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Easy Szechuan Beef

4.8 from 10 votes
Why order take-out when you can make this sweet and spicy Szechuan Beef with red peppers at home? Serve over rice for a complete meal.
Published on , Updated December 18, 2024
4.8 from 10 votes

Why order take-out when you can make this sweet and spicy Szechuan Beef with red peppers at home? Serve over rice for a complete meal.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

If you love Chinese take-out, and want to try making it at home, this Easy Szechuan Beef is great place to start!

The beef marinates in a savory mixture that included soy sauce, chili sauce and sesame oil, with some brown sugar for a hint of sweetness.

The it’s sauteed in a wok with bell peppers and served over rice for a simple take-out style meal that’s faster than actually ordering take-out. It’s like ordering from your favorite Chinese restaurant, except even better!

Once your beef is marinated, this dish cooks up in about 10 minutes. Just don’t forget to start your rice cooking when you marinated the beef (it’s just a 15 minute marinade), because once you start cooking your beef, dinner will be on the table in no time.

This is definitely my kind of quick and easy week night meal!

To keep things simple, I usually make this recipe with red bell pepper, but you could use an color of pepper. And you can definitely add more veggies–matchstick carrots, snow peas, and broccoli are all great choices.

This dish is spicy without being overly spicy, so feel free to add some red pepper flakes, or more chili oil if you want to kick up the heat.

My husband and boys all love this Szechuan beef, and I love that it’s so easy to make, and always a hit. If you want to round out the meal, try starting off with some hot and sour or wonton soup.

Or my favorite Asian side, green onion pancakes! And of course, a side of rice is a must.

If you’ve never tried cooking Asian food at home, this Easy Szechuan Beef is definitely a simple and delicious way to get started. And of course, totally worth making if you’re an expert in the kitchen too. 

Be sure to save this recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.

Ingredients

  • Beef
  • Vegetable oil
  • Produce: red bell pepper, garlic, green onions
  • Chili oil
  • Cornstarch
  • Chinese rice wine
  • Soy sauce
  • Oyster sauce
  • Chili sauce
  • Sugar
  • Sesame oil
  • Salt and pepper

Easy Szechuan Beef

Why order take-out when you can make this sweet and spicy Szechuan Beef with red peppers at home? Serve over rice for a complete meal.
4.80 from 10 votes
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Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Asian
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 534kcal
Author: Danelle

Ingredients 

  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 16 ounces thinly sliced beef
  • 3-4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 large red bell pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chili oil
  • 3-4 green onions sliced
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the marinade

  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine
  • 1 teaspoons soy sauce

For the sauce

  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chili sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon chili oil
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

  • In a shallow baking dish, combine ingredients for marinade. Add beef and let stand for 15-20 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, combine ingredients for sauce; set aside.
  • Add 2 tablespoon of oil to a wok or large saute pan and heat over high heat. Add the beef and cook for about minutes, until beef is slightly charred. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
  • Add the remaining oil to the wok. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add the peppers and cook for an additional minute or two. Return the beef to the wok.
  • Stir in the sauce and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Before serving, stir in green onions and 1 teaspoon chili oil. Serve over hot cooked rice.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 534kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 623mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g
Keep scrolling for tips, ingredient substitutions, answers to frequently asked questions and more!

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1 comment


  • This is very good! I halved the recipe for hubby and me. I added a sliced Bok Choy and subbed a small amount of Worchestershire sauce for the oyster sauce. The only change I’ll make next time is to reduce the amount of sugar.

4.80 from 10 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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Hello! I’m Danelle. Thanks for visiting.

At Let's Dish, I'm bringing a taste of uptown foodie to real-life, everyday meals! Here, I share simple, reliable recipes that make mealtime easy.
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