Filipino-Style Beef Steak (Bistek) is such a simple recipe. The combination of the sour from the lemon and salty from the soy sauce makes for such a yummy marinade and sauce. I marinaded mine overnight but less time is totally fine and will still be delicious.
The cooking time is quick so this makes for a great meal for busy nights.
Filipino-Style Beef Steak (Bistek) Recipe!
Filipino-style beef steak (bisktek) or otherwise known as Bistek Tagalog is one of my favorite Filipino dishes to cook and to eat! I know I say that about a lot of the dishes I make but I can’t help it! I love all of them!
This recipe consists of lemon, soy sauce, sugar and garlic as its main source of flavors and its then fried and topped with onions. I like red onions because its slightly sweeter but you can totally use yellow onions if that’s all you have.
Marinading the beef is key so please try not to skip this step, even if you can only marinade it for a couple of hours. It makes a difference!
When choosing your beef, a thinly sliced sirloin works best. Try to avoid chewy cuts of beef such as those best for roasting or stews. I’ve also made this recipe using thinly sliced New York Steaks and it was amazing!
How To Make Filipino-Style Beef Steak (Bistek)
- In a large zip lock bag, combine the sliced beef, garlic, juice of 1 lemon, soy sauce, brown sugar and fresh ground pepper and knead in the bag to ensure that all the marinade is coating the beef.
- Set this aside in the fridge for at least 8 yours. I let mine sit in the marinade overnight and it was so flavorful!
- Cut the onion into rings.
- In a stainless steel sauté pan set to medium heat, add avocado oil and add the onions. cook the onions until it’s soft. Set the onions aside.
- Add more oil into the pan and start frying up the beef making sure not to overcrowd the pan.
- Fry the beef on both sides and set it aside on a large platter.
- In a small bowl, mix the corn starch and water and set it aside.
- Add the remaining marinade in the pan and add the cornstarch mixture.
- Let this come to a boil, then bring it down to a low simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Pour the sauce all over the beef and top with the onions.
- If you’d like, you can add some green onions on top as garnish.
- Serve with white rice.
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Filipino-Style Beef Steak (Bistek Tagalog)
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Tongs
- Knife
- Non-Stick Pan
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs Beef, sliced thin
- 5 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
- Fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 1 Large Onion, cut into rings
- 1 tbsp Avocado oil
- 1 cup Water
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 1/2 cup Green onion, sliced
Instructions
- In a large zip lock bag, place the sliced beef inside and add the first 6 ingredients. Marinade for 8 hours or overnight.
- In a large stainless steel sauté pan, heat up the avocado oil on medium heat and add the onions. Cook until the onions are soft and transparent. Set the onions aside.
- Add more avocado oil and add the beef. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan.
- Fry the beef on both sides and set it on a large serving platter.
- In a small bowl, mix the corn starch in 1 cup of water and set it aside.
- Add the remaining marinade left over in the zip lock bag to the pan and add the cornstarch and water mixture. This will help thicken up the sauce. Let it come to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Pour the sauce over the beef, then add the sliced onions.
- (OPTIONAL) Sprinkle some green onions on top.
- Serve with white rice and a side of sliced tomatoes.
