Teriyaki Beef Stir-Fry with Bell Peppers

A weeknight beef stir-fry built around quick-cooking strips of beef, bell peppers, and onion. The sauce is a simple teriyaki-style mixture thickened in the pan, then finished with sesame oil and scallions. Steamed rice makes the dish a complete meal.

By Julienne

Cook time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 240 g jasmine rice rinsed
• 360 g water for rice
• 2 g fine salt for seasoning rice water and adjusting the sauce
• 60 ml soy sauce
• 45 ml mirin
• 20 g light brown sugar
• 15 ml rice vinegar
• 12 g garlic finely grated or minced
• 10 g fresh ginger finely grated
• 8 g cornstarch
• 30 ml water for cornstarch slurry
• 20 ml neutral oil
• 500 g beef sirloin or flank steak thinly sliced across the grain
• 10 ml neutral oil
• 150 g yellow onion thinly sliced
• 300 g bell peppers seeded and sliced
• 1 g black pepper freshly ground
• 10 ml toasted sesame oil
• 20 g scallions thinly sliced
• 6 g toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Cook the rice. Combine the rinsed jasmine rice, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to low, and simmer until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff before serving. Rice is tender, steam holes appear across the surface, and the grains are separate and fluffy.
2. Mix the sauce in a bowl: soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, cornstarch, and the slurry water. Stir until the cornstarch is fully dispersed. The mixture looks smooth with no visible cornstarch lumps.
3. Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat until very hot. Add 20 ml of the neutral oil, then add the beef in a single layer. Stir-fry until browned at the edges but still just pink inside, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate. The beef has browned surfaces and is not fully cooked through yet.
4. Add the remaining 10 ml neutral oil to the same pan. Add the onion and bell peppers, season with black pepper, and stir-fry until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. The vegetables are glossy, slightly softened, and still have bite.
5. Return the beef and any juices to the pan. Pour in the sauce and toss continuously for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats everything. Turn off the heat, then stir in the sesame oil and scallions. If using sesame seeds, sprinkle them over the top. The sauce is glossy and clings to the beef and vegetables without pooling watery in the pan.
6. Serve the stir-fry over the rice immediately. Each bowl has hot rice topped with sauced beef and crisp-tender peppers.