Sichuan-Style Stir-Fried Beef with Garlic and Chilies

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

A bold and spicy stir-fried beef dish featuring tender strips of beef tossed with garlic, dried chilies, and savory soy sauce. This Chinese-inspired game-day 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 350 calories and feeds 4, 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

• 1 lb thinly sliced against the grain flank steak
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 8 whole, broken in half dried red chilies
• 4 sliced garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 2 sliced scallions
• 1 tsp toasted and ground Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

The wok we’d stir-fry this in → Best Woks for 2026: Carbon Steel, Nonstick & Flat-Bottom Picks + Buying Guide

Instructions

1. Step 1: Toss 1 lb thinly sliced flank steak with 2 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, and 1 tbsp soy sauce in a bowl. Let marinate for 15 minutes.
2. Step 2: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over high heat until shimmering. Add 8 broken dried red chilies and 1 tsp toasted ground Sichuan peppercorns, stir-frying for 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Step 3: Add 4 sliced garlic cloves and 1 tbsp minced ginger, stir-frying for 20 seconds until aromatic but not burnt.
4. Step 4: Add the marinated beef strips in a single layer, stir-frying for 3-4 minutes until the beef is just browned and cooked through.
5. Step 5: Stir in 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and 1 tsp sesame oil, tossing quickly to coat the meat evenly.
6. Step 6: Remove from heat and garnish with 2 sliced scallions. Serve immediately with steamed rice or noodles.