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Close-up of a delicious beef and spinach stir-fry with red bell peppers and green onions, part of easy dinner recipes for beginners.

Easy Beef and Spinach Stir-Fry

This recipe is a quick and simple stir-fry perfect for beginner cooks. It features tender beef, crisp vegetables, and a flavorful coconut milk sauce, all ready in under 30 minutes.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Marinating Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian-inspired
Calories: 312

Ingredients
  

For the Beef
  • 1 pound beef top sirloin steak cut into thin strips
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh gingerroot
  • 2 cloves garlic minced, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt divided
For the Sauce
  • 1 cup light coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
For the Stir-Fry
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil divided
  • 1 large sweet red pepper cut into thin strips
  • 1/2 medium red onion thinly sliced
  • 1 medium jalapeno pepper seeded and thinly sliced
  • 4 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 2 large green onions thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • Small bowl
  • Large skillet

Method
 

  1. In a large bowl, toss beef with ginger, 2 garlic cloves, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk coconut milk, sugar, chili sauce, lime zest, lime juice, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt until blended.
  2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add beef and stir-fry until no longer pink, about 2-3 minutes. Remove beef from the pan.
  3. Stir-fry red pepper, red onion, jalapeno, and the remaining clove of garlic in the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil just until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk mixture and heat through. Add spinach and beef. Cook until spinach is wilted and beef is heated through, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with green onions and cilantro.

Nutrition

Calories: 312kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 26gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 641mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10g

Notes

This stir-fry is a versatile dish. Feel free to add other quick-cooking vegetables like broccoli florets or snap peas. Serve over rice or noodles for a complete meal.

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