Canada • Regional Dish • Main Course

Calgary Ginger Beef

Thin battered beef fries crisp, then gets tossed in a sweet hot ginger sauce with carrot and pepper in the Calgary restaurant style.

Servings4

Prep Time20 min

Cook Time15 min

DifficultyModerate

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Ingredients

US Metric

1 lb flank steak, sliced into thin strips against the grain

1 egg

6 tbsp cold water

1 cup cornstarch

2 tbsp plain flour

1 tsp white pepper

3 cups neutral oil for frying

1 carrot, finely julienned

1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely julienned or minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup light soy sauce

3 tbsp Chinese red vinegar

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup white sugar

1 1/2 tsp chili flakes

2 tbsp plum sauce

2 tsp neutral oil

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

2 green onions, sliced

3 cups cooked steamed rice, for serving

450 g flank steak, sliced into thin strips against the grain

1 egg

90 ml cold water

120 g cornstarch

15 g plain flour

2 g white pepper

750 ml neutral oil for frying

1 carrot, finely julienned

1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

20 g fresh ginger, finely julienned or minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

60 ml light soy sauce

45 ml Chinese red vinegar

15 ml Shaoxing wine

80 ml water

70 g white sugar

3 g chili flakes

30 ml plum sauce

10 ml neutral oil

10 g toasted sesame seeds

2 green onions, sliced

600 g cooked steamed rice, for serving

Instructions

Slice the beef into thin strips against the grain. Keep the pieces narrow so they crisp quickly instead of steaming.
Whisk the egg, cold water, cornstarch, flour, and white pepper into a smooth batter. Coat the beef well and let it stand for 5 minutes.
Heat the frying oil in a deep skillet or wok to 180 C. Fry the beef in small batches for 2 to 3 minutes until crisp and light golden. Separate the strips as they cook so they don’t clump. Drain on a rack or paper towel.
Whisk the soy sauce, red vinegar, Shaoxing wine, water, sugar, chili flakes, and plum sauce in a bowl until the sugar dissolves.
Heat 10 ml oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the carrot and green pepper for 1 to 2 minutes until just tender but still bright. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 20 seconds.
Pour in the sauce and bring it to a fast simmer. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly thickened and glossy.
Add the fried beef and toss for 20 to 30 seconds, just until coated. Don’t simmer too long or the crust will soften too much.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions. Serve immediately over steamed rice.

Cultural Context

Ginger beef is widely traced to Calgary’s Silver Inn, where chef George Wong adapted a northern Chinese beef idea for local diners in the early 1970s. The result was a Canadian-Chinese dish with fried beef strips and a sweeter, sharper sauce than the versions that inspired it.

In Calgary, the standard style usually means thin crispy beef, ginger, garlic, chili, and a glossy sauce built from soy, sugar, and vinegar. Julienned carrot is common. Peppers vary by kitchen. That variation matters. Ginger beef isn’t a fixed dish in China reproduced exactly in Canada. It’s a regional Canadian restaurant creation.

Fun Fact

Calgary Ginger Beef didn’t start as “ginger beef.” It first appeared as deep fried shredded beef in chili sauce.

Cook’s Tip

Use sirloin if flank steak isn’t available. Red rice vinegar is the closest match for Calgary-style versions; white vinegar works, but the flavor turns sharper.

Trivia

By the 1980s, Calgary’s restaurant-born dish was widespread enough to become a supermarket product across Canada.

About This Recipe

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Calgary Ginger Beef

Instructions

Cultural Context

Fun Fact

Cook’s Tip

Trivia

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