Chinese-Style Beef Fried Rice

Written by
Rhonda Parkinson
Rhonda Parkinson is a freelance writer who has authored many cookbooks, including two Everything guides to Chinese cooking.
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Rhonda Parkinson
Updated 03/02/21
Chinese-Style Beef Fried Rice

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1022 Calories
23g Fat
161g Carbs
38g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 1022
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 29%
Saturated Fat 5g 24%
Cholesterol 271mg 90%
Sodium 367mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 161g 58%
Dietary Fiber 6g 20%
Protein 38g
Calcium 91mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Now you can put your tasty leftovers to good use to make this beef fried recipe or you can start from square one with uncooked ingredients. Either way, you must use cold leftover cooked rice, otherwise, freshly prepared rice will create a gloppy mess.

Flank steak, a tough cut of meat, is traditionally cooked low and slow for many hours using a technique called braising to break down the connective tissue. But in this recipe, it will only get a few minutes of cooking. Marinating will help to tenderize it but it needs to be sliced thinly so it can cook quickly and not toughen up further. In order to do this easily, freeze the steak until it is semi-solid and slice across the grain.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces flank steak (cut into thin strips)
  • For the Marinade:
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons light soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon  Asian sesame oil
  • Pinch white pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
  • For the Rice:
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil (for stir-frying)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
  • 1/2 onion (chopped)
  • 4 cups cold leftover cooked rice
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas (thawed; or fresh peas)
  • 1/4 cup carrot (shredded)
  • 1 1/2 to 2 green onions (also known as scallions or spring onions, finely chopped)

Steps to Make It

Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, this fried rice dish is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and cooking.

Make the Marinade

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    marinade ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. In a large bowl, mix together dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, white pepper, and cornstarch until well combined.

    marinade ingredients in a bowl

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Add the beef, tossing it in the marinade to make sure all sides of the meat are covered. Let stand at room temperature while preparing the rest of the recipe (at least 10 minutes).

    beef and marinade in a bowl

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Make the Rice

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Chinese-Style Beef Fried Rice ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Lightly beat the egg with the salt and set aside.

    beat egg in a bowl

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Heat a wok on high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the peanut or vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Stir-fry for a few seconds until aromatic.

    garlic in a pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Then add the onion. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until it starts to brown and soften.

    onions and garlic cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Add the beef and let brown briefly, then stir-fry until it changes color.

    beef cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of peanut or vegetable oil in the wok. Reduce the heat to medium.

    beef cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Add the rice, stirring and turning it over with a spatula to heat through and break up any clumps.

    rice and beef cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  8. Add the peas and shredded carrot, stirring to combine.

    add carrots and peas to the beef and rice mixture

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  9. Make room in one corner of the wok and pour in the beaten egg.

    add egg to the beef and rice mixture

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  10. Scramble the egg and then combine with the fried rice.

    fried rice cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  11. Stir in the chopped green onion. Do a taste test and add a bit more salt and/or pepper if desired.

    Chinese-Style Beef Fried Rice in a pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Recipe Variations

There are so many ways to prepare fried rice, they are limited only by your imagination.

  • Consider using chicken, pork, shrimp, crab, or scallops in place of beef.
  • Cooked meats and vegetables can be added at the end and just warmed up a bit so they don't become overcooked.
  • Asian vegetables like pea pods, bamboo shoots, and bean sprouts make crunchy and tasty additions to fried rice.

Tip

  • Serve this fried recipe as a main course or as just one of a multi-dish feast including, perhaps, egg foo yung, sweet-and-sour shrimp, and homemade fortune or almond cookies for dessert.