This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Beef and snow pea stir fry features tender beef and crunchy snow peas tossed in a thick, savory sauce. It takes 25 minutes to come together and it all happens in one pan!

25 Minutes, Only: Beef with Snow Peas
Beef with snow peas is a dish my mom used to make when we were growing up and it’s also a dish that’s pretty popular at Chinese restaurants. The thin slices of beef are tender while the snow peas give the dish a nice crunch and freshness. Everything is tossed together in a thick, savory, garlicky sauce that I sometimes love making extra of to drizzle over my rice. This all comes together so quickly too — in just 25 minutes!
The key is to use thinly sliced steak, which cooks fast, and to retain the crunch of the snow peas, you don’t need to cook them long either.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Swap or add in more vegetables. Not a fan of snow peas but like its sister snap peas? Feel free to swap her in! Additionally, adding more vegetables like sliced red bell pepper or broccoli florets would be a great way to amp up the vegetables.
- Make sure you don’t turn off the heat when you add the sauce. Cornstarch needs heat to activate in order to thicken the sauce.
- Don’t overcook the beef! Flank steak, especially sliced thin, will cook really fast and won’t need much time at all so take care to keep an eye on it.
- This dish comes together really quickly when it’s on the stove so make sure you have everything chopped and ready to go!
Suggested Beef Cuts to Use
Flank steak is the recommendation here because it’s lean, thin, and cooks fast. Skirt steak also works well. I wouldn’t recommend a stew beef or a chuck roast as those are better for pot roasts.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Allow leftovers to cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, use a microwave-safe bowl to reheat until warmed through or put into a skillet on the stovetop to warm through.
Beef and Snow Pea Stir Fry
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup (118 ml) low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup (59 ml) water
- 3 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine, see notes
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 10 ounces (284 g) snow peas, ends trimmed
- ¾ pounds (340 g) thinly sliced flank steak
Instructions
- In a measuring cup or bowl, whisk together soy sauce, water, cooking wine, brown sugar, and corn starch. Set aside.
- In a skillet or wok, over medium-high heat, add vegetable oil. Once oil is heated, add minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add the snow peas and cook until bright green, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside on a plate.
- Add the flank steak to the skillet and cook until mostly cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the snow peas back into the skillet then pour sauce in. Let simmer and thicken for 3-5 minutes, stirring and tossing to incorporate everything.
- Serve with white rice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Photographs by Jess Gaertner Creative
Wonderful recipe! Tastes so good. I had to double it for the family and it still turned out well. I also added more veggies (zucchini and onion), but it would have tasted perfect without it.
Wonderful to hear, Becca!
This looks so comforting! And I love how quickly it comes together!
That sauce looks like the perfect consistency, the peas look so crisp, and the meat looks tender and delicious. It doesn’t get better than this, yum!
Crazy love this recipe!!!
With weeknights so crazy these days, I need more delicious, time saving recipes like this in my life!
What a quick and tasty stir fry!
looks so good and love that shiny sauce!!
Love this simple, easy to make meal. My boys would love this–bookmarked.
Loving loving loving. Also can we talk about The Royals soon.
Love a recipe that comes together fast!