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Meat, East Asian

Sichuan boiled beef with rice

Sichuan boiled beef, or shui zhu niu rou, is a Chinese dish for 4 people ready in 45 minutes, medium difficulty, for €3.90 per serving. Thin beef slices poach in a red broth made with doubanjiang, then get topped with sizzling oil infused with chili and Sichuan pepper. The key to success is slicing the beef very thin and pouring the oil while it's still blazing hot right before serving.

Tonight it's shui zhu niu rou, beef poached in a red broth that tingles your tongue, a classic Sichuan dish for spice lovers.

Sichuan boiled beef with rice
Total time
45 min
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.90
Calories per person
640 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall

Under a layer of red oil still steaming, the beef in shui zhu niu rou stays silky, almost melting, thanks to the cornstarch coating it before cooking. The doubanjiang broth carries a deep heat, not just spicy but complex, while the Sichuan pepper adds that signature tingling numbness on your tongue. The cabbage and celery, barely cooked, stay crunchy under the meat.

This is a dish for a night when you want bold flavors and a dinner that breaks from routine, best shared among adults or spice lovers. Mon Chou walks you through this restaurant style Chinese recipe step by step, with no ingredient impossible to find. Plan for a quiet Sunday or an evening when you have time to prep the beef properly.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Sirloin steak 500 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Napa cabbage or green cabbage 300 g
  • Celery stalks 2 stalks
  • Garlic 6 cloves

Pantry

  • Doubanjiang (chili bean paste) 2 tbsp
  • Dried chilies 8
  • Sichuan peppercorns 1 tbsp
  • Cornstarchoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Frying oiloften in the pantry 10 cl
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 2 tbsp

Allergens Soy, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Slice the beef very thin, mix it with the cornstarch, a tablespoon of soy sauce, and a bit of water. 10 min

    Freeze the meat for 30 minutes, it slices more easily into thin pieces.

  2. Fry the doubanjiang in a pot with a bit of oil, add the garlic, and pour in a liter of water. 5 min

    Fry the paste well so it releases its aromas.

  3. Cook the cabbage and celery in this broth, lift them out with a slotted spoon and place them at the bottom of a large bowl. 8 min

    The vegetables barely cook, they should stay crunchy.

  4. Drop the beef into the simmering broth, stir to separate the slices, let it cook for one minute, then pour it over the vegetables. 3 min

    Take it out as soon as it changes color, it keeps cooking in the bowl.

  5. Heat the frying oil with the dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns, then pour it over the meat, and cook the rice on the side. 11 min

    The smoking oil makes the spices sizzle, protect yourself from splatters.

Our tips to get it right

  • Cut the beef against the grain, the slices stay tender even after cooking in the hot broth.
  • Taste the doubanjiang before adding more, some brands are saltier or spicier than others.
  • Pour the hot oil over the meat in several passes instead of all at once, the spice aromas spread more evenly.

The variations

  • Swap the sirloin steak for thinly sliced pork or peeled shrimp for a different protein while keeping the same technique.
  • For a vegetarian version, use shiitake mushrooms and sliced firm tofu instead of beef.
  • To save time, skip the cornstarch step and poach thin beef slices already cut by your butcher.

What to serve it with

  • Plain white rice
  • Crisp cucumber starter
  • Light green tea to cool the heat

Storage

The beef and broth keep for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container, but the flavored oil quickly loses its crunch. Reheat gently in a pot without boiling, so the meat doesn't toughen. Freezing isn't recommended, the beef's texture would suffer.

Questions about this dish

Can you replace doubanjiang with something else?

A fermented chili paste like sambal mixed with a bit of miso can work in a pinch, but the flavor will be less deep. Doubanjiang is really the ingredient that gives this dish its identity.

How do you get tender beef in this dish?

Slice the meat very thin against the grain and coat it in cornstarch before poaching it briefly. It should just change color in the broth, the cooking finishes once it's in the hot bowl.

Can you make this dish ahead of time?

You can prepare the broth and chop the vegetables the day before, then reheat them at mealtime. Slice and cook the beef at the last minute, and pour the hot oil right before serving.

Is this dish kid friendly?

This dish is really made for adults because of the chili and the numbing Sichuan pepper. For kids sensitive to spice, serve them the beef and vegetables separately, without the spicy oil.

How long does it take to make a Sichuan boiled beef with rice?

Count 45 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a Sichuan boiled beef with rice?

About 640 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Sichuan boiled beef with rice cost?

About €3.90 per serving, or €15.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains soy, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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