Beef Stir-Fry Appetizer (Bo Xao Lan)

This recipe for Beef Stir-Fry Appetizer (Bo Xao Lan) is a tasty dish to serve with drinks at a casual gathering. Delicious chunks of tender beef are marinated with savory spices and stir-fried with red bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and bean thread noodle and then served atop toasted sesame rice crackers. Flavorful and hearty, this Beef Stir-Fry Appetizer is enjoyed like chips and dip. Use the toasted sesame rice crackers to scoop up the juicy morsels of beef, savory vegetables and noodles. Serve this awesome Beef Stir-Fry Appetizer dish for your next party or get-together. It’s perfect paired with cold beverages, beer or wine and sure to become a favorite!

Notes on the Beef Stir-Fry Appetizer (Bo Xao Lan) Recipe, Tips and Tricks

Substitute beef for any tender cut of meat you enjoy. Lamb, venison, chicken or pork are delicious substitutes.

Avoid over-cooking the beef, as this will make the meat tough. Cook as directed. It will be thoroughly cooked and super tender.

Sesame rice crackers can be found at a Vietnamese grocery store. They come in several varieties: white or black sesame seeds. Depending on the thickness, most rice crackers take about 1-2 minutes to cook in the microwave. Optionally, toast the rice crackers in the oven at 350 F (177 C)  for 4-5 minutes. Flip the crackers halfway through the baking time for even browning.

Substitute the sesame rice crackers with rice chips, crusty bread, tortilla chips or any other crunchy chip. Another delicious option is to serve with prawn crackers.

This dish is super-versatile and can be enjoyed as an appetizer or as a main dish. Pair this dish with hot rice for a quick and tasty meal.

This dish can be served hot or at room temperature. Store any remaining portions in the refrigerator and enjoy within 2-3 days.

Watch the video for instructions.

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Beef Stir-Fry Appetizer / Bo Xao Lan

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves
1/2 medium shallot
3/4 lb flank steak or sirloin
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp fish sauce, divided
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
.5 oz dried wood ear mushrooms (black fungus)
1.76 oz bean thread noodle
1/3 medium yellow onion
1/2 large red bell pepper
1/2 lime
4 sprigs rice paddy herb, washed and trimmed
3 sesame rice crackers
2 tsp vegetable oil, divided
2 Tbsp coconut milk
1 Tbsp fried onions
1 Tbsp crushed roasted peanuts

Directions

Peel the garlic cloves and chop. Remove the skin from the shallot and chop.

Cut the beef into strips about 1 inch thick. Cut the strips into small chunks.

In a medium bowl, add the sliced beef, half of the chopped garlic and half of the chopped shallot. Add the oyster sauce, 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce, curry powder, sugar and ground black pepper. Mix together combining well. Let marinate while continuing with the next steps.

In a medium colander and bowl, add the dried wood ear mushrooms. Fill the bowl with hot water and let soak for 10 minutes.

Repeat the same process for the bean thread noodle: Transfer to a medium colander and bowl. Fill the bowl with hot water and let soak for 10 minutes.

Prep the vegetables as follows: Chop the onion. Core the red bell pepper. Cut into 1/2 inch thick strips. Cut the strips into small pieces. Cut the lime into wedges. For the rice paddy herb, roughly chop it.

After the mushrooms are done soaking, rinse with cold water. Cut into thin strips and then into small pieces.

Drain the bean thread noodle. Toss in the colander to remove the excess water. Using scissors, cut the noodles into short strands.

Place a sesame rice cracker into the microwave. Microwave on High power for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes or until the cracker is puffy and golden. Break each rice cracker into large pieces. Set aside on a large plate.

Heat a medium-sized wok over High heat and then add 1 tsp vegetable oil. Add the remaining chopped garlic and shallots. Stir-fry for 15 seconds. Add the marinated beef and stir-fry for 1 minute, searing the outside. Transfer the beef to a clean plate.

Add another 1 tsp vegetable oil to the wok. Add the chopped red bell peppers, onions and mushrooms. Stir-fry over Medium High heat until the vegetables just start to soften, approximately 2-3 minutes. Add the bean thread noodle and add back the beef. Toss together combining well. Add the coconut milk and 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce. Combine together stir-frying for another 2 minutes.

To serve, transfer the stir-fry to a large plate. Top with the fried onions, crushed roasted peanuts and chopped rice paddy herb. Garnish the plate with the lime wedges.

To enjoy, use the sesame rice crackers to scoop up the delicious beef stir-fry.

Serve this Beef Stir-Fry Appetizer with Sriracha sauce or chopped red chilies to spice it up.

This dish can be served hot or at room temperature. Store any remaining portions in the refrigerator and enjoy within 2-3 days.

Yields: 6 appetizer servings

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Beef Stir-Fry Appetizer / Bo Xao Lan

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 6 appetizer servings

Calories: 192 kcal

Author: Trang

This recipe for Beef Stir-Fry Appetizer (Bo Xao Lan) is a tasty dish to serve with drinks at a casual gathering. Delicious chunks of tender beef are marinated with savory spices and stir-fried with red bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and bean thread noodle and then served atop toasted sesame rice crackers. Flavorful and hearty, this Beef Stir-Fry Appetizer is enjoyed like chips and dip. Use the toasted sesame rice crackers to scoop up the juicy morsels of beef, savory vegetables and noodles. Serve this awesome Beef Stir-Fry Appetizer dish for your next party or get-together. It's perfect paired with cold beverages, beer or wine and sure to become a favorite!

Ingredients

• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 medium shallot
• 3/4 lb flank steak or sirloin
• 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce , divided
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• .5 oz dried wood-ear mushrooms
• 1.76 oz bean thread noodle
• 1/3 medium yellow onion
• 1/2 large red bell pepper
• 1/2 lime
• 4 sprigs rice paddy herb , washed and trimmed
• 3 sesame rice crackers
• 2 tsp vegetable oil , divided
• 2 Tbsp coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp fried onions
• 1 Tbsp crushed roasted peanuts

Standard - Metric

Instructions

1. Peel the garlic cloves and chop. Remove the skin from the shallot and chop.
2. Cut the beef into strips about 1 inch thick. Cut the strips into small chunks.
3. In a medium bowl, add the sliced beef, half of the chopped garlic and half of the chopped shallot. Add the oyster sauce, 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce, curry powder, sugar and ground black pepper. Mix together combining well. Let marinate while continuing with the next steps.
4. In a medium colander and bowl, add the dried wood ear mushrooms. Fill the bowl with hot water and let soak for 10 minutes.
5. Repeat the same process for the bean thread noodle: Transfer to a medium colander and bowl. Fill the bowl with hot water and let soak for 10 minutes.
6. Prep the vegetables as follows: Chop the onion. Core the red bell pepper. Cut into 1/2 inch thick strips. Cut the strips into small pieces. Cut the lime into wedges. For the rice paddy herb, roughly chop it.
7. After the mushrooms are done soaking, rinse with cold water. Cut into thin strips and then into small pieces.
8. Drain the bean thread noodle. Toss in the colander to remove the excess water. Using scissors, cut the noodles into short strands.
9. Place a sesame rice cracker into the microwave. Microwave on High power for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes or until the cracker is puffy and golden. Break each rice cracker into large pieces. Set aside on a large plate.
10. Heat a medium-sized wok over High heat and then add 1 tsp vegetable oil. Add the remaining chopped garlic and shallots. Stir-fry for 15 seconds. Add the marinated beef and stir-fry for 1 minute, searing the outside. Transfer the beef to a clean plate.
11. Add another 1 tsp vegetable oil to the wok. Add the chopped red bell peppers, onions and mushrooms. Stir-fry over Medium High heat until the vegetables just start to soften, approximately 2-3 minutes. Add the bean thread noodle and add back the beef. Toss together combining well. Add the coconut milk and 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce. Combine together stir-frying for another 2 minutes.
12. To serve, transfer the stir-fry to a large plate. Top with the fried onions, crushed roasted peanuts and chopped rice paddy herb. Garnish the plate with the lime wedges.
13. To enjoy, use the sesame rice crackers to scoop up the delicious beef stir-fry.
14. Serve this Beef Stir-Fry Appetizer with Sriracha sauce or chopped red chilies to spice it up.
15. This dish can be served hot or at room temperature. Store any remaining portions in the refrigerator and enjoy within 2-3 days.

Recipe Video

Notes, Tips & Tricks

• Substitute beef for any tender cut of meat you enjoy. Lamb, venison, chicken or pork are delicious substitutes.
• Avoid over-cooking the beef, as this will make the meat tough. Cook as directed. It will be thoroughly cooked and super tender. Sesame rice crackers can be found at a Vietnamese grocery store. They come in several varieties: white or black sesame seeds. Depending on the thickness, most rice crackers take about 1-2 minutes to cook in the microwave. Optionally, toast the rice crackers in the oven at 350 F (177 C)  for 4-5 minutes. Flip the crackers halfway through the baking time for even browning.
• Substitute the sesame rice crackers with rice chips, crusty bread, tortilla chips or any other crunchy chip. Another delicious option is to serve with prawn crackers.
• This dish is super-versatile and can be enjoyed as an appetizer or as a main dish. Pair this dish with hot rice for a quick and tasty meal.
  Nutrition Facts

  Beef Stir-Fry Appetizer / Bo Xao Lan

  Amount Per Serving

  Calories 192 Calories from Fat 54

  % Daily Value*

  Fat 6g9%

  Saturated Fat 3g19%

  Cholesterol 34mg11%

  Sodium 421mg18%

  Potassium 317mg9%

  Carbohydrates 18g6%

  Fiber 1g4%

  Sugar 1g1%

  Protein 14g28%

  Vitamin A 400IU8%

  Vitamin C 15.8mg19%

  Calcium 23mg2%

  Iron 1.7mg9%

  * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.