler. Cut the rind into very thin pieces (about ¼ cup). Squeeze juice from both oranges and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ⅓ cup of the broth, the orange juice, soy sauce, cornstarch and pepper flakes..
- Heat a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles in the pan. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the beef and stir fry until lightly browned, about 4 minutes, then transfer to a plate and cover with foil.
- Add the beans, bell pepper, orange rind, and remaining ⅓ cup of broth to the pan. Cook, covered for 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and add green onions, ginger and garlic. Stir fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Re-whisk the orange juice mixture. Return the beef to the pan along with the orange juice mixture. Stir fry until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 1 minute. Serve over ½ cup rice
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love eating Chinese (ok Chinese American) food for dinner, but as you can imagine, it can get crazy expensive! I love vegetables, so this dinner sounds like a winner to me. Adding to my menu soon.
Lori, this recipe looks delicious. I would be completely satisfied with a big ol’ bowl of beef slathered in a sweet and spicy sauce. Yum!
I am not a mom yet, but I often feed my siblings and they are the worst about veggies! So terrible!
This dish would please everyone though! Asian is always a winner!
Oh my gosh, Lori! This is like my dream dinner. On that note… I’m coming over!
This sounds so good. I know what you mean Lori – my son is going through a “I only eat raw vegetables phase.” Um, a little hard to keep up with that since it’s winter! lol
Beautiful pics, sounds like this was a success. Love the veggie assortment.
The colors and flavors are stunning, chicken! I adore green bean chutney. Thanks to your recipe I am going to try it tonight…
My kids and my husband are picky eaters too. Whenever there is veggies in a meal, it gets shove on the side of the plates. As a mother, we just have to get creative on how to feed them. It is challenging sometime and it stresses me out. Love the photos.