A favorite at Vietnamese restaurants, bò lúc lắc, or Vietnamese Shaking Beef is a simple stir fry made with tender cubes of seared beef in a savory garlic sauce.
To make this delicious dish perfectly at home, pay attention to the cooking notes. The key is to sear the meat quickly in a very hot pan and in batches so that it won’t get tough or chewy.
Bò lúc lắc is different from a regular stir fry because the cubes of beef are tossed or “shaken” in a hot pan. That’s why it’s called shaking beef!
My Usual Vietnamese Restaurant Order
When we go out for Vietnamese, shaking beef is my go-to order. I just love the contrast of hot savory beef, crisp watercress, and bright lime pepper sauce.
When I cook this at home, I make sure to sear the steak in batches in a very hot pan so that it’s tender with a crisp outside, and not soft or steamed.
The Ingredients That Matter Most
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Steak: Start with a steak that can handle this fast cooking method. Ribeye, with its luscious marbling, will give the richest restaurant-style result. Top sirloin, New York strip, tenderloin, filet mignon, and flat iron steak will also work. Avoid stew meat as it will turn tough without a long cooking time. Cut the steak into 1-inch cubes.
- Seasonings: Fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar create a rich, savory marinade and pan sauce for this dish.
- Butter: A small amount of butter added at the end makes the sauce richer and glossier, and nods to the influence of French cuisine in this particular recipe.
- For Serving: Vietnamese shaking beef is traditionally served over crisp greens such as watercress or arugula with tomato wedges and a side of Vietnamese tomato rice. A simple sauce made with lime juice and black pepper is the perfect finishing touch.
Tip!
Plan ahead to make sure that you have at least 30 minutes to let the beef cubes marinate in the delicious sauce. If needed, the meat can marinate for up to 2 hours.
The Sear is where this recipe succeeds or Fails
If you’ve ever tried to make a beef stir-fry and ended up with dried-out or steamed pieces of steak, you know how disappointing that can be. Taking time to get a really good sear on each piece of meat will be game-changing!
- Get your pan really hot! Use a large skillet or a wok, and preheat it over high heat. When you add a little bit of oil and then the marinated meat (let the marinade drip off first), it should immediately start to sizzle.
- Only cook as many pieces as will fit in your pan without touching each other. The meat needs space to brown properly. If you need to cook in two or three batches, that’s ok. Each batch should only take 2-3 minutes.
- Let the beef sit in the pan for a minute before you start tossing or turning it. Let the side get really dark brown.
- Remember that the goal is browned edges and juicy centers, not beef that cooks until firm and dry.
The Sauce Should Cling to the Beef
- Because the reserved marinade has touched raw beef, it needs to come to a full bubble in the hot pan before serving. Once the cornstarch slurry is added, the sauce should thicken slightly and coat the beef.
- This is not meant to be a soupy dish. The sauce should look glossy and cling to the beef, with very little left pooling in the pan. Stir in the butter at the end for a richer, shinier finish.
Have the Watercress and Tomatoes Ready First
Vietnamese shaken beef is best served hot with cool greens and juicy tomatoes.
I like to fix my plates with the salad and have them ready in the fridge while I make the stir fry. If you have a helper in the kitchen, they can prep the salad while you’re stir frying.
Serve it with Tomato rice, or keep it low carb
For a full meal, serve this with a batch of my Vietnamese Tomato Rice.
Or, for a lighter, low-carb summer version, skip the rice and serve the beef over watercress, tomatoes, and some extra crisp greens. The hot beef and savory sauce lightly wilt the greens, almost like a warm steak salad.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Vietnamese Shaking Beef
Equipment
- Large Skillet or Wok
- medium mixing bowl
- Small bowl
- Tongs
- Large serving platter or individual plates
Ingredients
For the Beef
- 1 ½ pounds (680 g) steak cut into 1 inch cubes, see note 1
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (20 ml) soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil such as avocado oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) cornstarch
- 1 medium red onion cut into thin wedges
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil for cooking, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter
For the Finishing Slurry
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cold water
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) cornstarch
For Serving
- 4 cups (120 g) watercress or other greens, see note 2
- 2 medium (240 g) tomatoes about 10 ounces, cut into wedges
- Vietnamese tomato rice for serving
For the Lime Pepper Sauce
- ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Marinate the beef: In a medium bowl, mix the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ground black pepper, oil, and cornstarch. Add the ribeye cubes and toss well to coat, then cover and marinate for 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
- Make the lime pepper sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the lime juice and ground black pepper. Set aside.
- Assemble the platter: Arrange the watercress and tomato wedges on a large platter or individual plates.
- Sear the onions: Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add a little oil, then sear the red onion wedges for 1 to 2 minutes, until browned in spots but still slightly crisp. Transfer to a plate.
- Prepare the beef for searing: Lift the beef out of the marinade, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Reserve the marinade.
- Sear the beef: Add a little more oil to the hot pan. Sear the beef in 2 batches for 2 to 3 minutes per batch, letting it brown before tossing.
- Finish the sauce: Return all of the beef and onions to the pan. Add the reserved marinade, then stir together the cold water and cornstarch and pour it into the pan.
- Coat the beef: Toss everything together and cook for about 1 minute, until the sauce bubbles, thickens slightly, and coats the beef. Add the butter and toss for 15 to 30 seconds, until melted and the sauce looks rich and shiny.
- Serve: Spoon the hot beef, onions, and sauce over the watercress and tomato wedges. Serve immediately with the lime pepper sauce and Vietnamese tomato rice.
Notes:
- Ribeye steak will give the richest result, but top sirloin, NY strip steak, filet mignon, or flat iron steak can also be used. Avoid stew meat.
- Watercress is the most traditional choice, and its peppery flavor works well with the rich beef. You can also use baby arugula, romaine, butter lettuce, mixed greens, or baby spinach.
- Your pan needs to be very hot before the beef goes in. Cook in batches so that the meat browns instead of steaming.
- Since the marinade used for the sauce touches raw beef, it must be added back to the hot pan and cooked until bubbling for at least 1 minute before serving.
- Serve shaking beef fresh hot from the pan. The contrast of hot beef over cool greens is part of what makes this dish so good.
- Storage: If you have leftovers, store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat quickly in a hot skillet so that the beef doesn’t overcook.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Mistakes that make shaking beef tough
If your beef turned out tough, you may have done one or more of the following.
- Using stew meat or a tough cut of beef.
- Overcrowding the pan.
- Moving the beef in the pan before it has a chance to sear.
- Cooking the beef too long.
- Letting the dish sit too long before serving.
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