Cross-Cultural · China

Sesame Beef (芝麻牛肉)

Name: Sesame Beef (芝麻牛肉)
Prep time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 12 oz flank steak, sliced against the grain into 1/4-inch strips (340g); 1 tbsp water, for marinade; 2 tsp cornstarch, for marinade; 2 tsp Shaoxing wine; 1 tsp sesame oil, for marinade; 1 tsp oyster sauce, for marinade; 1/4 tsp baking soda; 2/3 cups hot water, for sauce; 3 tbsp brown sugar; 2 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp oyster sauce, for sauce; 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil, for sauce; 1/2 tsp rice vinegar; 1 pinch white pepper; 1/4 cup cornstarch, for dredging; 2 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds; 1/2 cup neutral oil, for searing; 2 garlic cloves, chopped; 1 tbsp scallions, chopped; 2 tsp cornstarch, mixed with 1 tbsp water for slurry

Crispy flank steak dredged in sesame seeds and cornstarch, tossed in a sweet-sour soy sauce with garlic and scallions

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Jump to Recipe

Sesame beef is the Chinese-American takeout dish that gets everything right about the crispy-meat-in-sweet-sauce formula. The beef is sliced thin, marinated with cornstarch and baking soda for a velvet texture, then dredged in a mixture of cornstarch and toasted sesame seeds. The sesame seeds toast further during searing and embed themselves into the crispy coating, so every bite has a nutty crunch.

The sauce leans slightly acidic, with rice vinegar cutting through the brown sugar and sesame oil adding a warm, rounded nuttiness. The balance is sweet-sour-savory, with the sesame flavor running through both the coating and the sauce. A cornstarch slurry thickens the sauce into a glaze that clings to each piece without pooling.

The marinating time is the only thing between you and dinner. An hour is the minimum, though you can marinate overnight. The actual cooking takes about fifteen minutes.

At a Glance

Yield

4 servings

Prep

1 hour 30 minutes

Cook

15 minutes

Total

1 hour 45 minutes

Difficulty

Medium

Ingredients

4 servings

12 ozflank steak, sliced against the grain into 1/4-inch strips (340g)
1 tbspwater, for marinade
2 tspcornstarch, for marinade
2 tspShaoxing wine
1 tspsesame oil, for marinade
1 tspoyster sauce, for marinade
1/4 tspbaking soda
2/3 cupshot water, for sauce
3 tbspbrown sugar
2 1/2 tbsplight soy sauce
1 tbspoyster sauce, for sauce
1 1/2 tspsesame oil, for sauce
1/2 tsprice vinegar
1 pinchwhite pepper
1/4 cupcornstarch, for dredging
2 1/2 tbsptoasted sesame seeds
1/2 cupneutral oil, for searing
2garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbspscallions, chopped
2 tspcornstarch, mixed with 1 tbsp water for slurry

Method

1
Marinate beef with water, cornstarch, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, oyster sauce, and baking soda for at least 1 hour.
2
Mix sauce: dissolve brown sugar in hot water, add soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, white pepper.
3
Dredge beef in cornstarch mixed with sesame seeds.
4
Sear in hot oil, 1 minute per side until crispy. Transfer to plate in single layer.
5
Clean wok, add 1 tbsp oil. Cook garlic 15 seconds. Add sauce, simmer. Add scallions. Thicken with cornstarch slurry.
6
Add beef, toss until coated. Serve with rice.

Key Ingredient Benefits

Sesame Seeds: Rich in calcium, iron, magnesium. Contain lignans with antioxidant properties. Toasting releases aromatic oils.

Rice Vinegar: Milder than Western vinegars, provides brightness without sharpness.

Why This Works

Sesame seeds in the dredge embed into the coating and toast further during searing. Rice vinegar balances the brown sugar. White pepper adds aromatic nose heat.

Substitutions & Variations

Skirt steak works. Chicken thighs also. Garnish with extra sesame seeds for more crunch.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with steamed rice and broccoli, or over lo mein noodles.

Storage & Reheating

Store 2 days. Reheat at 400°F for 5-8 min. Do not freeze.

Cultural Notes

A Chinese-American takeout classic. Sesame flavor runs through both the coating (toasted seeds) and the sauce (sesame oil), creating a layered nuttiness.