Hunan Beef
intro
Fiery, umami-rich Hunan Beef is a classic Chinese stir-fry with tender seared beef, crisp veggies, and a glossy tangy-spicy sauce, perfect for fast, flavorful weeknight meals.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep and marinate beef
Slice 450g flank steak against the grain into uniform 3mm thin slices. Toss slices with 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine in a medium bowl. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes to tenderize the beef.
Mix stir-fry sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon black rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil until completely smooth, with no visible cornstarch lumps. Set the bowl within arm’s reach of the stovetop.
Sear marinated beef
Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a carbon steel wok or large heavy skillet over high heat (200°C/400°F) until the oil shimmers and just starts to send up faint wisps of smoke. Add marinated beef in a single layer, cooking in two batches if needed to avoid crowding the pan. Sear for 45 seconds per side until edges are lightly caramelized, then scoop beef onto a clean plate and set aside.
Toast aromatic base
Reduce stovetop heat to medium (160°C/325°F), add the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil to the wok. Toss in cut dried red chili sections, minced ginger, minced garlic, white scallion parts, and 1 tablespoon spicy broad bean paste. Stir-fry constantly for 30 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic or chilis which will turn bitter.
Cook crisp vegetables
Turn heat back up to high, add diagonally sliced celery and onion wedges to the wok. Toss continuously with the aromatic base for 1 full minute until vegetables are crisp-tender, with bright, saturated color and no raw, hard crunch remaining.
Toss and finish dish
Return the seared beef to the wok, pour the pre-mixed sauce evenly over all ingredients. Toss rapidly over high heat for 45 seconds until the sauce thickens to a clear, glossy coating that clings to every piece of beef and vegetable. Toss in the green scallion sections, then turn off the heat immediately to avoid overcooking the beef.
Tips
2.Never overcrowd the wok when searing beef: stacked beef will steam instead of developing a caramelized, flavorful sear, so cook in two small batches if your pan is smaller than 30cm in diameter.
3.Complete all prep work before turning on the stove—stir-frying moves very quickly at high heat, and there will be no time to chop or measure ingredients once cooking starts without burning components.
OMG this Spicy Stir-Fried Hunan Beef was a total game changer for our weekly family dinner! I was worried the spice level would be too much for my 10 year old, so I dialed back the dried chilis by half and tossed in extra bell peppers, and even my picky husband went back for seconds. Only pro tip from me: I used flank steak like the recipe recommended but popped it in the freezer for 20 minutes first to slice it super thin, made the whole texture so much better! Cook time was right at 25 minutes too, perfect for a chaotic busy weeknight.
Made this for a potluck at my office last week and people were hounding me for the recipe all afternoon! Full disclosure, I didn’t have any fresh ginger on hand so I used 1 tsp of ground ginger from the pantry, and it still turned out SO good. Only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is I thought the 25 minute cook time was a little tight for me — took me closer to 35 mins total between prepping all the veggies and getting my old wok hot enough, but that’s probably just because my apartment stove is total garbage. Would absolutely make this again, no question.
As someone who grew up eating real Hunan food in Flushing, I was pretty skeptical of a random stir-fry recipe I found online, but this one nailed the perfect balance of spicy, tangy, and savory! I added a handful of wild shiitake mushrooms I had in the fridge and doubled the pickled long beans, and it tasted just like the takeout I get from my favorite spot back home. 10/10, will be adding this to my regular dinner rotation. My roommate walked in while I was cooking and thought I ordered delivery, that’s how good it smelled up the whole apartment!