High-Heat Stir-Fried Beef with Spicy Szechuan Peppers

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-27 · Updated 2026-04-27

A bold and fiery stir-fry featuring tender beef slices seared over high heat with numbing Szechuan peppercorns and crisp vegetables for a punchy, elevated flavor. This Chinese-inspired high-protein recipe, ready in about 30 minutes, pairs flank steak, cornstarch, soy sauce for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 380 calories and feeds 3, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 12 oz, thinly sliced against the grain flank steak
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp, toasted and crushed Szechuan peppercorns
• 6 whole, broken in half dried red chili peppers
• 4, thinly sliced garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp, minced ginger
• 1 medium, sliced into strips green bell pepper
• 3, cut into 2-inch pieces scallions
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sugar

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Instructions

1. Step 1: In a medium bowl, toss 12 oz thinly sliced flank steak with 2 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, and 1 tbsp soy sauce; let marinate for 15 minutes.
2. Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over high heat until shimmering. Add the marinated beef in a single layer and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until browned and just cooked through. Remove beef and set aside.
3. Step 3: Add remaining 1 tbsp vegetable oil to the wok. Toss in 1 tsp toasted and crushed Szechuan peppercorns and 6 broken dried red chili peppers, stir-frying for 30 seconds until fragrant but not burnt.
4. Step 4: Add 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves and 1 tbsp minced ginger, stir-frying for 45 seconds until aromatic.
5. Step 5: Add 1 sliced green bell pepper and 3 scallions cut into 2-inch pieces, stir-frying for 2 minutes until vegetables are crisp-tender.
6. Step 6: Return the cooked beef to the wok; add 1 tsp sugar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp sesame oil. Stir-fry everything together for 1 minute until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the beef and vegetables evenly. Serve immediately.