Sticky Honey Garlic Beef – One Pan
I have a big appreciation for easy recipes that I make in 20 minutes, using just one pan. This is about my sticky honey garlic beef that its so easy to make, full of flavor, made with sweet honey, freshly grated ginger and just a dash of spiciness.
Because I am so fond of Asian food, I have been to a lot of Chinese restaurants and my blog is full of Asian recipes. This is one of my favorites because it is so fast and easy, tastes so much better, and costs so much less than takeout. I love serving it with my pineapple fried rice and some eggrolls.
Table of contents
After slicing the beef and tossing it in the sauce, all I do is stir-fry it and it is ready to serve. And mine really does taste better than any restaurant I have been to. Believe me, it totally beats PF Chang! Its such a quick and delicious dinner, especially if you toss in some veggies, like broccoli and baby corn.
Why you will love this recipe
- It only takes 20 minutes: It takes me about 10 minutes of preparation time and 10 minutes to cook so I can have this delicious dish on the table and ready to eat in about 20 minutes. And it is so delicious, everyone loves it.
- It tastes way better than the restaurant: I have been to a lot of restaurants, and I have to say that my version tastes better than all of them because it is fresher, has a more unique blend of spices, and my mixture of sauces is perfectly balanced. Also, I can make it exactly how everyone likes it.
- Save money making it at home: I save over $70 by making this dish at home rather than taking everyone out to eat.
- I can make it all in one pan: No need to worry about a sink full of dishes afterward because there is only one pan. I can relax and enjoy the meal with everyone else.
What you’ll need to make sticky honey garlic beef
Ingredients
- Flank steak – I like flank steak because it is lean, inexpensive, and cooks quickly. As long as it is cut thin against the grain, it is ideal for stir-frying because of its beefy taste and tender meat without becoming greasy.
- Garlic – For a potent taste mixed into the whole dish, I use freshly minced garlic that I can spread throughout the other ingredients.
- Honey – To give the beef a slight sweetness and sticky texture that cuts through the intense garlic flavor. The light but complex hints bring out the flavors of the other ingredients as well.
- Sesame oil – I like to fry my beef in sesame oil for the distinctive nutty taste with a slightly toasted background.
- Soy sauce – The main sauce of the whole dish, make sure the soy sauce is low-sodium, or the salt can end up overwhelming all the other ingredients.
- Worcestershire sauce – Adds the umami taste with its unique hints of tangy, sour, sweet, hot, and salty flavors.
- Hot Chinese mustard – For a strong, complex layer of spices and heat that cuts through the rich, sweet, and salty flavors.
- Freshly grated ginger – Most people use powdered ginger, but I highly recommend grating your own just before using it. This provides a vibrant flavor for a slightly spicy kick and a fresh, bright taste that stands out from other recipes.
- Red pepper flakes – These are optional, but I like to add just a little for a hint of spiciness.
How to make it:
- Whisk the sauce: Then, I whisk together the sauces, ginger, mustard, honey, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
- Brown the beef: Now, I slice the steak into two-inch chunks and add the sesame oil to a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and wait for it to simmer. I add the steak pieces and let it brown for about a minute or two without turning it. Then, I flip them and brown the other side.
- Mix and cook: After reducing the heat to medium-low, I add the sauce to the pan, stir, and let it simmer on low for five minutes until it reduces to a sticky glaze.
- Rest, garnish, and serve: After, I let it rest for a few minutes before serving it with sesame seeds and green onions.
Expert tips
Choosing the steak this recipe
Honestly, when stir-frying beef like this in hot oil, I always get a cheaper cut of beef like flank steak or skirt steak. There is no reason to get expensive cuts of meat when the meat is just going to be cut into strips or cubes and tossed into oil.
A lot of people also use stew beef. I would not recommend that either. Although that is convenient, it is made for stewing in liquid for a long period of time, not for stir-frying in oil quickly. Stew meat needs to have time to break down the fat, which takes a long time of low and slow simmering. I recommend flank steak or skirt steak for the best flavor, tenderness, and cost.
More tips to consider:
- The steak can be cut into long, thin strips or two-inch chunks but must be sliced against the grain.
- Don’t flip the steak pieces the first time until they have browned.
- Make sure the oil is ready before frying. The best way to test if the oil is hot is to add a small piece of beef to it. It should sizzle right away. This way you know it’s ready to fry.
- Instead of sesame oil, olive or avocado oil will work.
- Be sure not to crowd the pan. The meat will not get crispy if it does not have enough room to fry.
- I highly recommend using low-sodium soy sauce to prevent the sauce from being too salty.
Recipe variations and add-ins:
- Different meat: I have also tried this with pork, turkey, veal, and chicken for different flavors. They are each delicious. I really love the chicken because it is so economical, tender, and mild.
- Extra spicy: To make this extra hot for my spicy-loving friends and family, I add some jalapenos, cayenne pepper, and sriracha sauce.
- Sweeter meat: I also like to make this dish sweeter sometimes by adding a 1/4 cup of brown sugar to the mixture. The kids love this addition.
- Make it a meal: To make this more of a meal, I can toss in some more vegetables like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, and snow peas.
- Vegetarian sticky honey garlic meal: Leave out the beef and use chunks of mushrooms for a vegetarian dish. This is one of my absolute favorite ways to serve it.
Serving suggestions:
I love to serve my sticky honey garlic beef with all sorts of sides, beverages, and desserts.
- It is always nice to have a basket of my favorite bread to serve with this beef to soak up some of the extra juice. My Amish potato dinner rolls are especially fluffy and buttery, nice for dipping into the sticky garlic sauce. My kids like to make little garlic beef sandwiches out of them!
- A red fruity wine like Syrah or Zinfandel pairs well with the flavors in this dish. For a white wine option, Pinot Grigio or Riesling are always wonderful for bold, tangy dishes.
- This sticky beef is perfect to serve on a bed of rice. I love to serve it on my instant pot stick of butter rice. The sweet creamy butter flavor pairs well with the rich garlicky taste.
- Instead of rice, sometimes I serve this delicious meal on top of soba noodles. It is scrumptious on just about anything.
- It also works with any kind of vegetables. Whether it is a common veggie like peas, green beans, or carrots or something Asian like roasted bok choy, it will be wonderful.
- For a traditional Asian dessert, I often serve something like Chinese custard tarts, rice pudding, or mango sticky rice.
How to store leftovers:
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
- Freezing: To keep them longer, put leftovers in a freezer bag and they can be frozen for up to three months.
- Defrost: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator for the best flavor.
- Reheating: Reheat in a skillet on medium heat for a few minutes while stirring or in the microwave for 60 to 90 seconds.
Frequently asked questions
The most common reason for this is cutting the meat incorrectly. It has to be cut against the grain to be tender. This is because it shortens the muscle fibers and breaks them down to make the meat easier to chew. To do this, look closely at the meat to spot the lines running in a certain direction and slice it at an angle perpendicular to those lines. Chewy meat can also be from overcooking, so be careful not to cook it too long.
First, make sure the oil is hot enough before putting the meat in to cook. This is the main reason for oily beef. It will soak up the oil instead of cooking it if the oil is not hot enough. It should be shimmering when the beef is placed into the pan and the meat should sizzle. It may also be that there is too much oil. Only use about a tablespoon of oil to cook this.
It may be from not having the temperature of the oil high enough while cooking it. Be sure to keep the pan at medium-high as it cooks. Also, do not touch it while it simmers for the first two minutes as it browns. Another issue could be that the meat is overcrowded. If there is not enough space between the pieces of beef, they will steam instead of frying, causing them to be soft instead of crispy.
More Asian recipes to try:
Sticky Honey Garlic Beef
Ingredients
- 1 lb flank steak
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon hot Chinese mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
Garnish:
- Green onions sliced
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Slice the flank steak into 2-inch chunks or longer, thinner strips across the grain.
- Whisk together soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, grated ginger, hot Chinese mustard, red pepper flakes, minced garlic, and honey in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine, then set aside.
- Add sesame oil to a medium cast iron pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil starts to simmer, add the sliced flank steak in one layer. Let it brown nicely for 1-2 minutes without turning it; then, use tongs to turn the beef on the other side to brown for another 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low-medium and add the sauce to the pan. Stir to combine, then simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes until it reduces by about half and creates a sticky glaze.
- Serve the beef over rice. Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds.