BBQ Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry

Brayden turned one Wednesday September 28th. One year exactly. The Sunday-before-the-Tuesday-birthday party was at our apartment with the Bryants flown in and the Carltons driven up and the apartment at fifteen-people capacity. The Sunday gathering and the Wednesday-actual-birthday are the two pieces of the birthday week and both belong to this post.

The BBQ beef stir-fry is a Monday-night-leftover dish — the leftover Mama-fried-chicken pulled off the bone, mixed with the leftover Carol-pasta-salad vegetables (chopped bell pepper, scallion, celery), stir-fried in a hot wok with a BBQ-soy-honey glaze, served over rice. The dish is a recovery-meal that uses the small leftover quantities from the party that would not stand alone but combine into a satisfying weeknight dinner.

The technique is the heat. The wok needs to be smoking-hot before any food goes in. The chicken (already cooked) needs only thirty seconds in the wok to crisp up at the edges. The vegetables need ninety seconds at most. The glaze goes in last for fifteen seconds to coat and reduce. The whole stir-fry from heat-to-plate is under four minutes.

Monday I made it. Dustin had two plates. Brayden (now one year old) had a small portion of plain chicken and rice (no glaze, no BBQ). He is a one-year-old now and we have entered the toddler-food era.

BBQ Beef & Vegetable Stir-Fry

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 2–3

Ingredients

• 1 lb flank steak or sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (your favorite brand or homemade)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced into half-moons
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt to taste
• Cooked rice or crusty bread, for serving

Instructions

1. Marinate the beef. In a bowl, combine the BBQ sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Add the sliced beef and toss to coat. Let sit for at least 10 minutes at room temperature while you prep the vegetables.
2. Sear the beef. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or cast iron pan over high heat until just smoking. Remove beef from the marinade (reserve marinade) and add to the pan in a single layer. Sear without stirring for 1–2 minutes, then stir-fry for another 1–2 minutes until browned. Transfer beef to a plate and set aside.
3. Cook the vegetables. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the same pan over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Add the bell peppers and zucchini and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until tender-crisp. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
4. Combine and finish. Return the seared beef to the pan. Pour the reserved marinade over everything and toss to coat. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and everything is heated through. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
5. Serve. Plate over cooked rice or alongside crusty bread. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 36g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 28g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 720mg