Spicy Szechuan Green Beans Beef (Printable Version)
Vibrant stir-fry of crisp green beans and minced beef in bold Szechuan-style sauce with balanced spicy notes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Stir-Fry
01 - 1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
02 - 1 lb lean ground beef
03 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
04 - 1 small onion, finely diced
05 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
07 - 2 scallions, sliced (whites and greens separated)
08 - 1 to 2 fresh red chilies, thinly sliced (optional)
→ Szechuan Sauce
09 - 3 tablespoons soy sauce
10 - 1 tablespoon lightly crushed Szechuan peppercorns
11 - 1 tablespoon chili bean paste (Doubanjiang)
12 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
13 - 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
14 - 2 teaspoons sugar
15 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
→ To Serve
16 - Steamed jasmine rice (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - Boil salted water and blanch green beans for 2 to 3 minutes until bright and tender. Drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add crushed Szechuan peppercorns and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
03 - Add ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks, until browned and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove beef and drain excess fat.
04 - Add remaining tablespoon of oil to the wok. Sauté onion, garlic, ginger, and scallion whites for 2 minutes until softened.
05 - Stir in chili bean paste and cook for 1 minute. Return cooked beef to the wok.
06 - Add blanched green beans and sliced chilies if using, stir-frying for 2 to 3 minutes.
07 - Pour in soy sauce, rice vinegar, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and sesame oil. Toss to coat evenly and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes until heated through.
08 - Sprinkle with scallion greens and serve immediately, accompanied by steamed rice if desired.
# Expert Insights:
01 -
- It comes together in 30 minutes flat, making weeknight dinners feel restaurant-quality without the stress.
- The numbing-spicy sensation from Szechuan peppercorns is genuinely addictive and tastes like nothing you can order easily.
- Green beans stay crisp and bright, never mushy—the blanching trick is a game-changer.
02 -
- Blanching the green beans separately is non-negotiable—it's the difference between crisp beans and sad, overcooked ones that fall apart on the plate.
- Always buy Szechuan peppercorns whole and crush them yourself just before cooking; the pre-ground version tastes like cardboard and misses the entire point of the dish.
- The final drizzle of sesame oil should happen right before serving—heat destroys its fragrance, turning it flat and bitter.
03 -
- Prepare all ingredients before you start cooking—true stir-fry moves fast, and there's no time for chopping once the heat is on.
- Keep the heat medium-high; too high and you'll burn the aromatics, too low and the beans steam instead of staying crisp.