Chinese Beef and Pepper Stir-fry
This authentic Chinese beef and pepper stir-fry is better and tastier than any takeout dinner. Thin slices of beef sirloin steak are quickly stir-fried with onion, peppers, and fermented black beans. Pepper steak stir-fry takes less than 20 minutes to make, which is faster than takeout or delivery.
If you feel like a Chinese pepper steak for dinner, this pepper steak stir-fry in black bean sauce is the simplest dish you can make at home. You will enjoy the juicy beef slices with crisp and tender peppers in a savory black bean sauce. Bring on the rice bowl!
It’s a hassle-free, quick, and much tastier and healthier than your local Chinese takeout order. So why bother dragging yourself out or ordering expensive delivery?
If you have basic Chinese condiments like dark soy sauce, shaoxing rice wine, and fermented black beans, you will have a delicious and healthy dinner in 20 minutes with this recipe.
I used beef sirloin steak, but you can use any tender cut of beef instead.
What are fermented black beans?
Fermented black beans (豆豉, douchi) are made by salting and fermenting black soybeans. (These beans are not the regular black beans. The fermenting process is what turns the beans black.)
They are very salty and lightly bitter, which yields a sharp, pungent, and earthy flavor. These fermented black beans are used as a seasoning in a wide variety of Chinese recipes. They can be turned into black bean paste or black bean sauce in a bottle that you find at Asian market.
Can I use pre-made black bean sauce in the bottle instead?
Yes. Although I found using the fermented black beans gives more depth to the dish, you can substitute with bottled black bean sauce or paste with a little more amount.
Recipe Tips
- Rinse out the fermented black beans roughly to get rid of access salt and bitterness before using them in this recipe.
- Add a tiny bit of baking soda to the beef when you do a quick marinade. It helps tenderize the meat fast.
- Make sure to prepare all the ingredients first, so they are ready to go before you start cooking. Stir-frying requires a fast cooking action on a high flame. Therefore you can’t pause in the middle of the stir-frying process to get the other ingredients ready.
- Using a Chinese wok is best for stir-frying. If not, use a heavy duty skillet, such as cast iron or carbon steel, with a larger capacity that gives enough room for the stir-frying action without crowding. Non-stick coated skillets are not ideal for stir-frying.
How to make Chinese pepper steak stir-fry
Slice beef steak thinly against the grain and put them in a bowl. Add dark sou sauce, light soy sauce, shaoxing wine, and baking soda. Toss the beef well to coat; Set aside for 5 minuters. Baking soda will tenderize the beef nicely.
Meanwhile mix chicken stock, sugar, shaoxing wine, potato starch (or cornstarch), and sesame oil in a small bowl; set aside.
Rinse the fermented black beans with water once. I like to roughly chop them but that’s an optional. Set it aside.
Heat a wok or skillet over high heat until it smokes. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add beef and stir-fry until beef is almost cooked but not fully. Transfer beef to a plate.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add ginger, garlic, and rinsed black beans and stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
Add onion and pepper slices and continue to stir-fry until they are tender crisp, about 2 minutes.
Return the beef to the wok and pour in the chicken stock. It should thicken the sauce immediately. Serve immediately with rice.
If you like quick stir-fry dishes, here are other recipes that you might like.
Chinese Beef and Pepper Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef ribeye or sirloin steak, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tsp light soy sauce
- 2 tsp shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp oil (peanut oil or grape seed oil), divided
- 1 small green pepper, sliced into 1/2 inch strips
- 1 small red pepper, sliced into 1/2 inch strips
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 tbsp fermented black beans (douchi), or 3 tbsp black bean sauce
For the sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken stock, preferably low sodium
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp potato starch or cornstarch
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- In a shallow bowl, combine beef with soy sauces, rice wine, and baking soda; toss together and set aside.
- Make the sauce; mix chicken stock, sugar, potato starch (or cornstarch), shaoxing wine, and sesame oil in a small bowl; set aside.
- Rinse the fermented black beans with water once. I like to roughly chop them but that's an optional. Set it aside.
- Heat a wok or skillet over high heat until it smokes. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add beef steak slices and stir-fry until beef is almost cooked but not fully. Transfer beef to a plate.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add ginger, garlic, and rinsed black beans and stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add onion and pepper slices and continue to stir-fry until they are tender crisp, about 2 minutes.
- Return the beef to the wok and pour in the chicken stock. It should thicken the sauce immediately.
This is the second thing I’ve made from your recipes, and wowza that was delicious. Thanks!
White or sweet onion?
Either one works fine
Thank You Holly,
this has become a standard in my kitchen. It’s so easy and fast to make, doesn’t need any fancy ingredients and is so delicious. I do use whole fermented black beans however instead of the sauce.
Just to get a little more control over the amount of sugar and msg this contains 🙂
That’s great, Andreas. Fermented black beans will make so much better in taste and health. So happy to hear that you liked this dish.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious, although a bit salty, probably because of the broth I used. All in all, a great, easy recipe. Thanks!
Great to hear that you liked it. Yes, you will need to use low-sodium stock for this stir-fry since black bean sauce in a bottle is quite salty. Hope you can try again.
I made this tonight using just Costco stir fry veggies and the taste was great, but just a bit too salty. I think I either need to add more veggies next time (to spread out the sauce more) or maybe reduce the shoyu or black bean sauce a tad. Very helpful recipe though!
Thanks for this!!! The cornstarch, shaoxing rice wine and sesame oil and sugar combo on the side was genius- makes it really authentic! Thanks Hols!
I wonder, what do you think about the fermented black beans, with ginger? (see this: http://preview.tinyurl.com/p9k8hbn)
If you can get the fermented black beans, it would be even better. Soak the beans in the water to soften, then add to the stir-fry. Yum~!
You’ve inspired me! I am going to make this for my husband when he comes back next week. He is going to love it! You are a genius!
Hi……tried this recipe last week………it is AWESOME. By far the best one we have tried. Thank you soooo much for posting it.
I love this recipe! I have varied the protein and veggies to whatever I have on hand and it always turns out delicious! Such a keeper!
Luvin’ this recipe! Could never get it right.
I had the same question as the black bean paste for jajjangmyeon… is the black bean sauce that you picture, liquidy? i’m guessing we would need to use less black bean paste than the 3 tablespoons of black bean sauce and maybe more liquid? Black bean paste is super thick and concentrated? Will have to play with it and see…. sounds delicious!
This looks tasty. Yum.
Could one use the black bean paste for jajjangmyeon as a substitute?
Give it a try. I think it will work.
I was about to go to bed and your email came in… of course I had to jump over to see what you cooked. OMG now I’m so hungry I can’t sleep… 😀 Look at the steam! Perfect shot Holly! I feel like I need to make this this week! YUM!
That looks great!
I love this dish! I usually make it with pork instead of beef, but beef is wonderful too. I always have the fermented black beans on hand – one of my staples. Great post – thanks.