Peruvian Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Lomo Saltado (Peruvian Beef Stir-Fry)
A stunning fusion of Peruvian ingredients and Chinese stir-fry techniques (Chifa cuisine), featuring tender beef strips, bright tomatoes, and onions, famously served over french fries and rice.
Contains common allergens
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Good to know
- Ready in under 30 minutes
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: 30-minute meals
Instructions
5 steps- 1
Prep Ingredients: Ensure all vegetables and meat are chopped and ready before you start cooking, as the stir-fry process is very fast.
- 2
Sear Beef: Heat a wok or large skillet over extremely high heat with a little oil. Sear the beef strips quickly until browned but still slightly pink inside (about 2 minutes). Remove and set aside.
- 3
Stir-Fry Veggies: In the same hot wok, add the red onion and aji amarillo pepper. Stir-fry for 1 minute until they just start to soften but remain crunchy. Add the tomatoes and toss for 30 seconds.
- 4
Combine: Return the beef to the wok. Pour in the soy sauce, vinegar, and oyster sauce. Toss everything vigorously so the sauce coats the meat and veggies and creates a light gravy.
- 5
Finish: Turn off the heat, toss in the cooked french fries and fresh cilantro (or serve the fries alongside so they stay crisp). Serve immediately with white rice.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
66/100
Works for many families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving420
Calories
42 g
Protein
8 g
Carbs
23 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Lomo saltado is the most famous dish of Peru's chifa tradition, the cooking that grew out of Chinese immigrants who arrived in the 19th century to work coastal plantations and brought the wok and soy sauce with them. It marries that stir-fry technique with thoroughly Peruvian ingredients: aji amarillo, red onion, tomato, and the slightly jarring but beloved touch of french fries tossed right into the pan. The result sits squarely between two cuisines and belongs fully to neither, which is exactly what Peruvians love about it.
Listahan note
This version keeps the wok-style high heat and the fries-in-the-pan finish that defines the dish, while staying simple enough for a weeknight skillet. It leans on soy sauce and vinegar for the savory-tangy backbone rather than hard-to-source aji paste.
Technique cues
- Sear the beef in batches over the highest heat you have so it browns instead of steaming; crowding the pan releases water and you lose the smoky char that carries the dish.
- Add the soy sauce and vinegar by pouring them down the hot side of the pan, not over the meat, so they hit metal and sizzle into a glaze instead of just pooling.
- Fold the fries in at the very end and toss only a few times; you want them coated in sauce but still holding their crispness, not collapsed into mush.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Get the fries cooking in the oven or fryer while you slice the beef and vegetables, so both finish at the same time.
- Make-ahead
- Slice the beef, onion, and tomato and mix the soy-vinegar sauce up to a day ahead; keep them separate in the fridge so the stir-fry comes together in minutes.
- Leftover move
- Leftovers reheat best in a hot skillet rather than the microwave; the original fries go soft, so add a handful of fresh crisp ones when you serve.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Deglaze the hot pan with a splash of water right after plating so the sticky soy glaze lifts off before it sets.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
beef sirloin
the protein and smoky backbone
Purpose: Sirloin is tender enough to sear fast and stays juicy at the high heat the dish demands.
Handling: Slice across the grain into thick strips and pat very dry so it browns rather than steams.
Adaptation: Flank or tri-tip works well; for a leaner option use strips of chicken thigh.
red onion
aromatic sweetness with bite
Purpose: Cut thick and cooked fast, red onion stays crisp and adds the sharp sweetness the sauce needs.
Handling: Cut into thick wedges so the layers separate but keep some crunch.
Adaptation: A yellow onion works but loses some of the bright color and bite.
tomato
juicy acidity
Purpose: Tomatoes added late soften just enough to release juice that loosens the sauce without turning to paste.
Handling: Cut into thick wedges and add near the end so they warm through but hold shape.
Adaptation: Roma tomatoes hold up best; cherry tomatoes halved also work in a pinch.
aji amarillo
the signature Peruvian chili
Purpose: Aji amarillo brings a fruity, sunny heat that defines the Peruvian character of the dish.
Handling: Use a spoonful of aji amarillo paste, or thin slices of the fresh pepper with seeds removed.
Adaptation: A milder yellow chili plus a pinch of paprika approximates the color and warmth; omit for a kid-friendly batch.
soy sauce
savory chifa backbone
Purpose: Soy sauce is the chifa fingerprint that ties the Chinese technique to the Peruvian plate.
Handling: Have it measured and ready so you can add it fast at the searing stage.
Adaptation: Tamari keeps it gluten-free; coconut aminos lowers the sodium considerably.
french fries
the surprising starch that makes it lomo saltado
Purpose: Fries tossed in at the end soak up sauce and are the detail that signals this exact dish.
Handling: Fry or bake them crisp and hot, then fold in only at the final moment.
Adaptation: Oven fries or air-fryer fries work fine; serve the rice on the side as always.
Technique notes
- Let the empty pan get genuinely smoking before the beef goes in; the brown fond that forms is what the soy and vinegar turn into sauce.
- Keep the vegetables crunchy by adding them in stages, onion first and tomato last, rather than dumping everything at once.
- Taste the sauce before the fries go in and adjust vinegar and soy then; once the fries are coated you can no longer correct it.
Ingredient swaps
- Gluten-free direction
- Swap soy sauce for tamari or certified gluten-free soy and confirm the fries are cooked in a dedicated fryer.
- Lower-sodium direction
- Use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce and skip any added salt; the vinegar and aji carry the flavor.
- Weeknight shortcut
- Use frozen oven fries and pre-sliced stir-fry beef to get this on the table in under twenty minutes.
Serve alongside
- Steamed white rice
- Sliced avocado with lime
- Aji verde green sauce
- Chicha morada
- Inca Kola
- A cold lager
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days in a sealed container, keeping any extra fries separate so they do not go soggy.
- Reheat the beef and vegetables in a hot skillet for a minute or two, then add freshly crisped fries before serving.
- Freezing is not recommended; the tomato and fries break down badly on thaw.
Equipment
- A large carbon-steel or cast-iron skillet for high-heat searing
- A sheet pan or air fryer for crisping the fries
- A sharp chef's knife for thin, even beef strips
- Metal tongs for fast tossing over high heat
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