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Vietnamese

Bò Lúc Lắc (Vietnamese Shaking Beef)

A quick Vietnamese shaking beef rice plate with tender seared beef cubes, onion, bell pepper, salad, and jasmine rice.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 7 September 2026Updated

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Bò Lúc Lắc (Vietnamese Shaking Beef)

1 hrtotal

40 min hands-on20 min hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 20 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Easy
Spice
Mild
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Includes 20 minutes of beef marination time.

Method

  1. Marinate the beef cubes with soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, black pepper, sugar, and a little salt.

  2. Heat oil in a wide pan until hot. Add the beef in a single layer and sear without moving for a short time.

  3. Shake or toss the pan so the beef browns on different sides while staying juicy inside.

  4. Add onion and green bell pepper, then cook briefly so they stay slightly crisp.

  5. Mix lemon juice with a pinch of salt and black pepper to make a simple dipping seasoning.

  6. Serve the shaking beef with jasmine rice, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and the lemon-pepper dip.

How to tell it's done

The beef should be browned outside, juicy inside, and the vegetables should remain lightly crisp.

Getting it right

Tip

The pan must be very hot before adding beef; this gives the dish its browned edges and quick-cooked texture.

What to serve it with

Serve as a complete rice plate with crisp lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and lemon-pepper dip.

Common mistakes

The beef is grey and gives off water.
Very hot pan, beef in a single layer, and leave it alone for the first sear. The name comes from shaking the pan, but that starts after the crust forms — meat crowded in or stirred straight away steams in its own juice.
The beef is tough.
Cut tenderloin into generous cubes and take it out while the middle is still pink. This is a two-minute dish; a well-done cube of it is dry.

Substitutions

  • Use Beef Sirloin if Beef Tenderloin is unavailable; cut it evenly and avoid overcooking.
  • Oyster Sauce may contain shellfish and sometimes soy or wheat depending on brand; keep allergen review unverified.
  • Use regular rice if Jasmine Rice is unavailable, but rinse it well for separate grains.
  • Cook in batches if the pan is small, otherwise the beef will steam instead of sear.

Storing and reheating

Best straight from the pan. Marinated raw beef keeps a day in the fridge. Cooked leftovers keep two days but the beef carries on cooking when reheated, so it is better sliced cold into a salad or a roll.