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Takeaway-Style Chinese Beef Curry
Here’s my version of the classic Chinese takeaway beef curry that’s full flavour, extremely quick to make and oh my… the beef turns out incredibly tender every single time! Let’s get cooking…
You asked for it, I delivered, and here it is, my tasty Chinese beef curry that’s homemade and ready in under 30 minutes! If you’re wondering what to make for dinner tonight, then look no further – this is it.
It’s been a big hit in my house thanks to its insane flavours. I like to use beef stock, dark soy sauce and spices such as Chinese 5 spice for an even deeper depth of flavour. Plus, instead of stewing beef, I like to use slices of rump steak, which makes this dish cook in no time.
It’s quick, tasty and a recipe that I’m currently OBSESSED with! I chose to keep the veggies simple, but feel free to add in whatever you like from sugar snap peas to mini sweetcorn.
Recipe Ingredients
- Steak: I like to use rump steak (a top choice recommended in the Chinese cooking classes I’ve attended). Alternatives like flank steak will also work well. I avoid using stewing beef because it requires hours to turn tender and I’ve developed this recipe to cook very quickly.
- Meat Marinade: I season the meat with a mixture of light soy sauce, cornflour and sesame oil. The cornflour serves to velvet the meat, resulting in a tender texture (another tip from Chinese cooking class).
- Vegetables: To make this dish I used an onion, one red bell pepper and spring onions (used for garnishing). On occasions I like to use diced carrots and peas too. You can literally chuck in whatever vegetables you’ve got.
- Beef Stock Mixture: To give the beef stock extra flavour I added salt, Chinese cooking wine, ginger and garlic paste, curry powder, dark soy sauce, sugar, turmeric, Chinese 5 spice and white pepper. I mixed Knorr beef stock pot with hot water to create my stock base.
- Cornflour Slurry: A mixture of cornflour and warm water is mixed together to help thicken the beef curry sauce.
Instead of using ginger and garlic paste, you can use fresh ginger and garlic cloves instead. The ingredients are quite similar to my Chinese chicken curry recipe, just with a few minor adjustments.
How To Make Chinese Beef Curry
Here’s a summary of how I make this Chinese takeaway beef curry. You can get the full recipe instructions in the recipe card below:
I start by seasoning the meat with the marinade ingredients. If you have time, you can do this a few hours in advance, but if you’re rushing it’s okay to marinate it for a few minutes or so. Whilst the meat is marinating, I like to prep the curry sauce by mixing the beef stock with all the spices and seasonings.
Next is to stir-fry the veggies until they have softened (the thinner you dice them the quicker they cook). The last few steps involve adding and browning the meat, pouring in the beef stock mixture and adding the cornflour slurry. The curry is then left to simmer before garnishing with spring onions.
My Top Tips
Slice the beef across the grain as this makes it easier to chew (basically more tender).
When making the cornflour slurry you can mix cornflour with warm water, but actually, I prefer spooning a bit of the soup mixture into a ladle or wooden spoon. Then I add cornflour, mix it all together, then pour the mixture back into the soup.
If you don’t have homemade beef stock, you can use a stock pot and mix it with hot water to create a beef stock (that’s what I do). I’ve also seen supermarkets sell liquid beef stock in pouches ready to use.
How To Serve
Beef curry with rice automatically pops-up in my head, I think a side of steam boiled rice would be delish. Though you can opt for stir-fried dishes like this king prawn fried rice or Singapore fried rice.
Noodle dishes like this chicken chow mein or plain chow mein would be good sides too. You can also have a browse at my Chinese takeaway recipes page to see what tickles your fancy.
How To Store & Freeze
Keep leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 days. You can also freeze the beef curry for up to 3 months. When I’m ready to eat the curry, I simply defrost it in the fridge overnight and heat it in the microwave.
More Fakeaway Beef Recipes
Chinese Beef Curry (Only 20 Minutes)
Ingredients
- 500 g Beef (Rump Steak, Flank Steak)
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 Onion
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 2 Spring Onions (To Garnish)
Beef Stock Mixture
- 500 ml Beef Stock
- 2 tbsp Chinese Cooking Wine
- 2 tbsp Ginger And Garlic Paste
- 1 tbsp Curry Powder
- 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Sugar
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- ½ tsp Chinese 5 Spice
- ½ tsp White Pepper
Meat Marinade
- 1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Cornflour
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
Instructions
- Place thinly sliced beef into a large mixing bowl. Add light soy sauce, cornflour and sesame oil. Mix thoroughly and set aside for later use.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together beef stock, Chinese cooking wine, ginger and garlic paste, curry powder, dark soy sauce, sugar, turmeric, Chinese 5 spice and white pepper until evenly distributed.
- Heat a large pan or pot on a medium to high heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Add diced onions to the pan, continuing to stir-fry for 2 minutes then add the bell peppers and stir fry for a further 1 minute or until softened.
- Add diced beef and stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until the outside has browned.
- Add the beef stock mixture to the pan, mix and add salt to taste. Then add the cornflour slurry and mix it into the sauce.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes on a high heat or until the sauce has thickened. Serve with rice or noodles, garnish with spring onions and enjoy!
Video
Notes
What Curry Powder Should I Use?
If you don’t like heat, then I recommend that you use a mild curry powder. If you like heat then you can opt for a medium to hot curry powder.Want More Heat?
You can amp up the heat levels in this dish by adding a couple diced fresh chillies or hot chilli powder (maybe even both). I would say the recipe as it is, has a mild to medium heat level and that’s because I used a hot curry powder.Another Quick Tip
Prep all your ingredients including the vegetables and beef into slices before starting this recipe. That’s what makes this recipe super quick to make as you don’t need to stop and start slicing every few minutes.Nutrition
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