Flash-seared beef meets blistered vegetables, ají amarillo, and a ginger-laced soy reduction in this bold Peruvian staple. Served with crisp fries and rice, it’s a study in contrast—smoky wok heat, bright spice, and layered savory flavor.
Lomo Saltado
Wok this way.
Lomo Saltado is one of those dishes that perfectly captures what makes Peruvian cuisine so exciting. It’s bold, fast, and deeply satisfying—tender strips of beef seared over high heat and tossed with onions, tomatoes, and a savory sauce that comes together in minutes.
At its heart, the dish reflects the Chinese influence on Peruvian cooking—what’s known as Chifa—where wok techniques meet local ingredients and flavors. This version stays true to that spirit while leaning a little more intentionally into the aromatics and balance that make the stir-fry so vibrant.
Honoring the Chifa roots.
What makes Lomo Saltado unique isn’t just the ingredients—it’s the technique. The dish emerged from Chinese immigrant communities in Peru who adapted familiar stir-fry methods to the ingredients available to them, creating something entirely new in the process. Soy sauce, garlic, and high-heat cooking bring unmistakable Chinese influence, while tomatoes and aji peppers ground the dish firmly in Peru. That fusion is the entire identity of Lomo Saltado. It isn’t meant to feel purely one thing or the other—it’s meant to live comfortably in the middle.
For me, the goal is to preserve that balance while sharpening the flavors just enough to let each component stand on its own.
Building flavor inside the pan.
Because this dish cooks quickly, every ingredient needs to pull its weight. Instead of relying only on soy sauce and vinegar to carry the flavor, I like to build a little more depth into the stir-fry itself. That starts with a few small additions:
- aji amarillo paste
- a touch of freshly grated ginger
- red wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar
Fresh aji amarillo peppers can be difficult to find where I live, so I typically use yellow bell peppers for their color and gentle sweetness, then bring the true Peruvian flavor back into the dish with aji amarillo paste. The paste adds that distinctive fruity heat without overwhelming the stir-fry.
The grated ginger gives the dish a subtle aromatic lift that nods to its chifa roots, while the vinegar adds brightness and keeps the sauce from feeling too heavy. I usually reach for red wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar, both of which complement the soy sauce beautifully and help round out the pan. None of it overwhelms the dish. It simply builds layers.
The magic of the stir-fry.
Lomo Saltado works because of contrast—high heat against fresh ingredients, savory depth balanced by brightness. The beef caramelizes quickly, the onions soften while still keeping their bite, and the tomatoes release just enough juice to bring everything together in a glossy, flavorful sauce.
When it’s done right, the dish feels vibrant and alive—rich without being heavy, bold without being complicated. It’s the kind of stir-fry that proves how powerful a handful of well-chosen ingredients can be when they meet a hot pan and a little intention.
What I typically serve with it.
Traditionally, Lomo Saltado is served with BOTH white rice and fries (some recipes even suggest stirring the fries into the sauce before serving, but I am personally not a fan of this method). I still have the fries part of the traditional recipe linked below, but I have a coconut recipe linked, which is the side I now typically pair with it (versus the white rice). The sweetness of the coconut balances the saltiness of the fries and the tangy-umami flavors of the sauce. I also add a bit of ginger into my coconut rice to complement the flavor of the beef stir-fry nicely.
Want a more in-depth glance at the full meal preparation of Lomo Saltado with both sides? Check out my post below, which leads you step-by-step through my prep and cooking process so that everything is timed perfectly:
You’ll find the full method outlined below, from searing the beef to bringing the stir-fry together in the pan. The process moves quickly—high heat and timing matter more than complexity. If you make it, let me know how it turns out—and what you paired it with.
Lomo Saltado
Equipment
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
- 1 tsp garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp ginger (ground or paste)
- ¼ tsp baking soda (or meat tenderizer; optional, for tenderizing)
Sauce
- 4 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
- 1 tbsp Ají amarillo paste
- 1 tsp ginger (ground or paste)
- 1 tsp cornstarch
Stir Fry
- 1 lb steak (sliced medium thin)
- 1 whole red onion (sliced in wedges)
- 4 tsp garlic (minced)
- 3 whole roma tomatoes (sliced in wedges)
- 1 whole Ají amarillo pepper (sliced)
- SUBSTITUTION: Fresh Ají amarillo peppers aren't easy to find, so if you can't find one in your area, feel free to substitute a small yellow or orange bell pepper.
- 5 stalks green onions (ends trimmed, cut into 1" pieces)
- ¼ cup cilantro (chopped)
- 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola oil)
Garnish
- 2 stalks green onions (finely chopped)
- 2 tbsp cilantro (finely chopped)
Instructions
Slicing the Steak
- Using a butcher's block and a Santoku knife, slice your meat into medium thin slices—thin enough that they won't take a long time to cook, but thick enough so they won't overcook when seared.
Marinade
- Combine 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp ginger paste.
- Pour prepared marinade over sliced meat in a marinade dish and marinate in refrigerator at least 10 minutes.
Sauce
- In a 2-cup measuring glass (spouted), combine 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp red wine (or rice wine) vinegar, 1 tbsp Ají amarillo paste, 1 tsp ginger paste, and 1 tsp cornstarch.
- Blend with whisk and set aside.
Vegetable Prep
- Wash all vegetables before cutting.
- If you've already sliced your meat, wash your butcher's block (or cutting board) before prepping your vegetables.
- You'll be using your Chef's knife to prep the vegetables.
- Slice red onion into ½" wedges and set aside in a ramekin (or small bowl).
- Cut top (stem side) off roma tomatoes and slice into ½" wedges. If your tomatoes are particularly seed-heavy, remove them an add them into your sauce mixture. Set tomato wedges aside in ramekin (or small bowl).
- Slice Ají amarillo pepper (or bell pepper, if substituting) and set aside in ramekin.
- Trim white ends off 7 stalks of green onions.Slice 5 stalks into 1" pieces, setting aside in ramekin.Take remaining 2 stalks and coarsely chop, setting aside in separate ramekin for garnish later.
- Remove cilantro leaves from stems (discard the stems) and coarsely chop leaves, setting aside about ¼ cup in one ramekin and about 2 tbsp in an additional ramekin for garnish later.
Cooking the Stir Fry
- Remove marinated sliced beef from fridge and strain marinade from meat; this will prevent excessive splatter while searing
- Add about 1 tbsp of vegetable (or canola) oil to wok over high heat until it starts to shimmer.
- Sear the meat in batches for about 2 minutes, flipping as needed to ensure an even cook. Remove from heat and add to mixing bowl or plate (I opt for a bowl because adding the meat in batches means the top layer will hold the heat in for the layers below it.
- Once all meat is seared, drain excess oil and juices from wok. Add 1 tbsp of fresh oil to wok and bring back to med-high heat until it starts to shimmer.
- Add the ramekin of onions and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add in 4 tsp minced garlic and sauté for another minute.
- Add in ramekins of tomatoes, cilantro, and green onions and cook for another 2 minutes or until tomatoes are slightly tender but still have their shape.
- Add sauce to pan and bring to a low simmer to thicken the sauce.
- Turn off heat and add meat back into wok, mixing and thoroughly incorporating with other ingredients until sauce coats the meat.
- Garnish with cilantro and green onions.
