{"id":86362,"date":"2025-06-01T01:23:23","date_gmt":"2025-06-01T05:23:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thewoksoflife.com\/?p=86362"},"modified":"2025-06-01T01:06:26","modified_gmt":"2025-06-01T05:06:26","slug":"ginger-beef","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewoksoflife.com\/ginger-beef\/","title":{"rendered":"Ginger Beef"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This ginger beef recipe, with crispy coated beef, a gingery, lightly sweet sauce, and caramelized ginger is a delicious restaurant-style meal that will make you wonder how you pulled it off in your own kitchen! Easy to make and impressive, this dish has a pleasant ginger flavor that isn\u2019t overpowering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Origins of Ginger Beef <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ginger Beef isn\u2019t a dish you see too often in the U.S., because it\u2019s more well-known as a Canadian Chinese dish! It is said to have originated in Calgary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a Chinese precedent, \u59dc\u725b\u8089 – ji\u0101ng ni\u00far\u00f2u in Mandarin or geung gnau yuk in Cantonese, which often uses young ginger, which is milder and sweeter. The young ginger is added to the dish in larger quantities, almost as a vegetable!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ginger enjoys a warm, humid environment, so we\u2019re pretty sure it wasn\u2019t growing readily in Calgary. As such, this version uses regular \u201cold ginger\u201d which you can find in any grocery store. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It sort of reminds us of Mongolian Beef\u2014another North American dish that doesn\u2019t have much to do with Mongolia, and that you\u2019d be hard pressed to find in China. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sauce is sweet (my version goes lighter on the sugar, however) and savory. I added minced ginger as well as caramelized julienned pieces of it to create a gingery flavor without it being TOO gingery. Some versions include vegetables like peppers and onions, but that felt too close to Pepper Steak<\/a> for me, so I left them out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our famous Mongolian Beef<\/a> is beloved by so many of our readers. If you\u2019ve made that recipe and loved it, think of this dish as a tasty, gingery riff on it! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Let\u2019s cook! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ginger Beef Recipe Instructions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Add the sliced flank steak to a medium bowl, and add the marinade ingredients (the cornstarch, neutral oil, oyster sauce, water, and baking soda). Mix well, and marinate for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"marinated<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In a liquid measuring cup, mix all the sauce ingredients together\u2014the water, light brown sugar, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, and minced ginger. Set aside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Add the cornstarch to a shallow dish, and dredge the marinated beef slices in the cornstarch until thoroughly coated, placing the dredged beef on a clean plate or sheet pan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"dredging<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Heat the neutral oil in a wok over high heat. Just before the oil starts to smoke, spread half the flank steak pieces evenly in the wok. Sear for 1-2 minutes on each side, until you have a crispy coating. I found \u00bc cup was enough for my 14-inch wok. If you have a larger wok, you may need a tablespoon or two more to properly fry the beef. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"dredged<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"crispy<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Remove the beef from the wok, leaving any oil behind, and repeat with the remaining beef. Turn off the heat and transfer the beef to a plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch Us cook this recipe! <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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