This beef tomato recipe embraces the classic beauty of homemade food—simple and easy yet also comforting and flavorful.
The tender beef and colorful veggies are drenched in a savory sauce and stir-fried into a hearty mixture that warms the soul with every bite. Everything comes together effortlessly in less than 30 minutes, making it an ideal choice for busy weeknight dinners.
Is This Beef Tomato Stir Fry Healthy?
With a balanced mixture of meat and vegetables, this beef tomato is full of nutrients that make it a healthy dish.
Firstly, the dish is loaded with protein since beef is the main ingredient. The meat is also a great source of vitamins B6 and B12, heme iron, zinc, selenium, and phosphorus. We opted for flank steak, which is a cut that’s quite lean and low in fat.
This dish also has a high level of vitamin C, mostly thanks to the tomatoes. The fruit is also known for its rich lycopene content—an antioxidant that has been linked to a decreased risk of strokes.
Moreover, we also kept an eye on the ingredient amounts to make sure they follow our nutrition guidelines. As a result, each 468-calorie serving contains approximately 2.7 g saturated fat and 576 mg sodium.
Ingredients You Will Need
True to the spirit of comfort food, the ingredients are simple and familiar. Here is what you’ll need to put together this dish:
- Beef: As the beef is stir-fried, we went with the cut most popular for this method—flank steak. It can be relatively chewy compared to other cuts but packs a whole lot of intense and savory flavor.
- Tomatoes: The tomatoes’ vibrancy in color and flavor plays a huge role in making this dish irresistible. We recommend using ripe ones not only for the sweet flavor but also for their firmness that holds up well when stir-fried.
- Other Vegetables: Since the tomatoes are pretty tender, we went with onion, celery, and bell peppers for texture contrast. The bell peppers share a similar sweetness as the tomatoes while the onion and celery inject some flavor versatility with their peppery undertones.
- Rice: Like most Asian dishes, we served this stir-fried beef with a side of white rice to make a filling main dish. Egg noodle is another good option.
- Condiments: We went with some classic Asian staples like soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. Additionally, we also added some brown sugar to deepen the sauce’s flavor.
- White Wine: The sauce has a small amount of white wine, which partially helps to tenderize the tough meat with its acidity. We went with Sauvignon Blanc for its incredible versatility and herbal notes that accentuate the savory flavors of both the sauce and the meat.
- Cornstarch: This ingredient helps to soften the meat while also thickening the texture of the sauce.
Tips and Tricks for the Best Stir-fry
Stir-frying is relatively simple, but like all cooking methods, it requires some attention to the details. Take notice of these little tips that could significantly improve the quality of your dish:
- Slice Across the Grains
Since flank steak can be tough, it’s important to slice across the grains when you’re cutting it to disrupt the muscle fibers and make them easier to chew. To identify these grains, look for lines that run lengthwise on the meat’s surface.
- Prepare the Ingredients in Advance
Stir-frying requires quick work and high heat, so make sure you have the beef and vegetables cut up and ready to go. The sauce should also be mixed in advance and given a quick re-stir before being added to the pan.
- Use a Wok or Cast Iron Pan
Go for pans that retain heat well so that the food can brown quickly and evenly, resulting in a crispy exterior and well-cooked interior. A wok is most commonly used for stir-frying, but you can also use cast-iron skillets as well.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan
As the name suggests, stir-frying requires constant and rapid stirring. Therefore, there should be enough room for the ingredients to move around and have continuous heat contact or they might end up soggy.
To avoid this, divide the food into multiple batches if you suspect it won’t fit into the pan at once. Cook the beef first, then remove it and move on to the vegetable. You can give everything one quick stir together at the end.
- Cut the Food Properly
Cut the veggies into large pieces instead of small ones. Not only will this give them a better mouthfeel, but the large size also helps to maintain the texture when cooked with high heat.
Moreover, make sure the pieces are approximately the same size. This will make the cooking process easier since they will be cooked at the same rate.
How to Store and Reheat the Leftovers
This dish may last for 2 or 3 days when kept in airtight containers in the fridge. To reheat, place it in the microwave at full power for 1 minute or do a quick stir of the beef mixture on the stovetop. If possible, cook new rice for a better taste.
What to Serve With
This beef tomato makes a perfect main for a simple and hearty Asian meal. Here are a few of our recommendations for side dishes to serve with it:
- Cabbage Potato Soup Recipe
- Miso Soup Recipe
- Cabbage Soup Recipe
- Chicken Tinola Recipe
- Winter Melon Meatball Soup Recipe
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If you're a fan of one-pot meals that feature both beef and rice, our roundup is a must-see.
How to Make Beef Tomato Stir Fry
This beef tomato recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes, requiring very little effort while offering an impressive range of flavors and textures. It features tender beef and colorful veggies drenched in a savory sauce, all stir-fried into a hearty mixture that warms the soul with every bite.
- cook TIME 10 mins
- prep TIME 15 mins
- total TIME 25 mins
- COURSE Main Course
- CUISINE Chinese
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 468 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 12 oz flank steak (cut into strips)
- 10 oz tomatoes (cut into eighths)
- 4 oz onions (sliced into wedges)
- 4 oz green bell peppers (thickly sliced)
- 2 oz celery (bias cut)
- 2 tbsp garlic (minced)
- 1/4 cup scallions (cut into thirds)
- 1 fl oz water
- 1/2 fl oz white wine
- 3 1/2 cups cooked medium-grain rice (from 1 3/4 cups uncooked)
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep:
Cook the Rice: Rinse the rice then cook with the rice cooker, Instant Pot, saucepan, or any available appliance. Check the package for the specific cooking time and water amount. Most types of rice take from 15-20 minutes and follow the 1 cup rice to 2 cups water ratio.
Cut the beef into large strips.
Cut the tomatoes lengthwise into eights.
Slice the Onion: Halve the onion, then thickly slice each half into wedges.
Cut the Bell Peppers: Slice lengthwise around the core, discard the core, then cut each slice into large pieces.
Cut the Celeries: Separate the stalk, then cut off the head. Hold the knife diagonally and thickly slice the stalk into 1-inch pieces.
Mince the Garlic: Thinly slice the garlic cloves then chop in a rocking motion over the sliced pile a few times until the pieces are finely minced.
Cook:
Make the Sauce: In a small bowl, mix 1 fl oz water, 1/2 fl oz white wine, 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, 3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce, 1 tsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp pepper until well-combined.
Stir-fry the Garlic: In a pan over medium heat, add 2 tbsp canola oil and 2 tbsp garlic, stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Stir-fry the Veggies: Turn the heat up to high then add 10 oz tomatoes, 4 oz onions, 4 oz green bell peppers, and 2 oz celery and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Add the Beef: Then add 12 oz flank steak to stir-fry over high heat for 4 minutes.
Add the Sauce: Add the sauce then stir-fry for another 2 minutes.
Add the Scallions: Add 1/4 cup scallions to stir-fry for another 1 minute.
Serve: Take off the heat then serve over 3 1/2 cups cooked medium-grain rice.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Head Chef, Culinary ConsultantLuna Regina
Writer, AuthorNatalie Butler, RD, LD
Nutrition Reviewer- Alicia B.This beef tomato had such an amazing flavor! The beef was juicy and tender, while the tomato added a burst of lovely acidity. It's definitely one of our favorite dishes.