Asian Inspired Tangerine Beef Recipe (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Chef Dennis Littley

4.63 from 8 votes

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Tangerine Beef is a great way to spice up your weeknight dinners and can be made at home faster than going out for take-out!

Asian Inspired Tangerine Beef Recipe (1)

Asian style cooking comes down to understanding a few basic techniques and having the right ingredients on hand. It’s not difficult and although a wok will help make your culinary adventure for fun, it isn’t necessary.

Table of Contents:

What do I need to make Tangerine Beef?

Asian Inspired Tangerine Beef Recipe (2)

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Tangerine Beef In Chef Speak this is called the Mise en Place which translates into Everything in its Place.

Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

If you can’t find tangerine juice, orange juice is a good substitute.

Asian Inspired Tangerine Beef Recipe (3)

The marinade is really easy to make and the only thing you need to remember about cutting the flank steak (as with any beef) is to go against the grain.

Once the marinade is ready and the beef sliced, place it into a zip-lock bag. Mix it thoroughly in the bag, then remove the air, seal the bag and place it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours up to 6 hours.

Chef Dennis Tip:

*Remember to place the bag zipper up and on a plate in case it leaks.

Asian Inspired Tangerine Beef Recipe (4)

After the beef has marinated we can gather the rest of our ingredients for this delicious dish!

Asian Inspired Tangerine Beef Recipe (5)

Dredging the beef in corn starch gives it a crunch appearance. While the beef is draining, start your sauce.

Asian Inspired Tangerine Beef Recipe (6)

Living in the Orlando area I could go out to eat every day of my life and never try all of the restaurants in the area. And while that might fun to do, it can also be very expensive. The other problem with eating out is losing control over ingredients that are used in your meal. Cooking at home can be fun, save you money and gives you control over the ingredients you use.

My Tangerine Beef was a great way to incorporate the taste of Florida into the Asian Style dish. Of course, if your grocery store doesn’t carry Tangerine Juice, you can substitute orange juice.

Serve this delicious beef with jasmine rice or your favorite Asian Noodle and be prepared for rave reviews!

If you enjoyed this post you may also like these recipes:

  • Peppercorn Beef and Broccoli
  • Chinese Sticky Wings
  • Dan Dan Noodles with Shrimp
  • Korean Pork Barbecue

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Asian Inspired Tangerine Beef Recipe (7)

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4.63 from 8 votes

Tangerine Beef

If you're missing take-out from your favorite Asian Restaurant, try my Tangerine Beef. You'll love the deliciousness of this Asian inspired dish and how easy it is to make!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

marinate2 hours hrs

Total Time25 minutes mins

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: 4

Calories: 485kcal

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces flank steak
  • ½ cup corn starch (for dredging beef before frying)
  • cup vegetable oil for frying beef

Marinade

  • ¼ cup soy sauce low sodium
  • ¼ cup rice wine
  • ¼ cup tangerine juice
  • 2 tablespoons tangerine zest grated
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 cloves garlic finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Tangerine Beef

  • 1 clove garlic chopped
  • 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
  • 3 tablespoons tangerine juice
  • 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon hot water
  • 1 ½ tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon tangerine juice
  • 2 scallions sliced for garnish
  • tangerine segments for garnish
  • finely chopped cilantro for garnish

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Trim any excess fat or membrane from beef

  • Thinly slice meat across the grain into ¼-inch-thick slices.

  • Place beef in a large resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish.

Marinade

  • Combine soy sauce, rice wine, tangerine juice, ½ of the tangerine zest, sesame oil, cornstarch, garlic and crushed red pepper in a small bowl and whisk to mix.

  • Pour marinade over beef in bag; seal bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours (or longer)

Beef

  • Remove beef from marinade, discarding the marinade.

  • Dredge the pieces of meat individually in of cornstarch until lightly coated,

  • Heat oil in a clean wok or saute pan over high heat.

  • Just before the oil starts to smoke, spread the flank steak pieces evenly in the wok, and let sear for 1 minute.

  • Flip the steak over and let the other side sear for another 30 seconds, then transfer to a sheet pan, tilting it slightly to let the oil drain. The beef should have a crusty coating.

  • Drain most of the oil from the pan. leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.

  • Heat over medium-high.

  • Add ginger and garlic to pan stir frying for about 15 seconds.

  • Add the soy sauce, tangerine juice, water and brown sugar. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

  • Let the sauce simmer for 1 minute, then slowly stir in the cornstarch slurry mixture–until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Add the beef and tangerine segments

  • Toss everything for another 30 seconds until all of the beef is well-coated.

  • There should be almost no liquid, as the sauce should be clinging to the beef.

  • If the sauce is too thick, add a little bit of hot water to thin it out.

  • Serve over Jasmine Rice or your favorite Asian Noodles

  • Garnish with scallions and cilantro.

Notes

**There should be almost no liquid, as the sauce should be clinging to the beef. If you have too much sauce, increase the heat slightly and continue cooking until thickened. If the sauce is too thick, add a little bit of hot water to thin it out.

Nutrition

Calories: 485kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 1637mg | Potassium: 519mg | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 275IU | Vitamin C: 10.1mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2.7mg

Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

Asian Inspired Tangerine Beef Recipe (8)

More Asian Inspired Recipes

  • Spicy Chili Garlic Noodles
  • Korean BBQ Chicken {Chicken Bulgogi}
  • Peppered Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Chili Pecan-Fruit Sauce
  • Asian-Style Grilled Shrimp and Broccoli Skewers

About Chef Dennis

Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home.For more details, check out his About page.

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  1. Taleen | Just As Tasty

    Asian Inspired Tangerine Beef Recipe (15)
    We are totally missing take-out right now, so I’ll definitely be making this for my husband soon! He’s going to love it!

    Reply

  2. Jocelyn Mallory

    I can’t wait to try this. The tangerine juice ..get by juicing tangerines?

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis Littley

      a lot of stores carry tangerine juice, its just not something you usually look for. If not you can sub orange juice or squeeze tangerines

      Reply

  3. Ann

    Can this be prepared ahead for a party?

    Reply

  4. Kimberly Button

    This looks so yummy!

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis Littley

      Thanks Kimberly!

      Reply

  5. Simply St. Augustine

    Asian Inspired Tangerine Beef Recipe (16)
    Chef Dennis, this looks AMAZING! I can’t wait to try it!

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis Littley

      Thanks Allie, It turned out better than expected!

      Reply

  6. Chef Michael

    Another great share and “Kudos or Cheers” bro and thank you Chef Dennis ;)P

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis Littley

      Thank you Michael!

      Reply

  7. Dawn @ Words Of Deliciousness

    Asian Inspired Tangerine Beef Recipe (17)
    Wow, this tangerine beef sounds yummy. I love cooking and baking citrus.

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis Littley

      Thank for stopping by Dawn, I do love my tangerines!

      Reply

  8. Dawn Lopez

    Asian Inspired Tangerine Beef Recipe (18)
    This recipe sounds absolutely incredible, I can’t wait to try it out! Great way to beat dinner monotony!

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis Littley

      It certainly does spice things up a bit! Thanks so much for stopping by Dawn!

      Reply

      • Dawn Lopez

        My pleasure 😉 Always love to see what you have cooking!

  9. Liz

    A lovely recipe. Thank you Chef Dennis.

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis Littley

      Thanks Liz, it truly was delicious!

      Reply

  10. Katie @ Recipe for Perfection

    That looks just wonderful! I love the idea of tangerine juice to add flavor here.

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis Littley

      Between drinking this delicious juice and cooking with it, I just can’t keep enough in the house! Thanks for stopping by Katie

      Reply

Asian Inspired Tangerine Beef Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Where does tangerine beef come from? ›

Tangerine beef, in China, is the origin of the ubiquitous “orange” chicken or beef you see all over Americanized Chinese restaurants. But where that dish is all about a puffy batter and a cloyingly sweet sauce, real tangerine beef is all about tang, heat and crunch.

How do you make stir fry beef so it's tender? ›

How to tenderise beef – easily!
  1. Sprinkle 3/4 tsp baking soda (bi-carbonate soda) on 250g / 8oz sliced economical beef cuts.
  2. Toss with fingers, leave for 30 minutes.
  3. Rinse, pat off excess water.
  4. Proceed with stir fry recipe. It can be marinated with wet or dry seasonings, or cooked plain.
Feb 23, 2019

What can I do with lots of tangerines? ›

All Tangerine Recipes Ideas
  1. Tequila-Tangerine Chicken. Video | 03:05. ...
  2. Honey Tangerine Soda. Recipe | Courtesy of Andrea Immer.
  3. Beerly Legal. ...
  4. Charred Octopus Salad with Tangerine Sauce. ...
  5. Tangerine Tonic. ...
  6. Tangerine Mayonnaise. ...
  7. Cranberry Tangerine and Candied Ginger Tart with Cardamom Crumbles. ...
  8. Tangerine-Gin Fizz.

Is bottom round steak good for stir fry? ›

A much better choice would be using it to make Chinese stir fried beef and broccoli. This is sliced fairly thin and against the grain and then marinated, so each of those steps contributes to far more tender and tasty steak slices in this dish, and the marinade and the sauce keep it from being dry.

What does the 🍊 mean? ›

Orange Emoji (🍊):The orange emoji represents a round orange fruit, often used to convey the concept of oranges, citrus fruits, or the color orange.

What is tangerine called now? ›

ING DIRECT has always been a progressive alternative in the banking industry, and our unique new name reflects that. Tangerine is a simplified, innovative and fair approach to your everyday banking.

Why is Chinese stir fry beef so tender? ›

This is how to use a cheaper cut of beef/steak, such as rump, for your stir-fry, whilst still ensuring it's soft and tender. After all, no-one wants a chewy stir fry! The method is known as velveting or tenderising. There are a few different ways to velvetise steak – which is a common practice in Chinese restaurants.

What is the secret ingredient to tenderize meat? ›

Whether hosting a holiday cookout, serving up some stir-fry or tackling game meats, baking soda is the go-to meat tenderizer to help make your steak, chicken or turkey silkier, juicier and yummier.

How do you make beef super tender? ›

Marinate

Not only does marinating infuse flavor, but it can tenderize too. A key ingredient in most marinades is acid (in the form of vinegar, citrus juice or yogurt) that starts to "cook" or break down the meat before it hits the heat. Just don't let it marinate too long or you can over-tenderize and end up with mush.

Can eating too many tangerines be bad for you? ›

Tangerines are a healthy fruit choice as they are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. However, consuming them in excessive amounts could lead to an intake of too much sugar, which may contribute to weight gain or exacerbate existing weight issues, especially if you're already overweight.

How many tangerines is enough? ›

Tangerines are relatively low in carbs when compared to other types of fruit. But because of their size, it is often easy to overeat tangerines. If you are eating tangerines on their own, keep your portion to about one to two maximum, especially if you are watching your intake of carbohydrates.

Why do Chinese people eat tangerines? ›

In Lunar New Year traditions, revelers believe tangerines, oranges and pomelos bring good fortune. Their Mandarin names echo words with symbolic meanings: "jú" for oranges suggests "good luck" or "fortune," "chéng" for tangerine is akin to "success," and "youzi" for pomelos sounds similar to "have" or "abundance."

What is the best oil for stir frying? ›

So many different oils, the good news is you can stick with what you know – canola is great! The best oils for stir frys are the oils with the higher smoke points. These tend to be the “thinner” oils such as peanut, grapeseed or canola.

What spices to put in stir-fry? ›

Stir Fry Seasoning?
CategoryChinese
Cooking FatCanola Oil
AromaticsGreen Onions (white parts) Garlic, Ginger (minced)
Primary FlavoringsRed Pepper Flakes and/or Szechuan Peppercorns, crushed
ProteinsChicken, Pork, or Beef strips, marinated 30m in 1:1:1:2:3 mixture of Baking Soda, Cornstarch, Sugar, Rice Wine, and Soy
5 more rows
Oct 19, 2016

Where are tangerines imported from? ›

According to the current data from the United States Department of Agriculture, tangerine production worldwide in the 2021/2022 season is 37,933 million tons. Turkey, China, South Africa, Morocco, and the EU countries are among the leading countries in the production and export of tangerines.

What is the source of Kobe beef? ›

Starting with the cattle, Kobe beef is strictly a product of Japanese Black cows, specifically, the Tajima strain of Japanese Black Cattle. These cows must also be raised in the Hyogo Prefecture region of Japan under very strict protocols.

What animal is Mongolian beef made from? ›

Forbearers of modern Mongolian cattle are known as Asian wild cattle or Turano-Mongolian cattle (Bos turano mongolicus). This breed was predominantly native to Mongolia and northern China.

What country produces the most tangerines? ›

Tangerines: China: China is the largest producer of tangerines, with various varieties grown in different regions. Spain: Spain is known for its production of tangerines, particularly the Clementine variety. Turkey: Turkey is a major producer of tangerines, including popular varieties like Satsuma.

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