Kung Pao Beef - a spicy, flavorful Chinese takeout dish that makes a great weeknight dinner. With crispy stir-fried beef, roasted peanuts, crunchy veggies, and chili peppers in a spicy, tangy sauce. This quick and easy recipe is made with everyday ingredients and ready in under 30 minutes!

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What is Kung Pao Beef?

Kung Pao Beef is a spicy, stir-fried Chinese restaurant dish made with strips of beef, peanuts, vegetables, and chili peppers. The classic chicken dish - Kung Pao Chicken – is a Chinese takeout favorite originating in the Sichuan province of south-western China. Here in this Szechwan style beef dish, we’re substituting thin slices of beef for the chicken.

Kung Pao Beef is a dry stir-fry, which means it doesn’t have tons of sauce. With this intensely flavored sauce, a little goes a long way.

What does it taste like?

This Kung Pao Beef recipe is sweet, sour, and savory with a spicy kick and BIG flavors! You can make it as mild or as spicy as you like. The peanuts give it a rounded, nutty flavor. Sichuan peppercorns (optional here) give the dish its signature tingle of heat

Ingredients

Beef – thin slices of flank steak are combined with soy sauce, cornstarch, and a little baking soda. This is called “velveting” the beef. The baking soda makes the beef extra tender and the cornstarch coats it so when it’s stir-fried in a hot pan, it forms a crispy crust.

Veggies – celery and green onion are traditional in Kung Poa Beef, but I like to add chunks of red bell pepper for extra color and flavor.

Peanuts – roasted, unsalted peanuts give the dish it’s crunch and nutty flavor. I use salted peanuts if that’s what I have on hand. Just try to rub off some of the salt in a dish towel.

Sichuan pepper – (Szechuan pepper) the ingredient in Kung Pao sauce that gives it its characteristic mouth-numbing lemony, spicy flavor. You can grind your own peppercorns or find it pre-ground. I’ve listed this as optional as it can be harder to find and my family prefers the dish without it.

Chili peppers – dried, red chili peppers. I use arbol chilies. For a less spicy dish, use whole chili peppers and just avoid eating them. They do add flavor so don’t leave them out. For a spicier dish, cut the chilies in half and de-seed them or chop them in ¼ inch pieces. The inner membranes will be exposed to the sauce giving it more heat.

Ginger and garlic

Kung Pao sauce – everything is tossed in a delicious sweet, spicy, and tangy sauce

What’s in Kung Pao Sauce

Soy sauce – I use low sodium soy sauce so the dish isn’t too salty
Cornstarch – to thicken the sauce
Rice vinegar – Chinese black vinegar is traditionally used. You can also use regular white or balsamic vinegar
Brown sugar
Sesame oil
Chicken broth
Hoisin sauce – for an extra layer of flavor

How to make Kung Pao Beef

Have everything ready before you start. Once you start cooking, this dish comes together fast!

Marinate the beef

Combine the thinly sliced beef, cornstarch, soy sauce, and baking soda until the beef is evenly coated. Let marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2 bowls showing how to marinate and velvet the beef strips

Mix the sauce

Whisk the soy sauce and cornstarch together in a small bowl until smooth. Then mix in the rest of the sauce ingredients.

a bowl of kung pao sauce and a skillet with the beef strips being cooked

Stir fry the beef

In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil over high heat until almost smoking. The pan should be very hot to sear the beef and give it a crispy exterior without overcooking it. Working in batches so the pan is not overcrowded, add half of the beef to the pan and stir fry until slightly crispy on both sides, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan and repeat with the second half of the beef.

Stir fry the veggies

Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in the pan over high heat. Add the celery, red bell peppers, and white parts of the onion and stir fry until tender crisp, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan.

3 pans showing the vegetables being stir fried, the aromatics being stir fried, and the sauce being made

Cook the aromatics, chilies, and the sauce

Heat the last ½ tablespoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, dried chilies, and Sichuan pepper, if using, and stir fry for 1 minute. Stir in the sauce and bring to a boil. It will begin to thicken almost immediately.

two pans showing the stir fry being mixed together

Stir in the cooked beef, veggies, peanuts, and green onion and allow to heat through, about 1 minute.

Serve over rice.

Tips

Velveting tenderizes the beef – the marinade coats the beef and makes it tender. If time allows let it marinate for an hour, but even 10-15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients is good.
Cook the beef in a smoking hot pan – so you get a crispy exterior without overcooking it.
Stir fry the veggies until crisp-tender – just enough to soften them and bring out their flavor. They will keep their color and texture better as they will continue to cook and soften in the sauce.
Know your spice level – keeping the dried red chilies whole adds flavor to the dish but not much heat. For more heat, you can slice them in half and remove the seeds, or chop them into ¼ inches pieces. While Sichuan pepper is traditional in this dish, my family doesn’t like it so I leave it out.
Serve immediately after cooking while the veggies are still brightly colored and tender-crisp.

FAQ

What Is the Difference between Kung Pao Beef and Mongolian Beef?

Kung Pao Beef has a tangy, sweet, and spicy sauce with red chili peppers and Sichuan pepper. Mongolian Beef is savory and sweet, but without the spiciness.

How do Chinese restaurants get their beef so tender?

Velveting the beef with cornstarch and baking soda tenderizes the beef.

How many calories are in Kung Pao Beef?

There are about 409 calories in each serving (⅙ of the recipe).

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Recipe

Quick and Easy Kung Pao Beef

Kelly

Kung Pao Beef - a spicy, flavorful Chinese takeout dish that makes a great weeknight dinner. With crispy stir-fried beef, roasted peanuts, crunchy veggies, and chili peppers in a spicy, tangy sauce.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Course 30 Minute Meals

Cuisine Asian

Servings servings

Calories 403 kcal

Ingredients

For the marinade:

1 ½ lbs flank steak thinly sliced
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon baking soda

For the Kung Pao Sauce:

¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
⅓ cup rice vinegar *see note
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 teaspoons sesame oil
½ cup water or low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

For the stir fry:

3 tablespoons canola oil divided
2 bell peppers red or green, cut into bite sized pieces
2 ribs celery sliced
1 bunch green onions white and green parts separated, cut into ¾" pieces
1 tablespoon garlic minced
1 tablespoon ginger minced
1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns optional
6 - 10 dried red arbol chili peppers whole or cut in half and deseeded (*see note)
½ cup dry-roasted peanuts