• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Simple Healthy Kitchen
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
    • Popular Recipes
    • Dinner
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Juices & Smoothies
    • Salads
    • Sides
    • Slow Cooker
    • Soups
    • Vegan
  • What’s in Season?
  • Contact
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • What’s in Season?
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About
    • Recipe Index
    • What’s in Season?
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » 30 Min. or Less

    Skillet Sesame Orange Beef {20 Minute Meal}

    Last Updated March 14, 2020. Originally Published October 7, 2018 By Susan Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Skillet Sesame Orange Beef – Tender strips of beef are smothered in a flavorful sesame orange sauce with garlic, ginger and a touch of brown sugar. You won’t believe how easy it is to make this popular Asian take-out dish at home. No fancy ingredients needed. Quick and easy! Have dinner on the table in about 20 minutes.
     sesame orange beef over rice in a black skillet

    How to Make Skillet Sesame Orange Beef

    1. Lightly coat beef slices with cornstarch
    2. Zest an orange, setting zest aside. Cut orange in half and squeeze juice into a cup (you’ll need ¼ cup orange juice total).
    3. Make the sauce by whisking together orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes
    4. Add sesame oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef for approx. 2 minutes untouched. Flip beef over (with tongs) and allow to cook an additional 2 minutes.
    5. Reduce heat to medium-low, add back beef if you removed any to cook in batches, and add sauce. Allow to cook approx. 5 minutes, until sauce reduces and becomes a sticky glaze. Garnish with orange zest, sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

    up close photo of  sesame orange beef over rice in a grey bowl

    Recipe Notes:

    How to cut flank steak- 

    To optimize tenderness you’ll want to cut the flank steak “across the grain”. This means cutting across the fibers of the meat (not the same directions as the fibers). For most flank steaks the fibers run the length of the meat which means you are going to be cutting across the width of the meat. Here’s a video from Cooks Illustrated if you want more info on cutting flank steak against the grain.

    Orange Juice/Zest- For optimum orange flavor I’m using the zest and juice of one orange in this recipe, because I  think it elevates the flavor of the beef to include both the juice and orange zest. If you prefer, you could substitute ¼ cup of your favorite orange juice for the fresh squeezed and omit the zest.

    Leave room when cooking beef in the skillet- make sure to leave space around each piece of beef when cooking so the beef becomes crispy and not “steamed”. It may be necessary to work in batches if your skillet is not large enough to cook all of the beef strips at one time.

    skillet sesame orange beef with chopsticks

     

    Serving suggestions- Serve over rice, cauliflower rice, or in  lettuce cups. Pairs well with steamed broccoli or  sesame bok choy.

    skillet sesame orange beef lettuce cups

    Skillet Orange Beef {20 Minute Meal}
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Skillet Sesame Orange Beef

    Skillet Sesame Orange Beef – Tender strips of beef are smothered in a flavorful sesame orange sauce with garlic, ginger and a touch of brown sugar. Quick and easy! Have dinner on the table in about 20 minutes.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time20 mins
    Course: Main Dish
    Cuisine: American, Asian
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 350kcal
    Author: Susan | SimpleHealthyKitchen.com

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ lbs. flank steak ( or top sirloin) thinly sliced against the grain
    • 3 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch
    • 1 orange
    • 3 Tbsp soy sauce
    • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
    • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
    • 2 tsp minced garlic more or less to taste
    • 1 tsp grated ginger
    • Pinch of red pepper flakes optional, more to taste
    • 1-2 Tbsp sesame oil for cooking beef
    • 2 tsp orange zest
    • Optional garnishes: sliced green onions toasted sesame seeds
    • Serve with rice cauliflower rice, or in lettuce cups

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl (or ziplock bag) add beef slices and cornstarch and mix to thoroughly coat beef. Set aside.
    • Wash orange thoroughly. Use a microplane or grater to zest about 2 tsp orange zest. (Alternatively use a vegetable peeler to cut a large strip of orange peel and use a pairing knife to cut strip into very thin slices). Set zest aside.
    • Cut orange in half and squeeze juice into a cup (you’ll need ¼ cup orange juice total). In a medium bowl mix ¼ cup orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes. Whisk to combine.
    • Add sesame oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add beef strips making sure to leave space around each strip (so beef browns and doesn’t “steam”). Allow beef to cook for approx. 2 minutes untouched. Flip beef over (with tongs) and allow to cook an additional 2 minutes. It may be necessary to work in batches if skillet is not large enough to cook all of the beef strips at one time.
    • Reduce heat to medium-low, add back beef if you removed any to cook in batches, and add sauce. Allow to cook approx. 5 minutes, until sauce reduces and becomes a sticky glaze.
    • Garnish with orange zest, sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.
    • Serve over rice, cauliflower rice, or in lettuce cups.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 14.8g | Protein: 35.5g | Fat: 16.1g | Saturated Fat: 5.9g | Cholesterol: 85.1mg | Sodium: 557.2mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 6.6g
    Share on Facebook Pin Recipe
    Tried this recipe? Pin it for later!Mention @shkitchen or tag #simplehealthykitchen!

     

    Share on pinterest
    Pinterest
    Share on twitter
    Twitter
    Share on facebook
    Facebook
    Share on reddit
    Reddit
    Share on tumblr
    Tumblr
    Share on stumbleupon
    Stumbleupon
    Share on yummly
    Yummly
    Share on email
    Email
    Share on print
    Print
    « Parmesan Roasted Broccoli + Lemon Aioli
    Harvest Sweet Potato + Quinoa Power Bowl Salad {with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette} »

    About Susan

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi I'm Susan!

    Thanks for stopping by Simple Healthy Kitchen- a food blog featuring simple healthy meal ideas that can be prepared in 30 min. or less, using seasonally fresh ingredients. Read More…

    GET THE LATEST RECIPES

    Visit our sister site- Healthy Instant Pot Recipes

    Footer

    GET THE LATEST RECIPES !

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

    As Seen On:

    Logos of publications Simple Healthy Kitchen has been seen on. Listed are Buzz Feed, NBC News, Country Living, People Food and Woman's Day

    • Home
    • About
    • Recipes
    • What's in Season?
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy & Disclosures

    Copyright © 2023