This fast and flavorful Hunan beef recipe needs just 15 minutes and simple ingredients to create a fast weeknight meal that rivals your favorite takeout! Serve with an Asian cabbage salad, and dinner is ready in a flash.
What Is Hunan Beef?
Hunan beef is a smoky, spicy stir fry dish that pairs wok-fried slices of beef with a spicy chili garlic sauce. Although it originated in the Hunan province of China, it’s easy to make right in your own kitchen. Having never been to China, I’ll admit I’ve never had the real thing. But I did try Hunan style beef at several family-owned restaurants, some of them claiming to be authentic. My recipe is based on those, along with hours of research about the ingredients and spices that are prevalent in the region.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for beef Hunan style, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Coconut Aminos – This is a soy-free alternative to soy sauce — feel free to use conventional low-sodium soy sauce instead.Shaoxing Cooking Wine – The most authentic choice for Hunan beef sauce, but you can also substitute sherry cooking wine if you want a grain-free option or can’t find Shaoxing. Although I highly recommend using wine for the right flavor, you can use beef broth instead if you prefer to avoid using wine in your cooking.Arrowroot Powder – This is my favorite clean-ingredient cornstarch substitute for thickening the sauce. You can also substitute the same amount of cornstarch, or xanthan gum in a smaller amount (see recipe card below).Flank Steak – This dish traditionally uses flank steak. Sirloin steak or skirt steak would be good substitutes.Avocado Oil – Or use any neutral, high-heat cooking oil you like.Dried Thai Chile Peppers – These add a distinctive flavor to the recipe, but if you can’t find them, try fresh chilies (like serrano peppers or fresnos), chili paste, or any dried chili you prefer (keeping in mind that some may be hotter than others!). Thai chilies are very spicy, so you may want to reduce the amount if you don’t want a lot of heat.Garlic – Since it makes up one of the primary flavors in this dish, I recommend fresh garlic.Spices – Ground ginger, sea salt, and black pepper.
How To Make Hunan Beef
This section shows how to make Hunan style beef, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Hunan Beef vs. Szechuan Beef: What’s The Difference?
The main difference between Hunan beef and Szechuan beef (sometimes called Sichuan beef) is the spices, because the two originated from different regions of China. Both use garlic and chili peppers generously as the primary flavors, but Hunan cuisine (also known as Xiang cuisine) is more spicy and less sweet. It’s also a more purely spicy taste with less complexity. Place beef in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to allow it to firm up slightly. It will be easier to cut into thin slices. If the wok is not hot enough, the beef will take longer to cook and become tough.
Storage Instructions
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.Reheat: Warm up Hunan beef in a hot skillet, on low power in the microwave, or in a warm oven, until heated through.Freeze: Cool completely and store in an airtight container (with as much air removed as possible). Freeze for up to 6 months, then thaw overnight before reheating.
What To Serve With Hunan Beef Stir Fry
Hunan beef ingredients pair perfectly with Asian style side dishes, rice, and more!
Rice – Serve this with your favorite brown or white rice, cauliflower rice (or cauliflower fried rice), or shirataki rice.Vegetables – Try this beef with smashed cucumber salad, sauteed cabbage, oven roasted broccoli or sauteed broccoli (pictured above), or garlic roasted bok choy. You can also make a mixed vegetable stir fry with bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, and/or even baby corn.Noodles – This dish tastes delicious on a bed of zucchini noodles, baked spaghetti squash, shirataki noodles, or rice noodles.
More Easy Asian Inspired Recipes
I have lots of healthy Asian recipes (and a guide on keto Chinese food if you’re looking to cut carbs while dining out)! Plus, try these easy Asian-inspired dishes. Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too – I’d love to see it! Note: This recipe is spicy! If you prefer less spice, you may want to reduce the amount of dried Thai chile peppers from two to one.
