Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry - A Quick & Easy Woks of Life Recipe (2024)

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Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry - A Quick & Easy Woks of Life Recipe (1)

by: Sarah

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Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry - A Quick & Easy Woks of Life Recipe (2)

Sha Cha Sauce (沙茶酱) is really underrated, and I’m not sure why. Often labeled on its packaging as “Chinese BBQ Sauce” in English, sha cha sauce is a mixture of shallots, garlic, dried shrimp, fish, and chilies. It may not exactly sound all that appetizing, but it’s a vaguely seafood-y, umami-laden condiment, and this Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry puts it front and center.

Where You Might’ve Seen Sha Cha Sauce

Sha Cha Sauceis most often used in hot pot dipping sauces. If you’ve ever been to a hot pot restaurant and stood overwhelmed by choice at the sauce bar, you know that Sha Cha is just one of many different condiments that can go into a good hot pot dipping sauce.

Everyone has different preferences for what they’d like their sauce to be, and as a result, sha cha is rarely featured as a key ingredient.

A Simple, Tasty Stir-fry That I Definitely Didn’t Make Up

Even I love the stuff and have never used it in a stir-fry. Which is why, when I was brainstorming new recipes to blog, I thought, “how about a sha-cha-based stir-fry?”

As it turns out, I am not the first person to think of this. Surprise surprise.

Sha Cha Beef is indeed a real dish, dating back thousands of years. I’d just never tried it!

My version is pretty simple, featuring beef, scallions, ginger, and two big tablespoons of the good stuff. This Sha Cha Beef stir-fry is super satisfying with steamed white rice and a veggie side, and it only takes minutes to put together.

Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry - A Quick & Easy Woks of Life Recipe (3)

Here’s how to make it!

Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry Recipe Instructions

Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry - A Quick & Easy Woks of Life Recipe (4)

To the beef, add 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Mix well. For more information and preparing beef, see my dad’s post on how to slice and velvet beef for stir-fries.

Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry - A Quick & Easy Woks of Life Recipe (5)

Heat your wok over high heat until smoking. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, and sear the beef until it just turns opaque (it can still be slightly pink). Remove the beef from the wok and set aside.

Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry - A Quick & Easy Woks of Life Recipe (6)

Reduce the heat to medium, and add another couple tablespoons of oil to the wok. Add the ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic, Sha Cha Sauce, and sugar, and fry this mixture for 2 minutes.

Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry - A Quick & Easy Woks of Life Recipe (7)

Add the scallions and beef back to the wok, along with the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce. Increase the heat to high, and stir-fry for 1 minute, until the scallions are wilted.

Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry - A Quick & Easy Woks of Life Recipe (8)

Serve with rice!

Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry - A Quick & Easy Woks of Life Recipe (9)

Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry - A Quick & Easy Woks of Life Recipe (10)

Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry - A Quick & Easy Woks of Life Recipe (11)

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5 from 6 votes

Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry

This Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry puts sha cha sauce (沙茶酱) front and center. Often labeled on its packaging as “Chinese BBQ Sauce” in English, sha cha sauce is a mixture of shallots, garlic, seafood, and chilies that yields a savory, vaguely seafood-y, umami-laden condiment perfect for stir-fries.

by: Sarah

Course:Beef

Cuisine:Chinese

Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry - A Quick & Easy Woks of Life Recipe (12)

serves: 4

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 6 minutes minutes

Total: 16 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound beef (450g, thinly sliced against the grain; can use flank steak or sirloin)
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce (plus 1 tablespoon)
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • Vegetable oil
  • 1-2 tablespoons ginger (minced)
  • 3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
  • 2 tablespoons Sha cha Sauce
  • 2 teaspoon sugar
  • 5 scallions (cut on an angle into 2-inch lengths)

Instructions

  • To the beef, add 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Mix well. Heat your wok over high heat until smoking. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, and sear the beef until it just turns opaque (it can still be slightly pink). Remove the beef from the wok and set aside.

  • Reduce the heat to medium, and add another couple tablespoons of oil to the wok. Add the ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic, sacha sauce, and sugar, and fry this mixture for 2 minutes.

  • Add the scallions and beef back to the wok, along with the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce. Increase the heat to high, and stir-fry for 1 minute, until the scallions are wilted.

nutrition facts

Calories: 349kcal (17%) Carbohydrates: 6g (2%) Protein: 21g (42%) Fat: 27g (42%) Saturated Fat: 9g (45%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g Monounsaturated Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 82mg (27%) Sodium: 176mg (7%) Potassium: 394mg (11%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 2g (2%) Vitamin A: 360IU (7%) Vitamin C: 4.6mg (6%) Calcium: 59mg (6%) Iron: 3.4mg (19%)

nutritional info disclaimer

TheWoksofLife.com is written and produced for informational purposes only. While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, we are not certified nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Various online calculators also provide different results, depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.

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Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry - A Quick & Easy Woks of Life Recipe (17)

About Sarah

Sarah is the older daughter/sister in The Woks of Life family. Creator of quick and easy recipes for harried home cooks and official Woks of Life photographer, she grew up on episodes of Ready Set Cook and Good Eats. She loves the outdoors (and of course, *cooking* outside), and her obsession with food continues to this day.

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Sha Cha Beef Stir-fry - A Quick & Easy Woks of Life Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What does sha cha beef taste like? ›

Q1: What does sha cha beef taste like? A: Garlicky, gingery, deeply savory, and umami flavor, combined with thinly sliced beef stir-fried in a hot wok. Q2: What is sa cha made of? A: It's made of super savory ingredients like garlic, shallots, ginger, and dried shrimp powder.

What are the three rules of stir-frying? ›

The first is to cook your protein and your vegetable separately, and combine them only after both are fully cooked. A second rule of thumb for stir-frying: Choose one vegetable per stir-fry. Finally, always remember to add liquid only after everything is more or less finished cooking.

How to make beef super tender for stir-fry? ›

How to tenderise beef – easily!
  1. Sprinkle 3/4 tsp baking soda (bi-carbonate soda) on 250g / 8oz sliced economical beef cuts.
  2. Toss with fingers, leave for 30 minutes.
  3. Rinse, pat off excess water.
  4. Proceed with stir fry recipe. It can be marinated with wet or dry seasonings, or cooked plain.
Feb 23, 2019

What is Sha Cha sauce made of? ›

What Is Shacha Sauce? Shacha Sauce (shāchá jiàng, 沙茶酱) is a Chinese condiment made from oil, garlic, shallots, chilies, and seafood (usually brill fish and dried shrimp). It has an intensely savory, mildly seafood-y flavor.

Why is Chinese takeout beef so tender? ›

In Chinese cooking, proteins like beef, pork or chicken are velveted first before stir-frying them. There are several ways to velvet, but at its most basic level, it involves marinating meat with at least one ingredient that will make it alkaline. This is what tenderizes the meat, especially cheaper, tougher cuts.

What are common Chinese sauces? ›

THE ESSENTIAL CHINESE SAUCES THAT WILL TRANSFORM YOUR COOKING
  • Char Siu Sauce. ...
  • Teriyaki Sauce. ...
  • Chu Hou Paste. ...
  • Black Bean Garlic Sauce. ...
  • Plum Sauce. ...
  • Soy Bean Sauce. ...
  • Black Pepper Sauce.
May 18, 2021

What is Chinese barbecue sauce called? ›

Siu haau sauce - a thick, savory, slightly spicy sauce generally known as the primary barbecue sauce used within Chinese and Cantonese cuisine.

What does sacha taste like? ›

Sacha Inchi Seeds:

A consistency and texture that is something between that of a peanut and an almond. A mild, unique nutty taste that's easily identifiable. It tastes similar to other snacking foods (nuts) but definitely unique. Depending on whether the seed is seasoned, it will taste different.

What is the best oil for stir-frying? ›

So many different oils, the good news is you can stick with what you know – canola is great! The best oils for stir frys are the oils with the higher smoke points. These tend to be the “thinner” oils such as peanut, grapeseed or canola.

What makes beef tender fast? ›

Whether hosting a holiday cookout, serving up some stir-fry or tackling game meats, baking soda is the go-to meat tenderizer to help make your steak, chicken or turkey silkier, juicier and yummier.

What is Mongolian beef supposed to taste like? ›

When done just right, it's perfectly sweet and savory, slightly spicy, and loaded with lots of delicious aromatics such as ginger, garlic, green onions and even a few dried red chilis, all combined to bring a nice pop of deep, fragrant flavor.

What does Sha Cha soup taste like? ›

At first it tastes very umami-forward with a slightly briny flavor—reminiscent of Japanese katsuobushi—from the dried shrimp and brill fish. But it has a subtly sweet finish (even though sugar is not an ingredient).

What does Szechuan beef taste like? ›

Szechuan beef hails from the Sichuan Province in southwestern China. Its main ingredients are chili peppers, garlic, and Szechuan peppercorn. It has a sweet/spicy and complicated taste. It is famous for the distinctive tingly numbing sensation it produces when eaten.

What's better Mongolian beef or Szechuan beef? ›

Szechuan Beef vs Mongolian Beef

Szechuan Beef has a sweet and spicy flavor with added chili peppers and Szechuan peppercorns. The Szechuan peppercorns has a distinctive tingly numbing sensation when eaten. Mongolian beef has a mild and much simpler taste, making it a kids' favorite, outside of broccoli beef.

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