Skinnymixer’s Beef & Black Bean Stir Fry features in the Takeaway section of the SkinnyAsia 2 cookbook.

This one has been highly requested by the Skinnymixers Community for years.

Beef in Black Bean Sauce is a Chinese takeaway classic, so naturally we had to create our own Beef & Black Bean Stir Fry for SkinnyAsia 2.

Tender slices of beef are combined with capsicum, onion and spring onion in a rich, savoury and glossy black bean sauce flavoured with plenty of garlic and ginger.

Our recipe uses fermented salted black beans, also known as Douchi, just like Betty’s much-loved Yum Cha Black Bean Pork from the original SkinnyAsia.

If you’ve never bought fermented black beans before, don’t worry. You can find them at an Asian supermarket (see pic below). Alternatively, we’ve provided instructions to use AYAM Black Bean sauce which is widely available at Coles or Woolworths. The AYAM Black Bean sauce is gluten-free and safe for celiacs.

Methods: Thermo cooker + Conventional
Bonus method: Slow Cooker

What is Beef in Black Bean Sauce?

Beef in Black Bean Sauce is a popular Chinese stir fry combining tender beef and vegetables with a deeply savoury sauce flavoured with fermented black soybeans.

Our version combines thinly sliced rump or sirloin with:

Fermented salted black beans – If you need Gluten-free or don’t have access to an Asian supermarket, you can buy AYAM Black Bean Sauce from Coles or Woolworths. See our Tips for Cooking Gluten-Free Asian Food.
Garlic
Fresh ginger
Red and green capsicum
Brown onion
Spring onion
Soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos
Oyster sauce – (gluten-free if required) or you can make your own Vegetarian Oyster Sauce.
Chinese cooking wine or Dry Sherry (gluten-free)
Sesame oil

Everything comes together in a glossy sauce that’s perfect spooned over steamed rice.

What are Fermented Salted Black Beans?

If you’ve never cooked with them before, fermented salted black beans are not the same as regular canned black beans.

Also known as Douchi, they’re black soybeans that have been salted and fermented, giving them an intensely savoury, salty and umami flavour.

We rinse them before using and then chop or mash them so their flavour works its way through the sauce. If you are using canned fermented salted black beans, follow the tip in the recipe to double the amount.

Where Do I Find Fermented Black Beans?

You’ll generally find fermented salted black beans at Asian supermarkets or grocers.

And if you can’t find them, you can use Ayam Black Bean Sauce, which is readily available at Australian supermarkets. Start with the quantity specified in the recipe and add more at the end if you’d like a stronger black bean flavour.

The Secret to Tender Stir-Fried Beef

Start by slicing your rump or sirloin very thinly against the grain.

The beef is then tossed with cornflour, soy sauce and sesame oil before cooking.

For the conventional method, make sure your wok or sauté pan is properly hot. The beef only needs a very quick initial stir fry before being removed from the pan.

Wok or Thermo Cooker?

We’ve included both.

If you love a traditional stir fry, the conventional wok method is incredibly fast, with the beef and vegetables cooked quickly over high heat.

The Thermo cooker method does the chopping and cooking for you, with the beef added towards the end and cooked until the sauce becomes thick and glossy.

Either way, you’ve got Beef & Black Bean Stir Fry without ordering takeaway.

Can I Make Beef & Black Bean in the Slow Cooker?

Yes, and we’ve adapted the meat to suit the longer cooking time.

For the Slow Cooker variation, swap the rump or sirloin for 1 kg diced gravy beef.

After sautéing the aromatics, black beans and onion, everything is transferred to the slow cooker and cooked for 6–8 hours, with the remaining vegetables added towards the end.

Dietary & Recipe Variations

ALCOHOL FREE
Replace the Chinese cooking wine with water and a small amount of Chicken Stock Concentrate.

SEAFOOD FREE
Use Vegetarian Oyster Sauce. You can buy one from the supermarket or make our dietary-friendly version from the website.

LOW CARB
We’ve included alternatives for the cornflour and sugar, along with our Vegetarian Oyster Sauce.

SUPER SKINNY
Halve the sesame oil.

VEGETARIAN
Replace the beef with sliced oyster mushrooms and pan-fried tofu and use Vegetarian Oyster Sauce.

LOW FODMAP
Omit the garlic and use garlic-infused olive oil. Replace the brown onion with the green part of leek and use only the green part of spring onion, along with compliant sauces.

HALVED / DOUBLED
The recipe can be halved in the Thermo cooker with a couple of small adjustments. For a double batch, use the conventional or Slow Cooker method.

What to Serve with Beef & Black Bean Stir Fry

Keep it simple and serve your Beef & Black Bean Stir Fry over steamed jasmine rice.

Finish with:

Thinly sliced spring onion
Toasted sesame seeds

For a lower-carb option, serve it over cauliflower rice instead.

And make sure you spoon plenty of that glossy black bean sauce over the rice.

Get the Recipe

The complete Beef & Black Bean Stir Fry recipe, including Thermo cooker, conventional and Slow Cooker methods, ingredient substitutions and dietary variations is available in SkinnyAsia 2.

From the Testing Team

Angie G. – Absolutely love this stir fry !! I usually buy salted black beans in 180g cans from local Asian grocer instead of large bags. Made for dinner tonight and absolutely loved it Soo full of flavour, beef was nice & tender and that sauce tasted spot on !! Yumm This stirfry tasted a lot better than the ones from takeaway shops. Another delicious recipe added to the top of my favorites list. I used 60g of canned fermented salted black beans that I usually buy from the Asian grocery shop, and will continue to use them in this dish
Deb D. – Lots of flavour and very very rich. Will be a favorite.
Lauren H. – Omg…… I haven’t had black bean stir fry in forever and this would have to be the best one I have ever had. Everyone licked their plates clean. Wow what a dish
Julie H. – Bloody awesome Winner Winner . I used the sauce but will try the beans next time
Amanda E. – This has been highly anticipated in our house So yum!! Hubby approved!!! Next time I’ll add an additional 30gms of beans without blitzing them.
Nicole K. – Had bought some black beans at the Asian grocer last holiday down on the coast since we don’t have anything locally available. Cooked conventional method in wok but used the TM to do the initial blitzing. Messed up a bit and had added the black beans, ginger, and garlic with the meat instead of the veg but turned out awesome. Felt this was perfectly seasoned. Absolutely no complaints from anyone. Win. Haha. Can defintely see the beans/ginger/garlic and sauce being frozen for an easy throw together dinner. Not a dish I typically order when eating Chinese but this was really nice!
Susan R. – Very tasty stir fry. I was disappointed not to be able to get GF fermented black beans but it was delicious with the Ayam sauce. I tried online and I have 4 Asian shops nearby and they all say contain Wheat! Easy to make and 6 good serves.
Lauren J. – The fussy child who hates capsicum said he wants to eat this every night. Cooked in the wok and was exceptional.. have been asked to make it again really soon.
Rita W. – I had mixed feelings before making this because this was the dish Dad always ordered growing up when we got Chinese takeaway. I was sad that I couldn’t make it for him. I made it in his honour – it was quick and easy – I think it’ll be a winner with people. I bought a pack of three capsicums and added some of the yellow to the red and green to make up the weight. The ginger in it was lovely.

Some other Thermomix Stir Fry recipes you might love:

Want to know more about SkinnyAsia 2 cookbook?

SkinnyAsia 2 is a collection of Thermomix & Conventional cooking recipes. All of our cookbooks have a strong focus on Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Egg Free, Low Carb, Paleo, Vegetarian and Low FODMAP.

We cover a wide range of dietary variations in the cookbook – LC: Low Carb, GF: Gluten-free, DF: Dairy-free, LM: Low Fodmap, SS: Super Skinny, V: Vegetarian

Are fermented black beans the same as canned black beans?

No. Fermented salted black beans (Douchi) are fermented black soybeans with an intensely salty, savoury flavour and are used as a seasoning in Chinese cooking. Regular canned black beans aren’t a suitable direct substitute for this recipe.

What can I use if I can’t find fermented salted black beans?

We’ve included an easy supermarket option. Use Ayam Black Bean Sauce in place of the fermented salted black beans, then taste at the end and add a little more if you’d like a stronger black bean flavour.

SkinnyAsia2: Beef & Black Bean Stir Fry