In my home, this authentic Chinese beef recipe is a weeknight favorite. The tender beef, infused with garlic and a hint of sweetness, pairs beautifully with water spinach, bringing a refreshing balance to the dish.

Let me show you how to make Chinese beef stir fry with just a handful of ingredients!

Why You’ll Love This Stir-Fried Chinese Beef Recipe

• Quick and Easy – Just 10 minutes of cooking time, perfect for busy days
• Authentic and Flavorful – Straight from the kitchens of Southern China
• Savory and Satisfying – Shacha sauce gives it that signature umami depth
• Nutritious – High in protein and fiber, with a fresh, leafy crunch
• Customizable – Swap water spinach for bok choy, morning glory, or scallions

What is Shacha Sauce?

Shacha sauce (沙茶酱 shā chá jiàng) is the key ingredient in this Chinese beef stir fry with sauce. Made from garlic, shallots, dried shrimp, peanuts, chilies, and soy sauce, it brings an irresistible savory-sweet-spicy balance to stir-fried dishes.

Often compared to a Chinese BBQ sauce, Shacha sauce is commonly used as a hotpot dipping sauce in Northern China, but in the southern coastal regions, it takes center stage in dishes like this Shacha sauce beef stir fry.

If you’ve never cooked with Shacha sauce before, this is the perfect dish to start with!

A Nourishing and Savory Chinese Beef Recipe

Beef

• Packed with high-quality protein, iron, and essential B vitamins
• Keeps you energized and satisfied

Water Spinach (Kōng Xīn Cài 空心菜)

• Loaded with vitamin C, vitamin A, and fiber
• Supports digestion and overall health

Garlic

• Naturally anti-inflammatory and heart-healthy
• Adds an aromatic depth to this Chinese-style beef cooking

Ingredients for This Homemade Chinese Beef Recipe

How to Make Chinese Beef Stir Fry with Sauce

1. Prep the Beef

• Slice the beef thinly for a tender bite
• In a bowl, mix beef with Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, cornstarch, black pepper, and a bit of oil
• Let it marinate for 30 minutes—this makes the beef extra juicy!

2. Prep the Vegetables

• Mince the garlic
• Wash and cut the water spinach into three sections (two parts stem, one part leaves)

3. Sauté the Shacha Sauce

• Heat cooking oil in a wok
• Add Shacha sauce and stir gently on low heat for about 30 seconds
• Toss in the garlic and stir for another minute

4. Stir-Fry the Beef

• Turn the heat to high and add the marinated beef
• Let it sear briefly before stir-frying until browned

5. Add the Greens

• Once the beef is browned, add sugar and the water spinach stems
• Stir-fry until the stems soften slightly
• Add the leaves and cook just until they wilt

6. Final Touches

• Sprinkle in salt to taste, give it all one last toss, and serve hot

Customize Your Chinese Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry

• Love spice? Add fresh chilies or a drizzle of chili oil
• Different beef cuts? Try flank steak or ribeye for extra tenderness
• No water spinach? Bok choy, morning glory, or spinach work beautifully
• Want a full meal? Serve it over steamed jasmine rice

Why This is the Best Chinese Beef Recipe

• The marinade makes the beef incredibly tender and flavorful
• Shacha sauce adds a smoky, nutty depth that’s hard to resist
• Water spinach brings a light, refreshing crunch to balance the dish
• Quick and easy, making it a perfect homemade Chinese beef recipe

What to Serve with Shacha Beef

• Steamed Jasmine Rice – Soaks up all the rich, umami sauce
• Chinese Cucumber Salad – Cool and crunchy, the perfect contrast
• Egg Drop Soup – A light, comforting side to round out the meal

Pro Tips for Perfect Stir-Fried Chinese Beef Recipe

• Marinate the beef – This ensures deep flavor and tenderness
• Use high heat – A hot wok keeps the beef juicy and caramelized
• Cook the beef first – Then add the veggies for the best texture
• Don’t overcook – Quick cooking lets the Shacha sauce shine

More Authentic Chinese Beef Recipes to Try

• Yuxiang Pork Stir Fry – A fragrant, spicy Sichuan classic
• Chicken and Zucchini Stir Fry – A light, gingery stir-fry
• Yellow Zucchini and Pork Belly Stir Fry – A delicious way to enjoy pork belly
• Authentic Kung Pao Chicken – A bold and spicy classic

Final Thoughts: Try This Shacha Sauce Beef Stir Fry Tonight!

Shacha Beef Stir Fry is one of those dishes that feels like home—savory, comforting, and deeply satisfying. Whether you’re an experienced cook or just starting your journey with Chinese-style beef cooking, this dish is a simple way to bring authentic flavors to your kitchen.

Try it today and let me know how your Shacha sauce beef stir fry turns out!

The Best Chinese Beef Recipe – Shacha Beef Stir Fry

Recipe by LinCourse: BeefCuisine: ChineseDifficulty: Easy

Servings

3

servings

Prep time

40

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

This Shacha Beef Stir Fry is a quick and flavorful Chinese beef recipe featuring tender beef, garlic, and crisp water spinach, all coated in a rich and savory Shacha sauce. This authentic Chinese beef stir fry is ready in just 30 minutes, making it a perfect weeknight meal. Serve with steamed jasmine rice for a complete dish.

Ingredients

• 225g Beef (the best beef for this dish preferably would have a bit of fat)

• 150-200g Water spinach (if you don’t have water spinach in your local shops, feel free to opt for spinach with stem or spring onions)

• 5 gloves of garlic

• ½ tsp ground black pepper

• 1 tsp cooking wine (Chinese cooking wine or Mirin)

• ½ tsp sugar

• 1 tbs cornstarch

• 1 tbs light soy sauce

• 2 tsp Shacha sauce

• Salt

Directions

• Julienne the beef
• Add 1 tbs cooking wine, 1 tbs light soy sauce, 1 tbs cornstarch, ½ tsp ground black pepper, 1 tbs cooking oil to the beef, mix well and let it marinate for 30 mins
• Mince 5 gloves of garlic
• Wash and cut water spinach into 3 equal sections, 2 parts of stems and 1 part of leaves
• Heat up some cooking oil in a pan or wok
• Add 2 tsp of Shacha sauce and cook on low heat
• Add minced garlic in cook for a further 1 min
• Turn the heat to high and add in marinated beef let it sit for a bit and gently stir fry
• Wait until the beef is nicely browned, add ½ tsp sugar, and the water spinach stem, stir fry until it softens
• Add in the leaves
• Add salt to your taste
• Plate and enjoy

Recipe Video

The post The Best Chinese Beef Recipe – Shacha Beef Stir Fry appeared first on Lin's Chinese Kitchen.

How to Make Authentic Chinese Beef Tomato Stew

To make this delicious dish enjoyed by people across China, you’ll need the ingredients in the photo below.

Now, on to the recipe!

Authentic Chinese Beef Tomato Stew Recipe

Recipe by LinCourse: MainCuisine: ChineseDifficulty: Medium

Servings

3

servings

Prep time

2

hours 

Cooking time

1

hour 

This authentic Chinese recipe shows you how to make a delicious beef tomato stew that’s perfect for the cold winter season.

Ingredients

• Beef shin 500g

• Beef tomato x 4-5

• Pure cane sugar 20g

• Star anise x 1

• Cinnamon stick x ½

• Bay leaf x 3

• Ginger x 3 slices

• Soybean (yellow bean) paste 1tbsp

Directions

• Same as in many Asian meat stew recipes, soaking meat in cold unseasoned water ahead of time is the first step of making this stew. The reason I was given by my mom (also the reason you maybe find online) is to get rid of the excessive blood in the meat. Some may argue, that this step is unnecessary and it is potentially an old holdover from past times where meat processing was different. For me, I still believe that this process will give the broth a cleaner taste, it might just be in my head, but I don’t usually skip this step when I cook Chinese meat broth. For the beef shin, which I purchased from a local supermarket, I have soaked them in cold unseasoned water for 2 hours. At first, you could see the water turning pink after a while.
• Change 2-3 times during soaking your beef, towards the end, you should be able to notice, the meat has visibly become “whiter”.
• While we are soaking the beef shin, we can start preparing the beef tomatoes. Give them a light cross cut on top. Make sure you cut through the skin.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and gently drop your tomatoes in, let them sit for a good 30 seconds.
• Take them out and rinse under cold water. Peel their skin. I always find this process quite calming for some reason.
• Cut them into small chunks, approximately 2cmx2cm.
• Heat up a cooking pot, and add ½ tbsp of vegetable oil, wait for it to heat up. Add 1 star anise, ½ cinnamon stick, 3 pieces of bay leaves, and 3 slices of ginger in the oil quickly stir fry.
• After the smell of the spices is released, add your beef shin in the pot and 1 tbsp of Soybean (yellow bean) paste, stir fry until meat is browned nicely.
• Add tomatoes to the pot with ¼ tsp of salt, mix well, put the lid on, and let it cook on medium-high heat until tomatoes are soft like this.
• Add 20g pure cane sugar to the stew. Change to low heat and let it cook until tomato juice could cover your meat in the cooking pot.
• Take the spices out and put the stew in your pressure cooker. I set mine to stew mode, which is 30 minutes.
• Garnish it any way you want. There you have it! A thick, tasty, and healthy Chinese Beef Tomato Stew. A perfect dinner choice with your loved ones. Try it and let us know your thoughts! 请慢用（qǐng màn yòng) Enjoy!

Try It Yourself!

And now you know how to make this authentic Chinese stew. Give it a try and let us know how it goes in the comments below. We’re also around if you have any questions about this and other recipes on the site.

If you make this delicious dish, we’d love to check it out! Post it on Instagram and tag us @linschinesekitchen.

The post Chinese Beef Tomato Stew Recipe appeared first on Lin's Chinese Kitchen.

A popular saying in China is “王者以民为天，而民以食为天”, which means “The kingdom depends on people, but people depends on food”. Also, it’s a common belief amongst travellers that the best way of understanding a country and its culture is through its food. If you’re planning a trip to China, check out China’s top 10 night markets for a deep dive into Chinese culture through your taste buds.

Back to the dish now which packs tender, spicy, refreshing and vibrant all in one bowl. This special dish is originated from the 湘 (xiāng) region in Hunan Province, and it will knock your socks off. Other than that, it’s easy to prepare and quick to put together.

Chinese Coriander Beef Salad Recipe

Recipe by LinCourse: SaladCuisine: Chinese

Servings

3

servings

Prep time

25

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

This recipe will show you how to make an authentic Chinese coriander beef salad just like in the night markets of Hunan province.

Ingredients

• Main

• 500g beef joint

• 30g fresh coriander

• Marinate sauce

• 1 tbsp light soy

• 2 tsp dark soy

• 1/2 tsp Shaoxing cooking wine

• ¼ tsp baking soda

• 2 tsp starch

• Salad Dressing

• 1 tbsp white sesame seeds

• 2 tsp chilli flakes

• ¼ salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• ½ tbsp sugar

• ½ tbsp Chinese dark rice vinegar

• ½ tbsp light soy

• 5 shakes of ground Chinese Sichuan pepper

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 2 fresh chillies

• 2 spring onions

Directions

• Cut your beef joint into thick pieces (around 3mm thick) and put them in a big container. I bought Sainsbury’s small fatted beef roasting joint and just removed the fat part, but you can use other cuts as well.
• Add 1 tbsp light soy, 2 tsp dark soy, ½ tsp Shaoxing cooking wine, ¼ tsp baking soda, 2 tsp starch to the sliced beef, massage well and set it aside. Let it marinate for at least 20 minutes.
• Finely slice the chillies, spring onions and chop 2 cloves of garlic. Put them in a bowl.
• Add 1 tbsp white sesame seeds, 2 tsp chilli flakes, ¼ salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, ½ tbsp sugar, ½ tbsp Chinese dark rice vinegar, ½ tbsp light soy, and 5 shakes of ground Chinese Sichuan pepper in the bowl.
• Heat up 3 tbsp of vegetable oil and pour it over the mixed dressing ingredients. You should be able to smell the fragrance by now; absolutely mouth-watering!
• Wash 30g fresh coriander and cut them in half. Set them aside on a plate for later use.
• Boil a pot of water.
• Boil the marinated sliced beef until it is thoroughly cooked. Drain the water and let the meat cool.
• Put the cooled meat in a big container, add the salad dressing and fresh coriander and mix well.
• Plate and serve. Hope this refreshing beef salad can bring you joy as all good food should do 您慢用 (nín màn yòng).

Try It Yourself!

And there you have it! You can now make an authentic Chinese coriander beef salad to bring a dose of Chinese night market to your table. Try it out and let us know how it went by leaving us a comment below. We also check the comments for questions so fire away if you need some guidance. Be sure to also follow us on Instagram for more photos of authentic Chinese dishes.

The post Beef and Coriander – Perfect Combo for a Refreshing Salad appeared first on Lin's Chinese Kitchen.