Categories: EntreesVietnamese

Shaking Beef / Bò Lúc Lắc

As a kid, I didn’t like noodle soups much, so whenever we went out to eat at Vietnamese restaurants, instead of ordering phở or bún riêu, I would always get either cơm tấm (broken rice) or bò lúc lắc.
To me, bo luc lac holds a lot of nostalgic memories, but the recipe is tried and true, and is still delicious as an adult!

What is Bo Luc Lac?

Bo Luc Lac or Shaking Beef thick pieces of steak cut into squares and seared in a pan or wok. The name shaking beef comes from the shaking motion required to cook it!

Bò lúc lắc is traditionally made with filet mignon, which is incredibly tender, but I ain’t got money like that, so I typically opt for a New York steak, or sometimes even Ribeye. I’ve also made this with a standard chuck, which is leaner and definitely a bit tougher, but with this marinade, you could make pretty much anything taste delicious.

Good quality oyster sauce is essential, and my go-to brand is Lee Kum Kee.

Typically served with red rice as a main, but could also be served on its own or over a bed of watercress as a salad!

Shaking Beef / Bò Lúc Lắc

Recipe rating: 4.4 from 16 votes
Servings

2-3

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs New York steak

  • 1 Yellow Onion

  • 1 Bell Pepper

  • Marinade:
  • 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce

  • 2 tbsp Soy Sauce

  • 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

  • 1 tbsp Sugar

  • 1 tbsp Garlic

  • 1 tbsp Oil

  • 1 tbsp MSG (optional)

  • Salt and Pepper

  • Dipping Sauce:
  • 1 Lime

  • ½ tsp Salt

  • ½ tsp Black Pepper

Directions

  • Cut steak into one inch cubes and marinade with oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Let that marinate in the fridge for at least half an hour, but the longer the better
  • Prep veggies, by cutting yellow onion and bell pepper into one inch squares
  • Let the beef come to room temperature, then in a hot pan add the beef in a single layer to make sure that we don’t steam the beef. Let the beef get a nice hard sear, and then shake your pan to move the beef around
  • When the beef is 90% done, add in veggies and mix
  • Serve with rice or salad, and a dipping sauce made of lime juice, salt and pepper

Recipe Video

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Ken

View Comments

  • Your blog is like a treasure trove of recipes! I've cooked Vietnamese food all my life, using recipe books, asking for my mom's recipes, my sister in law's recipes but it is akways nice to have something tried and true and in writing.

  • I always love your videos on Instagram but then being able to scroll through the recipes on your website is another level!! You have so many beginner-friendly recipes, many dishes are so familiar and reminded me so much of what my mom cooked back in Vietnam. I’ve been living far away from home for almost ten years now and has been struggling to find joy in cooking. Lately I have tried some of your recipes, and this one is my favourite so far. My partner could smell it when walking close to the door and he said he was wishing it would be me cooking and there I was, so proud of making something that we both loved before and after tasting it! Thank you for sharing and I’m looking forward to more of your recipes in the future😊

    • Hi Lacey, thank you so much for taking time out of your day to leave such a kind note. I'm so glad my recipes can help you stay connected to our culture. I'm excited for you to try more!

  • I just made this since we had leftover bell peppers and ny strip in the freezer. So simple yet so good. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!

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