Lomo Saltado (Tomato Beef Stir-Fry)

By Christian Reynoso

Updated July 22, 2024

Lomo Saltado (Tomato Beef Stir-Fry)
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Total Time
40 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Rating
5(792)
Comments
Read comments

Lomo saltado might be the most well-known and beloved example of Chifa cuisine, a hybrid of Peruvian and Chinese culinary traditions. It’s a quick stir-fry made with marinated beef, juicy tomatoes, sautéed red onion, sweet peppers and potatoes or French fries, all tossed in a chile-and-soy-based sauce. Rice is served alongside to help soak up the bountiful sauce. A fresh, fruity, vibrantly yellow tropical chile called aji amarillo is usually called for, but this recipe calls for aji amarillo paste, which is more widely available. (Serrano chile works here, too.) Lomo saltado often has a subtle smoky flavor from engulfing the steak and sauce with flames in a wok, often with the South American brandy called pisco. This recipe is streamlined for home cooks, but if you’re familiar and comfortable with the technique, you may want to try it out. 

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1¼pounds skirt or flank steak or beef tenderloin, cut against grain into ½-by-2-inch slices
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1pound frozen French fries 
  • 4tablespoons avocado, grapeseed or canola oil
  • ½medium red onion, cut into ½-inch wedges (about 1 cup)
  • 1red, yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into ½-inch slices 
  • 2Roma tomatoes, cut into ½-inch wedges 
  • 3large garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ¼cup soy sauce 
  • ¼cup fresh lime juice
  • 2tablespoons aji amarillo chile paste (see Tip) or 1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
  • Cilantro leaves and tender stems, for serving
  • Warm jasmine rice, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

581 calories; 32 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 36 grams protein; 1353 milligrams sodium

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

    Season steak with salt and pepper. (If you have time, spread steak out on a plate, uncovered, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.) Cook fries per package directions, season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a large skillet (preferably cast-iron) or wok over high, add 2 tablespoons oil and when it starts to smoke, sear the beef in three batches, until deeply caramelized, about 1 minute per side. Transfer seared steak to a large rimmed plate or sheet pan.

  3. Step 3

    Add 1 tablespoon oil to the hot skillet; add onion and cook, undisturbed, until golden around the edges, about 1 minute, then stir and sauté until just cooked through but still a bit crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to plate with steak. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and cook the bell pepper the same way; transfer to the plate.

  4. Step 4

    Turn heat down to low and add tomatoes, garlic, soy sauce, lime juice and chile paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have softened, about 2 minutes. Return the steak, onion and pepper to the skillet, toss gently to combine and turn off heat.

  5. Step 5

    To serve, transfer the fries to a rimmed serving platter or individual plates. Top with the stir-fried beef and vegetables and spoon the sauce over. Top with cilantro and more black pepper, if desired. Serve with rice.

Tips
  • To make lomo saltado your own, bump up flavor to taste with grated ginger, cumin, pisco, worcestershire sauce or cumin seed. 
  • Aji amarillo paste can be found in Latino markets or online; try using the remaining paste to marinate steak or chicken parts like in Peruvian Roasted Chicken, stir into a coconut curry for a kick of fruity heat, whisk with lemon juice and olive oil for a quick dressing or even stir a little into mayonnaise to make a tangy dip for fries.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
792 user ratings
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Comments

Ernest Murphy

Been making for years since discovering lomo saltado in San Francisco's Mission District. Frozen French fries are OK if you deep-fry them like real fries. But I don't deep fry. Picking up a small or large fries (depending on how many servings I will cook) from McDonald's is my way. Fries are the only Mickey D's item I consider fit for humans.

Remove the Bell Peppers, Replace Lemon Juice With Vinegar

Great to see this dish listed. I grew up in Perú. For authentic Lomo Saltado, please exclude the bell peppers and replace the lemon juice with red vinegar. Thanks!

Sooo Good

I have made this many times and it's excellent. The aji amarillo is worth getting from Amazon. It's great mixed with mayo as a dip.

FJ Williams

This was beyond delicious and easy to put together for a weeknight meal!

Pat

A Mexican chile called chile manzano is also bright yellow, fruity and medium hot. It’s widely available at Latin American grocery stores, at least in the Western US, and could be a good stand-in for the Peruvian chile.

spk

Love this dish! Made it many times and have been leaning into tweaking it with Taiwanese Black Vinegar instead of citrus and Aji Panca for more of a kick.

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