Better-Than-Takeout Hunan Beef
User Reviews
5.0
12 reviews
Excellent
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
20 mins
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Additional Time
30 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
437 kcal
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Cuisine
Asian
Better-Than-Takeout Hunan Beef
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Easy Hunan Beef — Skip the takeout and make this popular Chinese-inspired recipe at home! Hunan-style beef is spicy, sweet, tangy, and loaded with tender slices of beef and veggies. Best of all, it’s ready in just 40 minutes!
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Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce*
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 pound beef Flank Steak thinly sliced against the grain
Stir Fry
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil or as needed
- 2 Fresno peppers thinly sliced
- 1 cup broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 red bell pepper cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 green bell pepper cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 white onion peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4 green onions sliced into 1-inch segments; divided
- 8 ounce can water chestnuts drained
- 3 to 5 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sesame seeds optional but recommended for garnishing
Hunan Sauce**
- ½ cup beef broth I recommend reduced or lower sodium
- ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce*
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili paste
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar packed
Instructions
- Marinade - To a large bowl (or to a large ziptop bag), add the soy sauce, water, cornstarch, sesame oil, and stir to combine.
- Add the beef, stir to coat, cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 30 to 60 minutes. If using a bag, seal the bag, and squish the ingredients around to mix and coat the steak evenly and place bag in the fridge. Tip - While the steak marinates, you need to chop and prep all the vegetables so they're ready to go because the recipe moves fast once you begin cooking. I also recommend mixing the Hunan sauce together and just setting it aside so it's also ready to go.
- Stir Fry - Make sure all ingredients are chopped, cut, or diced before moving on to actually stir frying.
- Beef - To a large skillet such as a 12-inch nonstick skillet (or for more experienced cooks, you can use a stainless steel skillet if you know how to make sure food doesn't stick), add the olive oil, and heat over medium-high heat until sizzling.
- Remove the beef using a tongs from the bowl (or from the ziptop bag), and place pieces of beef in the skillet. Tip - Make sure not to overcrowd. You don't want to steam the beef, you want to sear it. After you add the beef, don't stir it unnecessarily and mess with it. Just let it sear, flip, sear second side, remove it.
- Cook for about 2 minutes on the first side, flip, and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes on the second side, or until done. Set aside on a plate while you repeat the process with the remaining uncooked beef. Add additional oil as needed. Discard the marinade after you've removed all the beef from it. Tip - The beef is thin and cooks very fast. Make sure not to overcook it.
- Vegetables - Add the Fresno peppers, broccoli, bell peppers, white onions to the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes; stir intermittently.
- Add half the green onions, all the water chestnuts, garlic, and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes; stir nearly continuously so you don't burn the garlic. Tip - Make sure not to overcook the vegetables in either step 7 or 8 because they'll also continue to cook as they simmer with the beef and you want to maintain their appetizing and authentic crisp-tender texture, and not mushy.
- Hunan Sauce** - As mentioned, I strongly suggest having this mixed up and ready so you're not scrambling. After the vegetables have been stir frying, evenly add the Hunan sauce over all the vegetables and stir to combine.
- Add the beef and stir to combine and coat with the sauce.
- Simmer for 2 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens a bit and coats the vegetables. Tips - Because the sauce has cornstarch in it, it will thicken after you add it. There is a point when sauces with cornstarch when placed over a hot burner, begin thicken at a rapid rate. It's a bit of a judgment call how thick you like your sauces, but they will always appear thinner in the pan than out of the pan when the cool and begin to set up more. Note that this isn't a super thick sauce, but just something a bit more than watery-like soy sauce and beef broth.
- Garnishing - Evenly garnish with the remaining green onions, optional but recommended sesame seeds, and serve over rice, with noodles, or as desired. Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freezing isn't recommended because the texture of the vegetables will change during the freezing/thawing processes.
Notes
- *Soy Sauce - I strongly recommend reduced sodium or lite soy sauce for both the marinade and in the Hunan sauce so the dish doesn't accidentally become too salty. You can always add salt at the end if you for some reason you feel it lacks saltiness although I highly doubt it will be necessary.
- **Hunan Sauce - I suggest having this mixed up and ready to go before you begin the recipe so that when things are moving quickly and the veggies are cooking, that you're not worried about mixing this.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1
Calories
437kcal
(22%)
Carbohydrates
32g
(11%)
Protein
37g
(74%)
Fat
18g
(28%)
Saturated Fat
5g
(25%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
12g
Cholesterol
90mg
(30%)
Sodium
1304mg
(54%)
Fiber
5g
(20%)
Sugar
8g
(16%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 437 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 437kcal | 22% |
| Carbohydrates | 32g | 11% |
| Protein | 37g | 74% |
| Fat | 18g | 28% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 12g | 71% |
| Cholesterol | 90mg | 30% |
| Sodium | 1304mg | 54% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
12 reviews
Excellent
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