Discover a new way to make stir-fried steak! This Sha Cha beef recipe reveals how to elevate flavor with a popular sauce and achieve a succulent texture using pro tips.
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About the dish
Since I published the recipe for Sha Cha Chicken a few months ago, I’ve received multiple requests for more dishes using Sha Cha sauce. I hope today’s recipe, Sha Cha beef/沙茶牛肉, will satisfy your cravings.
Like many classic Chinese beef stir-fries, this quick and simple dish will win you over with its tender texture and a complex, umami-rich flavor profile enhanced by the distinctive Sha Cha sauce.
Another great thing about this recipe is that you can apply its stir-fry principles to other meats and vegetables. It helps you cook restaurant-worthy dishes in your own kitchen.
Top tips
Before I explain the recipe in detail, let me highlight a few pro tips to help you achieve the optimal results for beef: tender, succulent, and silky:
- Choose the right beef cut
- Thinly slice it across the grains
- Tenderize with the marinade
- Stir-fry quickly over high heat
Ingredients & substitutes
Beef choices
When testing this recipe, I used flat iron steaks which have some marbling. They came out tender and full of flavor thanks to the fatty content.
Other beef cuts suitable for stir-frying include flank, skirt, sirloin, tenderloin, etc. I’ve used these steaks for many beef stir-fries, such as Beef & Broccoli, Black Pepper Beef, Hunan Beef, etc., and they all tasted great when prepared properly.
Sha Cha sauce
Sha Cha sauce (Shā Chá Jiàng/沙茶酱), also known as Shacha or Sacha sauce, is a Chinese condiment made from fish, shrimp, aromatics, and spices. Commonly found in Teochew, Fujian, and Taiwanese cuisines, it can be used in various ways, including stir-frying, braising, grilling, and dipping.
The most popular brand of Sha Cha sauce is Bull Head/牛頭牌 (as shown in the image above). It consists of a thick, slightly coarse paste covered by a generous layer of golden-reddish oil. Make sure to mix the sauce well before using it in recipes.
Despite being labeled “Barbecue Sauce” in English, Sha Cha sauce should not be confused with Char Siu sauce, used for Chinese BBQ pork, or the peanut-based, sweet Satay sauce.
🌟 SUBSTITUTE: XO sauce is a good substitute for Sha Cha sauce.
Other condiments
Apart from Sha Cha sauce, you also need the following common Chinese condiments:
- Shaoxing rice wine
- Dark soy sauce, or regular soy sauce
- Cornstarch
- White pepper
- Salt and sugar
Fresh produce
I chose asparagus for its crunchy texture, vibrant color, and pleasing taste. You also need a little garlic and ginger for extra aroma.
🌟 SUBSTITUTES: Feel free to use whatever vegetables you have at hand. Water spinach often appears in restaurant versions of Sha Cha beef. Other options include broccoli, Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli), celery, bell pepper, onions, etc.
Cooking workflow
Step 1: cut the beef
Lay beef steak on a chopping board. Use a sharp knife to slice it into thin pieces, making sure you’re cutting it across (instead of along) the grains of the meat. This results in a less chewy texture.
Also, the slices should be thin enough for quick frying, but not too thin that they break apart easily when handled. I find ⅛ inch (3mm) to be the ideal thickness.
🌟 TIPS: If you find slicing fresh meat challenging, freeze the beef for an hour or so until it becomes semi-solid. This makes the meat much easier to cut thin.
Step 2: Marinate the beef
Add Sha Cha sauce, cornstarch, Shaoxing rice wine, sugar, white pepper, and a small amount of water to a large bowl. Mix them well then put in the beef. Use your hand to mix and rub until the beef fully absorbs the liquid mixture.
Pour in a little oil, then coat it over the beef. This helps to “lock in” the moisture. Additionally, the slices will be easily separated when added to a hot wok.
🌟 TIPS: 10 minutes are enough for the marinating process. While waiting, prepare the other ingredients.
Step 3: Stir fry the dish
If using cookware without a non-stick coating, e.g. a carbon steel wok, heat it empty first over high heat, then add oil. If using a non-stick wok or skillet, make sure to add the oil first then heat it.
Add ginger and garlic slices to the hot wok. Leave to sizzle for a few seconds, then put in the beef slices.
Quickly separate the pieces and spread them out for even frying. Flip and toss the slices once the bottom side changes color.
Once most of the pink color disappears, tip in the asparagus, along with another spoonful of Sha Cha Sauce. Toss constantly until everything is just cooked. This should take no longer than 30 seconds.
Finish by adding a little salt and a splash of sesame oil. Dish out and serve immediately.
🌟 TIPS: Use the highest heat level for stir-frying and keep it high throughout the process. This is crucial for the optimal result as insufficient heat will slow down the cooking, causing the moisture in the beef to escape. If your heat source isn’t powerful enough, consider stir-frying a smaller amount of beef at a time.
Serving ideas
The simplest way to enjoy Sha Cha Beef is to pour it over a plate of freshly cooked rice or noodles. This makes a great lunch or quick dinner.
Alternatively, include it in a typical Chinese multi-dish meal and pair it with a cold appetizer (e.g. Spinach Salad), one or two hot dishes (e.g. Black Bean Chicken, Tomato Egg Stir-fry), and a soup (e.g. Tofu & Veggie Soup, or Egg Drop Soup).
Other quick stir-fries
Looking for more quick stir-fry dishes to try? Check out these popular ones:
📋 Recipe card
Love this recipe? Please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating and a comment. Thank you!
Sha Cha Beef (沙茶牛肉)
Ingredients
For the beef
- 1 lb beef steaks - see note 1 for cut options
- 1 tablespoon Sha Cha sauce - see note 2
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine - or dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce - or regular soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
For stir-frying
- 15 spears asparagus - see note 3
- 1½ tablespoon neutral cooking oil
- 3 cloves garlic - sliced
- 6 slices ginger
- 1 tablespoon Sha Cha sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
Marinate the beef
- Cut the beef steak, across its grains, into slices of about ⅛ inch (3mm) thickness.
- In a large bowl, mix Sha Cha sauce, cornstarch, Shaoxing rice wine, sugar, white pepper, and water until smooth.
- Add the beef slices, and gently rub by hand until the marinade liquid has been fully absorbed. Pour in oil then rub to coat all pieces evenly.
- Leave to marinate for about 10 minutes.
Prepare the vegetables
- While waiting for the beef to marinate, trim or snap the woody ends of the asparagus, then cut each spear, at an angle, into shorter sections.
- OPTIONAL: If you’re using other vegetables that take longer to cook through, such as broccoli, or Gai Lan, you’d need to give them a quick blanch before the next step.
Stir-fry the dish
- Heat a wok over high heat until lightly smoking, then pour in oil (If using non-stick cookware, add the oil first then heat it).
- Add sliced ginger and garlic. Sizzle for a few seconds then put in the marinated beef. Use chopsticks or a spatula to quickly loosen the beef so that all pieces can be fried evenly.
- Once most of the beef loses the bright pink color, add asparagus and another tablespoon of Sha Cha sauce. Toss for a further 30 seconds. Make sure to keep the heat high and swiftly stir fry.
- Finally, stir in the salt and sesame oil before dishing out to serve.
NOTES
NUTRITION
NUTRITION DISCLOSURE: Nutritional information on this website is provided as a courtesy to readers. It should be considered estimates. Please use your own brand nutritional values or your preferred nutrition calculator to double check against our estimates.
Hello Wei,
I cooked this last night using Venison Sirloin. It was the most tender, flavoursome meat that I’ve ever eaten which the Sha Cha sauce complimented beautifully. Served it simply with Soy Sauce Noodles and braised Bok Choy.
To say it was satisfying would be a gross understatement…it was divine!
Wow, that sounds absolutely incredible. I’m so glad you loved it.
I am allergic to mollusk and other seafruits. What sauce could i use ?
You can try other beef stir-fries that don’t call for Sha Cha sauce or oyster sauce, such as my recipe for Beef & Mushroom Stir-Fry. Happy cooking!
The Sha Cha sauce was available in the Asian supermarket and with the other ingredients on hand, I attempted this dish with pleasing results. I made it a one dish meal using sirloin beef and asparagus and everyone agreed that this recipe is a keeper! It was quick and easy to prepare and most importantly, the instructions were accurate so thank you Wei, for such great easy-to-follow recipes.
You’re welcome Susan! So happy my recipe helped you create a tasty dish.