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a plate of beef and asparagus stir-fry.
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Stir-fried Asparagus with Beef

Stir-fried asparagus with beef is a nutritious one-pan dish to make for busy weeknights. The combination of tender beef, crisp asparagus, and sweet carrot delivers a satisfying balance of flavors and textures.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 86kcal
Author: Sophie Pham

Ingredients

  • 8 oz beef, thinly sliced against the grain (flank steak is great for stir-frying)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (plus more to adjust seasonings)
  • black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • teaspoons cooking oil (plus more for cooking)
  • 4 teaspoons minced garlic, divided
  • 2 oz peeled and thinly sliced carrots
  • 10.5-12 oz trimmed asparagus, cut on a diagonal into 2-inch long pieces
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon fish sauce

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl, combine sliced beef with ¼ teaspoon salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Mix well and then add teaspoons cooking oil and give it another toss. Set aside to marinate for about 10 minutes.
  • Place a pan over medium heat and add cooking oil to coat the bottom. Once the oil is hot, add the beef and let it sear undisturbed briefly. Then stir-fry quickly and remove from the pan when the beef is still slightly pink.
  • Add the remaining minced garlic to the same pan and stir-fry until fragrant. Add carrot and stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes.
  • Continue to add asparagus to the pan and stir-fry together with the carrot for about 4 minutes until crisp-tender. You can add a tablespoon of water to the pan to help soften the vegetables if needed.
  • Return the beef to the pan and add the oyster sauce. Mix well. Once everything has been cooked through, add the fish sauce and adjust seasonings with a little more salt if needed. Give everything a final toss.
  • Transfer to serving plates and sprinkle with black pepper.

Notes

This recipe may serve 2-4 people, depending on how many other dishes you will cook in the meal.
I recommend trimming off the tough woody end or use a vegetable peeler to peel off the skin from the bottom part of the asparagus spears before slicing.
The carrots should be thinly sliced so that they match the length of the asparagus pieces.

Nutrition

Calories: 86kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 619mg | Potassium: 423mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5862IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 3mg