Kung Pao Beef

5 from 2 votes

The most tender, delicious and flavorful Kung Pao Beef you'll ever taste! Our recipe comes together in just 30 minutes for an authentic tasting takeout dinner made right at home!

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

velveting time10

Total Time30

Course: dinner, Main Course, main dish

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Calories: 635kcal

Author: Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

beef

1 pound flank steak
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Szechuan pepper

sauce

5 tablespoons water
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons chile paste
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or sherry cooking wine)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon Szechuan pepper

rest of dish

2 1/2 tablespoons neutral oil divided
1/4 chopped yellow onion
1 seeded and chopped red bell pepper
3 minced garlic cloves
1 tablespoon minced ginger
6 dried chiles halved crosswise
2/3 cup unsalted, dry roasted peanuts
1 green onion cut into 1 inch pieces

Instructions

Cut flank steak in half (with the grain), then thinly slice steak across the grain(on a bias) into 2 inch pieces.
Transfer beef to a bowl and sprinkle with cornstarch, salt and Szechuan pepper. Toss together and set aside for 10 minutes.
Pour all sauce ingredients into a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Whisk together.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and steak pieces. Sear steak on each side for 1 to 2 minutes (do this in batches to prevent overcrowding the pan)
Remove steak from skillet and transfer to a plate.
Pour remaining oil into skillet and sauté onion and bell peppers for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add garlic, ginger and dried chiles and continue to sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
Pour sauce over vegetable mixture and simmer for 1 minute, until sauce begins to thicken.
Add beef back into skillet and stir together to coat. Lower heat to medium and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir peanuts and green onion into skillet until evenly distributed. Remove kung pao beef from heat and serve.

Notes

Tips for Making Kung Pao Beef

Freeze the flank steak for about 20 minutes before slicing, to help achieve the super thin and even slices of beef.
Chinese black vinegar and Szechuan pepper are important components to the dish, and we highly recommend not skipping them.
The beef in our kung pao beef recipe is easily replaceable with other proteins such as chicken and shrimp. Cooking times for alternative proteins will slightly vary, so plan accordingly.
If you're unable to find flank steak, NY strip steak or sirloin steak work very well.
Make this dish up to 3 days ahead of time for an easy make ahead/reheat meal (leftovers taste fantastic too!).

Nutrition