Spicy Szechuan Beef and Green Bean Stir-Fry with Candied Peanuts

Forget takeout: the path to sweet-spicy-savory dinner bliss is as simple as breaking out a frying pan! In this recipe, ground beef and green beans are coated in a tantalizing Szechuan-style sauce and peanuts are transformed into the perfect crunchy topping. Everything comes together over a bed of steamy rice mixed with warm, sizzly ginger-in just 30 minutes!

The results? A symphony of flavors and textures so delicious, you might just lick the plate-no judgments here.

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Ingredients

6 ounce Green BeansView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.75 cup Jasmine RiceView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

10 ounce Ground BeefView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

4 tablespoon Sweet Soy GlazeView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Szechuan PasteView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit ScallionsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 thumb GingerView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 ounce PeanutsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon (tsp) SugarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon (tsp) Cooking OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) Black PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon (tbsp) ButterView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Wash and dry produce. Peel and mince or grate ginger. Trim green beans if necessary; cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.
2. Melt 1 TBSP butter in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add half the ginger; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in rice, 1¼ cups water and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
3. While rice cooks, in a medium microwave-safe bowl, add green beans and a splash of water; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave until tender, 1-2 minutes. Drain.
4. Heat a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Add peanuts, 1 tsp sugar and 2 TBSP water. Cook, stirring, until water has evaporated and peanuts are coated and lightly toasted, 3-5 minutes. Turn off heat; transfer to a small bowl. Wash out pan.
5. Heat a large drizzle of oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned, 4-6 minutes (it will finish cooking in the next step).
6. Stir green beans, scallion whites, remaining ginger and 1 tsp sugar into the pan with beef. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until ginger is fragrant and beef is cooked through, 1-2 minutes. If scallions begin to brown too quickly, reduce heat to medium low. Stir in Szechuan paste, sweet soy glaze and ¼ cup water. Cook, stirring, until everything is thoroughly coated, 1-2 minutes more. Turn off heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.
7. Fluff rice with a fork and season with salt and pepper. Divide rice between bowls; top with stir-fry. Sprinkle with scallion greens and candied peanuts.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use ground pork or chicken instead of beef?

Yes, ground pork or chicken works well in this stir-fry. Adjust cooking time as needed to ensure it’s fully cooked.

What can I substitute for sweet soy glaze?

You can mix 3 tablespoons soy sauce with 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey to approximate the sweet soy glaze.

Is this dish very spicy?

The Szechuan paste adds moderate heat. For a milder version, use only 1 tablespoon of paste or omit it and add a pinch of red pepper flakes to taste.