Stir-Fried Beef & Potatoes (Bo Xao Khoai Tay) is a dish often cooked in the home, and not always on the menu at most Vietnamese restaurants. If it’s on the menu, don’t sit on it! It’s so much more than it seems!
Ready to serve.
The dish can come in various forms, with the potatoes in chunks or wedges, thick or thin, sometimes what we might think of as fries. This is how my favorite restaurant, Duc’s in Woodbury, Minnesota, serves theirs. And it’s crave-worthy.
About Vietnamese Beef & Potatoes:
Stir-Fried Beef and Potatoes is the last thing I would think to order at any Vietnamese restaurant, but my son did. When he gave me a taste, I was hooked! I snitched a little more off his plate and got the “Mo-om!” (Yep, two syllables.)
Anyone can fall in love with Vietnamese Beef & Potatoes (hopefully you!) from small children on up. The ingredients are simple, but the taste is sublime: the thinly sliced beef, tender/crisp onion, and those potatoes – still crispy, glazed in the lovely sauce.
Don’t waste a single drop of that sauce! The flavor rings out clean, sweet, salty, and umami goodness! (Chiles can be added or not for heat.)
Attack first by eating all the crispy potatoes piled on top. Only then move on to the beef and onions lurking below. And if there’s any sauce left on the bottom, toss in your rice.
Vietnamese Beef & Potatoes (Bo Xao Khoai Tay) yelp photo from Ducs.
Making Vietnamese Beef & Potatoes:
The beef:
Thinly slice the beef across the grain and marinate, if possible, for an hour. Tossing the beef in the freezer for 20 to 25 minutes makes it easier to slice.
I like a ratio of about 3 to 4 ounces of beef to a decent-sized potato and 1/4 onion. Tinker to suit yourself and your budget. Most restaurants are heavier on the potatoes and onions, but there’s more latitude when cooking at home.
Cooking:
There are many ways to make this dish; usually, the potatoes are cooked first to speed things along:
- As shown, and the best IMHO, the potato is cut thinly, then deep-fried. (I use a double cook method.)
- The other is to use chunks of potato and give them a quick fry in oil, remove them, and stir-fry.
Both have their drawbacks in terms of time and effort; I’d rather deep fry and have these glorious potatoes than tend to the dish while finishing the potatoes. The photos speak for themselves!
The Potatoes:
If you have a mandolin, use it. A food processor might work. My chips were thinner than the restaurant’s, so I’ll go slightly thicker next time.
Normally, I twice fry like in this recipe for Best Potato Chips, but instead, I twice cooked.
Instead, I cut and rinse the potatoes, then in a large bowl, add oil and toss the potatoes. Cover tightly. Once the edges of the slices are translucent, but the potatoes aren’t cooked through, drain and pat dry.
Notes:
- Do not overcook the potatoes in the microwave: they’ll crumble and you won’t be able to fry them.
- Have counter space and four clean kitchen towels ready to pat the potatoes dry, and a large rack over a pan for draining when they come out of the fryer.
- An excellent cook & blogger (Cooking is Fun…Really!) suggested a good quality bagged chip; I’m thinking Kettle chips. I will try it!
Adding the potatoes
Leftover Vietnamese Beef & Potatoes:
This is best fresh, but if it must be stored, either:
Add the potatoes to the portion you’re eating only and save the rest (at room temperature) to add when reheating the remainder of the dish.
If already mixed, remove any still crispy potatoes and store both separately. Let the potatoes cool in the fridge before covering.
The microwave is best for reheating. I haven’t tried an air fryer, but if you do, let me know!
Other Vietnamese Recipes You Might Like:
- Ca Ri Ga – Vietnamese Chicken Curry. Outstanding and a family favorite.
- Pho Ga – Chicken pho is easy to make at home and is restaurant quality.
- Vaguely Vietnamese Pork – So good, I stole it from the New York Times.
Ca Ri Ga Vietnamese Chicken Curry
Saving Money on Groceries:
What you pay for groceries depends on not just WHERE you shop, but WHEN. Be strategic and stock up at rock-bottom prices.
- The best sales are before holidays; check out Win at the Grocers. Think beyond the occasion & use the opportunity to stock up at a low for the coming weeks to months.
- If available, take advantage of discount stores like Aldi or Lidl. The pricing at Buyer’s clubs is not always the lowest, but can trump in quality. Be selective when shopping there.
Saving Money on Beef for Stir-Fry:
- Choose your price range and buy on sale. Sirloin is my affordable choice. Even cheaper cuts do well if not overcooked.
- Grocers will have great sales at various price points leading up to the following holidays: before the Winter holidays, Valentine’s Day, and Summer holidays.
- Every steak has a corresponding roast, often cheaper than steak; pick them up on sale and portion out, some for steak, some for other meals.
- Look for better roasts on sale before the Winter Holidays. Look for the cheaper ones about a month after any holiday that features the fancier cuts. Something has to be done with the rest of the beef!
Saving Money on Russet Potatoes:
- For best value, larger bags are cheaper per pound unless there’s a great sale on another size.
- Don’t pass on value if the potatoes look “dirty.” Those that aren’t washed absolutely clean store better.
- The largest bags might have a mix of sizes; sort and pick out larger ones for recipes needing whole potatoes; reserve others for recipes where size doesn’t matter.
- A large russet runs about 8 ounces, a medium about 5 ounces, a smaller one a few ounces less.
- Think seasonally; russets are in season and at their lowest late summer through winter. Take advantage and use more often.
- Once home, store in a dark, cool, dry area, well-ventilated, away from onions. Remove from plastic. A paper grocery bag with the top folded is ideal. It keeps them in the dark and reduces condensation.
Vietnamese Beef and Potatoes
Vietnamese Beef and Potatoes Bo Xao Khoai Tay
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 49 minutes + marinade
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Beef Main Dish
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients
Beef & Marinade
- 12 to 16 ounces (3/4 to 1 pound beef) round preferred, thinly sliced against the grain into strips about 1/4″ by 1/2″ by 4″
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce or hoisin
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
The Potatoes & Finishing the Dish:
- 4 medium-sized potatoes (scrubbed and unpeeled is fine)
- 3 tablespoons oil
- oil for frying, enough for a depth of about 3 to 4 inches in pot
- salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 onion, sliced pole to pole, 1/3″ thick
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 hot red chile pepper, minced (optional)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- fish sauce to taste, up to a tablespoon
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced for garnish
Instructions
Beef & Marinade
Mix the beef and the marinade ingredients. Set aside for one hour.
The Potatoes & Finishing the Dish:
Thinly slice potatoes into rounds the thickness of thick potato chips. Add potatoes as they’re sliced into a microwave-safe bowl filled with water. Swish potatoes around, then strain and discard water.
Put potatoes back into the bowl, add three tablespoons oil, toss, and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave for about five to six minutes or until potatoes are turning translucent on the edges. Remove, drain, then lay potatoes out on a thick, clean towels, cover with another, and press to remove excess moisture.
When ready to cook, heat oil to 350 degrees F. Fry potatoes in batches until golden brown, stirring now and then so potatoes will curl a bit, then when done, remove to a rack placed over a sheet tray. Salt lightly.
In the meantime, add oil to a large skillet. Heat to medium-high and add onions, cooking, stirring now and then until golden brown in spots and still crisp-tender. Add garlic and chiles if using and cook for a few seconds.
Push aside and add beef to the center of pan. Spread it out and let the beef sit for a minute or two until it releases, then stir together and cook, stirring as needed, until just barely cooked through. Once beef is cooked, immediately add the water, soy, and fish sauce, stir, briefly heat through, and remove from heat.
This is crucial: You’re not done yet. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt, pepper, more fish sauce or soy sauce, or a pinch or two of sugar if desired.
Place the potatoes on top of the hot beef mixture and gently toss together. Serve immediately. If there is going to be a delay in serving, hold the beef mixture and potatoes separately, then combine when ready to serve.
Garnish with green onion and serve with rice, if desired.
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I’m posting Vietnamese Beef & Potatoes (Bo Xao Khoai Tay) at Fiesta Friday #248.
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