Beef in Oyster Sauce Stir Fry Fakeaway

Beef in oyster sauce stir fry is an evergreen Chinese takeaway dish; this one has lots of onions and goes from fridge to table in 15 minutes!

Soft and tender, thinly sliced and quickly cooked beef steak is the star of this simple recipe that will have you ditching those takeaway menus.

Chinese Takeaway Steak Stir Fry in Oyster Sauce

Before my love of British Indian food really took hold, my idea of the perfect indulgence would have been a Chinese takeaway.

Growing up, I would have had one of two things: either chicken chow mein or beef with oyster sauce. We did not have a lot of money, so takeaways were a treat and choosing beef was even more so!

This recipe is really simple and relies on ingredients that I pretty much always have at home.

It is incredibly quick and joins other classic Chinese takeaway recipes like dan dan noodles, pork yuk sung, beef and broccoli stir fry, stir-fried black pepper beef, the wonderfully named dragon chicken and szechuan chicken in my lineup of takeaway recipes.

All are far easier and quicker to make than you think, and none of them takes longer than 25 minutes from start to finish!

They also use a similar foundation of store cupboard ingredients.

Light and dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, rice wine and some form of Chinese vinegar.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of beef should I use?

I have tested this recipe with 3 different cuts of beef.

My favourite is rump steak, and it is what this video and the images on this page feature. I think it has the most wonderful flavour and is more than tender enough when cross-cut and cooked quickly.

The next cut that I suggest would be sirloin, it has a little less flavour than rump. But it is slightly more tender. This is the cut that I recommend for my chilli beef stir fry with noodles.

Finally, flank or skirt steak, both offer more flavour than either of the first two options, but are less tender; it is the cut of beef that I prefer for my sticky crispy chilli beef.

Is there an alternative to Shaoxing wine?

You could use any rice wine as a substitute for Shaoxing wine.

Other popular substitutions are sherry, mirin (which I think is too sweet) and sake. However, my personal recommendation would be gin, especially in dishes with meat or fish.

I am always disappointed with my stir-fries. What am I doing wrong?

I suspect that the issue is heat; your wok needs to be fiercely hot, and it needs to be hot all of the time. As a result, keep that heat turned up, keep the ingredients moving and do not overcrowd the wok!

To help you keep on top of this, make sure ALL of your ingredients are prepared in advance and sauces measured out. You absolutely do not have time to do this when you start cooking.

An important note for US-based visitors!

I am informed that rump steak is often called sirloin steak in the US and that sirloin steak is often called short loin.

Serving Suggestions.

As with most of my simple fakeaway meals, I ordinarily serve this steak in an oyster sauce dish over boiled rice, although egg fried rice would also be great!

Aside from the garnish and lots of fried onions, this recipe is very light on vegetables.

As a result, the perfect pairing with it would be some veggies. Either my broccoli stir fry or stir fried asparagus would be perfect.

This quick 10-minute bok choi recipe would be another ideal side dish!

Equipment Used

I only mention brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/Stovetop.
• Wok, I use a large carbon steel wok.
• Mixing and prep bowls.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and or spoons.