This quick and easy Chinese Orange Beef boasts perfectly balanced flavors and can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes on the stove top with basic pantry ingredients. It’s a great week-night dinner that’s even faster than take-out! Serve it with white rice or another favorite grain and a vegetable side for an easy dinner everyone will love.
Ingredients Needed
- zest of one orange
- fresh orange juice
- dark brown sugar
- rice vinegar
- soy sauce
- Asian chili sauce
- fresh ginger
- cornstarch
- vegetable oil
- flank steak – one steak that weights about 1.5 pounds. We’re using flank steak here and since we need it cut super thin, it really helps to pop it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before you cut it. You don’t want it completely frozen through, just firm enough to add some resistance so you can slice it as thin as possible. Make sure to cut your steak “across the grain” for a tender bite. See this post if you’d like a more detailed description of that process.
- green onions
- hot white or brown rice – for serving
How to Make Quick and Easy Chinese Orange Beef
This is a simple overview of the recipe, you’ll find a full printable recipe below!
- Whisk together the sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Brown the beef in batches in a lightly oiled skillet, then transfer to a bowl.
- Add the sauce to the skillet and cook until thickened.
- Return beef to the pan, toss to coat, and serve over rice with green onions.
Storage & Other Tips
- Allow any leftovers to cool briefly, then store in an airtight container within two hours. It stays safe and flavorful in the fridge for 3 – 5 days.
- To reheat, you can pop it in the microwave, but for best results, I love to reheat it on teh stovetop. I find it has a better texture!
Frequently Asked Questions
We highly recommend it. It’s lean but filled with flavor, takes to sauce well, and cooks quickly. We know it’s more pricey, but this meal is worth it.
Cooking in batches ensures the beef browns properly and prevents the pan from steaming. It also gives you room to reduce the sauce without over-crowding.
We recommend fresh, as nothing can match it’s brightness. Bottled juice can work, just keep in mind the flavor may be sweeter and less vibrant.
Yes, somewhat. You can mix the sauce and thin the beef ahead of time to make sure it comes together as quickly as possible. If you’re preparing it fully ahead, reheat it gently on the stovetop to keep a nice texture to the sauce.
Quick and Easy Chinese Orange Beef
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 teaspoons grated orange zest I just zest 1 whole orange
- ½ cup fresh orange juice
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Asian chili sauce
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- vegetable oil for pan
- 1 ½ pounds flank steak trimmed and sliced thin across grain and lightly sprinkled with salt and pepper (to clarify: that’s one steak, that weighs about 1.5 pounds)
- 3-4 green onions sliced
- hot white or brown rice for serving
Instructions
- Whisk orange zest and orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, chili sauce, ginger, and cornstarch together in a bowl.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Drizzle pan with oil and tilt to coat. Add half of beef, breaking up any clumps and let cook without stirring for one minute. Stir beef and continue to cook until browned, about 2 minutes; transfer to a bowl and cover. Repeat with remaining beef and transfer to bowl.
- Whisk sauce to recombine, add to now-empty skillet, and cook over medium heat until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Return cooked beef, with any accumulated juices, to skillet and toss to combine. Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.
Questions & Reviews
This recipe is so delicious!!! My husband and I loved it!
Okay, I’m late to the party, but this recipe is amazing! I had a whole box of oranges I need to get through so this recipe was appealing. I used sirloin because it was on sale. I cut it into strips like the recipe said (partially frozen) and barely seared them in my very hot wok to make sure I didn’t overcook it. I was blown away by how good this tasted with relatively simple ingredients. We loved it! I will definitely make this again. Soooo much better than take out!
So delish!!! I added a pound of stir fry veggies right into the sauce with the meat and it was fantastic!!
This has been a staple in our house ever since you posted it. My husband always comments on what a good meal it is when I make it. Thank you!
This is such a great and easy recipe. My husband and I moved into our new home last week and this is the first meal I made. It was a hit! And soooo easy. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
Mmmm! We love your recipes! This comment is long overdue, but a little over a year ago, I went into labor while cooking this up for the first time! By the time I was finished cooking and we were ready to eat, I was so uncomfortable with my contractions that I couldn’t sit in a chair. Instead, I bounced on my birthing ball at the table and shoved delicious forkfuls into my mouth in between contractions! It was intense, but I still savored every bite! You guys have earned a permanent place in my first labor story!
Made this for dinner and served with baby bok choy. Very good with bright fresh favors. Will make again.
Simply awesome. We don’t use organges, we just use the amount of organge juice and it is citrusy for sure. I wouldn’t want more citrus taste. We serve over rice noodles (vermicelli) and it is so good. It’s seriously better than take out. Sara and Kate seriously know their asain. I trust their recipes after trying probably 8 of them with complete and total success.
Made this tonight for dinner…soooo delish, as are all your recipes I’ve tried. Thought I had some fresh ginger but realized I was out so i used dried. I can’t wait to make it again with fresh…I’m sure it’s even better!
This was a huge hit! I loved the orangey flavor and I ADORED that I whipped it up in less than 30 minutes. Wouldn’t change a thing about the recipe. Just what I needed 🙂 Thanks!