Beef in black bean sauce with onions and green peppers is a classic British Chinese takeaway dish that is quick and easy to make at home.
This simple recipe will go from your fridge to your table in right around 20 minutes and it tastes absolutely delicious!
Chinese Takeaway Style Beef and Blackbean Sauce
I love cooking quick and easy Chinese fakeaway recipes, my site is littered with classics like chicken chow mein, Chinese spare ribs and of course sweet and sour pork balls.
My latest recipe from the menus of British Chinese takeaways is beef in black bean sauce.
It’s a glorious quick stir-fry that takes around 10 minutes to prepare and just 10 minutes to cook.
As you would expect the dish mainly features green peppers, thinly sliced tender steak and onions in a simple black bean sauce.
If you want a chicken version of this recipe, fear not, I also have a chicken in black bean sauce recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cut of beef or steak can I use?
I like to use rump steak in my beef stir fry recipes because it offers the best balance between tenderness and flavour.
You could use everything from fillet steak, the most tender with the least flavour to skirt, the least tender with the most flavour.
If you are visiting my site from the US, please be aware that US cuts of steak and beef are very different to British and European cuts of beef.
Do I have to use MSG?
No, but I would recommend doing so because it offers an incredible flaovur boost to the recipe!
What can I use in place of oyster sauce if I have a shellfish allergy?
Two options that leap out to me are mushroom-flavoured dark soy sauce or hoisin sauce.
Can I make this in advance?
Like all stir-fry dishes, this benefits from quick and hot cooking. As a result, they are not great dishes to prepare in advance and reheat.
However, you could do it, the dish will not be unsafe to eat, it will just not be at its best.
Serving Suggestions
I’ve served this beef in black bean sauce stir fry with plain rice here in these photographs. But it would work just as well with some egg-fried rice!
Noodles are another great option with this Chinese takeaway-style dish. I would likely go for something like this plain chow mein recipe.
If you want to increase the veggies, how about an asparagus stir fry or even my broccoli stir fry?
One final option if you wanted to go full-on British Chinese takeaway style, salt and pepper chips anyone?
Equipment Used
I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Stovetop.
- Wok.
- Mixing bowl.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
Chinese Takeaway Style Beef in Black Bean Sauce Recipe
My take on the Chinese takeaway favourite beef in black bean sauce features tender strips of steak quickly cooked with onions, green peppers and carrots in a wonderfully thick and unctuous sauce, and it all cooks in around 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- 350g (12oz) Beef Steak (I use Rump)
- 1 Tsp Cornflour (Corn Starch in the US )
- 1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Shaoxing Rice Wine
- ½ Tsp Sugar
- Pinch of MSG
- 75ml (⅓ Cup) Black Bean Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Water
- 100g (⅔ Cup) Onion
- 75g (⅓-½ Cup) Carrot
- 1 Green Pepper
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 2 Tbsp Cooking Oil
Instructions
- Mix together the cornflour, light & dark soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, and MSG in a bowl.
- Cut the beef into 3-4mm (⅛-¼") strips against the grain of the meat and add it to the cornflour and soy sauce mix. Allow this to marinate whilst you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Mix together the black bean sauce, oyster sauce and water in a separate bowl.
- Top and tail the onion, peel it and cut it into 8 wedges.
- Cut the carrot into matchstick shapes 40-50mm (1½"-2") long.
- Remove the flash from the green pepper and cut it into strips around 5mm (¼") thick.
- Peel and slice the garlic cloves as finely as you can.
- Heat a wok over a very high heat and when it is shimmering add the cooking oil
- Add the onions, carrots and peppers and stir fry over a fierce heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Throw in the garlic and give everything a toss.
- Remove the beef from the marinade, add it to the wok and stir fry for 1 minute.
- Finally, add in the sauce and reserved marinade and cook for a final 1 minute.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 641Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 149mgSodium: 1380mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 49g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.