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Hunan Beef

Learn how to make this popular spicy Chinese beef dish at home! The beef is incredibly tender and flavorful.
Servings: 3
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 12 oz flank steak or top sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain
  • 1/2 tbsp Shaoxing rice cooking wine
  • 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp potato starch
  • 1/2 cup peanut oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 small red thai chili peppers, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 tsp dried chili flakes, (or more if desired)
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 green scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, add beef, wine, soy sauces, and potato starch. Mix until beef is evenly coated. Let stand for about 10 minutes. While beef is marinating, prep your remaining ingredients.
  • Add peanut oil to large wok and bring to medium-high heat. Add in beef, making sure to keep slices to a single layer so they do not overlap. Briefly fry each side about 30 seconds so that beef is mostly cooked but still pink in the center.
  • Remove beef and thoroughly drain from oil. I put the beef in a colander to drain and shake off all the oil on the beef.
  • Pour out all but 1 tbsp of oil from wok. Add in garlic and chili peppers. Cook briefly over medium-high heat, about 30 seconds, or until the aroma of the garlic and peppers come out.
  • Add beef back into the wok. Sprinkle with cumin and chili flakes. Stir fry with garlic and peppers for about 1-2 minutes until beef is fully cooked. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Garnish with scallions. Serve warm with rice, rice substitute, lettuce wraps, etc.

Notes

  • Adapted from recipe features in NYT Cooking.
  • Shaoxing wine is a Chinese rice cooking wine often used in Chinese dishes. If you cannot find it, you can replace with dry sherry.
  • Peanut oil can be replaced with canola oil.
  • No nutrition information is provided because it is difficult to determine the amount of oil asborbed by the beef during frying.
 
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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