You know how when you read through some recipes, you know you’re going to love them? That’s totally how I felt when I read this recipe. Except the original called for shirmp and I felt like steak would be a better fit here.
My whole family loved this Steak & Mango Stir Fry. We served it in bowls over Seeds of Change Brown Rice and Quinoa (instead of the rice noodles in the original recipe) and it got raving reviews all around. I love that we get our carbs, protein, and veggies all in one dish, and that it cooks up quickly, making it perfect for busy nights.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
Stir Fry
- Flank steak – Other cuts that would work include flat iron or sirloin steak. Skirt steak will work if you can find one that’s not too fatty.
- Crushed red pepper – This dish isn’t spicy. The crushed red pepper just provides a little kick of flavor. If you’re doubtful, you can always leave it out.
- Black pepper
- Olive oil – Or other neutral oil, for coating your pan.
- Red onion
- Red bell pepper
- Fresh ginger – If you’re unable to use fresh ginger, add 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger to your sauce.
- Fresh garlic – Fresh is best! If you are in a pinch, add 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder to your sauce.
- Mango – Make sure your mango is ripe! If you’re unfamiliar with mangoes, check out this post on How To: Pick and Cut a Mango.
Sauce
- Water
- Fresh lime juice – Fresh is best! This is not the place for bottled lime juice. In a pinch, True Lime reconstituted with water is your best bet.
- Brown sugar – Adds a touch of sweetness to balance out the salt of the soy sauce.
- Soy sauce – I always use Aloha brand soy sauce. Kikkoman is very, very salty, so I would use their low sodium version. Coconut aminos are a great substitute if you need this dish to be gluten-free.
- Cornstarch – For thickening your sauce.
For Serving
- Hot rice – Or a microwave rice packet, to make things easier. We like the brown rice and quinoa ones from Seeds of Change.
- Fresh basil
- Chopped cilantro
- Fresh mint
How to Make Steak & Mango Stir Fry
- Everything happens fast with stir fry! First you’ll whisk your sauce ingredients together and set those aside. Then you’ll chop up some fresh herbs to have ready for serving.
- Your thinly sliced steak gets tossed in crushed red pepper and black pepper (don’t add any salt, as there’s enough in the sauce already!) and tossed into a hot, oil-coated pan for a quick stir fry.
- The meat is transferred to a plate while you stir-fry your ginger, red onion and red pepper. Then you’ll toss in your fresh garlic, mango, and steak. All of that is stir fried together until the meat is done to your liking.
- At that point you’ll add your sauce and cook just until thickened.
- Serve immediately over hot rice, sprinkled with the mixed herbs.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- Pop your meat in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before slicing. This will help firm it up enough to cut nice, thin slices!
Frequently Asked Questions
Fresh mango works best. It will hold it’s shape and you can be sure you’re using one that’s perfectly ripe. You could use frozen mango in a pinch, just be sure to thaw it and drain it well. Add it at the very end of cooking, just until warmed through.
While the leftovers are still good, I prefer to cook this meal fresh if serving multiple people. You can always make your sauce and slice your meat and veggies ahead of time and store them in the fridge in separate containers until ready to cook.
Sure! I’d recommend boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces. The thighs have more flavor than chicken breasts and are more forgiving when stir-frying over high heat. Just be sure to cook it all the way through, until the internal temperature of the largest pieces reaches 165°F.
Steak & Mango Stir-Fry
Ingredients
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce if this needs to be gluten-free, check the soy sauce label
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
Herb Mix
- ¼ cup fresh basil roughly chopped or torn
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Stir Fry
- 12 ounces flank steak thinly sliced (if it’s semi-frozen, it’s easier to slice)
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil olive, coconut, or canola, divided
- 1 small red onion sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- 1 cup cubed ripe (but not too ripe) mango
For Serving
- hot steamed rice or microwave brown rice and quinoa pouch
Instructions
Make the Sauce and the Herb Mix
- Whisk together the water, lime juice, sugar, soy sauce, and corn starch. Set aside.
- Toss together the basil, cilantro, and mint and set aside.
Stir Fry
- Sprinkle the sliced steak with crushed red pepper and black pepper and toss to combine.
- Heat half of the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. When hot, add the steak and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until almost cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Heat the remaining oil in the skillet and add the onion, pepper, and ginger. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until tender-crisp. Add the garlic, steak, and mango and stir-fry until the steak is cooked through.
- Add the sauce and cook until thickened slightly. Serve immediately over rice and sprinkle with herb mixture. Serves 4.
Notes
- Nutrition information does not include rice.
Questions & Reviews
This turned out so wonderful and I loved the addition of herbs!
A couple of things…1) I sure wish I had a garden so that this meal wouldn’t cost so much. $20(Texas) but the steak was worth it. 2)We added the sauce with the steak, mangoes and garlic which I’m glad we did or everything else would’ve been overcooked. 3) I always double the amount of sauce ya’ll call for. 4) My husband and I are both students and made this at 9pm after we got home from grocery shopping. I wouldn’t put this in the 30 min. meal category because even with both of us prepping, it still took us an hour to get it all completed.
This is a long list of complaints, but I didn’t intend it to be. Please take it as more of suggestions if your a newly married couple with a budget and not getting home until 9-10pm from campus.
Made this for dinner with my mother-in-law. It’s been difficult finding recipes our husbands like and is also diet-friendly. This recipe was a home run! The guys even had seconds! And I was wondering about the herbs, but they were the perfect addition. Thank you for another “keeper”!