Tender strips of beef stir fried with a lip smacking black pepper and honey sauce. This Chinese Beef with Honey Black Pepper Sauce is one of my favorite dishes at Chinese restaurants is so easy to make at home. 15 minutes, start to finish, zero stress, normal ingredients.
Chinese Beef with Honey Black Pepper Sauce is one of my favourite dishes that I order at Chinese restaurants. Never take out. It has to be at a restaurant because I love the theatrics of how it’s served, sizzling in a cast iron dish. And it’s one of those dishes that really does benefit from being served straight away.
I don’t recreate the sizzle at home – I wish I could! If you have a cast iron dish or a small skillet so you can take it straight from the stove to the table, then you’ll get the sizzle. And I’m jealous.
But I have managed to recreate the glorious sauce for this stir fry! Sweet, salty and with a subtle peppery heat, this really does taste like what you get at restaurants. Look at it! Who could resist that??
Several years ago when I went through my take out copy-cat phase, I remember searching for a restaurant recipe for this Chinese Beef with Honey Black Pepper Sauce. Surprisingly, I couldn’t find any at all. Well, at least, any credible looking ones. I know this sounds snobby, but I can usually tell just by reading a recipe whether it is what I am after or not and none of them were right.
A honey based Asian sauce has more in it than just honey and soy sauce. If you just use those two ingredients, the flavour is quite flat. As soon as you taste it, you know something is missing. (Even if you add garlic and/or ginger).
What it needs is another layer of complexity, whether it be a splash of Chinese cooking wine, hoisin sauce or oyster sauce. Add one of these and you’ll transform a sauce from one dimensional to restaurant standard! It’s a neat trick to have up your sleeve for those fridge clean out days when you’re improvising a stir fry. 🙂
It didn’t take much experimenting to figure out a sauce for this stir fry that I think is pretty close to what you get at restaurants. And it’s easy! So easy, with a short ingredient list. This is one of those stir fries you can get on the table in 15 minutes without any stress.
So….what’s your favourite at Chinese restaurants?? – Nagi
PS The photo below is a complete fabrication. I would never help myself to such a tiny serving of Chinese Beef with Honey Black Pepper Sauce. I just wanted to use those cute Chinese dishes! 🙂
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Chinese Beef with Honey and Black Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
Sauce
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry (or substitute with chicken or beef stock)
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp roughly crushed black pepper (or 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper)
Stir Fry
- 1 1/2 tbsp peanut oil (or vegetable or canola oil)
- 1 garlic clove , crushed
- 1 small onion , sliced (or 1/2 large onion)
- 1 lb / 500 g thinly sliced flank , rump, sirloin, fillet or any other cut of steak suitable for stir frying (Notes 1)
Instructions
- Whisk together the Sauce ingredients then set aside.
- Heat the oil in a wok or large heavy based skillet over high heat until it is smoking.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute or until the onion becomes translucent. Keep it moving so the garlic doesn't burn.
- Add the beef and stir fry for 40 seconds to 1 minute until just cooked to your liking (depending on the size of the pieces, how heavy based your wok is, strength of stove). Remove beef and onion onto a plate.
- Turn the heat down to medium high. Pour the Sauce ingredients into the wok. It will start simmering very quickly. Let it cook for 1 minute or so until it becomes syrupy - the bubbles will be larger and caramel colour.
- Add the beef and onion back into the wok, along with any juices pooled on the plate. Toss in the sauce until just warmed through - 1 minute at most. Don't overcook the beef - that would be tragic!
- Serve immediately with rice.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
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Nutrition per serving assuming 4 servings.
Well who would ever be worried about buying cook books again after finding your site Nagi? (Big sigh of relief from long suffering husband😄). Have cooked a few of your recipes now and haven’t had a miss yet👏🏻. Another very tasty dish. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad you’re loving them Mandy, thanks so much for letting me know!
Hey Nagi, as always I am in love with this recipe. I actually licked my plate and it’s a staple in my weekly meal prep now. Do you know if this sauce would work as well with chicken? I’m trying to cut down on my red meat consumption… If so what kind of chicken. Thank you!
This would be great with chicken! I prefer to use thighs so they stay super juicy – N x
Unreal Nagi! I’m home alone for a week and ate this for 3 nights. On the third night I stirfried some carrot, celery, red capsicum and brussells sprouts (yes really,) to stretch it out. I’m in heaven, thank you so much.
That’s so great to hear Sue!
Wow, delicious!
I’m so happy you love it Rose!
Words cannot describe how absolutely deliciously lipsmacking this recipe is. I had 3 servings (totally ashamed, but so worth it) Just as good as if not better than the restaurant version. We have been cooking a recipe from your website and your mums almost every day. ADDICTED!!! Thanks Nagi ❤️
YUUUUUUMMMMO!! Another fantastic recipe – thanks Nagi – you’re a legend. 🙂
Aww thank you!!!
Hi Nagi. I came across your site about a month ago and have become totally obsessed with your recipes, instructions and flavour / food info. Love Dozer also!!. I have never posted a comment to anything before, so I may need help there if I am doing this incorrectly. Just one thing I came across today with regards to the “velveting” of meats. Although you say you rarely do this when cooking the Chinese Beef with honey & black pepper, you do give instructions & don’t mentioned washing it off prior to cooking as you have suggested with your beef & broccoli recipe. I’m wondering if it is because you are tenderising the meat with more ingredients than just Bi Carb. Hoping you can put me straight before I attempt cooking this recipe.
Thankyou in advance and for the wonderful job you do in delivering amazing recipes. I look forward to viewing your new recipes every day.
Kind regards, Robyn
Hi Robyn! I’m glad you found me – and that you like what you see! 🙂 Thank you for picking that up. I have since improved the beef tenderising technique to the new one. I find that if you don’t rinse it off, sometimes there is the vague taste of it which I used to try to disguise with those extra flavours. It is much safer to rinse! I have updated the recipe notes for that 🙂 N x
Made this today, it tasted amazing!!! I love it
Glad you enjoyed it Kumbie!! Thanks for sharing your feedback 🙂 N x
Going to make this today, just wondering, when you say soy sauce should it be light or dark?
How did u achieve the colour for ur dish? After following exactly the ingredients and steps, it came out to be very very light color.