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This easy recipe for Korean beef is ready in 30 minutes, making it ideal for a weeknight dinner.
There's no need to marinate the beef! Simply stir-fry it, add the tasty sauce, and serve.
I love the flavors of Korean cooking and make this recipe often, but not just because of its flavor. It's also a truly easy recipe (Another good one, and a variation on this recipe, is Korean ground beef).
I regularly make stir-fry recipes, including steak stir-fry, chicken stir-fry, pork stir-fry, shrimp stir-fry, and beef and broccoli. But these require prepping vegetables, which is time-consuming. When pressed for time, I appreciate how easy and quick this Korean beef recipe is.
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- Ingredients
- Variations
- Korean Beef Instructions
- Expert Tip
- Recipe FAQs
- Serving Suggestions
- Storing Leftovers
- More Beef Recipes
- Foodie Newsletter
- Recipe Card
Ingredients
Here's an overview of the ingredients needed to make this recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
- Soy sauce: I use reduced-sodium soy sauce in most of my recipes. You can use a gluten-free alternative.
- Honey: Adds just a touch of sweetness. Even with the honey, a serving of this recipe only has 9 grams of carbs. But you can use a sugar-free alternative if you wish.
- Cornstarch: Helps to thicken the sauce without adding too many carbs since I only use 1 tablespoon.
- Spices: Crushed red peppers, garlic, and ginger.
- Avocado oil: This neutral-tasting cooking oil has a high smoke point.
- Top sirloin: You can splurge and use beef tenderloin, which is more tender but also more expensive.
- For garnish: Green onions, sesame seeds, and sesame oil.
Variations
- You can make this dish extra spicy by increasing the crushed red peppers to a full teaspoon.
- I sometimes make this recipe with refined coconut oil or ghee instead of avocado oil. I especially like ghee - it's very flavorful.
- You can replace the green onions with chopped chives. They are milder in flavor.
Korean Beef Instructions
Here are the basic steps for making this recipe. The detailed instructions are listed in the recipe card below.
- You start by whisking together a sauce made with soy sauce and honey (Photo 1).
- Next, slice the beef. (Photo 2).
- Brown the beef in avocado oil, then add garlic and ginger. Add the sauce and cook until it thickens. (Photo 3-4).
- Garnish the dish with green onions, sesame seeds, and sesame oil. Then serve! (Photos 5-6).
Expert Tip
Top sirloin is appropriate for this recipe because it's lean. While it's not super tender, it's not overly tough, so you can avoid marinating it.
You can splurge on tenderloin, which is very tender but expensive. I almost always go with top sirloin.
Do make sure, however, that you're getting top sirloin. Bottom sirloin is tough and won't work in this recipe.
To make this recipe as easy as can be, you can buy pre-sliced beef strips such as those sold by Whole Foods, U.S. Wellness Meats, or Wild Fork Foods. If they are frozen, you will need to fully thaw them before using them in this recipe.
Recipe FAQs
Should I marinate the beef before cooking?
No! There's no need to marinate it if you use a tender cut such as top sirloin or tenderloin.
Can I use sesame oil to cook the meat?
It depends. Refined sesame oil is OK to use in stir-fry recipes. But dark or toasted sesame oil is appropriate as a finishing oil, not a cooking oil.
Can I omit the honey?
You could, but I like how it balances out the other flavors. You can use just one tablespoon of it or a sugar-free syrup.
Serving Suggestions
Traditionally, you would serve this dish on a bed of white rice. I serve it on top of cauliflower rice, adding a vegetable to this dish. You can also mix it into cooked shirataki noodles, zucchini noodles, or spaghetti squash noodles.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
This is one of those dishes that keeps quite well. Just make sure you reheat it gently - you don't want to dry out the meat.
More Beef Recipes
- Beef and Broccoli
- Easy Beef Stroganoff
- Steak Stir-Fry
- Korean Ground Beef
Recipe Card
4.97 from 85 votes
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Korean Beef
This easy Korean beef is ready in about 30 minutes. There's no need to marinate the meat! Simply stir-fry, add the tasty sauce, and serve.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Korean
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 301kcal
Author: Vered DeLeeuw
Ingredients
Sauce:
- ⅓ cup reduced sodium soy sauce (or use a gluten-free alternative)
- 2 tablespoons honey*
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon crushed red peppers
Stir-fry:
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 lb. top sirloin cut into strips
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root minced
Topping:
- ¼ cup green onions green parts only, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced beef. Stir-fry the beef until browned, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 1 more minute.
Add the soy sauce mixture. Reduce the heat to medium and stir-fry until the beef is well coated and the sauce has thickened, for about 2 minutes.
Turn the heat off. Spoon the meat and the pan juices into plates or bowls. Top with the green onions and sesame seeds, drizzle with the sesame oil and serve.
Video
Notes
*You can try replacing the honey with a sugar-free liquid sweetener. I haven't tried it myself, though.
To make this recipe as easy as can be, I like to use pre-sliced top sirloin (sold in trays and marked as "beef for stir fry"). Of course, it's fine to simply buy top sirloin steaks and slice them yourself. Top sirloin is appropriate for this recipe because it's lean, and while it's not super tender, it's also not overly tough. So you can get away with not marinating it. Do make sure, however, that you're getting top sirloin. Bottom sirloin is tough and won't work in this recipe.
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
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Nutrition per Serving
Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 610mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 6g
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Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
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About the Author
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. Click to learn more about Vered.
