Ways to Cook Thinly Sliced Beef Steak

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Thin-sliced beef steak can be stir fried, pan fried, or even tossed on a grill and still be ready in minutes -- perfect for those with limited time. Beef is a versatile meat that makes a great addition or substitution to any recipe. You can either purchase a steak whole and slice it yourself, or find it pre-sliced for convenience in any grocery store.

Saute

Heat up a pan on medium with some butter, oil or liquid of your choice, like soy sauce, and add in your thinly sliced beef steak strips. You can also add in onions, mushrooms or seasonings like salt and pepper. Stir the strips until they are cooked to your liking and remove them from the pan. You don't have to cook the steak long; overcooking will make the meat tough. Beef cooked this way can be added to a dish like stroganoff or served by itself with a side dish.

Stir-Fry

Thin-sliced beef is popular in stir-fry. Heat up a wok or large skillet on medium-high and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Stir-fry your vegetables first for about 5 minutes; more durable vegetables like carrots and broccoli have longer cooking times than your steak strips will. Add in the beef strips as the last step. Stir-fry for a few minutes until the strips are done to your liking and remove from heat.

Grill

Get your grill going, whether gas or charcoal, to a medium-high heat. You can either put steak strips directly onto the grill or into a grill pan if you're afraid they'll fall through. Grill the beef strips until your desired level of doneness is reached, flipping at least once. Very thin-sliced meat should only take about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. If you use a grill pan, you can also add in vegetables or potatoes. Start grilling the vegetables or potatoes first; they will take longer than the steak strips.

Slow Cooker

If time is not of the essence, slow cookers are a great option for making many beef dishes. Add your thinly sliced beef steak to the slow cooker along with all other ingredients called for in the recipe and let it go to work. While every slow cooker is different, sliced beef will typically cook for 1 to 3 hours on high and 6 to 8 hours on low. Stews and chilis should be cooked on low for at least 7 hours. Dishes like shawarma and stroganoff can also be made in a slow cooker.