Beef With Snow Peas

Beef with snow peas is a popular Chinese takeout stir fry dish that features thin slices of beef and crisp snow peas that are brought together with a hearty brown sauce. The sauce has a savory and slightly sweet flavor, and tastes fragrant with aromatics. The beef is marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch to help tenderize the meat and infuse it with flavor.

Ingredients for beef with snow peas

What cut of beef to use

My favorite cut for making beef stir fries is flank steak, which is quite lean yet still tender. Skirt steak also works very well. If you have to use a cheaper cut, such as round roast or brisket, there is a quick method to tenderiz the beef. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda onto the beef along with the other marinade ingredients, then mix very thoroughly to coat the beef. Chinese restaurants commonly use this method so they can use cheaper cuts of beef and still get a tender result.

How to prep snow peas to improve texture

Once you’ve washed the snow peas, make sure to snip the tough ends off. When you’re snipping off the ends, do it gradually along the side of the pea, so the tough string along the side comes off. You can watch my video below to see it in action. This step will take a few minutes, but greatly improves the snow peas’ texture.

Mise en place

When you’re ready to cook beef with snow peas, your table should have:

Marinated beefMinced ginger and garlicMixed sauceSnow peasSliced onions

How to cook beef with snow peas

Cooking beef with snow peas is a very fast process, that’s why you want to have everything ready before turning on the stove. He’s the process in a nutshell:

Do not overcook the beef

To make sure the beef turns out tender and juicy, you want to cook it just enough so it’s cooked through at the end of the stir fry. When I sear the beef, I like to spread the pieces into a single layer and not move them much. So the bottom will form a nice char. It also prevents sticking if you use a carbon steel or cast iron pan. After flipping the beef, I would wait just until the other side is cooked and the inside is still a bit medium. Because you will add the beef back later and cook it with the sauce, which will be just long enough to cook the beef through.

How to serve beef with snow peas

I like to serve beef with snow peas over steamed rice for a complete meal. If you want to serve it on boiled noodles, you can even double the sauce, so that the noodles soak up all the great flavor. Beef with snow peas is super quick to make, and is loaded with vegetables. It also contains less sugar and salt than restaurant takeout. I hope you enjoy it!