This Maple Ginger Beef is better than any take-out and ready in 30 minutes or less! It’s sweet, savory and tangy and makes a perfect clean-out-the-fridge stir fry recipe.
Just in case you like quick, homemade takeout perfection, try my One Pot Chicken Chow Mein, Baked Honey Lemon Chicken, or One Pan Teriyaki Chicken and Noodles!
Table of Contents
- Why we love this beef stir fry recipe:
- Maple Ginger Beef Ingredients:
- How to make Ginger Maple Beef:
- Variations and Substitutions
- Reader Rating
- Tips and Notes
- How to store leftover Maple Ginger Beef:
- Can I freeze leftovers?
- How to reheat leftovers:
- How to make this recipe in the crockpot:
- How to make this recipe in the Instant Pot:
- Serving suggestions:
- More Asian-inspired recipes you’ll love:
- Maple Ginger Beef Recipe
Maple Ginger Beef combines thinly sliced sirloin steak with a sweet and savory sauce made from maple syrup, ginger, soy sauce, and garlic.
The rich, sticky sauce that caramelizes around the beef delivers a restaurant-style flavor that’s totally satisfying at home!
All you need is 20 minutes and you can make this quick meal whenever those takeout cravings hit.
Serve it over a bed of white rice and a side of green beans for a comforting dish!
Why we love this beef stir fry recipe:
- Better Than Takeout: It brings those rich, caramelized flavors you crave but with fresh, wholesome ingredients at home.
- Quick and Easy: This dish takes just 20 minutes to make, so it’s perfect for busy weeknights!
- Irresistible Flavor: The maple and ginger sauce adds a sweet and savory kick, coating each slice of tender beef.
Maple Ginger Beef Ingredients:
- Sirloin Steak: I love using sirloin for this recipe because it’s relatively inexpensive and lean but not tough.
- Cornstarch: helps the beef get that golden crust and thickens the sauce.
- Oil: keeps things from sticking and helps with browning. Any neutral cooking oil like canola, avocado, or vegetable oil will work!
- Beef Broth: gives the sauce its rich base flavor. You can use chicken broth if that’s all you have.
- Soy Sauce and Worcestershire Sauce: these bring the savory, umami kick to the dish. I prefer to use low-sodium soy sauce, but you can use regular if you like.
- Maple Syrup: adds that perfect hint of sweetness! You could swap honey or brown sugar if you don’t have maple syrup.
- Garlic and Ginger: these add a warm, spicy, and fresh flavor. I like to use fresh ginger and garlic for the best flavor, but you can use garlic powder or ground ginger in a pinch.
- Red Pepper Flakes: adds a touch of heat. Leave it out for milder flavors, or turn up the heat with sriracha, hot sauce, or chili garlic sauce!
How to make Ginger Maple Beef:
Bring takeout to you with this Maple Ginger Beef recipe! For more detailed instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Slice the beef into thin strips.
- Toss the strips of beef in a bit of cornstarch, salt, and pepper.
- Sear the beef in batches until browned, then set it aside.
- Add the sauce mix to the pan with the beef and simmer for a few minutes until it thickens.
Variations and Substitutions
- Beef Substitute: Swap sirloin for flank steak or skirt steak if you prefer. This sauce pairs well with pork as well!
- Maple Syrup: For a different sweetness, substitute honey or brown sugar, though the flavor will change slightly.
- Add Veggies: Toss in some broccoli, mushrooms, shredded carrots, snap peas, and peppers for a delicious stir fry!
- Garnish: Add some sesame seeds or green onions on top.
- Gluten-free: Use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
Reader Rating
“I just made this for dinner and it’s amazing – we loved it! Thanks!” Amanda Howard
Tips and Notes
- You’ll want a good non-stick skillet for this recipe — I have this 12″ non-stick skillet, and I love it!
- You want your beef super thin for this recipe — it will cook more quickly and be more tender!
- Once the sauce has thickened, feel free to adjust spices and sweetness to your tastes. The saltiness will depend a lot on the type of soy sauce you use, so if you don’t like things too salty, be sure to buy a low-sodium soy sauce.
- Slice against the grain for the most melt-in-your-mouth tender beef!
- Make sure the beef is at room temperature before searing to ensure even cooking throughout.
How to store leftover Maple Ginger Beef:
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Can I freeze leftovers?
Absolutely! Let the beef cool to room temperature, then store the leftover beef in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Before reheating, let the beef thaw in the fridge overnight!
How to reheat leftovers:
Add a splash of broth along with the beef and reheat in 30-second intervals until heated all the way through. If you have a few more minutes, you can reheat on the stovetop.
How to make this recipe in the crockpot:
This recipe is so easy to make in the crockpot! Here’s how to do it:
- Thinly slice the beef. You can sear the beef if you like or add it straight into the crockpot.
- Mix the soy sauce, Worcestershire, maple syrup, garlic, ginger, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes.
- Stir in the beef until well coated.
- Set the slow cooker to cook on low for 2-3 hours.
- Serve with your favorite sides!
You can also try my Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef for a similar recipe!
How to make this recipe in the Instant Pot:
Here are some easy steps to make this recipe using a pressure cooker:
- Set the Instant Pot to the sauté setting.
- Slice the beef and shake it in a bag with the cornstarch.
- Sauté the beef until browned.
- Toss in the maple-ginger sauce ingredients and cook on manual for 10 minutes.
- Release the pressure and serve with your favorite sides!
Serving suggestions:
I love serving this dish over a bed of baked rice or noodles to soak up the sweet and savory sauce! For a touch of green, serve this dish with a side of veggies like roasted green beans or air fryer broccoli!
More Asian-inspired recipes you’ll love:
- Crockpot Orange Chicken recipe — better than takeout! — a hands off dinner!
- One Pot Chicken Chow Mein Recipe — the kids devour this one!
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps — a lighter meal that’s full of flavor.
- Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef with Pineapple
Maple Ginger Beef
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 lb sirloin steak (sliced very thin)
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon corn starch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- ½ cup beef broth
- ¼ cup soy sauce low sodium
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced or grated
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes more if you like spice!
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the oil.
- Stir together 2 tablespoons corn starch, ½ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Add to the sliced steak and stir to coat.
- Cook the steak over medium-high heat just until browned, flipping once. Work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, syrup, garlic, ginger, pepper flakes and 1 tablespoon corn starch until combined. Add to the skillet with the steak and cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
- Adjust salt, spice and sweetness as desired if necessary! Serve over hot rice or noodles.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Natasha says
This was quick, easy and delicious! The only change I made was to add some steamed broccoli in the pan with the beef and sauce at the end. The recipe is a keeper!
Ashley Fehr says
That’s a great idea!
Jean M says
I tried this a few days ago. It was the crockpot version that included hoison sauce. It was good but wished I had done this version so beef would have been more browned.
Amanda Howard says
I just made this for dinner and it’s amazing – we loved it! Thanks!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for leaving a comment!
Sabrina Zaragoza says
Great recommendation, Ashley. I laughed out loud when reading your waitress story, you know. Really enjoy it. But you do have talent in cooking, don’t you. Have a nice weekend.
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you so much!
Pat C.Wilson says
so yummy. great idea combine maple ginger beef with hot rice. it’s good for a cool autumn day or also a cold day in winter. i have new suggestion for the dinner tomorrow. thanks for your post.
Rachel @ Bakerita says
Three cheers for 30 minute Thursdays! It always makes me hungry, and this maple ginger beef is certainly no exception. I’m totally making this for dinner soon with some broccoli thrown in 🙂 Also…totally LOLed at your water spilling. That’s exactly something I would do ?
Melanie @ Gather for Bread says
I love the switching gears mindset. That’s a great thing to have. It seems like I’m always out of some ingredient or other!
To be honest years and years went by when I felt like I had to follow recipes exactly. So glad that’s behind me. Each year in the kitchen gets more unique and fun!
Happy Friday Ashley!
Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven says
Oh, I hear you there! It’s always a very sad day when my veggie drawer becomes empty! But seriously, this beef is SO stunning on it’s own I don’t even think it needs the veggies! That sauce = PERFECTION!!
Dorothy Dunton says
Hi Ashley! This sauce is gorgeous! I would add sugar snaps, mushrooms and red bell peppers simply because that is my favorite combination for a stir fry! You probably know this but if you put the meat in the freezer for thirty minutes or so it will be much easier to slice thinly (with a very sharp knife, of course). I also have a 12″ ceramic pan and I love it!!
Ashley Fehr says
Oh, that is brilliant! You know, I normally have steaks waiting in the freezer and I try to get them sliced before they’re completely thawed — but that is an awesome tip! And those veggies would go perfectly in here — we love snap peas in our stir frys too!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Giiirl, I am SO guilty of the same thing! And right now I don’t have any veggies in my crisper drawer that would go with this dish either! So, NO SHAME! 😉 Anyways, can I just say that I want to go swimming in this maple-ginger sauce?! SO GOOD! This is bodacious beef perfection, Ashley! Be a doll and send me a vat of this, PRONTO. Oh and send some veggies if ya have ’em. hahahaha. Cheers!!
Ashley Fehr says
Hahaha! Um….. yeah, about those veggies…. I have some carrots? Lol. And pleeeeenty of tomatoes from the garden. Lol. Thanks Chey!
Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze says
This Maple Ginger Beef looks phenomenal with or without veggies. We would go crazy over this in my house. At least you run out of veggies. I feel like my veggies always go bad before I’ve had a chance to use them all. Hate when that happens. I’m definitely making this next week. Thanks Ashley!! PS your pictures are GORGEOUS!
Ashley Fehr says
Haha! Thanks Cyndi! I try not to buy so many that they go weird before we eat them, but it doesn’t always work out that way! Luckily the kiddos love veggies so there are people to take care of that for me! LOl
Stacey @ Bake Eat Repeat says
I start making recipes ALL the time without checking to see if I actually have what I need. And then of course I don’t decide to make something different, I just make it work because I don’t want to make something different! So you’re not alone! This maple ginger beef looks amazing, I can’t wait to try it!
Ashley Fehr says
YES. I am the same way! Lol. I have a mean stubborn streak in me 😉
marcie says
I don’t blame you for not taking a trip to the store with your girls just for veggies, especially when this dish looks so incredible without them! That sauce looks so silky and full of flavor and maple-ginger sounds like one delicious combination! I love this and can’t wait to try it!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Marcie!
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
This looks so good, I don’t think I’d miss the vegetables. Ha ha ha. And um…you dumped an entire tray of water on a customer once? I would have died. That must have been horrible!
Ashley Fehr says
Haha! Well, maybe… I definitely only served a couple shifts before I was permanently on hostess duty!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Veggies or not, this beef looks delicious! I’ve never combined maple and ginger before. I love the pretty color and flavor! I bet your house smelled SO good when this was cooking!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Gayle!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Ashley, this looks great! Even without the veggies!!!! Looks so delicious and rich in flavor!!!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Alice!
Nora | Savory Nothings says
Honestly, I can’t even quickly jump to the supermarket with one two year old in tow. And even though I always make an effort to feed my family balanced meals – that veggie drawer is often slightly neglected. Or over-ripe.
I’ll absolutely forgive you for neglecting the vegetables this time, because maple ginger beef? Sounds amazing!
Ashley Fehr says
Haha! I know you know what I’m talking about. Doesn’t help that we’re at least 30 minutes away in one direction!