Orange is such a great flavor to add to almost any type of protein. I’ve seen it used on just about everything, and in every type of cooking. It’s bright and acidic, but also sweet and pleasing to almost all palates. Everyone I know loves orange chicken, and while it isn’t always on every menu, orange beef is also a favorite among many. Orange beef is typically an Asian dish, and rightfully so, as oranges originated in Southeast Asia. This recipe includes the juice of two oranges and the zest of one orange, but the end result isn’t an overwhelming orange taste, but rather a subtle flavor, along with the garlic, onions, sriracha, and soy sauce. The final product is sweet, tangy, and tender, with just a tiny bit of heat. The sauce is wonderful for serving over vegetables or rice. My husband and I were really pleased with this dish, as I had never made it before and it was a welcome change to the usual orange chicken that we make. I didn’t deep fry the beef in this, either, but instead, shallow fried it it in just 2/3 cup of oil instead of almost an entire bottle! The beef turned out just slightly crispy, but not as crispy as something deep fried would be. It was easier to do it this way, too; it only used 2 pans instead of 3, and I didn’t have to worry about burning myself while I fried meat! I highly recommend this Orange Beef. If you’re a fan of orange chicken but aren’t sure about this, believe me, you’ll love it!
Your ingredients.
Combine your sauce ingredients: the soy sauce, granulated sugar, ground ginger, balsamic vinegar, the zest of one orange, and the juice of two oranges. Set aside.
Toss the beef with egg, salt, pepper, vegetable oil, cornstarch, and flour.
In a large skillet or pot, place 2/3 cup vegetable oil and heat over medium heat. Cook until browned and slightly crispy.
In a medium sized pot, heat about a teaspoon of oil and add in the green onions, garlic, 1 teaspoon sriracha (I used 2, but I like it slightly spicier), and sesame oil. When fragrant, add in the sauce ingredients, bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes until thickened.
Pour the sauce over the beef, toss to coat, and serve over rice and/or vegetables.
- 2 pounds flank steak (or any other type of beef, as long as it isn't ground or cube steak), sliced thinly
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ⅔ cup oil, for cooking
- To be cooked separately from the beef:
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sriracha or other chili garlic paste (I used 2)
- 4 green onions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ cup water mixed with 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 5 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- juice of 2 oranges
- zest of 1 orange
- Slice the beef thinly into strips. Combine with the egg, salt, pepper, flour, cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon of oil. Heat the ⅔ cup of oil in a large skillet or pot, then add in the beef, and cook, over medium heat, until no longer pick and just lightly crispy.
- In a separate pot, add in the minced garlic, sriracha, green onions, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and ¾ teaspoon of sesame oil. Stir fry for about five minutes, until fragrant. Combine the sauce ingredients and add them to the onion mixture.
- Bring everything to a light boil, then add in the 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup of water. Heat everything until is starts to thicken a bit, about 3-4 minutes, pour over the beef. Toss to coat, and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes until the sauce is as thick as you’d like it to be. Serve over rice and/or vegetables. Serves 4.
Oh my goodness!! This dish looks amazing. I love orange chicken and have made it, but I’ve never eaten or made the beef version. I’m making this ASAP! Thanks for sharing!
Memoria: It’s just as tasty!
That looks quite tasty. I’ve never heard of orange beef before, it sounds like something good to try, I agree that orange pairs well with just about any protein.
I love the picture!
Dana: Thank you! A bunch of people are saying that they’ve never had orange beef, either. Maybe it’s not as popular as I thought!
I love orange in anything………….you are right on the money about it suiting a lot of palates. This looks delicious and is something new to me, as I think I’ve only ever tried duck l’orange.
Kitchen Butterfly: I’ve honestly never had duck l’orange, which is sad because I love duck! I’m going to need to order it next time I go to a French restaurant.
I can not wait to make this. I love orange chicken, but have never attempted to make it at home. The orange beef looks so good – thank you for inspiring me!
Liren: Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Wow. That photo is wonderful. I love orange chicken and know I would love it with beef. I’ve never seen a recipe for this before….copying now.
Barbara: Thank you very much!
just made this recipe for dinner, and it was a-maz-ing! many thanks
Adrianne: Many thanks to you!
I was going to make orange chicken and saw this recipe and opted for the orange beef. It is good! I added 1 tbsp of ginger since it just seemed right to me (we’re big ginger fans) and I am glad I did. My oranges were very juicy and I used the zest of both oranges and the orange flavour was still mild. I also subbed chili pepper flakes for the sriracha and I only had regular soy sauce in the cupboard. We’ll definitely be making this again. Thanks for the recipe!
Tanya: I’m glad you liked it! I love ginger as well, but my husband is definitely not a fan, so I subdued it and used ground instead of fresh, too. Your adaptation sounds delicious.
Citrus usually make a meat dish much more tantalizing if you ask me. Orange with beef, lemon with chicken….ooh la la! Too good!
Tigerfish: I agree! I should do a lemon chicken dish, now that you mention it…thanks for the idea!
Oh, it looks wonderful!
I have so much of your food on my “to do list” you are such an inspiration.
Emma: Glad to hear it! Thank you so much.
Sydney,
Under one of the pictures, you mention ground ginger, but that is not in the list of ingredients? Am I confused?
Thanks,
John
John: Sorry, that’s my fault! I’ve fixed it. Thanks for the head’s up!
Just cooked this for dinner- eating while I type this. This was AMAZING. Thanks for the recipe.
Michael: I’m glad you liked it! Thanks for visiting the site!