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Home » Recipe » Vietnamese Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac)

May 3, 2019 · Last Updated: Apr 1, 2020 by Calleigh ~

Vietnamese Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac)

Jump to Recipe

Also known as “shaking beef”, Bo Luc Lac is a Vietnamese steak salad served over a fresh bed of greens and tomatoes. Pickled onions rest on top of the steak and a lime dipping sauce is served on the side.

This Vietnamese Shaking Beef or Bo Luc Lac is super easy to make with a tender, flavorful taste of beef seared in a hot wok. Drizzling the greens in a light vinaigrette and top it with beef, the veggies wilt slightly and the beef juices and vinaigrette blend together into a tangy sauce that’s perfect over brown/white rice.
Vietnamese Shaken Beef

Jump to:
  • What is Bo Luc Lac?
  • Variations
  • What beef to use
  • Ingredients
  • Step by step instructions
  • Notes
  • Full Recipe

We visited Asia last month and found this low carb menu I could use personally. My dietitian recommended it to improve my health.

Combining much-needed leisure time and clean eating was a start at getting ahead with my health. As I walked the streets of Vietnam (known for its fresh vegetables and healthy dishes), I wandered into a small family-owned restaurant that seemed to have already made its mark in that part of the Hanoi.

This Vietnamese Shaking Beef or Bo Luc Lac is super easy to make with a tender, flavorful taste of beef seared in a hot wok. Drizzling the greens in a light vinaigrette and top it with beef, the veggies wilt slightly and the beef juices and vinaigrette blend together into a tangy sauce that’s perfect over brown/white rice.
Shaking Beef

As I looked at the menu, a picture of a steak salad caught my attention. It looked healthy and well balanced. I told myself that the carbs in this salad would mostly come from the dressing or some rice. So, I ordered it. How can you go wrong with some meat and an entire plate of vegetables?

From what the restaurant owner told me; the dish is called “shaking beef” because the cook tosses the beef in the extremely hot wok as it sears. I love beef and if I were going to change my diet, this would be one of the dishes I would include in my daily menu.

This Vietnamese Shaking Beef or Bo Luc Lac is super easy to make with a tender, flavorful taste of beef seared in a hot wok. Drizzling the greens in a light vinaigrette and top it with beef, the veggies wilt slightly and the beef juices and vinaigrette blend together into a tangy sauce that’s perfect over brown/white rice.
Shaking Beef

What is Bo Luc Lac?

A very popular dish in Vietnam, Bò lúc lắc consists of beef, usually sirloin or ribeye marinated in many flavors, sautéed and garnished with your favorite veggies and plain white rice.

Bò means beef in Vietnamese language while lúc lắc means stir and shake, hence the name shaking beef beef in the wok.

When the Bo Luc Lac arrived, its smell wafted around me. The dish made my mouth water even before I took my first bite. When I did, my taste buds danced.

Sour, sweet, salty, — all these tastes combined inside my mouth. They were all balanced. The greens were made up of watercress and thick soy sauce was used as dictated by tradition.

I planned to make a few substitutions to the Bo Luc Lac I ate back then. I changed it a bit to make sure I can get the ingredients when I get back.

Variations

When I returned home, I went straight to the Asian grocery store to gather my ingredients. I like the contrast, acidity, and color the bell peppers give the dish but do feel free to use tomatoes. I prefer my vegetables undercooked or raw for clean eating purposes. Yet, if you want them a bit softer, you can cook them separately first.

This Vietnamese Shaking Beef or Bo Luc Lac is super easy to make with a tender, flavorful taste of beef seared in a hot wok. Drizzling the greens in a light vinaigrette and top it with beef, the veggies wilt slightly and the beef juices and vinaigrette blend together into a tangy sauce that’s perfect over brown/white rice.
Marinate the beef

What beef to use

I always choose ribeye. You can use any cut of steak for this salad. Tenderloin is the most tender and most expensive, while strip loin is a bit chewy and the least expensive cut. Make sure you slice the pieces against the grain to help ensure the meat’s tenderness.

Once you have seared the beef slices, rescue them from the hot pan and set them aside to rest. The resting period also ensures the juiciness of each piece.

You can slice the beef into big or small pieces, depending on your preference. I want my Bo Luc Lac to have low sodium soy sauce. I also added in cucumbers, carrots, and cabbage.

Instead of white rice, I have a small bowl of brown rice with my Bo Luc Lac. Try my version of this dish with the Bo Luc Lac dipping sauce and surely, you would be hooked without the nagging guilt. This bed of lettuce and carrots is a great contrast to the beef.

Drizzling the greens in a light vinaigrette and top it with beef, the veggies wilt slightly and the beef juices and vinaigrette blend together into a tangy sauce that’s perfect over brown/white rice.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Beef Rib Eye (or Sirloin) cut into ¾″ cubes
  • Beef Marinade:

  • 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoon garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
  • Vinaigrette or Dipping Sauce:

  • 1 juice of lime
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • Garnish:

  • 2 cups shredded cabbage
  • 1 tomato thinly sliced
  • 1 medium sized onion thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup carrots julienned
  • 1 bell pepper sliced
  • 2 tablespoon oil

Step by step instructions

① Prepare the beef marinade. Marinate the beef for at least 30 minutes.

Prepare the Vinaigrette:

② Slice the onions thinly and use half of it for pickled onions. Just add 3 tablespoon of vinaigrette. Put in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Cooking the Beef:

③ Heat up 2 tablespoon of oil in a wok and once the oil begins to smoke, add half of the beef and spread them out in one layer. Allow the beef to sear for at least 1 minute before “shaking” to sear the opposite side. Cook in batches, if necessary.
④ While searing the beef, check the side of the beef not to get burned (the marinade has sugar added, so make sure the beef won’t easily get burned.) Continue to shake the beef for a minute or until the color turns a nice brown or medium rare. Set aside.
⑤ Clean the wok and add some oil until it gets smoky, add the remaining part of the beef. Do the same process until the beef turns brown.
⑥ Add the remaining half onions and the bell peppers and continue to shake until the vegetables (bell peppers + onions) are half cooked.
⑦ Transfer the beef into a bed of shredded cabbage or (whatever greens you like). Drizzle with 3 tablespoon vinaigrette (this is optional). Top with pickled red onion (optional).

Notes

  1. You can use the vinaigrette as a dipping sauce as I did. Serve immediately with white or brown rice or salad.

Full Recipe

This Vietnamese Shaking Beef or Bo Luc Lac is super easy to make with a tender, flavorful taste of beef seared in a hot wok.

Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac)

5 from 7 votes
This Vietnamese Shaking Beef or Bo Luc Lac is super easy to make with a tender, flavorful taste of beef seared in a hot wok. Drizzling the greens in a light vinaigrette and top it with beef, the veggies wilt slightly and the beef juices and vinaigrette blend together into a tangy sauce that’s perfect over brown/white rice.
Servings: 4
Prep Time 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes minutes
Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb Beef Rib Eye (or Sirloin) cut into ¾″ cubes

Beef Marinade:

  • 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoon garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

Vinaigrette or Dipping Sauce:

  • 1 juice of lime
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • pinch of salt

Garnish:

  • 2 cups shredded cabbage
  • 1 tomato thinly sliced
  • 1 medium sized onion thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup carrots julienned
  • 1 bell pepper sliced
  • 2 tablespoon oil

Instructions:

  • Prepare the beef marinade. Marinate the beef for at least 30 minutes.

Prepare the Vinaigrette:

  • Slice the onions thinly and use half of it for pickled onions. Just add 3 tablespoon of vinaigrette. Put in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Cook the Beef:

  • Heat up 2 tablespoon of oil in a wok and once the oil begins to smoke, add half of the beef and spread them out in one layer. Allow the beef to sear for at least 1 minute before “shaking” to sear the opposite side. Cook in batches, if necessary.
  • While searing the beef, check the side of the beef not to get burned (the marinade has sugar added, so make sure the beef won’t easily get burned.) Continue to shake the beef for a minute or until the color turns a nice brown or medium rare. Set aside.
  • Clean the wok and add some oil until it gets smoky, add the remaining part of the beef. Do the same process until the beef turns brown.
  • Add the remaining half onions and the bell peppers and continue to shake until the vegetables (bell peppers + onions) are half cooked.
  • Transfer the beef into a bed of shredded cabbage or (whatever greens you like). Drizzle with 3 tablespoon vinaigrette (this is optional). Top with pickled red onion (optional).
  • Or you can use the vinaigrette as a dipping sauce as I did. Serve immediately with white or brown rice or salad.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 569kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 2434mg | Potassium: 761mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 10096IU | Vitamin C: 185mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg

Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.

Did you make this?I would love seeing what you've made! Tag me on Instagram @theforkbitedotcom or leave me a comment or rating below.
Course: entree
Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese
Keywords: beef luc lac, bo luc lac, bo luc lac recipe, bu luc lac, com bo luc lac, how to make bo luc lac, shaking beef, vietnamese beef cubes, vietnamese shaken beef, vietnamese shaking beef recipe

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bernice says

    December 17, 2019 at 7:21 pm

    5 stars
    I love the marinade ingredients. Makes the beef so flavorful... yummy delicious.

  2. Cora Cheng says

    December 17, 2019 at 7:17 pm

    5 stars
    I love this recipe, it was so good and savory.. thanks for sharing.

  3. Jessica Thang says

    May 04, 2019 at 8:46 pm

    I like how you added bell peppers and onions on your version. This is actually a fantastic recipe that bring back memories when i was still a child. My mom used to cook this dish and I really want to try your recipe. Thanks for sharing.

  4. Jenny Francis says

    May 04, 2019 at 7:26 pm

    Oh boy! The pictures made me drool. I've been craving for this dish and you made it look super easy to recreate. I just need to grab the "rice vinegar" and Im ready to go. Bookmarked and Pinned it as well. Thanks for sharing.

  5. Frances Louis says

    May 04, 2019 at 7:20 pm

    Vietnamese cuisine is one of our favorites and Pho is my comfort food. I know one of the restaurants here in Portland that uses tenderloin. I wonder if does it work? I may try this dish with beef sirloin.. Really looks so yummy!

  6. Esther Fang says

    May 03, 2019 at 8:09 pm

    This dish is very pleasing to the palate, therefore Im adding this recipe to my favorites. Pinned it!!

  7. Diane C says

    May 03, 2019 at 6:57 pm

    I love your Bo Luc Lac version after I made this earlier, besides you can't beat how easy it is to recreate. I guess, it's the marinade that made this dish absolutely flavorful. Thanks 🙂

  8. Dana Nguyen says

    May 03, 2019 at 6:47 pm

    This dish tastes like how the Vietnamese and Cambodian resto make it. Brought back some childhood memories when my grandma used to cook this recipe. And I'm glad this is super easy to make.

  9. Crystal Chen says

    May 03, 2019 at 6:37 pm

    Pan-seared steaks are so flavorful paired with rice. I love picking these bites with chopsticks. I so love Vietnamese cooking.. thanks for sharing. I still need to encounter any good or even passable versions in NZ.

  10. Cora Bao says

    May 03, 2019 at 6:29 pm

    I so love this diced steak, it's one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes. It's a perfect pair with tomato rice. Yumm!! Ahh, I cant wait to try your version.. 🙂

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abt me 150x150 Hi there, my name is Calleigh. Glad you're here, you will find recipes that are easy to make and taste fantastic. You’ll also find some of my personal favorite foods, ones I’ve eaten in restaurants. Thank you for stopping by.

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