When you're looking for an easy weeknight meal that's big on flavour but low on prep, these tender rump steak strips in a rich garlic sauce, served with either chips, rice or noodles, are the answer!
I hate to admit it, but my husband isn't a fan of noodles. His idea of a fabulous meal is duck in garlic sauce (which used to be a takeaway from the local Chinese until I got involved) and chips (or french fries)!
So, I made a plan and came up with a delicious garlic sauce, which not only pairs beautifully with duck, but can also be used with pork and chicken too.
Try these recipes if you want to see for yourself:
And now I've adapted that same garlic sauce recipe to make these easy weeknight rump steak strips in garlic sauce.
These rump steak strips in garlic sauce take only half an hour to throw together. Because it's thinly sliced, the rump cooks in minutes; the longest time is making sure the vegetables are tender!
And when you combine the tender steak strips with the delicious garlic sauce and tasty vegetables, you've got an amazing meal that is quicker to make than ordering a takeaway, and tastes SO much better.
Plus, if you've got an air fryer and a saucepan, you can fry up a few chips, boil a pan of noodles and cater for the fussiest of eaters with hardly any effort!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Quick to make - after a busy day, the last thing you want to do is spend hours cooking supper. This garlic steak recipe comes together in only half an hour.
- Big flavour, minimal effort - rich garlic sauce, lots of vegetables and tender steak strips, but with hardly any effort on your part.
- Versatile - swap out the veggies to suit whatever you have in the fridge. You can also serve this with either mashed potato, rice, noodles or chips.
- Better than takeaway - because you've made this recipe yourself, you know exactly what's gone into it.
- Family-friendly - this is a mild, flavoursome recipe, with no chilli, yet it's easy enough to spice up if you like a bit of heat.
Recipe information
Prep time: 10 minutes to slice the rump and get it into the garlic marinade. Then you can chop a few vegetables while the steak is marinating.
Cooking time: 30 minutes, which is just long enough to flash-fry the steak strips and soften the vegetables in the sauce.
Yield: Serves 4
Extras: (Information only - and not included in the recipe). If you've got an air fryer, you can chop up a few potatoes and have chips ready in the time it takes the sauce to cook. And a pan of noodles takes all of 10 minutes. It's all about organisation 😉
Ingredients for rump steak strips in garlic sauce
This may look like a lot of ingredients, but in reality it's only steak strips and a few vegetables with some simple ingredients for the sauce.
**You can find the exact ingredient measurements on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.**
Meat and vegetables
- Rump steak - cut into strips (about one-eighth inch thick) against the grain. You could use sirloin instead.
- Bell pepper or capsicum - this should be deseeded and cut into strips.
- Onion - I like large pieces of onions in my stir-fry, so I cut them into quarters and then separate them into petals. If you prefer smaller pieces, cut them into slices.
- Broccoli - separated into florets.
- Bean sprouts - if I intend to use bean sprouts in a stir-fry, I always store them in the freezer. Frozen bean sprouts defrost in minutes on the counter, and they are perfect for adding to any cooked meal. Freezing them means you don't end up throwing away slimy packs of week-old bean sprouts that didn't get used! Don't do this if you intend to use them in a salad, though - they do wilt a bit when defrosted.
- Mushrooms - wiped with a damp paper towel to remove bits of dirt or grit, then finely sliced. Don't wash mushrooms - they soak up water like a sponge.
- Garlic - as much or as little as you like, either minced or finely sliced. Here's another handy tip - when you buy fresh garlic, separate and peel the individual cloves. Pop them into a freezer bag and store them as long as you like. When you need garlic, simply remove as many cloves as you need. The frozen garlic can be chopped, or you can leave it to defrost for a few minutes and then mince it as normal.
- Cornflour or cornstarch - for thickening the sauce, and also for marinating the steak strips.
- Sunflower oil - or other neutral flavoured oil for frying the steak.
Garlic sauce
- Stock - I made beef stock using stock cubes dissolved in boiling water.
- Oyster sauce - for the savoury umami flavour.
- Dark soy sauce - the brand I like to use is Lee Kum Kee. It is used to marinate the steak and also goes into the sauce.
- Chinese 5-spice powder - not all brands of 5-spice powder are created equal. I like to use Schwartz. It has a nice balance of flavour without being overpowering.
- Shaoxing wine - this is a Chinese wine, similar in taste to dry sherry. If you don't have either of these, add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
- Dark brown sugar - for a little sweetness.
- Tomato puree or tomato paste - this is concentrated tomato, and which is normally sold in cans or tubes.
Instructions
Step 1: Place the sliced steak in a bowl with the cornflour and soy sauce. Set the steak strips aside while you peel and slice the vegetables.
Step 2: Dissolve the stock cubes in 2 cups of boiling water and stir in all the sauce ingredients.
Step 3: Heat the oil over medium to high heat, and when hot, add the steak strips, a few at a time, and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until they are cooked. Transfer to a plate and set aside, then repeat with any remaining steak strips.
Step 4: In the same pan, stir-fry the onions, garlic and bell pepper over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until the onions turn translucent and the pepper has softened.
Step 5: Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the mushrooms start to soften.
Step 6: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cornflour, taking care to remove any lumps.
Step 7: Stir in the prepared stock, then add the broccoli and bean sprouts.
Step 8: Stir until the sauce boils and thickens, then reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and cook for a further 4 to 5 minutes until the broccoli is fork-tender.
Step 9: Add the steak strips and stir over moderate heat for about 2 minutes until piping hot.
Tips for a successful outcome
Here are my top tips to ensure your rump steak in garlic sauce always turns out perfectly:
- Slice the steak against the grain. Take a look at your steak and notice which direction the fibres are running. Slice the meat across the fibres to cut through them. Slicing across the fibres ensure you don't get a mouthful of tough stringy meat.
- Keep the slices all the same width - approximately one-eighth of an inch - so that they cook quickly.
- Don't skip the marinating step. Marinating the steak, even for a few minutes, means it stays juicy and flavourful when cooked.
- Prep the vegetables before starting to cook. This recipe is quick to make, and once you've started there won't be time to chop up vegetables.
- Cook the steak over medium to high heat, stirring continually. Because the steak is thinly sliced it cooks in minutes.
- Test the broccoli for doneness after 5 minutes. It should be fork-tender, but still have a little bite. If it seems too cruncy, give it a minute longer. It will continue to cook for another 2 minutes when you add the steak back to the pan.
Serving suggestions
I've mentioned that you can serve this dish with either noodles or chips, but there are other ways to serve it too.
- spooned over a bowl of white rice. See this recipe for my easy way to cook rice in the microvwave.
- serve it in a soup bowl with a crusty bread roll to mop up the yummy gravy.
- fill it into pita bread - although you might find you have to eat this with a knife and fork rather than picking the pita up in your fingers.
Variations
Of course, like any good recipe, you can vary this to suit your own taste.
- Spicy. Add chilli pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to taste when frying the onions and bell pepper to add a little heat.
- Swap the vegetables to suit whatever you have in the fridge. Sugar snap peas, baby corn, sliced pak choi, shredded cabbage, and julienned carrots would all go well in this recipe.
- Add crunch - with a handful of toasted cashews, and perhaps a teaspoon of sesame oil to enhance the nuttiness.
Equipment
These are the main items of equipment you will need to make these rump steak strips in garlic sauce:
- Sharp knife and chopping board for slicing the steak and cutting up the vegetables.
- A bowl or jug to combine the sauce ingredients. I find it easiest to combine everything before adding the sauce to the pan - that way, I don't inadvertently forget an essential ingredient!
- Large pan for cooking the steak strips. This could be a wok (which I used so the photos would be clear enough), a saute pan or even a large saucepan. Whatever you are comfortable with, as long as it has a lid, it will be fine.
Storage
Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for 2 days and reheated in a saucepan on the stove.
You can also freeze the steak strips (in the sauce) for up to 3 months in a suitable container.
To reheat, allow it to defrost in the refrigerator (if frozen) and reheat in a saucepan on the stove until piping hot.
My husband likes to take a frozen home-cooked meal when he goes fishing, so I normally freeze it with a helping of rice or noodles. He takes the frozen container with him, and by supper time it's defrosted and he simply reheats it in a saucepan over his little camping stove!
FAQ
Yes, sirloin, rump or flank are all suitable for this dish. The key is to slice it thinly against the grain, marinate for a few minutes for tenderness, and then flash-fry so that it sears on the outside but remains tender and juicy inside.
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📋The recipe
Easy weeknight rump steak strips in garlic sauce
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
- Small bowl or jug
- Large pan Saucepan, saute pan or wok (with a lid)
Ingredients
- 1.5 pound / 680 grams rump steak or sirloin thinly sliced against the grain
- 1 - 2 tablespoon sunflower oil for frying
Marinade
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
Vegetables
- 1 large onion quartered and separated into petals
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 large bell pepper peeled, deseede and sliced
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1 cup mushrooms sliced
Garlic sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree or tomato paste
- 2 cups beef stock cubes
- 2 tablespoons cornflour
- 2 cups boiling water
Instructions
- Place the sliced steak in a bowl with the cornflour and soy sauce. Set the steak strips aside while you peel and slice the vegetables.1.5 pound / 680 grams rump steak or sirloin, 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
- Dissolve the stock cubes in 2 cups of boiling water and stir in all the sauce ingredients (except the cornflour).2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder, 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, 2 cups beef stock cubes, 2 cups boiling water, 2 tablespoons tomato puree or tomato paste
- Heat the oil over medium to high heat, and when hot, add the steak strips, a few at a time, and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until they are cooked. Transfer to a plate and set aside, then repeat with any remaining steak strips.1 - 2 tablespoon sunflower oil
- In the same pan, stir-fry the onions, garlic and bell pepper over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until the onions turn translucent and the pepper has softened.1 large onion, 1 large bell pepper, 4 cloves garlic
- Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the mushrooms start to soften.1 cup mushrooms
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cornflour, taking care to remove any lumps.2 tablespoons cornflour
- Stir in the prepared stock, then add the broccoli and bean sprouts.1 cup broccoli florets, 1 cup bean sprouts
- Stir until the sauce boils and thickens, then reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and cook for a further 4 to 5 minutes until the broccoli is fork-tender.
- Add the browned steak strips and stir over moderate heat for about 2 minutes until piping hot.
- Serve with rice, chips or noodles and optionally add a few steamed vegetables on the side.
Notes
- Slice the steak against the grain. Take a look at your steak and notice which direction the fibres are running. Slice the meat across the fibres to cut through them. Slicing across the fibres ensure you don't get a mouthful of tough stringy meat.
- Keep the slices all the same width - approximately one-eighth of an inch - so that they cook quickly.
- Don't skip the marinating step. Marinating the steak, even for a few minutes, means it stays juicy and flavourful when cooked.
- Prep the vegetables before starting to cook. This recipe is quick to make, and once you've started there won't be time to chop up vegetables.
- Cook the steak over medium to high heat, stirring continually. Because the steak is thinly sliced it cooks in minutes.
- Test the broccoli for doneness after 5 minutes. It should be fork-tender, but still have a little bite. If it seems too cruncy, give it a minute longer. It will continue to cook for another 2 minutes when you add the steak back to the pan.
- Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for 2 days and reheated in a saucepan on the stove.
- You can also freeze the steak strips (in the sauce) for up to 3 months in a suitable container.
- To reheat, allow it to defrost in the refrigerator (if frozen) and reheat in a saucepan on the stove until piping hot.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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