Northern Chinese / American Chinese Recipe

Beef with Scallion

Beef with scallion is a fast stir-fry of sliced beef, lots of scallions, ginger, and a savory soy-based sauce.

Recipe at a glance

PurposeHigh-frequency Chinese restaurant menu dish
Cuisine or formatNorthern Chinese / American Chinese
Menu variation ruleProtein may be adjusted without creating a separate recipe family.

Ingredients

  • 12 oz flank steak or sirloin, sliced
  • 2 bunches scallions, cut into lengths
  • 2 slices ginger
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, optional
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • White pepper
  • Cornstarch for marinating
  • Neutral oil

Method

  1. Marinate beef lightly with soy sauce, cornstarch, and oil.
  2. Stir-fry beef quickly and remove.
  3. Fry ginger and scallion whites.
  4. Return beef.
  5. Add scallion greens and seasoning.
  6. Toss briefly so scallions stay aromatic.
  7. Serve immediately.

Menu-literacy notes

  • Scallion is the main vegetable and aroma, not just garnish.
  • This dish overlaps with Mongolian-beef style takeout dishes but is simpler.
  • Cook quickly to avoid tough beef.

Variations and substitutions

  • For chicken, beef, shrimp, pork, tofu, or mixed seafood variants, keep the same sauce logic and adjust the cooking time for the protein.
  • For allergies or religious dietary needs, check sauces, broth, wrappers, cooking wine, and shared wok or fryer use.
  • For takeout-style dishes, sauce texture matters: the sauce should coat the food rather than become a thin soup.

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