Beef & Onion with Mixed Peppers – A Cantonese Classic Brought to Life
There are certain dishes that perfectly capture the spirit of Cantonese home cooking — simple ingredients, quick cooking, and bold flavours delivered with absolute finesse. Beef and Onion with Mixed Peppers is one of those enduring classics. It’s the kind of dish you’d find in countless Chinese takeaway kitchens across the UK, yet it never loses its charm no matter how many times you make it.
This week, our newest team member Franko cooked this dish as part of his recipe-testing role here at Man With A Wok, and he absolutely nailed it. Not only did he cook it to perfection, but he also took the photo of the finished dish that you’ll see shared across our platforms. A huge welcome and well done to him — it’s great to have a full-time chef on board helping bring these recipes to life.
Why This Dish Works So Well
At its heart, this recipe is all about balance.
- Tender velveted beef that melts in the mouth.
- Sweet onions and crisp peppers bringing freshness and colour.
- A glossy, umami-rich sauce that ties everything together.
- A gentle kick of black pepper that adds warmth without overpowering the dish.
It’s quick too — just 6 minutes of cooking time — making it ideal for busy weeknights when you want something satisfying but fuss-free.
The Magic of Velveting
Cantonese restaurants are known for their unbelievably tender sliced beef, and this recipe uses the same technique: velveting.
A mixture of bicarbonate of soda, soy sauce, rice wine, cornflour, and sesame oil works to soften the fibres and create that signature silky texture. Franko’s beef came out beautifully tender — exactly how it should be.
A Sauce That Coats Every Bite
The sauce is a simple but powerful combination of stock, oyster sauce, rice wine, and a touch of cornflour for thickness. Once it hits the hot wok, it reduces to a shiny, savoury glaze that clings to the beef and vegetables perfectly.
This is Cantonese cooking at its best — clean, balanced, and bursting with flavour.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this dish with:
- Steamed jasmine rice
- Egg fried rice
- Stir-fried noodles
- Or even spooned over crispy chips for a proper UK takeaway twist
Cook It Yourself
If you’d like to try making this Cantonese classic at home, you’ll find the full recipe below. It’s quick, comforting, and guaranteed to be one you return to again and again.
Franko’s already working on the next batch of recipes — so stay tuned for more dishes cooked (and photographed!) by our newest Man With A Wok chef.
Beef and Onion with Mixed Peppers
Ingredients
Velveting
- 250 g Beef thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
- 1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce Kikkoman of course
- 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 tbsp Rice Wine or Sweet Sherry or leave out
- 2 tsp Corn Flour
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
Other Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Oil Vegetable, Rice Bran, Ground Nut
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 tsp Ginger minced
- 1 Onion Finley Sliced
- 1 Pepper (Green, Red or Yellow) finely sliced
- 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1 cup Chicken Stock
- 1 tbsp Rice Wine or Sweet Sherry or leave out
- 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 2 tsp Corn Flour
Instructions
- Place the beef in a bowl with the bicarbonate of soda and massage it into the meat. Add the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and rice wine, and massage again to coat the beef evenly.
- Add the cornflour and mix to coat the slices thoroughly. Finally, add the sesame oil, give it a last massage, and set aside for 20 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine the chicken stock, rice wine, oyster sauce, and cornflour. Mix well and set aside.
- Heat your wok over medium–high heat, add the oil, and stir-fry the onions and peppers for 3 minutes.
- Add the beef along with the garlic and ginger purée. Stir-fry for a further 30 seconds.
- Give the sauce mixture a quick stir, then pour it into the wok. Bring to the boil and cook for about 1 minute, or until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
- Turn off the heat, add the ground black pepper, mix well, and transfer to your serving plate.
Recipe is from my 10 Minute Chinese Takeaway Cookbook
