This Takeout Style Chinese Beef and Mushroom Stir Fry is so quick and easy to make at home and tastes better than takeout.
Tender flank steak is cooked with sliced mushrooms in a rich and delicious savory Chinese brown sauce. All made in well under 30 minutes. This is a healthy and delicious way to enjoy homemade takeout. Plus, I share my secret to getting the best and most tender beef at home.
If Chinese Beef and Mushroom is your favorite PF Changs or Panda express order, then this stir fry is going to be your new favorite simple dinner.
Takeout Style Chinese Beef and Mushrooms at home
Making takeout style dishes at home is far simpler than many people think. I have quite a few on my site, and they all follow the same process.
- Tenderize the meat and cut correctly.
- Use authentic but easy to find ingredients.
- Cook quickly in a suitable pan.
We'll go over all of these points below, but if you are already a fan of a Sprinkles and Sprout takeout style dish, then you may have read it all before. So feel free to use the jump menu above or the jump to recipe button over to the left (it's the purple circle with the pot on it).
Do you need a wok for Beef and Mushroom Stir Fry?
No!!!! If you don't have a wok, then you can still enjoy this dish!
Most household cooktops don't have low sunk wok burners. You find these in commercial kitchens, so the chefs can get the wok really hot. But our standard household cooktops have flat burners; this means that at home, the flat base of a frying pan is better suited for high heat cooking than the round bottom of a wok.
We want to do everything we can to get as much heat into our stir fry as possible. So a flat bottomed frying pan/skillet will have the maximum amount of pan touching the burner and give you the best chance of high heat.
You can read more about this in my Takeout Style Beef and Broccoli post.
How to make your beef tender like takeout beef?
I'm betting that when you order takeout, the beef (or chicken) is the most tender and softest meat you have ever eaten? They are not using the best and most expensive beef to get this super tender meat. They are using a cheaper cut and making it tender themselves! And it is a trick you can use at home!
The process is called velveting, and it makes the meat very soft and tender, almost like velvet.
There are a couple of ways to do this, but the easiest, and my favorite way, is to use baking soda.
Baking Soda is also called Bicarb, Bicarbonate of Soda, or Sodium Bicarbonate.
It is the white powder that you often use in baking. BUT don't get it muddled with baking powder, that won't tenderize your meat and will make everything slimy.
To tenderize your beef, you sprinkle it with baking soda, stir to coat and then let it sit for 15 minutes. Then really rinse the beef well under cold running water. You want to remove every trace of baking soda.
After that, pat the beef dry, and you are ready to start stir-frying. You can read more about the science of tenderizing meat with baking soda in my post for Takeout Style Chicken and Snow Pea.
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What cut of beef is best for Chinese beef and mushrooms?
I love to use flank steak or skirt steak in stir-frys. Flank steak and skirt steak represent excellent value for money and can be so delicious, and if prepared correctly, the meat is so tender and just melts in your mouth.
We talked above about velveting the beef for super tender meat, but how you cut the beef can also change the texture.
The trick to cutting flank steak/skirt steak (in fact, ANY steak) is to find the way the grain of the meat runs and then cut across the grain. This smart cutting technique allows the meat to just fall apart in your mouth.
Check out the picture below for an easy visual, see how in the first picture you can see the lines in the meat - this is the grain. We want to cut across that, as shown in the second photo.
How to get the authentic takeout taste
If you have ever made a stir fry at home and been disappointed with the flavor, the chances are that the recipe you followed was missing a couple of authentic ingredients that can change your stir fry from meh to marvelous.
For this Beef and Mushroom dish, you will need two important authentic ingredients. These will add something special to the sauce and make you want to lick the bowl!
But don't worry, these ingredients are easy to find in the Asian section of your grocery stores, plus they are readily available online.
Oyster sauce – a thick, rich brown sauce that adds so much depth and a good hit of Chinese saltiness. You can buy it in grocery stores across the world now. (Lee Kum Kee Panda brand is my favorite)
Chinese Cooking Wine – also known as Chinese Rice Wine, Shaohsing Rice Cooking Wine, Shaoxing wine or Shaoxing Cooking Wine. You can find this in most grocery stores in the Asian section. Just don't get it confused with rice wine vinegar!!! If you can't find Chinese Cooking Wine, just use dry sherry or sake if you have it.
Top tips for making Chinese Beef and Mushroom
- Tenderize the beef in baking soda (see above for detailed pictures)
- Prepare your vegetables before you start cooking. Chinese stir-frying is fast cooking, so you need everything prepped before you start.
- For an authentic takeout flavor, buy two great Chinese ingredients (you can find them in the grocery store or online). They will make ALL the difference to the taste of the finished dish.
- Use cold stock in your sauce to ensure you don't get lumps when mixing in the cornstarch/cornflour.
- Mix the sauce ingredients together in a measuring cup before you start cooking. But remember to whisk it well before you add it to the pan.
- For the best heat use a flat bottom frying pan/skillet (see above for why a wok isn't always the best option)
Enjoy x
For other takeout style recipes:
Get the Recipe
Takeout Style Chinese Beef and Mushroom Recipe
Ingredients
For the stir fry
- 1 lb flank steak/skirt steak
- 1 ½ tablespoon bicarb of soda (Note 1)
- 2½ cups sliced mushrooms
- 2 clove garlic - thinly sliced
- 2 green onions 2-inch/5cm length chunks Note 2)
- 2 tablespoon oil
For the sauce
- ¾ cup cold beef stock/broth (Note 3)
- 2 ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine (Note 4)
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon pepper – white is traditional
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
Start with tenderizing the beef
- Cut the flank steak into thin strips across the grain. (see bulk of post for pictures)1 lb flank steak/skirt steak
- Place in a bowl and sprinkle with baking soda, stir gently to coat all of the beef. Then cover and let the beef marinate for 15 minutes.1 ½ tablespoon bicarb of soda
- Wash off the baking soda and rinse the beef several times. (See note 5)
- Pat the beef dry with kitchen paper and set to one side.
Next, make the sauce.
- Add all the sauce ingredients into a large measuring cup/jug and stir well. Ensure the beef broth is cold to stop the cornstarch from clumping.¾ cup cold beef stock/broth2 ½ tablespoon cornstarch2 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine3 tablespoon soy sauce2 teaspoon oyster sauce2 teaspoon sesame oil¼ teaspoon pepper1 teaspoon sugar
For the stir fry
- Pour the oil into a heavy-based frying pan and place over high heat.2 tablespoon oil
- Add the green onions lengths to the oil (be careful it can spit) and stir fry them for 1 minute to flavor the oil.2 green onions
- Add the beef to the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add in the chopped mushrooms and stir fry for a further 2 minutes.2½ cups sliced mushrooms
- Add the sliced garlic and continuously stir for a minute.2 clove garlic
- Give the prepared sauce a good stir and then pour it into the pan. The sauce will thicken quickly, so stir it to coat your stir fry and cook for 1 minute to heat through. (see note 6).
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Baking soda is also known as bicarb of soda, bicarbonate of soda, and sodium bicarbonate. Don't get it muddled with baking powder that won't tenderize your meat.
- Green onions are also known as scallions in the US. And are known as Spring Onions in the UK and Australia.
- Make sure the broth is cold, this will ensure that the cornstarch/cornflour dissolves fully and doesn't clump together.
- You can buy Chinese cooking wine in the Asian section of the grocery store, but if you can't find it, then you can use dry sherry. (See bulk of post for more information on Chinese Cooking Wine)
- Make sure you wash the beef really well to remove any traces of baking soda. It is incredible at tenderizing meat but has a terrible taste, so you want to remove it.
- The sauce thickens quickly to that real thick Chinese takeout style sauce. If you aren't a fan of the thick coating takeaway style sauces, then you can reduce the quantity of cornstarch to 1 ½ tablespoon if you just want a thinner sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition is per serving
Tammy Sibson says
Unfortunately it said add all the sauce ingredients and wasnt sure if i had to add the oil or not?
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
Hi Tammy,
The sesame oil is there for flavor, so is listed with the sauce ingredient and gets added to the sauce.
But the oil (canola/vegetable) is there for frying and doesn't get added to the sauce.
Hope that helps 🙂
Cx
Billie says
I have a question. My family doesn't eat shell fish. I would like to try cooking Chinese dishes , but so many of them have oyster sauce.. Does oyster sauce give the dish a fishy taste.? What does it taste like? I suppose that when I eat Chinese out, we are eating dish that contain oyster sauce, but just don't know it.
Claire McEwen says
Hi Billie,
Oyster sauce doesn't really have a fishy taste, it is more a sort of deeply savoury sauce with a kick of umami richness and salt. I definitely wouldn't say it was a fish taste, certainly not when mixed with other ingredients.
You can buy vegetarian "oyster" sauce that is based around mushrooms. Again it doesn't really taste of mushrooms, it just has a real savoury flavor. So that could be an option for you. I don't think it adds quite the same flavour to dishes, but it certainly isn't a bad option.
Hope that helps.
Cx
Serena says
May I ask what would I use to make the cold beef stock besides beef bones, could I use knor beef stock cube, or what would you suggest. Many thanks.
Claire McEwen says
You could definitely use a stock cube, I do, or I use a stock concentrate like better than bouillon.
Just make sure that the stock has cooled, or you will get lumps with the cornstarch.
Hope that helps 🙂
Cx
Melissa says
What can I use in place of oyster sauce? I have two people in my family that is allergic to shell fish.
Claire McEwen says
Hi Melissa,
You can buy vegetarian 'oyster' sauce (that is made with mushrooms) that would be a great alternative as it has a similar taste.
If you can't find that then bottled teriyaki sauce would probably work, I haven't tried it, but I think it will work. As teriyaki sauce is sweeter, I would leave the sugar out of the recipe.
Hope that helps 🙂
Cx
Rachel says
This recipe is awesome! I've adapted it to have with chicken as well, which was also delicious.
Claire McEwen says
Thank you so much Rachel 🙂
Cx
mavee125 says
This Beef and Mushroom is absolutely the best! Glad I got to get all my needed Asian ingredients at Karman Foods, and it was superb!
Amy says
OMG! That was the most tender meat I have ever made in a stir fry! Absolutely delicious recipe. Thank you so much! Flavour just burst out of this dish!
Susan says
Simply the best way to tenderise meat works perfectly. Thank you so much you have saved us heaps in grocery bills as now can buy cheaper cuts of meat. After the success with Chinese dish. Tried with rump steak and placed on scewer’s with banana ,bacon,onion capsicum on bbq perfect.
John says
Question would baking soda tenderise beef if you where making say a beef stew
Claire McEwen says
Hi John, it would definitely tenderise the beef for quick cooking and then adding to a stew etc, but if you are cooking the beef long and slow in a stew, then it probably wouldn't need it. I haven't tried cooking the baking soda treated beef for a long time so I am unsure what would happen.
Cx
PATRICK GULA says
most woks for home use are flat bottomed!
Claire McEwen says
Hi Patrick,
They are, but they still don't have as much surface area sitting next to the heating element as a large skillet. this is why I feel a skillet is just as good for the home cook.
Cx
Jane Wilcox says
I am looking forward to making this, I have seen the baking soda trick used a lot lately on Cooks Country and America's Test Kitchen. I have known about "velveting the meat" by covering it in cornstarch before cooking, which is found in several of my Asian cookbooks.
Elaine says
Made this evening and doubled the sauce, so delicious. Tenderized with baking soda, that really worked my husband commented on how good it was.
Covidcook Xtra-ordinary says
OMG- this was the best recipe of beef with mushrooms ever! I did the baking soda trick for 30 minutes ( hoped in shower forgot it was supposed to be 15min). Meat so tender - incredible. I followed recipe to a tee, and it was perfect. Usually I overcook the meat and it comes out tough and dry. NOT THIS TIME. TY so much. Can't wait to see your other recipes.
Claire McEwen says
THIS MAKES ME SMILE 🙂
I am so pleased you loved it!!!
The tenderising trick is a favourite in my house, I use it with all my stir fry recipes and just love how it gives you meltingly tender meat.
I hope you find plenty more recipes on my site.
Cx
nick palmer says
the flavours were great, but the baking powder did not tenderise the meet, will do the meet in a pressure cooker next,
Claire McEwen says
Hi Nick,
You need to use baking soda not, baking powder in the recipe. Baking soda denatures the outer layer of protein in the meat making it harder for them to contract and make the meat tough. Unfortunately baking powder doesn't have the same affect.
If you try the recipe again, make sure you use baking soda (also called Bicarb, Bicarbonate of Soda and Sodium Bicarbonate) that will give you the meltingly tender meat.
Hope that helps 🙂
Cx
Tasha says
This recipe was delicious 😋 Hubby and I loved it. I added some chopped carrots and snap peas right at the end with about a teaspoon of ginger. This is going to be our Chinese take out from now on, thank you so much for sharing such a awesome recipe
Claire McEwen says
Oh I love the addition of more veggies at the end!
So happy you enjoyed it 😀
Cx
Gabi says
Baking soda did not tenderize it. Meat had no taste. Should have been salted ahead. Good try.......but did not work for me......
Claire McEwen says
I am surprised that you found the baking soda didn't tenderise the meat. It is a very easy method that results in such silky meat.
It does need extra salt once it has been tenderised. But I find that the salty elements of the sauce add this well.
Cx