This beef asparagus stir-fry recipe is a twist on the classic Sichuan stir-fry minced pork with green beans. The green beans are substituted with asparagus, and ground beef is used instead of pork. The result is a delicious, savory dish perfect for a quick and easy dinner. Give it a try, and you won’t be disappointed!

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Beef asparagus stir-fry, step-by-step instructions

To prepare the asparagus:

1. Cut off about 3cm from the bottom of each spear.
2. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough, stringy exterior from the bottom half of the spears until you reach the tender interior.
3. Lay the asparagus flat on a surface to make it easier to handle and avoid accidentally breaking the spears.

Blanch the asparagus:

Blanching before stir-frying has several benefits, including reducing the stir-fry time and better control of the doneness. Here are the steps to follow for blanching the asparagus:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Once the water is boiling, add the asparagus and turn the heat to high to bring the water back to boil as soon as possible.
3. Blanch the asparagus for one minute or until the interior becomes semi-transparent. (Actual time depends on the size of the asparagus). At this point, the asparagus is nearly cooked.
4. Immediately transfer the asparagus to a bowl of cold water to cool it down and stop the cooking process. This step helps the asparagus retain its vibrant color and crunchiness.
5. Drain the cold asparagus with a colander and set aside.

Dry fry the ground beef

Dry-frying, or ‘gan bian’ (干扁) in Chinese, is a popular cooking technique in Sichuan cuisine. It involves frying ground meat with little oil (or no oil if using a non-stick skillet) over low heat. This method falls somewhere between stir-frying and toasting and is meant to bring out the flavor of the meat.

1. Heat a large skillet with oil (or no oil if using a non-stick pan).
2. Once the skillet is hot, add the ground beef and cook it over low heat. 
3. While cooking, include a tablespoon of chopped garlic or minced garlic. Asparagus stir-fry tastes excellent when mixed with minced or chopped garlic.
4. Season the beef with Lao Gan Ma (a popular brand of Sichuan chili oil), salt, light soy sauce,  and oyster sauce. 
5. Continue to fry the meat until it becomes fragrant and toasted. Once done, remove from the skillet and set aside. (It takes about five to six minutes over low heat.)

Stir-fry the asparagus

After blanching the asparagus, the stir-frying process is not meant to cook it but to enhance its flavor and allow the ground beef to stick to it. Prolonged stir-frying can lead to overcooked asparagus, resulting in a loss of its bright green color. 

1. Add the drained asparagus to the ground beef in the pan and increase the heat. 
2. Stir-fry for twenty to thirty seconds over medium-high heat. 
3. Dish out. Serve the asparagus with plain rice or brown rice.

Cooks tips:

1. To keep this recipe simple yet delicious, I have omitted some ingredients such as sesame seeds, water chestnuts, red bell peppers, and shiitake mushrooms, which you might find in other recipes. 
2. Always use fresh asparagus. Frozen asparagus tastes awful, as stir-frying and blanching are simple cooking processes.
3. Add sesame oil and Shaoxing wine to season the ground beef if you like its taste.
4. I don’t use red pepper flakes, but I increase the amount of Lao Gan Ma to make it spicier. 
5. I cook using the Sichuan method, keeping the ingredients as dry as possible and slowly adding the wet seasoning to keep the ground meat dry and toasted. There’s no need to add cornstarch slurry to thicken the gravy.
6. Lao Gan Ma is a famous Sichuan chili oil brand easily found in many Asian grocery stores worldwide.
7. For this recipe, I recommend using ground beef because it adheres to the surface of the asparagus. This allows you to enjoy the meat and the asparagus flavor in every bite. Ground beef is also suitable to “dry-fry” to bring out the taste. However, if you prefer sliced beef, I suggest using flank steak, rump steak, or any other cut you choose. Just slice the beef thinly against the grain before stir-frying.

Other related asparagus stir-fry and beef recipes

• Shrimp and asparagus stir-fry
• Pan-seared scallops with asparagus
• Ground beef rice (Hong Kong style)
• Beef rendang recipe

Best dishes to serve with this recipe

The beef and asparagus stir-fry is best served with plain rice. It can also be reduced in portions to become a side dish for other main dishes. 

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Beef asparagus stir-fry

Yield: 2 portions

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Best spicy Sichuan-style beef asparagus stir-fry. Easy to prepare. This recipe offers a unique twist on asparagus.

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Ingredients

• 300g asparagus
• 150g ground beef
• 2 tbsp chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp Lau Gan Ma chili oil
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Cut off about 3cm from the bottom of each spear.
2. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough, stringy exterior from the bottom half of the spears.
3. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the asparagus.
4. Blanch the asparagus for one minute or until the interior becomes semi-transparent. 
5. Transfer the asparagus to a bowl of cold water to cool it down and stop the cooking process. Drain with a colander and set aside.
6. Heat a large skillet. Add the ground beef and cook it over low heat. 
7. While cooking, include a tablespoon of chopped garlic or minced garlic
8. Season the beef with Sichuan chili oil), salt, light soy sauce, and oyster sauce. 
9. Continue to fry the meat until it becomes fragrant and toasted. Once done, remove from the skillet and set aside. 
10. Add the drained asparagus to the ground beef in the pan and increase the heat. 
11. Stir-fry for twenty to thirty seconds over medium-high heat. 
12. Dish out to serve

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 377Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 1172mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 25g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 5/1/2024