Spicy Chinese Beef and Shiitake Mushroom Fakeaway Stir Fry
Chinese beef and shiitake mushroom stir fry is a quick and easy fakeaway recipe that is way quicker than your local delivery and just as tasty.
When I say quick, this stir-fry recipe takes around 10 minutes to prepare and about the same again to cook, which means dinner's ready in a real hurry!
Beef and Shiitake Mushroom Stir Fry
You can't amble far through my website without stumbling across a Chinese fakeaway recipe.
Spending 13 years living in the middle of nowhere gave me plenty of time to work on both my recipes and techniques.
I have everything from hot and sour soup, vegetarian mushroom chow mein recipe, quick kung po prawns, Shanghai chicken and Chinese chicken and mushrooms to Chinese spare ribs.
This beef and shiitake mushroom recipe is incredibly quick; you can take this from cupboard to table in 15 minutes if pushed. But take your time, and your dinner is served in just 20 minutes.
It is sweet, sour, salty and spicy; it features all the flavours you expect from a good fakeaway dinner.
It is also quicker, cheaper and tastes every bit as good as your local takeaway.
If you like beefy Chinese-style fakeaway recipes, check out my beef and broccoli stir fry, black pepper beef, beef in black bean sauce, Chinese beef curry and Szechuan beef recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cut of beef should I use?
As I mentioned in the recipe, I usually use sirloin or rump steak because I think they offer a nice balance of price, taste, and tenderness.
But you could use everything from fillet, the most expensive and least flavourful but most tender, to skirt or flank, the cheapest and least tender but most flavourful.
We do marinate the beef with cornflour and soy, which helps a little. But that is not enough to break down a tough cut of meat.
What does cutting "across the grain" mean?
Cutting the beef against or across the grain means that you cut perpendicular to the way that the muscle fibres run.
By doing this, you are shortening those fibres; as a result, the beef feels more tender!
Can I use other types of mushrooms?
Yes, absolutely, I've made this beef and mushroom stir fry with everything from king oyster mushrooms to portobello mushrooms and chestnut mushrooms to regular old button mushrooms.
They all work perfectly.
Why are you not using the stalks of the mushrooms?
The stalks of shiitake mushrooms can be tough and woody when they are quickly cooked. I will usually freeze them and throw them into soups or stews later.
Can I cook this in advance?
I honestly would not bother; this recipe cooks in just 10 minutes, which is not a great deal longer than it would take to reheat well.
You can do all of the preparation hours in advance, though.
Serving Suggestions
I've served this Chinese beef and shiitake mushroom stir fry with some plain steamed rice in these images, but there is a whole world of fakeaway sides that this works well with.
Sticking with rice, the obvious alternative is egg fried rice or special fried rice if you really want to push the boat out.
Noodles also make a great side to this dish, and a plain chow mein would probably be my first choice, but this cold soba noodle salad would be awesome too.
If you want to increase the veggies and add some greens, how about a simple asparagus stir fry or stir-fried broccoli?
Equipment Used
I only mention brands of equipment if I think that 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.
- Kitchen knife.
- Chopping board.
- Mixing bowls.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- A combination of weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
Chinese Beef and Shiitake Mushroom Fakeaway Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g Beef 10oz (I usually use rump or sirloin steak)
- 100 g Shiitake Mushrooms ¾-1 Cup
- 3-4 Spring Onions
- 2 Red Chilli Peppers (go as hot or mild as you like)
- 1 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
- 2 teaspoon Cornflour (cornstarch in the US)
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 2 tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing Wine
- 2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
Instructions
- Slice the steak into thin strips 2-3mm (⅛") wide across the grain of the beef.
- Combine the soy sauces with the cornflour, add the thinly sliced beef and allow to marinate whilst you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Cut the white part of the spring onions into 1cm (½") pieces and finely slice the green parts.
- Peel and slice the garlic cloves as thinly as you can.
- Deseed and finely slice the chilli peppers lengthways.
- Remove the stalks from the mushrooms and finely slice the caps. We are only using the caps here.
- Combine the Hoisin sauce, Shaoxing wine and sesame oil in a bowl and set aside.
- Heat a wok over a high heat and when it is shimmering hot, add half of the cooking oil. Fry the shiitake mushrooms and white parts of the spring onions for 2 minutes, then remove and set aside.
- Pour in the remaining oil and stir fry the chilli strands and garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
- Throw in the beef with marinade and fry for a couple of minutes.
- Pour in the hoisin sauce mix, return the mushrooms and spring onions and cook for 60 seconds.
- Throw in the green parts of the spring onion, fry for a final 30 seconds and serve.
This is absolutely delicious - I used ends of a beef fillet which had been reduced, still cost me £7.00 but was worth every penny!
Stonking.
Glad you enjoyed it Neville!
That looks so delicious and flavorful! My husband is a big fan of mushrooms and would love to try out this dish for him.
Oh my goodness this looks good! I just happen to have all the ingredients on hand too - I'll be making this soon!
This stir fry looks so colorful and tempting! Beef and mushrooms is such a delicious combination! Would definitely try this recipe soon!
This looks like a brilliant quick midweek meal but so full of flavour too. I really need to look out for some shiitake mushrooms next time I'm shopping.
This looks and sounds delicious! I could dive right into my screen!! Gorgeous photos!
I cooked this tonight and my husband and I loved it. Thanks a lot, Brian!
Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
That looks so delicious and flavorful! My husband is a big fan of mushrooms and would love to try out this dish for him.
Thanks Priya, hope he enjoys it.
Oh my goodness this looks good! I just happen to have all the ingredients on hand too - I'll be making this soon!
I like it when that happens 😀 Enjoy!
This stir fry looks so colorful and tempting! Beef and mushrooms is such a delicious combination! Would definitely try this recipe soon!
Enjoy 🙂
This looks like a brilliant quick midweek meal but so full of flavour too. I really need to look out for some shiitake mushrooms next time I'm shopping.
They seem really popular here now, but you can cook this with preserved shiitake mushroom too 🙂
This looks and sounds delicious! I could dive right into my screen!! Gorgeous photos!
Thanks Michelle.
I love recipes like this - super easy and super tasty! Totally perfect for a busy weeknight! And I'm a big fan of shiitake mushrooms too 🙂
Definitely a quick one, beats the delivery dude every time 😀
Anything with beef and mushrooms is a winner as far as I'm concerned. Thanks for sharing.!
Me too a perfect combination and so versatile, whether old school European or full on Asian it just kinda works!
Love the earthiness these mushrooms bring to the dish. Perfect combination of flavours. Nice for a weeknight dinner. Makes the perfect leftovers too.
Gloria, wash your mouth out with soap, left overs... Some people 😉 😀 Just kidding thank you 🙂
This looks wonderful! Shitake mushrooms are great for adding meatiness to a dish.
Thanks Jemma, they certainly are 🙂
I've never eaten Shiitake mushrooms :O I can never see them in my local stories! And seriously - who WOULD order takeout when you can make something like this beautiful looking dish??
I am quite surprised one of our local store has been stocking them, not exactly your traditional Hungarian ingredient... However I have been making this disg for years with chestnut mushrooms and it still works exceptionally well.
Why would anyone order takeout when you can make something as delicious as this? It looks delicious and I wish I could eat it through the screen.
I reckon I would still order take out on a lazy movie night if the nearest takeaway place wasn't 100km away 😮 But you are right it would definitely be a rarity!