You'll love this homemade Cumin Beef that's loaded with flavor and so easy to make. Thinly-sliced, tender steak stir fried with onion, garlic, chilies, scallions, and more with umami-packed flavor and cumin-scented abundance. This dish is perfect to serve alongside rice and/or veggies for a decadent, better than take-out meal!
Recipe by Quin Liburd on March 23, 2023
Prep time: PT30M
Cook time: PT20M
Total time: PT50M
Rating
5 stars ( reviews)
Keywords
cumin, beef, asian, cumin beef, stir fry, stir fry beef, asian dinner, asian recipes, beef recipes, flank steak
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs flank steak
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or any dry sherry or rice wine)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch (see notes for gluten-free needs)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
1 medium-sized white onion, sliced into half moons
6 cloves of garlic, finely minced or pressed
2 fresh red chilies, deseeded & chopped- optional
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, ground
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
6 scallions, green parts only, chopped
white or brown rice, steamed broccoli/other veggies- as desired
Categories
Main Dishes
Cuisine
Asian-Inspired
Steps
. Place the steak onto a cutting board, using a sharp knife, slice the steak across the grain into thin, bite-sized strips that are about 3-4 inches long. Place the steak into a large bowl (or inside a large plastic baggie). Add the shaoxing wine (or dry sherry/rice wine), ground cumin, salt/pepper- to taste, and cornstarch. Toss all ingredients well to fully combine. Then set the steak aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
. In a wok or large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, working in batches, add the beef- don’t overcrowd pan. Cook the beef, searing well until the beef is golden brown and slightly crispy, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Then use a slotted utensil to transfer the cooked beef to a clean plate and set aside. Repeat the process until all beef is seared, adding more oil in between batches if your pan is dry.
. With all seared beef set aside, if needed, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil into the pan. Add the onion and cook until softened and lightly caramelized, about 2-3 minutes. Then add in the garlic, red chilies (if using), ground cumin, and ground Szechuan peppercorns. Continue cooking until the garlic is fragrant and the spices toast up nicely, about 2 minutes. Then add the brown sugar and ginger, stirring well into the mixture.
. Return the beef into the pan along with any residual juices that have collected, and add soy sauce, fish sauce, rice wine, and scallions, stir-frying the mixture until well combined and deeply fragrant. Continue cooking until the sauce has thickened and creates a glaze over the beef, about 2-3 minutes or so.
. Remove from heat. If you’d like, add rice of choice into shallow bowls and top with cumin beef stir fry or serve alongside steamed veggies for a completely satisfying meal, as desired. Enjoy!
Reviews
Alba DiGirolamo on 2023-03-26 (5 stars): This stir fry was absolutely delicious!!! Loved that it was a delicious meal that could be whipped up easily. Healthy and delicious. Definitely will be making this again and again.
Crystal on 2024-06-06 (5 stars): This is very delicious! 10 out of 10!!! My fiance said it was the best beef he's ever had. I will add it to my rotation.
Crystal on 2025-02-23 (5 stars): I make this a least once a month. Delicious!!! No matter how much I make; it's always gone in one night. Happy I stumbled upon it and tried it out.
Unique on 2025-05-26 (5 stars): Soooooo flavorful! It hits all the spots you'd want in takeout and is surprisingly easy! Well balanced and so delicious
Mikey on 2026-09-03 (5 stars): Consider this another winner, going two for two thus far.
My dad had stored some good quality steak in the freezer, in small bagged batches, and I decided to get a portion of it out in the hopes to cook a recipe the following day. The plans went back and forth for a while, with my being given the reign in the kitchen for another night.
The original plan was for another stir fry recipe I found elsewhere on the web, upon having this one up for a while as back-up, I went through the list and saw everything that was needed was in the house. So it was all a-go. As a takeout option, Chinese is always going to be a winner; trying it at home usually does not quite hit as right in my mind, but this was still worth a try.
One of the cooking methods that I have not had much experience utilising has been the stir fry via the wok, and I was changing that course in recent years. To tell the young 'uns someting for free, get onto the wok early while you learn to cook - these things can get economical and efficient with making dinner.
After a bit of mise en place, this recipe is practically a breeze. Even in some of the quicker meals that I have cooked, this one went like a missle. You could see the beef practically marble upon contact, the onions went soft so quickly while still maintaning some texture, plus the cornstarch residue and oil caused either a malliard reaction or made quite the roux. That was before the mixture of spices and sauces infused everything together.
The beef was tender, having the right texture of being cooked through while still tasting fairly medium rare. The onions were sweet, the cumin was not too fiery to detract from other components, plus both the ginger and garlic made it a bold little donburi.
It was really such a simple meal to have cooked at such short notice, and each component got to carry its own weight effectively. While it is not one of the main events that I have been known for cooking in recent times, it stilll has its spot in my extensive arsenal as one to showcase just how full of surprises I can be. The wok will return in my hands, that much I know.
