Easy Black Bean Chili Beef Stir Fry

It’s no secret that stir fry is a great mid-week dish but on occasion it can be difficult to figure out exactly how to make it happen where it turns out perfect.

I have tried a lot of different variations of stir fry over the years, some with great success and other times not so good. However, this black bean chili beef stir fry is by far my family’s favorite. The secret to this recipe is to use fresh veggies and cook it hot and fast.

This black bean chili beef stir fry is a quick go to dinner that is packed with flavor. The beef is juicy and it’s loaded with lots of vegetables. This meal delivers in flavor, simplicity and a healthy balance of veggies and protein.

If you are looking for more beef and vegetable dishes, check out these recipes!:

Beef and Okra Curry (bhindi gosht)

 

Easy Stuffed Bell Peppers

 

Classic Shepherd’s Pie

 

Stir Fry Vegetables

To get started on this easy meal, there isn’t much work required other than chopping up the veggies and putting it all together. You can use vegetables you already have in your fridge or you can plan ahead and get your family’s favorite vegetables and have fun with it. In all honesty you can’t go wrong on your vegetables in a stir fry. Here are some suggestions you can use in this recipe:

• Broccoli
• Sugar snap peas
• Carrots
• Coloured Peppers
• Bok Choy
• Mushrooms
• Canned Baby Corn (drained and washed)
• Water Chestnuts (drained and washed)
• Green spring onions

Meal planning tip: if your weekdays are busy like mine where every second of your day needs to be used wisely so that everything else flows perfectly; I like to cut up all the vegetables into bite sized pieces the day before as it helps when everything is ready to go the day you are cooking.  

Black Bean Chili Sauce

I know that I said that the key to a good stir fry is fresh vegetables but what else makes a stir fry insanely good is the sauce. In this case, its a few basic ingredients you may already have: soy sauce, hoisin sauce and a special black bean chili oil which can be found at your local grocery store.

This specific type of Black bean chili oil is my favorite. Not only can it be found in grocery stores but you can also order it through amazon as well. Should you not have the black bean chili sauce, you can still go ahead with the recipe as is and sprinkle some crushed chili flakes at the end to give it that extra kick of heat if you’d like.

Tips to Make the Best Stir Fry

Although this recipe is very straight forward, there are a few things to keep in mind for best results.

1. Avoid undercooking the ingredients: By stir frying the meat and veggies separately, it gives you control over the tenderness of the veggies without overcooking/undercooking the beef.

2. Avoid overcooking the vegetables by sautéing them until they are slightly tender, yet still crisp. There is nothing worse than mushy veggies in a stir fry.

How To Make Black Bean Chili Beef Stir Fry

1. Sauté the beef in a large skillet or wok on medium heat and cook for 2 minutes on each side, then transfer it over onto a plate and set aside.

2. Cook the veggies in a little oil: start off with the harder veggies that will take the longest to cook, bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, celery, onions until tender but not mushy and very soft.

3. Add in the sauces and the black bean chili oil to the skillet

 

4. Now add in the leafy veggies and mushrooms if using any…if not you would add your beef back into the skillet and stir-fry everything together until it’s all well coated in the sauce.

How to Store Leftovers

• To store: Let it cool before storing in airtight containers. They will keep in the fridge for about 4-5 days.
• To freeze: The entire stir-fry can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container.

Serving: 4-6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb top sirloin steak thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp cooking oil of your choice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large onion cut into quarters
• 1 green bell pepper cut into squares
• 1 yellow bell pepper cut into squares
• 1 red bell pepper cut into squares
• 1 baby bok choy (leaves separated from stem and cut into same size as celery stalk)
• 2 stalks of celery chopped
• 227 g mushrooms cut into quarters
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
• 1-2 tbsp. chili oil with black beans (depending on how spicy you want the dish to be)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet heat 1 tbsp of cooking oil on high heat.
2. When oil is hot add beef in a single layer and sauté undisturbed for 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir and sauté the beef for another 2 minutes, lightly season the beef with salt and pepper.
4. Remove the beef onto a plate and set it aside covered (it might look a little under cooked and that is ok).
5. Wipe the skillet clean and add 1 tbsp of oil and return to high heat
6. Add onions, bell peppers, celery and bok choy (stem part only) and stir-fry for 5 -8 minutes
7. Add the sauces and chili oil with black beans and let it simmer for 2 minutes
8. Add mushrooms and the leafy part of the bok choy let cook for 2 minutes
9. Return the cooked beef to the skillet/wok and stir until well combined and all is coated in the sauce.
10. Serve over udon noodles or rice

Yield: 4-6

Easy Black Bean Chili Beef Stir Fry

Print

This quick and easy black bean chili beef stir fry is made of flavor beef and crunch and savory vegetables. Its so easy to make you can have it ready in half an hour for a busy weeknight dinner.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb top sirloin steak thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp cooking oil of your choice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large onion cut into quarters
• 1 green bell pepper cut into squares
• 1 yellow bell pepper cut into squares
• 1 red bell pepper cut into squares
• 1 baby bok choy (leaves separated from stem and cut into same size as celery stalk)
• 2 stalks of celery chopped
• 227 g mushrooms cut into quarters
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
• 1-2 tbsp chili oil with black beans (depending on how spicy you want the dish to be)

Instructions

1. In a large skillet heat 1 tbsp. of cooking oil on high heat.
2. When oil is hot add beef in a single layer and sauté undisturbed for 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir and sauté the beef for another 2 minutes, lightly season the beef with salt and pepper.
4. Remove the beef onto a plate and set it aside covered (it might look a little under cooked and that is ok).
5. Wipe the skillet clean and add 1 tbsp of oil and return to high heat.
6. Add onions, bell peppers, celery and bok choy (stem part only) and stir fry for 5 -8 minutes.
7. Add the sauces and chili oil with black beans and let it simmer for 2 minutes.
8. Add mushrooms and the leafy part of the bok choy let cook for 2 minutes.
9. Return the cooked beef to the skillet/wok and stir until well combined and all is coated in the sauce.
10. Serve over udon noodles or rice.