Szechuan Beef

Name: Szechuan Beef
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1½ pounds flank steak (sliced 1/8” thick against the grain); 1 egg (beaten); ½ tsp salt; ½ cup water; 2½ tbsp rice wine vinegar; 2½ tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine; 1½ tbsp spicy fermented bean paste; 2 tbsp sugar; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 2 tbsp cornstarch; ¼ cup vegetable oil (divided); ¼ small yellow onion (thinly sliced); 1 red bell pepper (seeded and thinly sliced); 5 dried Chinese chile peppers; 2 tsp minced ginger; 2 garlic cloves (minced); 1½ tsp toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)

by Jenny Park · Published: Aug 19, 2024

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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!

A platter of Szechuan Beef recipe with plates next to it and a ramekin of sesame seeds.

One of my favorite takeout dishes is Szechuan beef. It’s so delicious and I could easily eat it twice a week. It wasn’t until recently that I learned how easy it is to make at home! Our recipe for this easy Szechuan beef only takes 30 minutes to make and results in a tender and flavor packed beef dish.

This Szechuan beef recipe is so easy to make that it can be pulled off for dinner on a busy weeknight. While this dish packs a little heat, it’s not overwhelming and the spice can be scaled up or down depending on personal preference.

What Does Szechuan Beef Taste Like?

It has a savory and spicy garlic flavor with a hint of sweetness and has a soft and tender texture.

How To Make Our Szechuan Beef Recipe

Ingredients

Process

Place sliced steak, egg and salt into a mixing bowl.
Toss together until beef is fully coated. Allow mixture to sit.

Beef for szechuan beef and a beaten egg.

Pour all sauce ingredients into a mixing bowl.
Whisk together. Set aside.

Sauce ingredients for Szechuan Beef in a glass bowl.

Szechuan beef sauce whisked together in a bowl.

Drain any excess egg from bowl of beef, sprinkle cornstarch over beef.
Toss together until evenly coated.

Szechuan beef with cornstarch in a glass bowl.

Szechuan beef mixed with cornstarch in a bowl.

Place large skillet over medium-high heat and add some oil. Add beef in a single layer and sear. Flip and sear, then transfer beef to a plate.
Pour remaining oil into skillet, increase heat to high heat and sauté onion, bell pepper and chile peppers.

Cooking peppers and chiles in a skillet.

Add ginger and garlic and stir together until evenly distributed.
Lower heat to medium-high and stir in sauce. Continue to stir together until sauce thickens.

Peppers with ginger and garlic cooking in a skillet.

Szechuan beef sauce with peppers in a skillet.

Add beef back to skillet.
Toss together until evenly coated.

Remove skillet from heat, top with toasted sesame seeds and serve with steamed rice.

Szechuan Beef over rice on a platter with a spoon in it.

Variations for Our Szechuan Beef Recipe

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.

What to Serve with Szechuan Beef

Make Ahead and Reheating Instructions

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.