Szechuan beef stir fry with noodles, a quick 20-minute recipe that sings with zingy Szechuan pepper, pepper flakes & a rich, delicious sauce.
It is the perfect quick-cook fakeaway dinner that will have you dumping those delivery menus, or even that pesky app!
Spicy Sichuan Beef Stir Fry
Whether you call it Szechuan, Sichuan or Szechwan beef will really depend on where you are from.
My version, like many of my recipes, flirts with authentic ideas and foundations and then expresses my cooking sensibilities and flavours.
It also features one of my favourite ingredients.
Szechuan pepper, an ingredient of note in Dan Dan Noodles, Szechuan tofu and Szechuan Chicken, I also make wonderful Szechuan prawn and closely related kung po prawn recipes.
It has an almost citrus edge, and it fizzes and has a mild numbing effect in the mouth.
As far as I am concerned, it is grown-up popping candy, and it makes me clap my hands like a fool!
The beef is "velveted" using bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) before cooking, to give it a beautifully tender texture.
It is then combined with peppers, onion and dried chilli flakes.
Dinner is done and dusted in around 20 minutes, which is way quicker than any delivery driver will get to you!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute normal pepper for Szechuan pepper?
No. It is not actually pepper at all, but it is a seed, and it is not spicy or pungent like pepper or hot like chilli.
What does cutting the meat across the grain mean?
If you place the meat on your cutting board and look at it from on top, you will notice a series of lines.
These are the meat fibres; you want to slice your beef perpendicular to these fibres.
As a result of doing this, the fibres of beef that you eat are short, which leads to a gloriously soft and tender Szechuan beef.
Do I have to add shrimp paste?
No, but please give it a try! It adds a rich and deep umami flavour to the sauce that is not at all fishy.
Don’t be put off by the smell, though! It is quite pungent, but that tempers very quickly with cooking.
It is not at all an unusual ingredient; many cultures use fish as a seasoning agent.
Whether it be Oysters in a hyper-trad beef pie, anchovies in Caesar salad dressing or fish sauce in my Thai duck curry, it is a well-trodden path.
Serving Suggestions
Ordinarily, I serve this Szechuan beef stir fry as a one-pot meal; it is plenty big enough for a meal for us.
I usually garnish with sliced spring onions and sesame seeds. But because beef and onion work so well, serving this with crispy fried onions would be superb.
As part of a multi-course meal, it would serve wonderfully well with my hot and sour soup.
There are some that would also serve this with rice; a good egg fried rice would work well.
However, if I wanted to serve this with rice, I would likely omit the noodles and make it a pretty neat Szechuan beef stir fry.
In order to do that, I would reduce the amount of sauce by around a third.
Without the noodles, this would be awesome served with either my stir fried asparagus or broccoli stir fry.
If you want a real left-field idea, stuff this into a hotdog bun and play with the Szechuan yakisoba pan vibe!
Equipment Used
I only name-check 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.
- Hob/stovetop.
- Wok.
- Pestle and mortar or spice grinder.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Grater.
- Prep and marinating bowls.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Kettle to boil water for the noodles.
- A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.
Szechuan Beef Recipe with Noodles
Ingredients
- 350 g Flank/Skirt Steak 12oz
- ¾ teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 125 g Dried Egg Noodles 4oz
- 35 g Ginger 1 Thumb Sized Piece
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- ¼ teaspoon Dried Chilli Flakes
- 1-2 teaspoon Crispy Chilli Oil
- 1½ teaspoon Szechuan Pepper
- 1 Bell Pepper
- 1 Small Onion 100g
- 2 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinkiang Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing Wine
- 1 teaspoon Shrimp Paste
- ⅛ teaspoon MSG (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds (for garnish)
- 2 Spring Onions (for garnish)
- 2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
Instructions
- Cut the flank steak (across the grain) into thin strips around 3mm (⅛") thick and add it to a bowl.
- Sprinkle over the bicarbonate of soda and salt, mix well and set aside whilst you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Cook your noodles as per the instructions on the packet and then refresh in cold water. I usually soak mine in boiling water and then refresh them in cold water, but you can also use fresh noodles.
- Peel and grate the ginger.
- Peel and mash the garlic.
- De-seed the bell pepper and slice it into strips 4-5mm (¼") in profile. I used half of a red and green pepper for colour.
- Top and tail the onion, peel it and then cut it into 8 wedges.
- Finely slice the spring onions.
- Mix the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, Shaoxing wine, shrimp paste, crispy chilli oil and MSG in a bowl and set aside.
- Toast the Szechuan pepper in a dry wok, then crush it in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder.
- Just before you are ready to cook, rinse the beef in cold water, then dry it on kitchen paper.
- Heat a wok over a high heat, and when it shimmers, add the oil.Add the beef to the wok and stir fry for two minutes before removing and setting aside.
- Return the wok to the heat and when it is hot, add the Szechuan pepper, dried chilli flakes, garlic, ginger and onion, then stir fry for 60 seconds.
- Add the bell peppers, and fry for another 1-2 minutes.
- Return the beef, add the noodles and toss to combine for 30 seconds.
- Finally, add the sauce mix you created and cook until slightly thickened, which should take no more than 60 seconds.
Steve Harford
Monday 5th of April 2021
Looks good Brian. I’ll give it a go. One thing: Sechuan peppers can be very gritty. Even when ground with mortar and pestle. This, I believe, comes from the seeds and only the casing should be used? But if you’ve ever tried separating them you will know what a task that is ! By using a spice grinder and grinding up the whole lot, does that get rid of the gritty texture? Steve
Brian Jones
Tuesday 6th of April 2021
I kinda accept the "texture" that Szechuan pepper adds to a dish personally, I should have added an addendum to the recipe and will go back and do that today. If you want to get rid of as much of that as possible toasting the seeds first, then grinding before passing through a fine mesh sieve will be as far as you can go. It does a fair old job :)
Arjhon Canoy
Friday 8th of February 2019
Just by looking at the pictures is mouthwatering. can't wait to try this. My family loves beef dishes. Thanks for this recipe.
Ramona
Friday 8th of February 2019
This spicy Szechuan beef looks and sounds incredible I love the cauliflower addition , I can just close my eyes and taste this dish but I actually better keep them wide open and get it materialised on my dinner table. Will definitely save this recipe and make it real soon ??
Patty
Friday 8th of February 2019
I love cooking Asian style stir fry recipes with any meat, the marinade looks delicious and the meat must be so tender! Love all the flavors in this recipe and can't wait to try it!
Brian Jones
Sunday 22nd of April 2018
lol, enjoy!