Sizchuan Beef Jerky for Spice-Lovers (Numbing and Spicy)

You can’t talk about Chinese food without mentioning Szechuan cuisine. It’s easily one of the most representative Chinese cuisines there is, offering all sorts of bold and spicy flavors. If you’re a fan of spicy foods, then you’ll find Szechuan food particularly appealing indeed. Today I’ll be sharing a recipe for making Szechuan beef jerky for spice-lovers – it’s numbing and spicy, but oh so delicious as well. You’ll be making your own homemade Szechuan style marinade out of tasty ingredients, including red chiles, white wine, and Szechuan peppercorns. As a lover of spicy foods myself, I don’t think I’ve ever had beef jerky that tastes this yummy!

Some Like It Hot

Making your own homemade beef jerky is actually surprisingly easy when you have the right recipe. Most of the time it’s a simple matter of preparing a marinade mixture with your desired ingredients, marinating your beef overnight in it, and then carefully cooking it into tasty beef jerky strips. Whenever I make beef jerky, I make sure to use grass-fed cuts of beef. And while I can usually find quality cuts of meat locally, lately I’ve been a big fan of just ordering a box of beef from ButcherBox. They send me a monthly shipment of high quality grass-fed beef at an incredibly affordable price. Their pork and chicken is fantastic too – I highly recommend giving them a try!

As far as making the Szechuan marinade mix goes, it’s incredibly straightforward as well. You’re going to be using two tablespoons of crushed Szechuan peppercorns to begin with. If you’ve never tried Szechuan peppercorn, it’s an incredibly fragrant spice that’s quite similar to lavender. As soon as you take your first bite of it though, it won’t be long until your mouth is numb and tingling! Aside from using the peppercorn, making this homemade marinade is actually quite similar to preparing a teriyaki sauce. You’ll be adding ½ cup of soy sauce, and a single tablespoon each of brown sugar and ground ginger.

In order to add even more flavor to your marinade, you’ll also be mixing in just a bit of white wine – ½ cup to be exact. While red wine is well known to provide some cardiovascular benefits, studies have also found that white wine in moderation may be beneficial when it comes to helping with weight loss efforts. (1) And speaking of ingredients that are beneficial for weight loss, you’ll also need to add in 6-7 dried red chiles. The main active compound in chiles is known as capsaicin, which provides a wide range of great health benefits. It’s known to relieve pain caused by inflammation while also providing some fantastic anti-obesity potential. (2)

This recipe also calls for a single tablespoon of garlic powder. I’ve written countless times elsewhere on this site about how much I love using garlic for cooking and this beef jerky recipe is no exception. It’s just such an incredibly versatile ingredient. While most people mainly associate garlic with it’s immune boosting properties, it provides far more benefits than just that. It’s a fantastic food for keeping your entire cardiovascular system healthy as it helps to lower both blood pressure and cholesterol. (3)

After combining all of your marinade ingredients in a small bowl, you can leave your beef in it for a minimum of eight hours. I usually prepare it all in the evening and then let it marinate in the fridge overnight. Follow the cooking directions listed in the recipe steps down below and you’ll be all set to enjoy what just might be the spiciest beef jerky you’ll ever try!

More Homemade Beef Jerky Recipes:

Authentic Gourmet Teriyaki Beef Jerky Recipe
Homemade Sheet Pan Black Pepper Beef Jerky
Best Simple Beef Jerky Recipe
How to Make The Best 5-Ingredient Beef Jerky at Home
Gourmet Wine-Infused Homemade Beef Jerky Recipe
Easy Homemade Beef Jerky Marinade
The Best Grass-Fed Beef Jerky Recipe Ever (Try this!)

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