Spicy Szechuan Green Beans Beef (Print View)

A quick, bold stir-fry of crisp green beans and minced beef in a spicy Szechuan sauce ready in 30 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 14 oz green beans, trimmed
02 - 2 scallions, thinly sliced
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

→ Meat

05 - 10 oz lean ground beef

→ Sauce & Seasonings

06 - 2 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns, lightly crushed
07 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
08 - 1 tbsp oyster sauce
09 - 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
10 - 2 tsp chili bean paste (doubanjiang)
11 - 1 tsp granulated sugar
12 - 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
13 - 1/2 tsp crushed red chili flakes
14 - 1/4 tsp ground white pepper

→ Oils

15 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil

# How to Make:

01 - Blanch the green beans in boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water. Pat dry thoroughly.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add green beans and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until blistered and slightly charred. Remove and set aside.
03 - Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the wok. Add Szechuan peppercorns and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add garlic, ginger, and scallions. Stir-fry for 1 minute.
04 - Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned and just cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes.
05 - Stir in chili bean paste, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, white pepper, and chili flakes. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
06 - Return green beans to the wok and toss to combine. Stir-fry for another 1 to 2 minutes until everything is well coated and heated through.
07 - Drizzle with sesame oil, toss, and serve hot.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The numbing-spicy tingle from Szechuan peppercorns is genuinely addictive and feels like a discovery every time.
  • Thirty minutes total, and you've got something that tastes like you spent hours in a restaurant kitchen.
  • The blistered green beans have a satisfying char that makes them taste almost meaty on their own.
02 -
  • If your Szechuan peppercorns smell musty or flat, they're old—buy fresh ones because they're the entire backbone of this dish's personality.
  • Don't skip blanching the green beans first; it means they cook through without becoming limp, and the final stir-fry just finishes them rather than starting from scratch.
  • Chili bean paste isn't optional or interchangeable—it's fermented and funky in the best way, and there's no substitute that captures that same depth.
03 -
  • If your wok isn't screaming hot, the vegetables will steam instead of char—preheat it longer than feels necessary.
  • Make sure your beef is as finely minced as possible because more surface area means it catches sauce better and cooks faster and more evenly.

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