This peppery, sweet, and savory bo luc lac recipe (Vietnamese shaking beef) on a bed of crisp watercress, red onions, and cherry tomatoes is the easiest yet most luxurious Vietnamese dish. This quick and easy authentic Vietnamese shaking beef recipe is perfect if you want to treat yourself to a restaurant-quality dish at home!
The warmth of the seared umami marinated beef against the cool crunch of the watercress and the tartness of the dipping sauce is the reason why this is my Dad’s all-time favorite dish. My father is a simple man with simple pleasures. He wears the same beige polo shirts and khaki pants every single day and spends hours on his iPad scrolling the news. But when we go out to a Vietnamese restaurant, he loves to treat himself to a large sizzling plate of bò lúc lắc made with filet mignon.
The glaze for the shaking beef cubes made with a mixture of soy sauce, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce packs an umami punch. The watercress adds a peppery bite to the beef making it a delicious accompaniment. If you love authentic Vietnamese recipes, make sure to check out my Bun Thit Nuong (Grilled Pork Noodles), Thit Kho Trung (Caramelized Braised Pork and Egg), Mi Xao Gion (Crispy Noodle Stir Fry), and Che Ba Mau (Three-Color Dessert) for dessert!
Table of Contents
What is Bò Lúc Lắc or shaking beef?
Bò lúc lắc, or shaking beef, features stir-fried cubes of marinated beef and sliced onions served over a bed of watercress and accompanied by a dipping sauce of lime juice, salt, and pepper. The name “shaking beef” comes from the method of having to literally shake the beef cubes to get an even sear.
🍽 Kitchen Equipment
- Wok: a deep stone wok makes this dish 100x easier. It heats everything evenly while having ample room to hold all the vegetables and rice so you can toss everything with ease.
- Wooden Spoons: when it comes to tossing stir fry dishes, the best and easiest way to do it is with two long wooden spoons.
🛒 Ingredients
The ingredients for this bo luc lac recipe can all be found at your local Asian grocery market.
Beef Marinade
- Beef: select your beef of choice either rib eye, tenderloin, sirloin or filet mignon. More about that below.
- Garlic: one of the main aromatics of the dish.
- Pepper: used to season the beef
- Soy Sauce: is the salt element for this dish. I used Maggi Seasoning for this dish, which is a popular Vietnamese flavor enhancer. You can find it online or at your local Asian grocery store.
- Dark soy sauce: dark soy sauce has a sweeter, more intense flavor than regular soy sauce. I used Lee Kum Kee’s dark soy sauce for this dish. You can find it online or at your local Asian grocery store.
- Oyster Sauce: is a mixture of caramelized oyster juices, salt, sugar, and soy sauce. It adds an extra umami flavoring to the dish. I use Lee Kum Kee’s oyster sauce for all of my recipes. You can find oyster sauce online or at your local Asian grocery store.
- Fish Sauce: is a must for a Vietnamese dish always. I always use my most trusted brands: Red Boat Fish Sauce or Three Crabs. You can find fish sauce online or at your local Asian grocery store.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: adds a touch of nuttiness to the flavor of marinade. You can find toasted sesame oil online or at your local Asian grocery store.
- Granulated Sugar: sugar is used to balance out the salty flavors and adds a sweet component to the marinade
- Shallots: an added aromatic to the dish
- Scallions: another aromatic
- Unsalted Butter: the butter adds a touch of caramelized flavor to the beef. This comes from the French colonial influence in Vietnam. Make sure to use unsalted butter to avoid adding any more salt to the dish.
For the Salad
- Watercress: you can use any other leafy greens as well such as arugula or baby salad mix
- Red Onion: the raw red onion compliments the flavors of the beef
- Cherry Tomatoes: tomatoes add a touch of brightness to the dish
Dipping Sauce
- Lime Juice: the lime juice adds a touch of acidity that brightens up the beef
- Salt and Pepper: to season the lime juice.
📝 How To Make This Recipe
This bo luc lac recipe is so incredibly easy to make. All you need to do is marinate the meat, toss it on a wok and serve it with rice and vegetables!
- Marinate the beef. In a mixing bowl, mix together the garlic, pepper, soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar and sesame oil until combined. Add the cubed beef and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
- Make a glaze with the marinade. Drain the marinade from the beef and mix in 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Set aside.
- Cook the beef. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on a wok on high heat and saute ½ the shallots until translucent about 1 minute. Place ½ of the beef cubes mixture on a single layer and sear for 3-4 minutes. Then, add ½ the scallions and toss the beef to sear the other sides for another 2-3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch marinade, toss the beef to glaze for about 30 seconds. The beef should be seared on all sides and cooked for under 7 minutes. Remove from heat and repeat with the remaining beef.
- Make dipping sauce. In a small dipping bowl, mix together the lime juice, salt and pepper.
- Serve. Serve the shaking beef on a bed of watercress, red onion and cherry tomato salad. Enjoy with white rice!
⭐️ Tips For The Best Bo Luc Lac
- Marinate the beef for a minimum of 1 hour. It is important that you marinate the beef for at leas an hour so that the marinade has time to permeate the beef. You can alternatively marinate it overnight if you have the time.
- Use a hot pan or work! Before you add the beef, make sure the pan you are using is hot. It will ensure you have a quick brown sear on the edges without overcooking the beef.
- Cook the beef in two separate batches. This will ensure you have the space on your skillet or wok to evenly spread the beef and toss them for an even cook. You do not want to crowd your pan because it will yield a less even cook.
🥡 Storage Instructions
This bo luc lac recipe is best served immediately. You can store any leftover shaking beef in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
💬 Frequently Asked Q’s & A’s
You can opt for any cut of steak that you like. The most commonly used cuts are rib eye or filet mignon. If you are willing to treat yourself, filet mignon is my #1 recommendation for this dish. It will yield a more tender and flavorful dish. When selecting a cut of beef, opt for a more marbled cut for a more tender cut. For best results, I recommend marinating the meat for a minimum of 1 hour to let the flavors soak into the beef.
You can serve Bo luc lac with steamed rice or even noodles. It is served on a bed of watercress, red onion, and cherry tomatoes which you can simply eat alone as a salad if you’d like! The added dipping sauce is optional if you would like an additional zing of citrus to the dish. Some Vietnamese restaurants serve shaking beef with sauteed onions, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and red rice. You can opt for this way as well.
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Bò Lúc Lắc (Vietnamese Shaking Beef)
Ingredients
Beef
- 1 lb steak rib-eye, tenderloin or filet mignon, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce maggi seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 4-5 shallots about ½ cup thinly sliced
- 3 scallions cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter divided
Salad
- 3 cups watercress or baby greens
- ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes
Dipping Sauce
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Marinate the beef. In a mixing bowl, mix together the garlic, pepper, soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar and sesame oil until combined. Add the cubed beef and toss to combine. Cover and marinate for 1 hour.
- Make a glaze with the marinade. Drain the marinade from the beef and mix in 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Set aside.
- Cook the beef. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on a wok on high heat and saute ½ the shallots until translucent about 1 minute. Place ½ of the beef cubes mixture on a single layer and sear for 2 minutes. Then, add ½ the scallions and toss the beef to sear the other sides for another 1-2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of butter, and 1-2 tablespoons of the marinade and toss the beef to coat for about 30 seconds. The beef should be seared on all sides and cooked for under 5 minutes. Remove from heat and repeat with the remaining beef.
- Arrange the salad. Wash and dry the watercress, trim off the dead ends, slice the red onion and add the cherry tomatoes.
- Make dipping sauce. In a small dipping bowl, mix together the lime juice, salt and pepper.
- Serve. Serve the shaking beef on a bed of watercress, red onion and cherry tomato salad. Enjoy with white rice!
Notes
- Marinate the beef for a minimum of 1 hour. It is important that you marinate the beef for at least an hour so that the marinade has time to permeate the beef. You can alternatively marinate it overnight if you have the time.
- Use a hot pan or work! Before you add the beef, make sure the pan you are using is hot. It will ensure you have a quick brown sear on the edges without overcooking the beef.
- Cook the beef in two separate batches. This will ensure you have the space on your skillet or wok to evenly spread the beef and toss them for an even cook. You do not want to crowd your pan because it will yield a less even cook.
- Storage Instructions: This dish is best served immediately. You can store any leftover bo luc lac in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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