Sizzlin’ Spicy Szechuan Stir-Fry

This Sizzlin’ Spicy Szechuan Stir-Fry is quick and easy to make with beef, chicken, shrimp or tofu. Feel free to make it as spicy or mild as you prefer!

This weekend marks six months since we packed up our lives and moved across the ocean to Barcelona. And I’ve gotta say, it has been a freaking blast getting to spend time soaking up this culinary mecca of the world. You know, fangirling over all of the famous chefs here, seeing our familiar streets casually pop up regularly on “Chef’s Table”, cooking up a storm in the kitchen with our local friends, learning our way around the Spanish wine section, and — of course — tapas-ing our hearts out. But that said, there is still one major thing I miss when we’re eating out here:

SPICY FOOD.

Guys, it basically doesn’t exist here. Like, truly. I happened to spy a bag of wasabi peas at our spice store the other day, and came home grinning and waving them above my head like a trophy. And then I took a bite and — sure enough — Spain has somehow managed to make freaking wasabi peas 100% mild. Amazing. ?

Hakuna matata, though. I’ve made my peace with the fact that spicy food is just going to have to happen for us en casa here. Hence, the nice kick in this delicious sizzlin’ Szechuan stir-fry. It’s made with the most delicious homemade Szechuan sauce, which I like to amp up with extra chiles to satisfy those spicy cravings. But don’t worry, you are welcome to make yours as mild or spicy as you’d like. And as always with my stir-fry recipes, feel free to customize yours with whichever proteins or veggies sound good.

Let’s get to sizzlin’!

Spicy Szechucan Stir-Fry Recipe | 1-Minute Video

Spicy Szechuan Stir-Fry Ingredients:

To make this stir-fry, you’ll need the follow ingredients:

• Szechuan Sauce: Specifically, this one. It’s quick and easy to whip up, and perfectly balanced with all things sweet, savory and spicy. Feel free to add in your desired amount of crushed red pepper flakes to taste. (Or you can play it safe, and just sprinkle them on your individual portion upon serving.)
• Protein: I went with steak here, but any protein will do. Beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, or tofu would be delicious. Or, you can go 100% veggies!
• Veggies: Speaking of, any stir-fry-friendly veggies will also work well here. I kept mine simple, and just went with red bell peppers and onions. But broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, carrots, or greens would all be delicious too!
• Toppings: These are totally optional. But feel free to sprinkle on some green onions, toasted sesame seeds, and/or extra crushed red pepper flakes if you would like.
• Rice or Rice Noodles: Also optional, but great for serving.

How To Make This Szechuan Stir-Fry:

This stir-fry goes quickly once you begin cooking. So if you can, I’d try to prep most of your ingredients before you begin to cook. Here’s the how-to:

1. Prepare your Szechuan Sauce: Whisk everything together in a bowl until combined.
2. Stir-fry your protein: Heat your oil in a large sauté pan or wok over high heat, and sauté your protein (in my case, steak) until cooked and tender. Transfer to a clean plate, and set aside.
3. Stir-fry your veggies: Add a bit more oil to the hot pan, and sauté your veggies until cooked yet still slightly crisp. (I don’t like my veggies to be too mushy in a stir-fry.)
4. Combine it all: Add the cooked protein and sauce to the veggie mixture, and toss briefly to combine. Taste, and season with salt and pepper as needed. Then remove from heat and…
5. Serve! With rice, toppings, or whatever sounds good to you.

Or, if you want to use this for make-ahead meal prep for the week ahead, transfer the stir-fry to sealed containers and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

So simple, so satisfying, so spicy (yeah!), and SO GOOD.

Enjoy, everyone!

Sizzlin' Spicy Szechuan Stir-Fry

4.96 from 21 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Makes: 3 -4 servings

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This Sizzlin' Spicy Szechuan Stir-Fry is quick and easy to make with beef, chicken, shrimp or tofu.  Feel free to make it as spicy or mild as you prefer!

Ingredients

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• 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or other high-heat oil), divided
• 1 pound flank steak, thinly-sliced
• 1 medium white onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 batch Szechuan Sauce
• optional toppings: thinly-sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds, extra crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

• ▢
  Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large sauté pan over high heat.
• ▢
  Add steak and sauté for 4-5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until cooked through.  Transfer steak to a clean plate and set aside.
• ▢
  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan, along with the onion and bell pepper.  Sauté for 3-4 minutes, tossing occasionally, until cooked by still slightly crispy.  (I don't like my veggies to be too soft in a stir-fry.)  Add garlic and sauté for 1 more minute, or until fragrant.
• ▢
  Reduce heat to medium.  Add the steak and Szechuan sauce to the veggies, and toss to combine for about 30 seconds, or until the sauce thickens up.
• ▢
  Remove from heat and serve immediately over rice or noodles, sprinkled with your desired toppings.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!