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    Home / Dinner / Water-Boiled Beef

    Water-Boiled Beef

    Tender beef slices poached in a chile-red broth over crisp greens, finished with a sizzle of hot oil, garlic, and crushed peppercorns.

    ⏱ 25 minPrep time
    🔥 20 minCook time
    🍽 4Servings
    🏷 DinnerCategory
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    Water-boiled beef is a misnomer in the best possible way: the meat is poached in a fiercely seasoned chili broth, not plain water. It comes from the roadside kitchens of Sichuan, where cooks learned to make humble beef taste extraordinary, and it has become one of the province’s most famous dishes. Every serious Sichuan restaurant lists it near the top of the menu, and the name is a wink, because the bowl that arrives is anything but plain.

    Tender beef in a broth that announces itself

    The beef is velveted with cornstarch and egg white so it stays impossibly tender, and it is served over a bed of crisp greens that soak up the spicy broth. A final pour of sizzling oil over chilies and peppercorns sends a cloud of fragrance through the whole room. Scoop the beef out with a slotted spoon over rice, then pour the broth over the greens, and you have a weeknight dinner that feels like a feast.

    Craving more? Explore all Sichuan Kitchen recipes.

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    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Toss the beef with the egg white, cornstarch, wine, and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Let it marinate for 15 minutes.
    2. Blanch the bok choy in boiling water for 1 minute, drain, and arrange it in a deep serving bowl.
    3. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the doubanjiang, ginger, and half the garlic, and cook until the oil turns red, about 2 minutes.
    4. Pour in the stock and the remaining 1 tbsp soy sauce and the sugar, and bring to a simmer.
    5. Add the beef slices one at a time, keeping the broth at a gentle simmer, and cook until just opaque, about 1 minute. Do not boil hard.
    6. Pour the beef and broth over the bok choy, then scatter the remaining garlic, dried chilies, and peppercorns on top.
    7. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil until smoking and pour it over the chilies and peppercorns. It should hiss and crackle on contact.
    8. Serve immediately from the bowl.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Freeze the beef for 20 minutes before slicing so it cuts into thin, even slices without tearing. The sizzling oil at the end is not optional; it is what wakes up the chilies and makes the dish.

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    Recipe details

    Prep25 min
    Cook20 min
    Servings4
    CategoryDinner
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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