This sha cha beef recipe combines seasoned sirloin steak, spicy sha cha sauce, and bold flavors to create a beef dish that explodes with flavor in each and every bite.
What is Sha Cha Beef?
If you've never had sha cha beef, then you're in for a treat. If you love a great beef stir fry with bold flavors and tender steak, then you need this recipe in your life.
This Chinese dish is native to the Gansu province of China and is made with tender strips of beef and sha cha sauce. The traditional sauce is made from chilies, a type of Chinese fish, shrimp paste, garlic, and shallots. It sometimes goes by the name Chinese barbecue sauce.
It's one of our favorites and I suspect will be one of your favorites too. Our homemade sha cha sauce or Chinese bbq sauce will knock your socks off! It's that tasty!
This was inspired by my Asian-inspired beef roast recipe on Kitchen Divas and pairs well with this amazing chicken fried rice recipe and a batch of air fryer egg rolls.
Are you looking for something to take this meal to the next level? A side dish would do the trick. Check out What to Serve With Jambalaya for the perfect ideas.
Ingredients
This recipe uses basic ingredients that you can easily find at your local grocery store. Even the powdered shrimp should be easy to find.
- Beef: I prefer using sirloin steak which works perfectly for a thinly sliced, tender steak for this dish. You can also use round steak or flank steak.
- Smoked paprika: Gives a slightly smoky flavor to the beef.
- Veggies: Green onion stalks, shallots, carrots, and cabbage are added to the beef stir fry.
- Red chile peppers: Used in the Chinese bbq sauce to add some spiciness.
- Aromatics: Shallot, garlic cloves, and ginger root.
- Powdered shrimp: An authentic ingredient used to make sha cha sauce.
- Soy sauce and rice wine vinegar: Simple pantry staples used in much Asian cooking.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact quantities.
How to Make Sha Cha Beef
This recipe made have complex flavors, but making it is anything but complicated. It's a simple recipe that comes together easily.
Step 1: Prep
Allow the sirloin steak to come to room temperature while you prep the vegetables.
Roughly chop the seeded red chile peppers, shallot, cloves, and ginger. Peel the carrots and cut them into thin 1 to 2-inch sections. Cut the green onions at an angle into 1 to 2-inch sections.
Trim the fat from the sirloin and cut it into 1 ½-inch-wide sections, then thinly slice each section into ¼-inch thick pieces.
Step 2: Make the Chinese BBQ Sauce
Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When hot add the chopped red chile peppers, shallot, garlic, and ginger.
Cook for 5 minutes, then transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend into a paste.
Return the paste to the pan and add the powdered shrimp, rice wine vinegar, flour, and sugar. Stir and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Whisk and set aside.
Step 3: Cook the Steak
Add the prepared steak to a bowl and toss it with vegetable oil, cornstarch, black pepper, salt, and smoked paprika.
Next, add oil to a wok and heat over medium-high heat. Cook beef slices for 1 minute per side, then remove the beef from the wok and set aside.
Step 4: Cook the Vegetables
Add the green onions, carrot, cabbage, and shallot to the wok and stir fry for 3 minutes.
Step 5: Finish the Dish
Add the beef or sirloin back to the wok. Followed by the mixed sauce.
Toos to coat the meat and veggies with the sauce. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes on low heat. Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. Serve on a bed of rice. Enjoy!
Hint: It's important to let the steak come to room temperature for even cooking.
Substitutions
Don't have the correct ingredients on hand or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this spicy beef stir fry recipe.
- Oil: You can use any oil with a high smoke point for this recipe including peanut oil.
- Use store-bought Sha Cha Sauce: A great way to save some time when you're making this recipe.
- Swap the Sha Cha Sauce: Use XO Sauce, a spicy seafood sauce that works as a replacement for homemade sauce if you want to save some time.
Variations
Want to personalize this beef sha cha recipe? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing up this recipe.
- Extra Spicy: If you love heat, leave the seeds in the chile peppers. That's where most of the heat is or add your favorite hot sauce, hot pepper powder or sriracha sauce.
- Favorite Asian Vegetables: Try adding baby corn, bok choy, chinese broccoli or bamboo shoots to this dish.
- Chicken or Pork: You can make this dish with chicken or pork as well.
- Add Cilantro: As a garnish, it adds wonderful flavor.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy this steak or chicken and peppers stir fry.
Equipment
It only takes a few simple pieces of kitchen equipment to make this recipe.
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wok
- Spatula or wooden spoon
- Knife
- Cutting board
Storage
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: For longer storage, you can freeze it in an air-tight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Return the cooked beef and veggies to a wok over medium-high and cook until heated through about 6-8 minutes.
Tips
This is actually a very simple recipe despite how it looks. Even so, I have some tips to help you make it as easy as possible and as delicious as it can be.
- Always bring your steak to room temperature for even cooking.
- Unless you really love heat, remove the seeds from the chile peppers. That's where most of the heat is found.
- Don't overcook your beef. If you cook it longer than specified, it will get tough.
FAQ
Do you have questions about making this recipe? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about this Chinese beef sha cha recipe.
It's delicious when served over white rice or fried rice. You can also add egg rolls and any other favorite Chinese dishes for a full Chinese meal.
Tender, juicy steak with vegetables is cooked in savory, slightly spicy sauce.
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Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Sha Cha Beef
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 lb sirloin steak
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil divided
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3 green onion stalks
- 1 medium shallot
- 2 carrots
- 1 cup chopped cabbage
Chinese BBQ Sauce
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 red chile peppers
- 1 medium shallot
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 ginger root peeled
- 1 tablespoon powdered shrimp
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon sugar
Garnish
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- toasted sesame seeds
- green onions chopped
Instructions
- Allow sirloin to come to room temperature while the sauce is prepared.
- Prepare Sha Cha Sauce. Add vegetable oil to a saucepan over medium heat.
- Roughly chop the red chili peppers, shallot, garlic cloves, and ginger. **remove most or all of the seeds from the red chile peppers before chopping. The seeds hold the most spice so do this depending on personal preference.**
- Add the chopped red chile peppers, shallot, garlic, and ginger to the saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and blend into a paste. Return to the pan. Add the powdered shrimp, rice wine vinegar, flour, and sugar. Stir and bring to a boil. Lower heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. Whisk and set aside.
- Peel carrots, then cut into thin 1-2” sections. Cut the green onions at an angle into 1-2” sections.
- Trim the fat from the sirloin and cut into 1 ½” wide sections, then slice each section into ¼” thick pieces. Add to a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoon vegetable oil, cornstarch, black pepper, salt, and smoked paprika.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok.
- Add sirloin and cook for 1 minute per side. Remove from the wok and set aside.
- Add the green onions, carrot, cabbage, and shallot to the wok. Stir fry for 3 minutes.
- Add the sirloin back to the wok. Pour in the sha cha sauce and toss to coat. Cook for 5-10 minutes on low heat.
- Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds and enjoy!
Notes
- Always bring your steak to room temperature for even cooking.
- Unless you really love heat, remove the seeds from the chile peppers. That's where most of the heat is.
- Don't overcook your beef. If you cook it longer than specified, it will get tough.
Sammy
Exceptional dish We served it last night for company and wished we doubled the recipe Excellent flavors Loved by all Will definitely make again Thx
Karin and Ken
Glad to hear you all enjoyed it. We can’t get enough of it either! Hopefully you find some other recipes on this site that you enjoy just as much! All the best. Karin