Servings
Font
Back
Szechuan Beef
4.9 from 18 votes

Szechuan Beef

Our easy 30 minute Szechuan beef is a tasty dish that it's a little sweet, and salty, but loaded with flavor. Served over a bed of rice and topped with sesame seeds, this is a great recipe for the family!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Inactive time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 463 kcal
Course: Lunch, Dinner
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

  • 1½ pounds flank steak sliced 1/8” thick against the grain
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 egg beaten
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil divided
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ yellow onion thinly sliced, small
  • 1 red bell pepper seeded and thinly sliced
  • 5 dried chile pepper Chinese
  • 2 tsp ginger minced
  • 2 garlic minced, cloves
  • 1½ tsp sesame seeds for garnish, toasted
sauce
  • ½ cup water
  • 2½ tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 2½ tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
  • 1½ tbsp fermented bean paste spicy
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place sliced steak, egg and salt into a mixing bowl and toss together until beef is fully coated. Allow mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
  2. Pour all sauce ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
  3. Drain excess egg from bowl of beef, sprinkle cornstarch over beef and toss together until evenly coated.
  4. Place large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. Add beef in a single layer and sear for 3 minutes. Flip and sear for an additional 2 minutes. Then transfer beef to a plate.
  5. Pour remaining oil into skillet, increase heat to high heat and sauté onion, bell pepper and chile peppers, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Add ginger and garlic and stir together until evenly distributed.
  7. Lower heat to medium-high and stir in sauce. Allow sauce to thicken, about 1 minute.
  8. Add beef back to skillet and toss together until evenly coated.
  9. Remove skillet from heat, top with toasted sesame seeds and serve.

Notes

  • Variations 
  • Make Ahead and Reheating
  • Make Ahead
  • Although we love this dish best when it's freshly made, it can be fully made up to 2 days ahead of time. Cool the finished dish before transferring to an airtight container and refrigerating.
  • Reheating
  • When ready to use, place a large skillet over medium heat. Pour mixture into skillet along with 1 to 2 tablespoons water. Simmer mixture, occasionally stirring, until heated through.
  •  
  • Adjust the spiciness by adding more chile peppers or less. We don't recommend adding more of the spicy fermented bean paste since it's salty and adding more will make your dish too salty. You can reduce the amount of the paste, but we recommend supplementing with a couple pinches of extra kosher salt.
  • We keep our dish fairly simple with the beef, sliced bell pepper and onion, but you can add more vegetables to the dish to bulk it up. Some of our favorite additions are, broccoli florets, sliced mushrooms, spinach, and thinly sliced (julienne) carrots.

Nutrition Information

Calories 463kcal (23%) Carbohydrates 19g (6%) Protein 40g (80%) Fat 24g (37%) Saturated Fat 15g (75%) Cholesterol 143mg (48%) Sodium 1174mg (49%) Potassium 704mg (15%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 9g (18%) Vitamin A 1156IU (23%) Vitamin C 39mg (43%) Calcium 52mg (5%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 463

% Daily Value*

Calories 463kcal 23%
Carbohydrates 19g 6%
Protein 40g 80%
Fat 24g 37%
Saturated Fat 15g 75%
Cholesterol 143mg 48%
Sodium 1174mg 49%
Potassium 704mg 15%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 9g 18%
Vitamin A 1156IU 23%
Vitamin C 39mg 43%
Calcium 52mg 5%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.