Last Updated on February 6, 2024 by Carne Diem
Protein:
Origin: Peru, South American
Method: Stovetop
Jump to RecipeLomo Saltado is a traditional Peruvian dish consisting of tender strips of beef sauteed with onions, tomatoes, and French fries in a flavorful ají Amarillo sauce. This Peruvian beef stir fry is one of our families favorite Peruvian dishes and always our kids go to dish when we visit local Peruvian restaurants. The best part is this quick stir-fry and be ready to eat in under 30 minutes.
Table of contents
This wonderful combination of tender sirloin, spicy pepper sauce, and crispy fries is a dish I can't believe is not more well known outside of Peru. Lomo Saltado is like poutine with a South American kick. I love this dish because it showcases the melting pot that is Peruvian cuisine while also blending modern and ancient cooking. What began as a Cantonese-Peruvian fusion dish, has become one of Peru's culinary trademarks.
If you are looking for more South American dishes and Peruvian food, then be sure to check out some of the best South American recipes:
- Argentinian Steak Empanadas
- Uruguay's Chivito: The Ultimate Steak Sandwich
- Brazilian Picanha
- Grilled Brazilian Fraldinha
- Brazilian Feijoada: Meat and Black Bean Stew
Making the Lomo Saltado at Home
Gather your ingredients and prepare the marinade
To make the Peruvian beef and fry stir fry you just need to make a simple marinade and prep your steak and veggies. This easy lomo saltado recipe can be on your table in under 30 minutes.
The marinade for the Loma saltado it fairly simple, consisting of white vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil, salt, black pepper, cumin, and oregano. We typically use distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, but some recipes call for red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or even rice wine vinegar and all would work well in this lomo saltado dish.
Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
Slice the sirloin steak
Lomo saltado is typically made with sirloin steak. We have made this with top and bottom sirloin and even bison sirloin and all have turned out great. Other steak cuts like New York strip steak or beef tenderloin would also work well in this popular Peruvian stir fry dish.
The sirloin steak is a fairly common cut in the U.S. and comes from the sirloin sub-primal. Typically, it is divided into a top and bottom sirloin with the top sirloin being a more prized and tender cut.
The bottom sirloin gets a lot more work as it sits closer to the back legs of the cow, so it tends to be tougher. If you see a steak simply labeled as "sirloin steak", it probably comes from the bottom sirloin. Still, both top and bottom sirloin can be cooked into some great food if you know what you are dealing with.
For this recipe, simply slice the sirloin steak against the grain into thin strips.
Add the sirloin strips into the marinade and marinate for 15-30 minutes.
Prepare the other ingredients
Thinly slice the red onion and measure out the remaining ingredients for the Loma saltado.
We prefer to use large juicy tomatoes for our lomo saltado recipe, but other varieties like Roma tomatoes will also make a good lomo saltado recipe.
Cooking the Loma Saltado Steak Stir Fry
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the steak with the marinade into the hot wok and cook until browned but not cooked through, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil in the same pan, then add the red onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened and browned. Reduce the heat to medium.
Next, add the garlic and aji Amarillo paste and stir to combine. Cook for about 1 minute. Aji Amarillo paste is a mildly spicy paste made from Peruvian yellow peppers. This can typically be found in many Latin markets, or you can buy Aji Amarillo paste inexpensively on Amazon.
Add the tomato and cilantro to the Lomo Saltado and cook for another 5-7 minutes trying not to break up the tomatoes.
Next, stir in the fries and toss gently to coat the fries in the sauce. Cook for about 1 minute. You can use store bought fries cooked per the package instructions, or better yet use our Always Crispy French Fries. In traditional lomo saltado they are likely to use local Peruvian ingredients like Peruvian potatoes, but you are most likely to see French fries or potato wedges used at local Peruvian restaurants outside of South America.
Finally, remove the Lomo Saltado from the heat and serve warm.
What to serve with lomo saltado
Top the steak and French fry stir fry with some additional fresh cilantro. Traditionally loma saltado is served alongside some white rice. For the best version ever, top with a little aji verde Peruvian green sauce. The Peruvian stir fry also pairs well with Peruvian papas a la Huancaina.
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditionally lomo saltado is made with Peruvian potatoes that are not typically available in the U.S. When making lomo saltado at home use either extra crispy fries that can stand up to being cooked with the marinade/sauce or larger cut steak fries also work well.
Leftovers are best reheated on a stove top in a skillet. Heat over medium heat until the beef reaches 165 degrees.
Lomo saltdo is not typically a spicy dish. While it may have some mild spice from the Aji Amarillo, it would still typically be classified as mild.
Lomo saltado was created by Chinese immigrants in Peru as part of the chifa Chinese Peruvian culinary tradition. Today the dish remains popular throughout Peru.
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📖 Recipe
Peruvian Lomo Saltado Stir Fried Beef and French Fries
Equipment
- oven
- pot
Ingredients
- 1 pound Sirloin Steak sliced
- ½ Red Onion thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Tomato sliced
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Squeeze or 2 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 1 Tablespoon Aji Pepper Paste or Sauce
- 2 Tablespoon Cilantro
- ½ pound French Fries Or more to taste. Cooked to package directions.
Marinade
- 2 Tablespoon Vinegar white or apple cider
- 2 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Thinly slice your red onion and slice the sirloin steak against the grain.
- Mix the marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Add the sirloin to the marinade, and let the meat marinate for about 15-30 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the steak with the marinade into the pan and cook until browned but not cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the same pan, then add the red onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened and browned.
- Add the garlic, and aji amarillo paste and stir to combine. Cook for about 1 minute.
- Add the tomato and cook for another 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally and avoid breaking up the tomato.
- Stir in the fries, and cilantro. Toss gently to coat the fries in the sauce, and cook for about 1 minute.
- Serve warm, traditionally with some white rice.
Javier
Very similar to the real lomo saltado, but not the real thing. For starters the original recipe doesn't require the meat the be marinated
Nor that it has white vinegar or soy sauce
Did someone gave you that recipe or did you came up with those changes by yourself?
Carne Diem
Thank you for your comment. Most of the versions of lomo saltado that I have tried and seen include soy sauce and a vinegar of some sort, tracing back to the Chinese roots of the original dish. You are correct, the dish does not require the meat to marinated but we prefer the extra flavor imparted with a very brief marinade.