Scorching and scorching Hunan beef is a simple Chinese language takeout recipe filled with thinly sliced flank steak and veggies tossed in candy and spicy do-it-yourself Hunan sauce. Make this weeknight stir-fry in a single pan in beneath half-hour!
Searching for extra fast and attractive beef recipes? Do that sheet-pan sesame beef and broccoli, after which this simple do-it-yourself beef chow enjoyable!
I lately had a blast exploring my native Asian grocery store, and let me inform you, it was completely price it! I picked up all of the substances for a sweet-savory-spicy Hunan beef stir fry. This dish is bursting with umami from soy sauce and fish sauce, tangy rice vinegar, nutty sesame oil, honey for sweetness, and a kick of purple chili. I made it to serve over rice the opposite evening, and wow, the flavors have been unbelievable! You’re going to like this simple and scrumptious beef and veggie stir fry.
Plus, I’m now outfitted with all of the seasonings and condiments I have to make much more Chinese language takeout favorites, from my Basic Tso’s hen to Chinese language boneless spare ribs. If that’s not profitable, I don’t know what’s.
Why We Love This Simple Hunan Beef Recipe
Flavorful. There’s loads of sweet-spicy chilis to go round, right here. All of the substances in Hunan beef come collectively to create its wealthy, spicy, and completely irresistible taste.
Fast. I really like stir-fry recipes like Hunan beef, moo shu hen, and pork chop suey as a result of irrespective of the protein, a stir-fry is one of the simplest ways to pack a great deal of taste onto a plate in half-hour or much less.
Higher than takeout. Making do-it-yourself variations of my household’s favourite takeout dishes is money-saving and time-saving. No extra weekly call-ins to our native Chinese language restaurant! Plus, the flavors are brisker. It’s additionally good figuring out precisely what goes into my do-it-yourself stir-fries and sauces.
What Is Hunan Beef?
Hunan beef is a Chinese language dish created from tender steak slices stir-fried with veggies in a candy and savory, spicy cooking sauce. Hunan sauce is chili-driven, so it doesn’t have the numbing warmth of Szechuan recipes, however it’s spicier than, say, kung pao beef, and fewer candy than Mongolian beef.
Recipe Components
I’ve included some notes right here on what you’ll want. After all, your Hunan beef doesn’t need to set your tastebuds on hearth. In the event you’re after milder sauce, it’s simple to adapt the substances to style. You do you! Scroll to the recipe card for a printable substances listing.
For the Stir Fry
- Oil – You’ll wish to use vegetable oil with a excessive smoke level for frying.
- Flank Steak – The perfect cuts of steak for stir-frying are tender and quick-cooking. I really like slicing up flank steak for this recipe, however you may also use sirloin steak, skirt steak, or tenderloin.
- Onion and Garlic – Sliced yellow onion and recent minced garlic make a pleasant taste base for the stir-fry.
- Broccolini – Or use common broccoli. In each circumstances, separate the stems from the florets.
- Bell Pepper – Any colour of bell pepper works right here.
For the Sauce
- Sesame Oil – Toasted or untoasted, whichever you favor.
- Beef Broth – I pair beef with beef broth, however you may also use hen broth or inventory.
- Soy Sauce – Be happy to substitute soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos if wanted.
- Fish Sauce – I really like having sweet-savory fish sauce within the fridge for Asian-style recipes like Hunan beef and Thai hen soup. In the event you don’t have fish sauce, substitute it with further soy sauce.
- Rice Wine Vinegar – You may as well use white wine vinegar, dry white wine, or dry sherry.
- Honey – I like to make use of honey as a sweetener, however granulated sugar or brown sugar works, too.
- Chili Paste – This may be Chinese language chili paste, or one other Asian-style purple pepper paste like Korean gochujang, or Indonesian sambal oelek. If wanted, substitute chili paste with a chili sauce, like Sriracha.
- Cornstarch – I exploit a slurry of cornstarch blended with water to assist thicken up the cooking sauce.
The right way to Make Hunan Beef
Like most stir-fries, Hunan beef is a fast dinner recipe that wants solely about 20 minutes in a scorching skillet earlier than it’s able to serve. When you’ve organized your substances, the entire dish comes collectively in a couple of brief steps:
- Make the sauce. Whisk collectively all of the substances for the sauce besides the cornstarch, which you’ll whisk with water individually. Stir the cornstarch slurry again into the sauce.
- Brown the steak. Subsequent, cook dinner your steak strips in a skillet over medium-high warmth till they’re properly browned.
- Saute the veggies. Take away the steak from the pan, and add your onions, garlic, broccolini stems, and bell peppers. Add the broccolini florets as soon as the stems are tender.
- Put all of it collectively. Lastly, the meat goes again into the pan together with the sauce. Stir-fry till the steak is cooked the way you prefer it, then serve!
Serving Solutions
I typically serve Hunan beef over a giant bowl of rice with a garnish of recent cilantro. It’s additionally tasty over noodles, or you’ll be able to strive cauliflower rice or zoodles for a low-carb choice. Generally, I serve my teriyaki noodles on the aspect – the youngsters love that!
If I’ve leftover rice, I’ll generally put collectively a fast aspect of kimchi fried rice and serve it with sesame snap peas or crisp-tender child bok choy to spherical out the meal.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Refrigerate. Leftover Hunan beef retains nicely in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheat. To reheat this stir-fry, I often simply pop it again right into a skillet with a little bit of water to assist loosen up the sauce. You need to use the microwave, however I discover that makes the skinny beef strips chewy.
Extra Beef Recipes
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Make the sauce. Whisk collectively the sesame oil, beef broth, soy sauce, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, and chili paste. In a separate bowl, whisk collectively the cornstarch and water after which whisk it again into the sauce. Put aside.
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Brown the meat. Warmth 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium-high warmth and add the steak. Season the meat with salt and saute for a minute or two or till golden brown on all sides. Take away the steak and put aside.
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Saute the veggies. Add the remainder of the oil to the pan, adopted by the onion, garlic, the stalks of the broccolini, and the bell pepper. Saute for 3 minutes or till the broccolini is nearly fork-tender, after which add the broccolini florets. Saute for 1 extra minute.
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Put all of it collectively. Return the meat to the pan and pour within the sauce. Saute till the sauce has thickened and the meat is cooked to your liking.
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Serve. Take away from warmth and let it relaxation for two to three minutes earlier than serving.
Energy: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 27g | Fats: 20g | Saturated Fats: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 7g | Monounsaturated Fats: 6g | Trans Fats: 0.1g | Ldl cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 1729mg | Potassium: 619mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1315IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2mg
Dietary information is an estimate and offered as courtesy. Values could fluctuate in keeping with the substances and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed information.