Sichuan Beef

Chinese szechuan beef recipe

The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 3 to 4 servings

In this Sichuan (Szechuan) recipe, the beef is dry fried, making it chewy and crispy.

If you like, you can replace one of the carrots with 1/2 cup of celery that has been strung and cut julienne-style. Feel free to make the dish hotter by adding more chili paste or sauce if desired. 

Ingredients

  • 1 pound beef (flank or sirloin steak is good)
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 2 scallions (white parts only)
  • 1 tablespoon sweet bean sauce (or substitute hoisin sauce)
  • 3 teaspoons chili paste (or chili sauce, as needed)
  • 7 1/2 tablespoons oil (for stir-frying)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ​ roasted Szechuan peppercorns

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Chinese szechuan beef
    ​The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  2. Cut the beef julienne style, across the grain, into thin slices less than 1/4-inch thick and 2 1/2 to 3 inches long.

    Cut the beef
    ​The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  3. Wash, peel, and julienne the carrots into thin strips about 1/8-inch thick and 2 1/2 to 3 inches long.

    Julienne carrots
    ​The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  4. Mince the ginger.

    Mince ginger
    ​The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  5. Cut the scallion into lengths about 2 1/2 inches long, and then into thin shreds.

    Cut scallion
    ​The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  6. In a small bowl, combine the bean sauce and chili paste or chili sauce. Set aside.

    Combine chili paste
    ​The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  7. Heat the wok on medium-high heat for at least 30 seconds. The wok is ready when you can feel the heat when holding the palm of your hand 2 to 3 inches above the wok's surface.

    Heat the wok
    ​The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  8. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the heated wok by drizzling it down the sides. When the oil is hot, add the julienned carrots. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, stirring in the salt. (Do not brown the carrots.) Remove from the wok.

    Add oil
    ​The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  9. Heat remaining 6 tablespoons of oil in the wok over medium-high to high heat. When the oil is hot, add the beef.

    Add beef
    ​The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  10. Stir-fry for approximately 10 minutes, until the beef is crispy and dark brown and chewy (you will hear the beef sizzle as it dries out).

    Stir fry
    ​The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  11. Splash the beef with the rice wine or dry sherry during the later stages of cooking.

    Splash beef
    ​The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  12. Push the beef up to the sides and drain all but 2 tablespoons from the wok. Add the bean sauce and chili paste or sauce mixture, and stir-fry for a few seconds.

    Push beef to sides
    ​The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  13. Then add the ginger and scallions. Stir-fry for a few seconds, until aromatic, then return the carrots to the wok.

    Add carrots
    ​The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  14. Stir in the sugar and the roasted Szechuan peppercorns. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.

    Stir in sugar
    ​The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh
  15. Serve hot and enjoy!

    Chinese szechuan beef
    ​The Spruce Eats / Anfisa Strizh

Dry Frying Technique

In many Asian recipes, a technique known as dry frying is used. This means to cook an item in a large amount of hot oil to dry out the interior moisture to concentrate the flavor.

After the initial drying stage, the food item is briefly stir-fried with other seasonings and ingredients. The dried item soaks up all the flavors of the sauce to make a superior dish.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
276 Calories
13g Fat
5g Carbs
34g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 276
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 17%
Saturated Fat 5g 27%
Cholesterol 102mg 34%
Sodium 114mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 5g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Protein 34g
Calcium 33mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)