This Beef Chop Suey recipe is a homemade American version of a popular takeout dish. It is a tasty stir fry loaded with a variety of crispy vegetables and tender beef. The sauce is both sweet and savory with a little heat from the red pepper flakes.
Stir fry recipes are a perfect example of being able to make a delicious meal for the family and not have my blood sugar go through the roof. I just have to make some simple tweaks to lighten it up for me and lower the sugar and carbohydrate content due to my Type II diabetes. I make Teriyaki Beef and Broccoli, Moo Shu Beef and Hot and Spicy Beef very often for this reason and because they are delicious!
Why this recipe is just so good....
- Quick and Easy: You will love that it is a one-pan meal that is ready in less than 30 minutes.
- Versatile ingredients: Beef chop suey is so easy to add your favorite vegetables. And the sauce can be made richer, sweeter or spicier with just a few changes.
- Meal Prep: Any leftovers for this stir fry is even more delicious the next day! I frequently double the recipe and and it makes a perfect meal prep for a few days.
Ingredients
You need the following ingredients to make this beef and vegetable stir fry:
- top sirloin steak, sliced into thin strips
- arrowroot powder or corn starch
- canola oil, vegetable or sesame oil
- scallions, chopped
- red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- broccoli slaw
- garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- can bean sprouts, drained
- can water chestnuts, drained
- rice wine vinegar
- Oyster sauce or Hoisin sauce
- white or brown sugar or sugar substitute
- beef broth
- soy sauce, low sodium
- red pepper flakes
What is the best beef for chop suey?
There are many cuts of beef you can use in this recipe. Some options are flank steak, skirt, top sirloin, sirloin tip or chuck steak. My top recommended choices for stir fries are flank steak and top sirloin.
Flank steak has an excellent flavor. It is taken from the abdominal muscle which makes it a lean cut but can be chewy. It is perfect for grilling and stir fries when cooked to medium rare to keep it juicy. If you use flank steak, make sure to slice against the grain. Look at the meat and you will see diagonal lines. Turn the meat one turn and slice it thinly "against the grain".
Top sirloin has an excellent flavor as well. It is from the back of the cow which has less muscle and is a tender cut of beef. It has some marbled fat which gives it the extra flavor and juiciness. It is also perfect for grilling, stir frying and broiling.
The method of cooking the steak is equally important. Thinly sliced across the grain is the best way to prepare the meat. Also stir frying it at a high temperature cooks the meat quickly and lessens the chance of over cooking it. Cooking the steak to 130°F is the perfect temperature for beef chop suey.
How to make Beef Chop Suey
- Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside.
- Place the thin slices of steak in large bowl with the arrowroot powder or cornstarch. Stir to cover steak.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok on medium high heat.
- Carefully place beef in skillet and cook the beef for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove to a bowl.
Cook red peppers for 2 minutes then add the broccoli slaw and scallions, stirring about 3 minutes. Add the remaining oil if vegetables start to stick to the pan. Then stir in the water chestnuts, garlic and bean sprouts. Cook for another 2 minutes.
Whisk sauce ingredients in a medium bowl before adding to the pan. Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Add beef and stir-fried vegetables back to pan and stir to combine with the sauce. Stir for a minute to thicken the sauce.
Serve over brown or white rice, cauliflower rice or rice noodles.
Substitutions and Additions
- Some other vegetables to try might be broccoli or cauliflower florets, white or shiitake mushrooms, baby corn, celery, snow peas, carrots or green beans. Just make sure to cook the harder veggies such as the carrots first. Cook the softer like the mushrooms or snow peas last.
- If you want an extra vegetable on the side, Blackened green beans and Marinated Broccoli would go very well.
- You can also substitute the beef for pork, chicken or shrimp but the cooking times will vary. The shrimp especially will cook much faster.
Helpful Recipe Tips
- Make sure to cut the beef into equal sizes so that they cook evenly.
- You don't need a lot of oil to stir fry the beef or vegetables. They should cook and lightly brown. Use just enough oil to just prevent anything from sticking.
- If all of the beef doesn't fit in your pan, cook the meat in batches. They should be spread out a bit in the pan and not overlap each other.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dictionary.com states that it is an American-Chinese dish consisting of beef, vegetables such as bean sprouts, mushrooms and onions and a sauce. It is a simple stir fry recipe and is made with many different variations and interpretations. But they all share the same basic concept of the recipe.
The arrowroot or cornstarch that the steak is coated in will help thicken the stir-fry sauce but you can add more if you want. Remove ¼ cup of the sauce and stir in another tablespoon of arrowroot or cornstarch. Mix the cornstarch mixture, pressing out any lumps. Add it into the sauce in the pan and stir well to heat through.
If you want more heat in the sauce, add more red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon at a time. Taste test for flavor. You can also add 1 teaspoon of ground ginger or 1 teaspoon of hot chili sauce.
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MORE delicious recipes to try:
Beef Chop Suey
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Asian/American
Description
This Beef Chop Suey recipe is a homemade version of a popular takeout dish. It is a tasty stir fry loaded with a variety of crispy vegetables and tender beef. The sauce is both sweet and savory with a little heat from the red pepper flakes.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds top sirloin or flank steak, sliced into thin strips *
- 2 -3 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons oil, canola, vegetable or sesame
- 3 stalks scallions, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 cups broccoli slaw*
- 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 6 ounce can bean sprouts, drained
- 1 12 ounce can water chestnuts, drained
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Oyster sauce or Hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute
- 1 cup beef broth
- ⅓ cup soy sauce, low sodium
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Place steak in large bowl with the arrowroot powder or cornstarch. Stir to cover steak.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or wok on medium high heat.
- Carefully place beef in skillet and cook the beef for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Test the meat with an internal thermometer. It should register at least 130°F. Remove to a plate.
- Cook red peppers for 2 minutes then add the broccoli slaw and scallions, stirring about 3 minutes. Add a few teaspoons more oil if vegetables start to stick to the pan. Then stir in the water chestnuts, garlic and bean sprouts. Cook for another 2 minutes.
- Whisk sauce again before adding to pan. Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Add beef and vegetables back to pan and stir to combine with the sauce. Stir for a minute to thicken the sauce.
- Serve over white or brown rice, cauliflower rice or rice noodles.
Notes
* You can also use flank steak, skirt steak, beef chuck steak or sirloin tip.
*Instead of broccoli slaw, use 3 cup of broccoli florets, cut into medium size pieces.
*Taste the sauce before adding to the skillet. Add more soy sauce, sugar or red pepper flakes as you prefer.
*Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot. Or reheat in a pan on the stovetop for 2-3 minutes until hot.
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