Hunan Beef - Khin's Kitchen (2024)

Published: Mar 6, 2022 · Modified: Sep 27, 2023 · by Khin · This post may contain affiliate links.

Simple Spicy Authentic Hunan Beef recipe loaded with juicy tender beef, vegetables, and delicious hot and spicy flavor sauce. One of the best stir fried Chinese beef recipes that is great for the days when you don't want to make a ton of dishes. Pair it with plain jasmine rice for a quick family meal.

What is Hunan Beef?

Hunan beef and Hunan style cuisines are originated in Hunan province, China, and are famous for their unique aromatic, spicy flavours. Stir fry Hunan cuisines are usually made with beef, chicken, or pork with fresh hot chilli peppers and also flavourful chilli oil or chilli bean paste. This dish does not contain Sichuan peppercorns like the Sichuan Chinese cuisines. A perfect dish to try if you love spicy food but are not a fan of numbing sensations of Sichuan peppers.

Hunan cuisines are also popular outside of China, in Western Chinese restaurants and takeouts. Westernized Hunan Chinese cuisines are modified with plenty of vegetables and are milder and sweeter than traditional authentic spicy dishes.

Ingredients

Most of the ingredients are very simple and you can buy them at any local supermarket and grocery store. But there are two secret ingredients that make this dish very unique, they are fermented black beans and spicy chilli oil. Following is the quick guide and measurements are on the recipe card.

Beef & Marinade: We usually use cheaper cuts like rump or flank steak but you can also try with rib-eye or sirloin steak, etc. Thinly slice the beef against the grain or cut it into thin strips. Marinade with soy sauce, corn starch, sesame oil, and baking soda.

Vegetables - Fresh chili peppers, garlic, ginger, and spring onions are basic stir fry veggies that are great for this recipe. You can also add green or red bell peppers, broccoli, celery, or onions to your taste.

Dried chillies - Long dried red chillies are super flavourful and they bring the smokey hot aroma. Deseed the chillies and cut them into small pieces. You can also add them as a whole.

Black Beans - Fermented black beans ( Douchi ) are preserved salted black beans. Even though it has a slightly funky smell, the taste is savoury, salty, and umami! A must-add ingredient, If you wish to taste like authentic Hunan style beef dish.

If you cannot find salted black beans, black bean garlic sauce is a great substitute.

Hunan Sauce - Hunan sauce is a fantastic combination of savoury, spicy, salty, and slightly sweet flavour. I love to add, regular soy sauce or light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, Shao Xing wine, corn starch and chilli oil.

Chilli Oil - I used Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli oil in the sauce mixture. Feel free to use your favourite crispy chilli oil, chilli bean oil, Doubanjiang ( Toban Djan ). Or can also check out my homemade chilli oil.

How to make it

• First velvet the beef - Marinate the thinly sliced beef with corn starch, baking soda, soy sauce, sesame, and sugar. This Chinese meat marinade method is called velveting and it brings out the juicy tender beef result.
• Prepare Hunan Sauce - Add all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, whisk until sugar dissolves, and set it aside.
• Make a stir fry - Start stir-frying the beef slices with a high-heat wok and set it aside.
• Then stir fry the vegetables in the same wok. Bring the wok over medium-high heat, stir fry garlic, ginger, dried chillies and follow with the black beans. Stir fry for a few seconds until the garlic is slightly brown.

• Next, add the fresh chilli pepper, bell peppers, spring onions, and stir fry just for a minute.
• Add beef back in the wok and pour the stir fry sauce mix.
• Combine everything evenly until the sauce become thick and glossy.
• Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Quick Tips

• It's important to slice the beef fillet against the grain. Cutting against the grain breaks the meat fibres and create the tender result.
• Do not skip the meat velveting process ( velveting meat ) as it helps the meat tenderize and keep its moisture.
• Make sure to fry the beef quickly with high heat wok or pan to prevent the meat from overcooked. Overcooked steak can be very tough and chewy.
• This dish is a dry stir fry dish and doesn't come with loads of sauce. Bring the heat to high if the sauce is too liquity.
• Adjust the fresh chilli pepper, dried chillies and chilli oil amount to your taste.

Frequently asked questions

More Delicious Stir Fry Recipes

Stay updated on new recipes:

We are on social media Facebook, Instagram, YouTube ( New recipe video every week ), and Pinterest ( Pin your favourite recipes ). If you've tried this recipe, please share your comment or post on social media and tag me. I would love to see your creations and feedback.

📖 Recipe