Sesame Beef

Sesame Beef: A Healthier Version

One dish that seems incredibly popular at most Chinese restaurants in America is sesame beef. The problem with this delicious dish is that in restaurants, they tend to flash-fry it with tons of oil in the wok and then cook it with a sauce. So something that would be a reasonable choice for a meal is now packing on more calories. But this homemade takeout-style sesame beef gives you juicy and tender results with the same flavors without all that oil. I’ll show you how to pan fry it so you’re using way less oil than the restaurants use. It’s a little less crispy, but it’s incredibly delicious. And you can indulge without gobbling up more calories than you bargained for.

Sesame beef ingredients

What cut of beef to use

Choose a good cut of beef like flank or skirt steak and slice it against the grain so it’s easy to bite and chew. This plus the marinade means you’ll have beef that melts in your mouth with a tenderness you’ll love. If you choose a tougher cut of beef, you can add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda into the marinade. It will help tenderize the beef for a juicy and tender texture.

Mise en place

I’ve combined the aromatics into the sauce. This means you only need 3 bowls to do the prep work which makes a huge difference. When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:

Marianted beef Mixed sauce combined with aromatics Sesame seeds

How to cook sesame beef

Cooking pan fried beef is super easy: The pan-fry method is much easier for anyone, even beginners, to master. The result is tender juicy beef that is crispy on the outside. This method is so much easier than what Chinese restaurant does – flash fry the beef in a lot of oil.

What to Serve with the Sesame Beef

Make plenty of steamed rice and spoon this sesame beef on top. I also like blanching some veggies on the side to pile onto a bowl of rice and sesame beef for a well-rounded meal. Bok choy, spinach, broccoli, or even asparagus all make fine additions to your sesame beef. I have a feeling it might just become a regular in your weekly meal rotation after you try it!