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Meat, South and Southeast Asian

Bò lúc lắc with rice

Bò lúc lắc is a Vietnamese dish of beef cubes seared in a hot pan with garlic, served over rice with watercress, tomatoes, and red onion. It takes 30 minutes for 4 people, rates as easy, and costs about €4.20 per person. The key to success is keeping the pan screaming hot so the meat sears instead of stewing in its own juices.

Tonight, bò lúc lắc, these Vietnamese beef cubes tossed in the pan with garlic, served over rice with watercress and tomatoes.

Bò lúc lắc with rice
Total time
30 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€4.20
Calories per person
560 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Spring, Fall, Winter
The kids
They generally like it

Bò lúc lắc gets its name from the shaking motion of the pan, lúc lắc meaning to shake in Vietnamese. The beef stays rare and tender inside while turning deeply caramelized outside, thanks to the sugar in the marinade. Raw watercress and fresh tomatoes bring the brightness that balances the rich garlic and oyster sauce glaze.

This is a weeknight dish that breaks the routine without asking for any real technique, ready in 30 minutes flat. Kids usually go for the tender beef cubes and rice without hesitation, so just set their watercress aside if raw greens aren't their thing yet. It also works well for a casual dinner with friends, served straight from the pan to keep the juices hot.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Sirloin or rump steak 600 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 4 cloves
  • Watercress 1 bunch
  • Tomatoes 3
  • Red onion 1

Pantry

  • Oyster sauceoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Sugaroften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Neutral oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp

Dairy

  • Butter 20 g

Allergens Mollusks, Soy, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the beef into 2 cm cubes and mix them with minced garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and pepper. 15 min

    Fifteen minutes of marinating is enough, the sugar helps with caramelizing.

  2. Cook the rice. 12 min

    Keep it warm under a lid.

  3. Arrange the watercress, tomato wedges, and sliced onion on the plates.

    Season the watercress with a squeeze of lemon, that contrast is what makes the dish.

  4. Heat the oil until very hot, sear half the beef while shaking the pan, 2 minutes, then repeat with the rest. 5 min

    Shake the pan rather than stirring, that's the lúc lắc, the motion that gives the dish its name.

  5. Add the butter at the end of cooking, spoon the beef and its juices over the rice, and serve over the raw vegetables.

    Butter at the end makes the juices glossy and coats the rice.

Our tips to get it right

  • Let the beef sit out for 15 minutes before cooking, cold meat straight from the fridge cools down the pan and stops it from caramelizing.
  • Use a wide skillet or a wok, the cubes need to sit in a single layer to sear properly instead of steaming in their own liquid.
  • Cut the cubes to an even size, about 2 cm, so they all cook at the same pace in two minutes.

The variations

  • Swap the sirloin for hanger steak or flank steak, both stay just as tender when seared hot and fast.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the beef with button mushrooms or firm tofu cut into cubes, seared the same way.
  • For kids in a hurry, serve the rice and beef without the watercress, with just a few tomato wedges on the side.

What to serve it with

  • A bowl of clear broth to start
  • Plain cucumber slices
  • Unsweetened iced green tea

Storage

Cooked beef keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container, reheat it gently in a pan so it doesn't toughen up. The rice freezes well for up to a month, but avoid freezing the already seared beef since its texture would suffer. Keep the watercress and tomatoes separate, prepped fresh right before serving.

Questions about this dish

Can you marinate the beef ahead of time?

Yes, you can marinate the beef up to 2 hours ahead in the fridge, not longer or the meat turns too salty. Take it out 15 minutes before cooking so it doesn't cool down the pan.

Can you substitute the oyster sauce?

You can replace it with an extra tablespoon of soy sauce mixed with a pinch of sugar, the result will be slightly less rounded but close. Oyster sauce mainly adds an umami depth that's hard to match exactly.

Why shake the pan instead of stirring with a spoon?

Shaking the pan tosses the cubes without crushing them or breaking their caramelized crust. This motion is actually what gives the dish its name and keeps the beef rare in the center.

How do you know when the beef is cooked enough?

Two minutes per side over high heat gives you a rare to medium rare result, the outside should be deeply browned. Cut a cube in half to check the first time, the inside should stay pink.

How long does it take to make a bò lúc lắc with rice?

Count 30 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a bò lúc lắc with rice?

About 560 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a bò lúc lắc with rice cost?

About €4.20 per serving, or €16.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains mollusks, soy, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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