Kung Pao Beef – The Recipe Critic

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Kung Pao Beef is rather like your favourite takeout however means tastier! This dish is loaded with taste and really easy to make. Tender, marinated beef is stir-fried with veggies in a tangy, spicy Asian sauce for an unforgettable meal!

Overhead shot of plated Kung Pao beef with rice and chopsticks.

Causes You’ll Love This Recipe

Loaded with Taste: There’s simply one thing a couple of spicy Asian dish that I can’t get sufficient of! I can’t resolve which is best – this beef model or my traditional Kung Pao Hen. I even have a recipe for Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts and Kung Pao Shrimp which might be positively price a strive!
Takeout at Dwelling: I do know takeout will be handy, however once you make this simple Kung Pao Beef at dwelling, you get to regulate the spice stage and all the elements. Plus, it’s a lot extra scrumptious!

Components Wanted for Kung Pao Beef

Kung Pao Beef is a well-liked takeout meal with stir-frying meat and veggies in a spicy Asian-flavored sauce. It’s often served over rice with peanuts and inexperienced onions. It’d seem like a protracted checklist of elements, however most are used a number of instances, and lots of are pantry staples. All measurements are within the recipe card on the finish of the put up.

Beef and Marinade Components

Steak: Thinly slice flank steak into ½-inch by 2-inch slices.
Soy Sauce: This umami sauce creates a flavorful base for the marinade.
Beef Broth: Provides taste whereas giving the marinade the precise consistency.
Cornstarch: Thickens the marinade.
Chili Paste: Provides warmth to the marinade.
Garlic: For scrumptious garlic taste.
Oil: All good marinades have just a little fats, so the meat cooks up juicy and tender. You need to use vegetable, olive, sesame oil, or no matter you’ve got.

Overhead shot of labeled beef ingredients.

Sauce Components

Dried Pink Chili: The signature ingredient for Kung Pao recipes.
Ginger: You need to use ginger paste or freshly grated ginger for a punch of heat.
Garlic: Freshly minced is finest!
Soy Sauce: Brings out that genuine Asian taste.
Rice Vinegar: Provides a contact of tang to steadiness the spice and savoriness.
Beef Broth: Supplies the sauce with moisture and taste.
Chinkiang Vinegar: For deep, advanced taste and a little bit of sweetness to spherical out the sauce. You will discover this on-line or at your native Asian grocer.
Brown Sugar: Balances the spiciness with a refined sweetness.
Pink Chili Paste: This actually packs in a punch of spice. Use a lightweight hand at first. You may all the time add extra later in order for you extra spice.
Cornstarch: Thickens the kung pao beef sauce.

Overhead shot of labeled sauce ingredients.

Stir fry

Vegetable Oil: For stir-frying the greens and beef.
Bell Peppers: A crimson bell pepper and a inexperienced bell pepper will add further texture and heartiness.
Dried Pink Chilis: Provides much more spice to this meal!
Garnish: Prime your Kung Pao Beef with chopped roasted peanuts and inexperienced onions for crunch and additional taste.

Find out how to Make Kung Pao Beef

This Kung Pao Beef recipe is straightforward and simple. Give the meat just a little time to marinate and get completely tender and flavorful. Then, it solely takes about quarter-hour to have this on the dinner desk!

Marinate the Beef: Put together the marinade in a bowl and whisk collectively the soy sauce, beef broth, cornstarch, chili paste, and garlic paste. Pour the marinade over the meat in a bowl or sealable bag, toss to coat, and marinate for no less than half-hour.
Make the Sauce: Whereas the meat marinates, make the sauce. In a bowl, whisk collectively the minced crimson chili, ginger paste, garlic paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, beef broth, chinkiang vinegar, brown sugar, crimson chili paste, and corn starch. Put aside.
Brown the Beef: When the meat is prepared, warmth the vegetable oil in a big skillet or wok over medium-high warmth, take away the marinated beef, and discard the marinade. Add the meat to the new skillet and prepare dinner, tossing periodically to brown the meat, about 4-5 minutes evenly.
Sauté the Veggies: Take away the meat from the skillet, add extra vegetable oil if wanted, and add the bell peppers, dried crimson chilies, peanuts, and inexperienced onions. Prepare dinner the greens, tossing continuously till they’re tender and the peanuts are toasted.
Prepare dinner Every little thing Collectively: Add the meat again to the skillet together with the sauce combination. Prepare dinner every little thing collectively till the sauce thickens. Take away the pan from warmth and serve the kung pao beef with extra inexperienced onions for garnish.

Overhead shot of beef in marinade in a ziplock bag.

Overhead shot of sauce ingredients whisked together in a bowl.

Kung Pao Beef Ideas and Variations

Listed here are a couple of ideas that can assist you take advantage of scrumptious Kung Pao Beef! In the event you love spicy, this recipe is for you. It’s over-the-top flavorful!

Meat: You may swap the flank steak for skirt steak or tri-tip!
Marinade: I like to recommend not marinating the meat for over half-hour, however in the event you do, maintain it below 2 hours. Ultimately, the marinade will break down the meat and make it powerful.
Cinkiang Vinegar: You may exchange the Chinkiang vinegar with extra rice wine vinegar or go away it out altogether. It would style related.
Spice: Add extra chopped crimson peppers to the stir fry in the event you like extra spice.

Overhead shot of Kung Pao Beef cooked in a wok.

Storing Leftover Kung Poa Beef

Kung Pao Beef makes nice leftovers for lunches the subsequent day!

Fridge: Retailer leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
Freezer: I don’t suggest freezing this dish. It’s finest to take pleasure in it recent or maintain it within the fridge.

Extra Asian-Impressed Recipes

I like making copycat recipes of my favourite take-out recipes, like this Kung Pao beef, particularly after they embody Asian flavors! You will discover all of my Asian recipes in a single place, and listed below are a couple of of my go-to recipes.

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Put together the marinade in a bowl, whisk collectively the soy sauce, beef broth, corn starch, chili paste, and garlic paste. Pour the marinade over the meat in a bowl or sealable bag, toss to coat, and marinate for no less than half-hour.
Whereas the meat marinates, make the sauce. In a bowl, whisk collectively the minced crimson chili, ginger paste, garlic paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, beef broth, chinkiang vinegar, brown sugar, crimson chili paste, and cornstarch. Put aside.
When the meat is prepared warmth the vegetable oil in a big skillet or wok over medium-high warmth, take the marinated beef out of the marinade, and discard the marinade. Add the meat to the new skillet and prepare dinner, tossing periodically to evenly brown the meat, about 4-5 minutes.
Take away the meat from the skillet, add extra vegetable oil if wanted, and add the bell peppers, dried chilis, peanuts, and inexperienced onions. Prepare dinner the greens, tossing continuously till they’re tender and the peanuts are toasted.
Add the meat again to the skillet together with the sauce combination. Prepare dinner every little thing collectively till the sauce thickens.
Take away the pan from warmth and serve the kung pao beef with extra inexperienced onions for garnish.

Marinate the meat for no less than half-hour however now not than 2 hours.
In the event you can’t discover chinkiang vinegar, use extra rice vinegar as an alternative.
Instead of the flank steak, you should use skirt steak or tri-tip.

Energy: 330kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 29gFats: 18gSaturated Fats: 4gPolyunsaturated Fats: 7gMonounsaturated Fats: 6gTrans Fats: 0.1gLdl cholesterol: 68mgSodium: 1221mgPotassium: 603mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 765IUVitamin C: 47mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 3mg