Tender cuts of beef seasoned with Sriracha and Coconut Aminos give this stir fry recipe its spicy and mildly sweet flavor. An easy one-pot meal only takes 30 minutes of cooking time and you will enjoy this savory tasty morsel for dinner. If you're as busy as I am, these one-pot meals are lifesavers in the kitchen! And at 290 calories per serving, what's not to like?! ❤️
This recipe was inspired by my Beef and Broccoli recipe. If you're looking for a gluten-free spicy beef stir fry recipe, then you've come to the right place. Sriracha and Coconut Aminos are both gluten-free, however, keep reading because if you do not have any gluten sensitivity you can easily modify this recipe.
Jump to:
- Instead of Beef What Else Can I Use For Stir Fry
- What is the Best Cut of Beef to Use
- Ingredients for Spicy Beef Recipe
- Why Sriracha?
- Is Sriracha Gluten-Free?
- Why Use Coconut Aminos?
- How to Modify (Not Gluten-Free)
- What Does Velvet the Meat Mean
- Let’s Make Sriracha Beef (Gluten-Free)
- Secrets to Good Beef Stir-Fry
- Other Gluten-Free Beef Recipes You May Like
- FAQ
- 📖 Recipe Card
- 💬 Reviews
Instead of Beef What Else Can I Use For Stir Fry
While I used sirloin beef for this recipe, you can certainly substitute any protein like chicken, pork, shrimp, or tofu just to name a few. Any of that would be equally delicious. And cooking time will be just as quick and easy. Keep in mind that slicing the meat thinly (chicken and pork) is important to keep the cooking time at a minimum. Whereas shrimps, on the other hand, will cook in even less time. So if you like shrimps, this would be a great recipe for a quick stir-fry dinner!
If you are not familiar with how to use tofu in recipes, know that it requires a little bit of handling. You will need to dry them completely using a paper towel so you can fry them before adding them to the sauce. You cannot just toss the tofu in the sauce without frying it. Otherwise, you’ll end with broken-up bits and pieces of the tofu which will make for a very unappetizing-looking dish.
I will post shortly how to prepare tofu in case you do not know how to. Or if you can’t wait for me to publish that, please send me an email and I will tell you how to do it.
Did you know that if you subscribe to my email, you will be first notified of new recipes and you also get kitchen and cooking tips as a subscriber? So be sure to sign up!
What is the Best Cut of Beef to Use
Top Sirloin Steak, Skirt Steak, or Flank Steak are the best cuts of meat to use for stir-fry recipes.
Ingredients for Spicy Beef Recipe
For the marinade:
- 2 tablespoon sherry
- 2 tablespoon coconut aminos
- ½ teaspoon salt
For cooking:
- 2 pound Sirloin Beef (cut into thin strips)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon water
- ½ medium-sized green bell pepper (thinly sliced with seeds removed)
- ½ medium-sized red bell pepper (thinly sliced with seeds removed)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger (minced)
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (or more depending on how hot you like it!)
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
For Sriracha Stir Fry Sauce
- Sriracha
- Coconut Aminos
- Olive Oil or Sesame Oil (sesame oil will give the sauce a nuttier flavor)
Why Sriracha?
Sriracha enhances the flavor of any dish and it is so popular and available at most grocery stores, that you’ll be able to make this recipe for dinner tonight.
Is Sriracha Gluten-Free?
Yes, Sriracha is gluten-free and is one of the more popular hot sauces available.
If you want your dish to be spicy but don’t like Sriracha, you can substitute other hot sauces that are also gluten-free. Among the other popular ones are Louisiana Brand and Cholula hot sauces. Just be sure to check the labels to be sure they have gluten-free ingredients.
Why Use Coconut Aminos?
Coconut Aminos is a great substitute for soy sauce because it is gluten-free and soy-free, and has 72% less sodium compared to regular soy sauce, and is therefore, not as salty as regular soy sauce.
Coconut aminos has a milder, slightly sweeter, and has a delicious umami taste.
How to Modify (Not Gluten-Free)
To easily modify this recipe to be non-gluten-free, replace coconut aminos with regular soy sauce doing a 1-to-1 ratio for ingredients. So start out by using 1 tablespoon of soy sauce then add more to suit your taste preference. Note that using regular soy sauce will yield a robust and salty flavor to the dish. Check out my recipe for Philippine Beef Steak.
What Does Velvet the Meat Mean
Velveting the meat is common in Asian cooking methods where the meat is coated and marinated in cornstarch combined with water (known as a slurry). It serves to tenderize the meat and also helps to thicken the sauce.
Let’s Make Sriracha Beef (Gluten-Free)
- STEP 1: Marinate* the beef in sherry, coconut aminos, and salt.
- STEP 2: Velvet the meat. After the meat has marinated, blend the meat in cornstarch mixed with water. This method is called velveting because meats marinated with cornstarch will have a velvety smooth texture on the outside yet retain moisture on the inside.
- STEP 3: In a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Once the oil shimmers, saute ginger, for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- STEP 4: Stir in beef and cook in batches for 2 minutes on each side. Set aside on a platter.
- STEP 5: Add more oil, then stir-fry the green pepper strips for a minute. Add coconut aminos while scraping the bottom of the pan to get all the juicy bits.
- STEP 6: Add the beef back into the pan with the green and red bell peppers and coconut aminos. Blend gently with some sriracha sauce (optional). Then transfer to a serving platter. Serve with rice and additional Sriracha sauce!
Secrets to Good Beef Stir-Fry
Some of my friends have asked me why when they make stir-fry their beef is sometimes tough and sinewy. I’ve listed below how you can ensure the most tender and flavorful Spicy Beef Stir-Fry.
- Use the best cuts of beef for stir fry: In addition to what I've listed in the FAQ section below, other more tender cuts of beef like tri-tip, ribeye, tenderloin, shoulder center (Ranch Steak), shoulder top blade (Flat Iron) and shoulder petite tender can be cut to strips to use in stir fry recipes.
- Thinly slice the beef: Using a very sharp knife, cut the meat thinly and uniformly. This will ensure that the meat cooks evenly for your stir-fry.
- Velvet the meat: Using a 1:1 ratio of cornstarch combined with water will help to tenderize the beef.
- Beef must be at room temperature: Take the meat out from the fridge at least 30 minutes BEFORE cooking time.
- Hot equipment: Be sure that your wok or skillet is hot before adding the meat to your stir-fry. This will sear the meat and seal in the flavor and juices for your stir-fry.
- Cook the meat in batches: Cook just a few meat at a time so they all brown and cook evenly. Overcrowding the pan will produce too much liquid and will turn the beef more gray color and will dilute the flavor of your Sriracha Beef.
- Cook other ingredients next: Add the vegetables in order of which will cook the longest time then followed by the shortest time. For example: tougher vegetables like carrots, will take longer to cook than celery.
- Re-add the cooked meat: When all the vegetables are cooked, add the cooked meat back in the wok or skillet, stir fry all the ingredients together, then add more seasoning as needed.
Other Gluten-Free Beef Recipes You May Like
FAQ
Make sure the meat is slightly frozen. This will ensure your knife will cut smoothly, evenly, and thinly into the beef. If the meat has thawed, put it back in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
Strip Steak, Sirloin, London Broil, Skirt Steak, Flank Steak, Hanger, or Rump Steak are great to use as well.
Baby Corn, Bokchoy, Broccoli, Carrots, Green Beans, Mushrooms, Snow Peas, Sugar Snap Peas, Water Chestnuts, and Zucchini will work well in any Stir Fry dishes.
I doubt you’ll have any leftovers, however, if you did, you can freeze in a sealed container for up to 2 months.
Yes. White rice is gluten-free. Brown and wild rice are also gluten-free.
📖 Recipe Card
Equipment
- Wok
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 pound Sirloin Beef sliced thinly
For the Marinate:
- 2 tablespoon Cooking Sherry
- 2 tablespoon Coconut Aminos or Soy sauce (for non-gluten-free)
- ½ teaspoon salt
For Velveting the Meat:
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch can substitute regular flour (for non-gluten-free)
- 2 tablespoon Water
For Cooking:
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon Fresh Ginger minced
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Aminos or Soy sauce (for non-gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha can substitute other hot sauce (for non-gluten-free)
- ½ medium Red Bell Peppers sliced thinly
- ½ medium Green Bell Peppers sliced thinly
For the Sriracha Sauce (on the side as dipping):
- Sriracha Sauce can substitute other hot sauce (for non-gluten-free)
- Coconut Aminos or Soy sauce (for non-gluten-free)
- Olive Oil can substitute Sesame Oil (for nuttier flavor)
Instructions
- Marinate* (see notes) the beef in sherry, coconut aminos, and salt.
- Velvet the meat. After the meat has marinated, blend the meat in cornstarch mixed with water. This method is called velveting because meats marinated with cornstarch will have a velvety smooth texture on the outside yet retain moisture on the inside.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Once the oil shimmers, saute ginger, for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir fry the beef and cook in batches for 2 minutes on each side. Set aside on a platter.
- Add more oil, then stir-fry the green pepper strips for a minute. Add coconut aminos while scraping the bottom of the pan to get all the juicy bits.
- Add the beef back into the pan with the green and red bell peppers and coconut aminos. Blend gently with some sriracha sauce (optional). Then transfer to a serving platter. Serve with rice and additional Sriracha sauce!
Notes
- Note that the ideal maximum time for marinating the meat is no more than 24 hours. After 24 hours, the protein in the meat will start to break down and you end up with very mushy meat.
- Slice beef thinly to ensure all the flavors get infused into the meat and that they all cook evenly.
- When making Sriracha sauce as a dipping sauce, start by blending equal parts of sriracha, coconut aminos, and sesame oil.
- Sesame Oil is naturally gluten-free.
Nutrition
Hello and welcome, friend! I'm Jocelyn, the recipe developer, food photographer + stylist here at JOZmahal. As a Food & Nutrition major, I keep healthy and nutritious ingredients at the core of my recipe creations. I love to cook delicious and healthy meals for my family and friends. And I am so grateful that you are here as I hope to inspire and empower you to make all these delicious and healthy foods at home for your family and friends as well. Every recipe you will find here is quick and simple to make using fresh and natural ingredients that you can easily find at your local grocery store if not online. Read more about me here...
PS: If you try any of my recipes please use the tag #JOZmahalrecipes and you may be featured in my upcoming posts! ~ cook with love, my friend!
Lynda
Soooo tasty! I love mushrooms so I also added some mushrooms. It turned out delicious!