Spicy Szechuan Green Beans Beef (Print Page)

Tender beef and crisp green beans in a fiery Szechuan sauce with garlic and chili heat.

# What You Need:

→ Beef

01 - 10 oz flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
02 - 1 tbsp soy sauce
03 - 1 tsp cornstarch
04 - 1 tsp sesame oil

→ Vegetables

05 - 12 oz fresh green beans, trimmed
06 - 3 scallions, sliced
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 tbsp ginger, minced
09 - 1 small red chili, thinly sliced

→ Szechuan Sauce

10 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
11 - 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
12 - 1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar or rice vinegar
13 - 1 tbsp Szechuan chili bean paste (doubanjiang)
14 - 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
15 - 2 tsp sugar
16 - 2 tbsp water

→ Aromatics & Oil

17 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
18 - 1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns, lightly crushed

# Directions:

01 - Combine sliced beef with 1 tbsp soy sauce, cornstarch, and sesame oil in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly and let marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature.
02 - Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl until sugar dissolves completely. Set aside for later use.
03 - Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. Add green beans and stir-fry for 4–5 minutes until blistered and just tender. Remove from wok and set aside.
04 - Add remaining oil to the wok. Add Szechuan peppercorns and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn them.
05 - Add marinated beef to the wok and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until browned and just cooked through. Push beef to the side of the pan.
06 - Add garlic, ginger, scallions, and chili to the center of the wok. Stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant, then combine with the beef.
07 - Return green beans to the pan. Pour in the prepared sauce and stir everything together. Cook for 2–3 minutes until heated through and sauce thickens slightly.
08 - Transfer to a serving platter and serve hot with steamed jasmine or brown rice.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The beef gets impossibly tender while the green beans stay satisfyingly crisp, creating perfect texture contrast in every bite
  • That málà flavor profile delivers both heat and numbing sensation, making each bite more addictive than the last
  • Everything comes together in one wok in under 30 minutes, but tastes like it came from a restaurant kitchen
02 -
  • Never crowd your wok when cooking the beef or it will steam instead of sear, losing that crucial caramelized exterior
  • Szechuan peppercorns can be quite potent, so start with less if you are sensitive to the numbing sensation
  • The sauce will thicken quickly in the hot pan, so have everything ready before you add it
03 -
  • Prep every single ingredient before turning on the stove, because stir-frying moves incredibly fast
  • Invest in a good wok spatula with a thin edge, it makes tossing and scraping much easier

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