This Szechuan beef recipe is quick and easy to make with tender cuts of beef and peppers stir fried in a bold sauce with fiery Szechuan flavors, perfect for spicy food lovers.
Szechuan Beef Recipe
We're cooking up a pan of spicy Szechuan Beef in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen tonight, my friends. Would you care for a bowl?
Szechuan beef is a perfect recipe for the spicy food lover, with thinly sliced beef stir fried in a steaming hot pan, served up with chili peppers of your choice.
The key is the homemade Szechuan sauce, which you can whip together quickly, along with some wonderfully vibrant, sweet and spicy flavors characteristic of Sichuan cuisine.
Szechuan peppercorns in particular add a unique flavor and tongue-numbing quality, which greatly compliments the expansive umami of the Szechuan sauce.
You can buy Szechuan sauce from the grocery store, but my homemade version is so much better, and you can control the amount of spice and heat to your preference.
It's better than your favorite Chinese restaurant.
It's a quick and easy dish to put together, ideal for weeknight meals, on the table in 30 minutes or less. I personally enjoy this recipe when the garden is producing, as I can grab out whatever peppers and vegetables I'm in the mood for.
It's very easy to customize with both heat and overall vegetables, making it super versatile.
Let's talk about how to make Szechuan Beef, shall we?
Szechuan Beef Ingredients
- FOR THE SZECHUAN BEEF
- Beef - I am using flank steak, though you can use other cuts of beef. See the recipe notes for other beef options.
- Salt and pepper
- Sesame oil - or use olive oil, chili oil or vegetable oil
- Bell pepper - I love red bell pepper
- Dried chile de arbol peppers - optional for extra spicy, or use japones or other dried peppers you love
- Sichuan peppercorns - aka Szechuan Peppercorns, or use black peppercorns
- FOR THE SZECHUAN SAUCE
- Soy sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Rice wine vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Ground ginger - fresh minced ginger is good, too
- Honey - or use brown sugar
- Chili garlic sauce
- Garlic powder - fresh minced garlic is good, too
- Sriracha or more to taste
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Chicken stock
- Cornstarch, for thickening
- Sichuan peppercorns lightly toasted and ground (or use black peppercorns instead)
- Chinese 5 spice
- FOR SERVING
- Cooked white rice or noodles, spicy chili flakes, chopped green onion, toasted sesame seeds
How to Make Szechuan Beef - the Recipe Method
Make the Szechuan Sauce. Whisk all of the ingredients except the cornstarch together in a small bowl. Pour into a pot and bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
To thicken the sauce, dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water until well mixed. Stir it into the szechuan sauce and stir until it thickens up, 2-3 minutes.
Set it aside for now.
Cook the Beef. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season the sliced beef with salt and pepper.
Add it to the pan in a single layer and cook, stirring, 3-4 minutes, or until it is nicely seared and cooked to your preference.
Remove the beef and set it aside.
Cook the Peppers. Heat the pan back to medium-high heat and add the peppers.
Cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add the chiles de arbol (or japones) and peppercorns and cook another 2 minutes, stirring.
Make the Szechuan Beef. Add the beef back to the pan along with the homemade Szechuan sauce.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve it Up. Serve with rice or noodles. Garnish with spicy chili flakes, sesame seeds and sliced green onion.
Boom! Done! Your Szechuan beef is ready to serve! Looks wonderful, doesn't it? Nice and spicy for sure. Definitely a favorite in our home. I love this recipe.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- The Beef. Flank steak is ideal for this recipe, though you can use other cuts of steak to your preference. Try skirt steak, tri tip, or flat iron steak. Ribeye is an outstanding choice for more tender beef.
- Szechuan Peppercorns. Szechuan peppercorns are a unique ingredient, common to Szechuan cuisine, offering a floral quality with tongue-numbing spicy heat. You can find them in Asian grocery stores, though you may need to order some online. Black peppercorns can be used instead, but do not have the same flavor or impact.
- Additional Ingredients. Feel free to add in other vegetables to your preference, like sliced onion, other chili peppers, broccoli, snap peas, or any of your favorites. Try it with peanuts or cashews.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this Szechuan beef recipe. Let me know if you make it and how you change it up. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
Try Some of My Other Beef Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Szechuan Beef Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE SZECHUAN BEEF
- 1 pound flank steak sliced into bite-sized pieces - you can use other cuts of beef. See the recipe notes.
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil or use olive oil
- 1 large bell pepper chopped
- 2 jalapeno pepper chopped (optional for spicy - use serrano peppers for extra!)
- 10 dried chile de arbol peppers - optional for extra spicy - or use japones or other dried peppers you love
- 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns - or use black peppercorns
FOR THE SZECHUAN SAUCE
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger - fresh minced ginger is good too
- 1 tablespoon honey or more for sweeter
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder - fresh minced garlic is good too
- 1 teaspoon sriracha or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch for thickening
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon szechuan peppercorns lightly toasted and ground or use black peppercorns instead
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
FOR SERVING
- Cooked white rice or noodles, spicy chili flakes, chopped green onion, toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
FOR THE HOMEMADE SZECHUAN SAUCE
- Whisk all of the ingredients except the cornstarch together in a small pot.
- Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
- To thicken the sauce, dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water until well mixed. Stir it into the Szechuan sauce and stir until it thickens up, 2-3 minutes. For thicker Szechuan sauce, use 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Remove from heat and set aside.
FOR THE SZECHUAN BEEF
- Heat the oil in a large pan to medium high heat.
- Season the sliced beef with salt and pepper. Add it to the pan and cook, stirring, 3-4 minutes, or until it is nicely seared and cooked to your preference. Remove the beef and set it aside.
- Heat the pan back to medium-high heat and add the peppers. Cook for 5 minutes to soften.
- Add the chiles de arbol (or japones) and peppercorns and cook another 2 minutes, stirring.
- Add the beef back to the pan along with the homemade Szechuan sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Serve with rice or noodles. Garnish with spicy chili flakes, sesame seeds and sliced green onion.
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 2/2/24. It was originally published on 6/21/21.
Reed Donofrio says
It took me a while to find all of the ingredients but it was definitely worth it! The sauce was very rich and unique. I liked the Sichuan flavour so I’m glad I held out and found the pepper corns. Made the recipe exactly as is.
Thanks Mike.
Mike H. says
You are very welcome, Reed. Enjoy!