Chinese Beef On Stick Recipe: Delicious Grilled Beef Skewers!
Beef on a stick or beef skewers are popular across Asia as an easy takeout recipe. It is also great for your holiday grilling. Small chunks of beef marinated with various spices and sauces are put on a skewer and grilled to give them a charred flavor.
Today, I will show you the original Chinese beef on stick recipe so that you can make this delicious item at home. It sure takes time, but the time and effort you spend on this dish is totally worth it. Let’s get into the detailed recipe.
Table of Contents
Chinese Beef On Stick Recipe Overview
Here is a quick overview chart to give you the essential information about the recipe.
| Course: Main | Cuisine: Chinese | Difficulty: Medium | ||
| Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes | ||||
| Serving | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories | |
| 4 persons | 2 hours 10 minutes | 20 minutes | 853 kcal | |
Ingredients Needed for the Recipe
You can use many spices for these beef skewers, but I want to keep the marination simple. Here are the ingredients for this recipe.
- Beef: 2lbs of beef tenderloin, cut into cubes
- Soy Sauce: ½ cup
- Sesame Oil: ¼ cup
- Olive Oil: ¼ cup
- Sugar: ⅓ cup
- Ginger Powder: 1 tsp
- Sesame Seed: 1 tsp
- Garlic: 4 cloves, minced
- Green Onion: ¼ cup, chopped (optional)
Chinese Beef On Stick Recipe: Step-By-Step Instructions
The steps for making this beef dish are pretty simple. Follow the steps below.
Step 1: Clean and Cut the Beef
Cut the beef tenderloin into 2-inch cubes and soak them in starchy water. It will help you clean the impurities better.
You Can Also Try Beef Shank Recipe
Step 2: Marinate the Beef
Take about ½ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup sesame oil, ¼ cup olive oil, ⅓ cup sugar, 1 tsp ginger powder, and 1 tsp white sesame seeds in a bowl. Mince 4 garlic cloves and put them into the bowl.
You Can Also Try Chinese Beef Tendon Recipe
You can also mix chopped green onions if you want. Put the beef chunks into the bowl and marinate them for about two hours.
Step 3: Put the Beef on Skewers and Grill It
Take some metal skewers and wash them well. Insert the skewers into a few beef chunks. Prepare all the beef chunks this way and then put the skewers on the grill.
Cook the beef for about 15-20 minutes and rotate the sticks every five minutes. Once the beef is done, you can remove it from the skewers or serve it on the sticks.
Nutrition Facts of the Recipe
Each serving of this dish (about ½ lbs or 8 oz) contains 853 calories. You also get the following nutrients from this grilled beef recipe.
- Total Carbohydrates: 16g
- Protein: 48g
- Total Fat: 69.3g
- Saturated Fat: 32g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 22g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 14g
- Total Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugar: 10.7g
- Cholesterol: 213.3mg
- Sodium: 3626.7mg
- Potassium: 1513mg
- Calcium: 656mg
- Iron: 5.4mg
- Vitamin A: 12IU
- Vitamin C: 0mg
Do’s and Don’ts of the Recipe
I learned these tips from my father while watching him make this recipe. They will be helpful for you too.
Do’s
- Marinate the beef for longer if you want to make it more tender. If possible, marinate the beef for overnight.
- Instead of cutting into cubes, you can also make thin strips and put them on the skewer. In that case, include some fat to keep the beef moist.
Don’ts
- As the marinade has a lot of soy sauce, there is no need to put additional salt into the marinade. Otherwise, the dish will become too salty.
- If you are cutting the beef into cubes, don’t make the pieces too small. Otherwise, the beef will dry out faster.

Chinese Beef On Stick Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Cut the beef tenderloin into 2-inch cubes and soak them in starchy water. It will help you clean the impurities better.
- Take about ½ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup sesame oil, ¼ cup olive oil, ⅓ cup sugar, 1 tsp ginger powder, and 1 tsp white sesame seeds in a bowl. Mince 4 garlic cloves and put them into the bowl.
- You can also mix chopped green onions if you want. Put the beef chunks into the bowl and marinate them for about two hours.
- Take some metal skewers and wash them well. Insert the skewers into a few beef chunks. Prepare all the beef chunks this way and then put the skewers on the grill.
- Cook the beef for about 15-20 minutes and rotate the sticks every five minutes. Once the beef is done, you can remove it from the skewers or serve it on the sticks.
FAQs
Here are answers to some common questions about this recipe.
Can I use pork or chicken for this recipe?
Yes. You can use pork or chicken instead of beef for this recipe. For chicken, you need to marinate and cook for a much shorter period.
What can I serve with beef on the stick?
You can serve grilled vegetables, onions, white rice, etc., with beef on the stick. Sauteed vegetables also go well with this recipe. And you can make a dipping sauce for the grilled beef.
Can I marinate the beef ahead of time and grill it later?
It is best to marinate the fresh beef for a few hours and then grill it. If you marinate the beef and keep it in the fridge for too long, the beef will become too salty and a bit tangy.
Can I store leftover grilled beef?
I don’t recommend storing leftover grilled beef in the fridge. If you store it in the fridge, the grilled beef won’t taste as good as freshly grilled beef skewers. So, plan the portions according to the serving options.
Conclusion
Chinese beef on a stick looks stunning with grill marks on the beef and a savory smell swirls around. If you want to make this beef dish, I have shown the Chinese beef on stick recipe in detail. Follow the steps mentioned above to make delicious grilled beef that everyone loves.
There are a lot of variations in this recipe. Some people prefer the chunkier beef, while others slice the beef into thin strips to make the grilling faster. Whatever method you choose, the result will be tender and flavorful beef if you follow the tips properly.