This sha cha beef fried rice will take your beef fried rice experience to a whole new level! It's incredibly easy to make, takes only 15 minutes, and is packed with umami flavor. Enjoy this with sides like our sauteed garlic bok choy and Chinese smashed cucumber salad!
We want to let you know that this post is sponsored by the Bull Head Brand, who's well known for their sha cha sauce, a popular, classic Chinese condiment. As always, everything stated here are our own opinion, and all of the products and brands that we partner with and recommend are ones that we truly believe in and enjoy using.
If you've never had sha cha sauce before, you've got to give it a try! Not only is it an amazing and classic hotpot dipping sauce, it's great for stir fries and braises as well. My parents swear by the Bull Head brand, and so Bull Head brand's sha cha sauce is also our favorite and the only brand we use!
Bull Head may be known for their sha cha sauce, but did you know that they also have this super flavorful and spicy mala chili sauce? It's so good and perfect over fried rice, like this beef fried rice! And my favorite? They offer a variety of hotpot soup bases like mala, classic sha cha, mongolian, and tomyum. So, now you can easily make super tasty hotpot at home!
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What is sha cha sauce?
Sha cha sauce or 沙茶酱 (shā chá jiàng), is a savory Chinese condiment that's especially popular in Teochew, Fujian, and Taiwanese cuisine. If you've ever had Chinese hot pot, you most likely know sha cha sauce as one of the OG and must-have hot pot sauces. It's usually made of oil, dried seafood like fish and shrimp, aromatics such as ginger and shallot, chili pepper, and seasonings. Our favorite brand, Bull Head sha cha sauce, is gluten free and uses coconut powder that will add a distinct subtle umami flavor to all your dishes. The image on their Amazon store hasn't been updated yet, but their sha cha sauce has been reformulated without MSG several years ago. So for those of you with sodium sensitivity, you can enjoy it with a peace of mind.
For first timers, make sure to mix up the sha cha sauce well before each use! The separation in the sauce is completely normal.
Sha cha sauce makes the BEST beef fried rice
In our experience, sha cha sauce can make any dish extra flavorful and yummy. But when it comes to proteins like beef, seafood, and pork, sha cha sauce really brings the flavor to a whole new level. All the aromatics and dried seafood enhance the flavor of the proteins, making those dishes umami parties in your mouth.
And besides beef fried rice, we recommend trying sha cha sauce for any beef stir fries, claypot braises, and claypot rice. They are all so good! And if you haven't tried sha cha sauce with hot pot, you've gotta try it next time! You can also check out Bull Head Brand's Instagram page for more sha cha recipe inspirations!
Ingredients
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the ingredient quantities!
For the beef:
- Beef - Any cut of beef is fine, but we highly recommend chuck eye round and flank steak. They are more flavorful, cheaper than steaks, and contains some fat, which means they are more tender and flavorful.
- Water - For hydrating the beef so that they stay juicy after cooking.
- Baking soda - Baking soda is for tenderizing the beef. Just a little goes a long way, and using a small amount will not alter the taste of the beef.
- Salt - For seasoning the beef. You can use either coarse salt, like kosher, or fine salt.
- Cornstarch - An important part of the velveting process. The cornstarch acts as a binder and a layer that protects the beef from drying out.
For the rest of the fried rice:
- Day old white rice - Homemade fried rice is best made with day old rice. Because the rice is cold and drier, it's less likely to become mushy when cooking. We highly recommend using long grain white rice because it contains the least amount of starches, which means less clumping.
- Bull Head sha cha sauce - The star seasoning of this beef fried rice and a must-have. Sha cha sauce brings the whole dish together and makes it packed with umami flavor. Also, with sha cha sauce, you won't need oyster sauce! Just make sure to mix up the sha cha sauce well before each use. It is completely normal for the oil to separate.
- Soy sauce - We recommend light sodium soy sauce. It's for adding saltiness to the fried rice, along with the iconic golden brown color. If you're looking for a gluten free substitute, you can use gluten free tamari.
- Egg - A must have in fried rice! Fried scrambled eggs adds so much flavor to fried rice, so highly recommended.
- Onions, peas, and carrots - These can be optional but highly recommend vegetables for the fried rice.
- Oil - Any neutral oil will do. Oil will be needed for both the beef marinade and to cook the fried rice.
How to make beef fried rice with sha cha sauce
1. Prepare the beef: In a mixing bowl, add the sliced beef, water, salt, and baking soda. Vigorously mix until the beef has absorbed most of the liquid. Add the cornstarch and mix. Finish off with the oil and mix until well combined.
🌟 Pro tip: We recommend preparing the beef first so that it has time to marinate and tenderize as you prepare the other ingredients. Utilized your time to the max! Also, make sure to really mix the beef so that the water gets absorbed!
2. Make the sauce: In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce and sha cha sauce. Set aside until needed.
3. Cook the beef: In a wok or pan over medium heat, add enough oil so that the bottom of the wok is covered. Once the oil is hot, add the beef and sear on both sides until just done. Remove from the wok and set aside.
📝 Note: Don't overcrowd the pan! Cook the beef in separate batches if needed.
4. Cook the peas and carrots: In the same wok over medium high heat, add the onions and peas and carrots and stir fry until the onions starts to turn translucent. Add a little more oil if needed.
5. Scramble the eggs: Scoot the onion, peas, and carrots to one side of the wok and add more oil to the other side. Once the oil is hot, pour the beaten egg into the oil and scramble the eggs until just cooked.
📝 Note: This method of cooking is so there's less steps. However, if you are more comfortable, you can cook scrambled the eggs first, remove it from the wok, and add it back in after the peas and carrots has been cooked.
6. Add the rice and beef: Add the beef and day old white rice and stir fry everything for 30 seconds to a minute. Pour the prepared sauce over everything and stir fry until the rice is hot and everything is evenly combined.
7. Enjoy! Transfer to serving plates and top with some chili oil if you wish. Enjoy while hot!
Recipe tips
- Cut the beef to ⅛ to ¼ inch thick. Too thick and the beef may be too chewy, but if the beef is too thin, it may dry out from cooking in the high heat.
- Let the beef marinate for about 5 to 10 minutes if you have time. This really helps to tenderize the beef. So we recommend you marinate the beef first, then prepare the other ingredients to maximize your time.
- Use day old, long grain white rice. Day old rice is cold and drier, which prevents the rice from becoming mushy. We also recommend long grain rice as it contain the least amount of starch, meaning the rice won't become sticky and clump together.
- Mix the soy sauce and sha cha sauce ahead of time to make seasoning easier. We find that the sauces get much more even distribution when mixed together. But if you are comfortable with it, you can add them straight into the beef fried rice.
Storage
Leftover sha cha beef fried rice can be stored in airtight containers for up to 4 to 5 days in the fridge. Just make sure to let the beef fried rice cool completely before storing.
You can also freeze this beef fried rice! Simply let it cool completely and pack into air tight containers or freezer bags. It an stay frozen for up to 2 to 3 months.
Reheating
You can reheat this beef fried rice in the microwave or on the stovetop, but we definitely recommend the stovetop if possible.
For the microwave method, loosely cover the rice and heat until hot.
To reheat on the stovetop, heat a pan over medium high heat and add the sha cha beef fried rice. Stir fry for 3 to 5 minutes, or until hot. If you are reheating frozen beef rice, just stir fry for 5 to 10 minutes, or until completely heated through.
FAQ
Sha cha sauce is a savory Chinese condiment, often associated with Teochew, Fujian, Taiwanese cuisine, and hot pot! It's an umami packed sauce made with oil, dried seafood, aromatics, chili, and seasonings. You can find sha cha sauce online or at your local asian market. We highly recommend Bull Head Brand. They are the iconic sha cha sauce brand and you'll know them by the silver can with a bull, bull's head, and/or cherry blossom symbol.
We highly recommend using chuck eye round or flank steak, as they are cheaper cuts that still tastes amazing and decently tender. But feel free to use your preferred cut of beef!
If you don't have cornstarch, potato starch is a good substitute.
If you’ve made this recipe or any recipes from our blog, please tag us on Instagram using #twoplaidaprons! You can also tag us in your Instagram stories using @two_plaid_aprons. We would love to see your creations! It absolutely makes our day! 🥰
📖 Recipe
Sha Cha Beef Fried Rice
Ingredients
For the beef:
- ½ pound chuck eye round thinly sliced (between ⅛ to ¼ inch thick)
- 3 tablespoons water
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt (fine salt is okay too)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons oil (any neutral oil will do)
For the rest of the fried rice:
- 3 cups day old white rice (long grain white rice recommended)
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce light sodium
- 2 tablespoons Bull Head sha cha sauce
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 3 tablespoons frozen peas and carrots thawed (you can use fresh ones too)
- Oil as needed for cooking (any neutral oil will do)
Instructions
- Marinate the beef:In a mixing bowl, add the sliced beef, water, salt, and baking soda. Vigorously mix with your hand (or gloved hand), until the beef has mostly absorbed all the liquid. Add the cornstarch and mix until evenly combined. Finish off with the oil and mix until well combined.
- Make the sauce:In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce and sha cha sauce. Set aside until needed.
- Cook the beef:In a wok or pan over medium heat, add enough oil so that the bottom of the wok is covered. Once the oil is hot, add the beef and sear on both sides until the beef are just done. Remove the beef from the wok and set aside. Don't overcrowd the pan! Cook the beef in separate batches if needed.
- Make the fried rice:In the same wok over medium high heat, add a little more oil if needed. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and peas and carrots. Stir fry until the onions starts to turn translucent.
- Scoot the onion, peas, and carrots to one side of the wok and add more oil to the other side. Once the oil is hot, pour the beaten egg into the oil and scramble the eggs until just cooked.
- Add the beef and day old white rice and stir fry everything for 30 seconds to a minute. Pour the prepared sauce over everything and stir fry until the rice is hot and everything is evenly combined.
- Transfer to serving plates and top with some chili oil if you wish. Enjoy while hot!
Notes
- Beef - Feel free to use any cuts of you prefer, but we highly recommend chuck eye round and flank. They are cheaper cuts that have good beef flavor and just enough fat so the beef won't taste dry.
- Rice - Day old rice is best for making fried rice at home. This is so the rice doesn't get mushy. We also recommend that you use long grain white rice for the best texture. And because it contains less starch, the rice won't be sticky and clump together.
- Sha cha sauce - Please mix the sha cha sauce well before each use. It is completely normal for the oil to separate. Although sha cha sauce is sometimes also known as Chinese BBQ sauce, it is not your typical BBQ sauce! It will have a strong seafood aroma and taste to it, and it's totally normal. The dry seafood is a large reason why this condiment is an umami bomb.
- Soy sauce - We recommend using light sodium soy sauce. If you are using regular soy sauce, you may want to reduce it by a tablespoon so that the fried rice won't be too salty. Tamari is a good substitute if you want it gluten free.
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