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.
Darren says
Great recipe Mike.
What I like to do to start the sauce I combine the following ingredients and heat.
rice vinegar, chicken stock, fresh sliced ginger is fresh minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, szechuan peppercorns (crushed with rolling pin)
After heating and simmering I strain the solids (discard after flavor extraction) from the liquids giving a cleaner and smoother sauce. Then add the rest and adjust to taste.
This prep method is not for everyone but works for me.
Again great recipe
Mike H. says
Thank you, Darren - I am glad you've got your own method now. Well done!
Mary M Ward says
We really liked this dish. I love heat, but have developed Burning Mouth Syndrome, which makes eating spicy, difficult. The irony of this is not lost on me, "Man plans, God laughs." It comes together relatively quickly once you gather up the ingredients. I might back the heat back a bit next time. I did use a filet, which made for a buttery dish. Thank you for the recipe.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Mary. Sorry for the burn! You can dial back on the spiciness factor with this if needed.
Lynn A Kozinski says
Hi Mike, Thanks for sharing this recipe. It is excellent! The sauce is the key and it is the best stir fry I have ever made. Just used less hot peppers and the heat was just right for us. Lynn
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it, Lynn!
Ramya says
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use tofu / vegetarian oyster sauce and vegetable stock i never had szechuan beef before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Mike Hultquist says
Enjoy, Ramya.
Heidi says
I’m curious about the preparation of the dried chilies.... are you missing the dried in a food processor, are you rehydrating them,I think I’m missing something
Mike Hultquist says
Heidi, I just toss them in the pan to add some overall heat. You don't really eat them. You can grind them into flakes if you'd like to better permeate the dish.
Paul says
Hi Mike, Patty,
VERY nice! Not like the equivalent from a takeaway here in the U.K. but really full of flavour.
I ground the Szechuan Peppercorns in a spice grinder rather than using whole peppercorns and my mouth is still lemonly numb. I did use the Jalapeños but could only get green ones and would’ve loved to have added a couple of Arbol chillies but my partner doesn’t do such heat. I couldn’t do 10 anyway lol.
I may go to Chinatown in Manchester and see what they do as my takeaway experiences are probably nothing like the real thing. We really enjoyed your recipe and thankyou for sharing it.
Paul.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Paul. Glad you enjoyed it. This was adapted from a source a bit different from a U.K. takeaway, so surely a bit different in some ways. Cheers.
Eric Duncan says
I'm looking forward to trying out your szechuan beef recipe, but was hoping you could clarify one thing for me. in the narrative it says "Sichuan peppercorns lightly toasted and ground", but doesnt mention anything about toasting or grinding them in the recipe itself. Can you please clarify
Thanks!
Mike Hultquist says
Eric, you can gently toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a hot pan for a minute or 2, then grind them into a powder. It develops a bit more flavor. Enjoy!
Eric Duncan says
thank you mike--but the recipe says to toast/grind for the sauce, but doesnt say that for the beef (1 tsp toasted/ground for sauce, but just says 1 TBSP peppercorns for the beef). I've never cooked with these before and just want to make sure I'm not using too much
Mike Hultquist says
Eric, you don't need to toast the peppercorns with the beef, as they go into the pan whole with the dried chilies. I hope this is clear. So, you're using Sichuan peppercorns twice, once in the SAUCE, and once again with the BEEF. For the sauce, lightly toast 1/2 -1 tsp peppercorns then grind them. For the BEEF, use whole peppercorns.
Andy says
Made this last night, i doubled the sauce and used 10 home grown chillis. After frying the steak and peppers off I transferred to the slow cooker for 3 hours on high, the beef was so tender and spice level off the charts. Loved it
Mike H. says
Thank you, Andy. I am happy you've enjoyed it!
Tom says
Mick
It looks like a great recipe. I'm keen to try it. Thanks.
You provide a list of ingredients, but not the amount of each.
It would be good to have the quantity of each ingredient.
Mike Hultquist says
Tom, the amounts/measurements are all in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Let me know if you're unable to find it. Enjoy!
Marian Jean Wolf says
My husband said that this is the best stir fry That I have made. I did not use the peppers or the peppercorns, but I used everything else. Really good. I used 2 pounds of sirloin steak, bell pepper, sweet yellow, red, and orange peppers, celery, mushrooms, and snow peas. I then garnished this with green onions. I had so many veggies that I had to double my sauce. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome! Great to hear, Marian. Very happy you both enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing!
MK Malone says
Made this tonight and really enjoyed it. Just enough background heat to make my nose run and my ears itch. Thanks !
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sweet! Thanks for commenting/sharing, MK. Glad you enjoyed it! Nice level of spice.