Bo Luc Lac Recipe (Vietnamese Shaking Beef)

Today I want to share a very tasty Bo Luc Lac - Vietnamese Shaking Beef recipe with you. This shaking beef is one of the most popular menu items that you would find at Vietnamese restaurants. It's loaded with sweet and savory flavors, yet, it's so easy to make.  It's the perfect dish to make on special nights. 

Jump to:

• What is Bo Luc Lac?
• About This Bo Luc Lac Recipe:
• The Best Meat to Use for Vietnamese Shaking Beef 
• Bò Lúc Lắc Ingredients and Variations
• How to Make Shaking Beef at Home:
• Tips for Making a Good Stir Fry
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

What is Bo Luc Lac?

Bò Lúc Lắc is a famous Vietnamese beef stir fry. In the Vietnamese language, bo means beef, and Lúc Lắc means shaken. 

Shaking beef gets its name from the shaking and stirring technique used during cooking.

This special technique helps develop evenly browning on all sides of the meat while keeping it juicy on the inside. It also helps deglaze the pan. 

This main dish contains stir-fried cubes of marinated beef and is served on a hot plate over fresh watercress with a bowl of rice.

About This Bo Luc Lac Recipe:

This shaking beef recipe requires a short marinating process to enhance the flavor. In addition, letting the meat sit at room temperature before cooking will produce juicier and more evenly cooked meat. 

After marinating for 30 minutes. you should cook the meat on high heat for a short period of time, then stir-fry the remaining ingredients in the sauce.

The Best Meat to Use for Vietnamese Shaking Beef 

You may use any type of tender beef cut to make shaking beef. Expensive beef fillets such as rib-eye will be extremely tasty, but a cheaper cut like flank steak or sirloin strip will also taste great.

Here are some tender beef cuts that can be cut and used in stir fry recipes: sirloin, ribeye, top loin, tenderloin, shoulder top blade (flat iron, or shoulder center (Ranch steak).

Don't buy pre-cut stir fry meat. I highly recommend buying the beef in bulk so you can then cut the beef yourself and save money. 

Bò Lúc Lắc Ingredients and Variations

To make shaking beef at home, you will need beef, diced red bell pepper, diced yellow onion, oyster sauce, low-sodium soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, fish sauce, black pepper, and fresh watercress.

Fish Sauce: If it's not available in your pantry, you can use soy sauce instead of fish sauce (2:1 ratio).

How to Make Shaking Beef at Home:

Step 1. Make the Marinade Sauce

In a small bowl, mix sugar, fish sauce, low-sodium soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Stir to combine. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of marinade sauce for stir fry.

Step 2. Marinate the Beef Cubes

In a large bowl, add beef cubes, minced garlic, and marinade sauce. Stir to combine. Marinate the meat for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Step 3. Sear the Beef

In a large wok, heat about ½ cup of oil over high heat until beginning to smoke.

Cook half of the marinated beef until slightly charred on all sides and medium-rare inside for about 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and set aside.

Step 4. Cook the Vegetables

• In a clean wok, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over high heat until beginning to smoke. Add diced yellow onion, cook, and keep stirring for 1 minute.
• Cook diced red bell pepper and keep stirring for 1 minute.

• Add the seared beef and 1 tablespoon of marinade sauce. Cook and stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened for about 3-5 minutes. Do not overcook the meat.

Tips for Making a Good Stir Fry

Tips #1. Prepare All the Ingredients

Stir-frying is a quick process so you need your ingredients close-at-hand and ready to go. It's therefore important to set out all of your ingredients before you turn on the heat, in order to prevent burning or over cooking.

Tips #2. Marinade the Meat

Most cuts of beef benefit from being marinated. A marinade adds flavor and helps tenderize the meat.

Tips #3. Remove Excess Water from Ingredients

Make sure that you pat vegetables or meat dry before adding them into a wok.

Tips #3. Pick the Right Skillet

If you don't have a wok you can use a cast-iron skillet instead. A cast-iron skillet can retain just as much heat as a wok, which makes it a perfect substitution for wok.

Tips #4. Cook on High Heat

Cooking on high heat is crucial. Commercial ranges come with burners that generate heat levels much stronger than even the best home range.

Tips #5. Cook the Vegetables and Meat separately

Tips #6. Do Not Overcrowd the Pan

Choose the right size of skillet to do the job. Do not put too many ingredients in the wok to avoid steaming and uneven cooking.

If you need to double the recipe, cook in multiple batches.

Tips #6. Keep Stirring

Keep stirring the food to avoid burning and uneven cooking.

FAQ and Cooking Tips:

Check Out More Asian Recipes:

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• Laksa Soup
• Soto Ayam
• Egg Drop Soup with Crab Meat
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• Homemade Crab Rangoon
• Instant Pot Fried Rice
• Chicken in Black Bean Sauce
• Chinese Eggplant with Minced Pork
• Spicy Sichuan Noodles
• Chinese Sausage Fried Rice
• Hunan Beef Cumin
• Shrimp and Green Peas Stir Fry
• Minced Pork Noodles Soup

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