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Kung Pao Beef on a bed of rice plated on a white and turquoise plate with wooden chopsticks.
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Kung Pao Beef Recipe

This Quick and Easy Kung Pao Beef is a fast weeknight stir fry with tender sliced beef, a quick sweet-savory sauce, crunchy peppers, and peanuts or cashews. It’s packed with bold takeout-style flavor and ready in about 20 minutes, spice level totally customizable.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Chinese
Servings: 4
Author: Kellie
Cost: $15

Equipment

  • chef's knife
  • cutting board
  • wok or deep skillet
  • spatula
  • measuring cup
  • measuring spoons
  • mixing bowl
  • whisk

Ingredients

Beef and Marinade

  • 1 pound flank steak or sirloin thinly sliced against the grain
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine Mirin or dry sherry (optional but great)
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil

Kung Pao Sauce

  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1½ tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • ¼ cup low-sodium beef broth

Stir Fry Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 6 dried red chilies adjust to taste
  • 2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns lightly crushed (optional)
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
  • 4 scallions cut into 1-inch pieces (whites and greens separated)
  • 1 red bell pepper diced (larger dice)
  • ½ cup roasted cashews or peanuts

To Serve

  • Steamed rice or noodles, sesame seeds, extra scallions

Instructions

  • In a bowl, toss beef with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, and 1 tsp oil. Set aside while you prep everything else.
  • Whisk together all sauce ingredients until smooth. (The cornstarch should dissolve.)
  • Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add 1 tbsp oil. Spread beef in a single layer and sear 1–2 minutes, flip/stir and cook another 1 minute until mostly cooked. Remove to a plate.
  • Add remaining 1 tbsp oil. Add dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns; stir 20–30 seconds until fragrant (don’t burn). Add garlic, ginger, and scallion whites; stir 20–30 seconds.
  • Add bell pepper (if using). Stir-fry until crisp-tender.
  • Whisk sauce again (cornstarch settles), pour into pan, and stir until glossy and thickened—about 30–60 seconds. Add beef back in, toss to coat. Stir in peanuts and scallion greens for the last 30 seconds.
  • Spoon over rice. Top with sesame seeds/scallions if you want.

Notes

  • Slice the beef thin and against the grain for the most tender bite. If it’s hard to slice, freeze the steak for 10–15 minutes first.
  • Adjust the heat: use fewer dried chilies for mild, or remove them after flavoring the oil. Add crushed red pepper flakes if you want extra heat.
  • Whisk the sauce again right before adding it to the pan, cornstarch settles quickly.
  • Don’t overcrowd the pan when searing the beef; cook in batches if needed so it browns instead of steaming.
  • Substitutions: tamari works for gluten-free; mirin or dry sherry can replace Shaoxing wine; cashews and peanuts are interchangeable.

Nutrition

Calories: 369kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 1173mg | Potassium: 925mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1706IU | Vitamin C: 138mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 5mg