Beef, Asparagus and Tofu Stir-Fry

By Kay Chun

Updated May 19, 2026

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
30 min
Rating
5(492)
Comments
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This quick stir-fry combines ground beef with crumbled tofu for a meal that feels lighter but still tastes rich, thanks to deeply savory oyster sauce spiked with garlic and ginger. High-heat cooking helps develop flavor by caramelizing tofu in the beef drippings and grassy asparagus adds crisp fresh bites. Turn leftovers into a fast meal by tossing with cooked noodles (like soba or udon) and chopped cucumbers for crunch.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce

  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon turbinado or granulated sugar

  • ¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

  • 2 tablespoons safflower, sunflower or other neutral oil

  • 8 ounces ground beef (80 percent lean)

  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced (½ cup), plus more for garnish

  • Salt and pepper

  • 8 ounces firm tofu, crumbled and patted dry with paper towels (1½ cups)

  • 12 ounces asparagus, trimmed and sliced into ½-inch pieces 

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced 

  • 1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger

  • Warm rice and hot sauce (optional), for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

15 grams carbs; 40 milligrams cholesterol; 356 calories; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 24 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 4 grams fiber; 589 milligrams sodium; 23 grams protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a small bowl, combine oyster sauce, broth, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and sesame oil. Add cornstarch and whisk until smooth.

  2. Step 2

    In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the neutral oil over medium-high. Add beef and ¼ cup of the scallions, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until browned, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef mixture to a plate, leaving any oil behind. 

  3. Step 3

    Add the remaining 1 tablespoon neutral oil and tofu to the skillet, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tofu is dry and golden, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add beef (and any accumulated juices) and oyster sauce mixture and stir until sauce is absorbed, about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining ¼ cup scallions.

  4. Step 4

    Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with scallions. Serve warm with rice and hot sauce on the side, if using. 

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    Ratings

    5 out of 5
    492 user ratings
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    Comments

    Sue M

    I made this dish according to the recipe and it was very tasty. I will definitely make this again. My only substitution was avocado oil for safflower oil because that's what I had. I love that it stretches ground beef, especially with current prices. It is a perfect recipe to use the abundance of asparagus in the spring.

    sheri

    Excellent recipe, but I had to double to feed 4.

    Lisa Witteman

    @S Woo It can, but it doesn’t always. Recipes like this can help reduce dependency on animal protein for those not ready to give it up. And they can just be tasty recipes.

    Nick W

    Love this recipe! Switched to vege crumbles from the freezer when my lovely vegetarian daughter surprised us. I bulked up the sauce with more volume and added Gochujang + soy sauce. (Likely would have added these in any case.) Was very satisfying. So glad to have this technique to use less animal protein

    Nadine

    I loved this dish, but my husband thought it was too gingery. It came together very quickly and easily, and it looked nice too. In addition to the asparagus, I added some chopped red bell pepper and some zucchini. I also included some peanuts at the end (someone mentioned cashews in the comments and that sounds even better.) I don't usually cook with tofu like this so it was nice to cut back on the ground beef. The tofu picked up the flavor of the sauce and the texture was appealing.

    Martin W (North London)

    Ideal recipe for batch cooking. I tripled the quantities so that I could provide several meals to a friend who has very limited facilities for meal preparation. I incorporated suggestions from readers feedback with mushrooms, a red pepper (pointed capiscum) and finely chopped celery whilst reducing the asparagus by half. I also baked the very firm tofu, also as suggested, but only for 10 minutes before transferring to the skillet to finish.

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