Medium 85 min serves 4 Gluten-free

Shacha Sauce Beef Brisket (沙茶牛腩)

Name: Shacha Sauce Beef Brisket (沙茶牛腩)
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Fujian
Ingredients: beef brisket, 4cm chunks; Shacha sauce (or satay sauce substitute); garlic cloves, minced; ginger, sliced; scallions, cut into 3cm sections; light soy sauce; rock sugar; cooking oil; hot water; green onions, for garnish

沙茶牛腩 · shā chá niú ruǎn

家庭快手版 · Home version: Shacha sauce is a Fujianese chili-garlic-peanut sauce. It's savory, slightly sweet, and deeply aromatic.

Shacha sauce comes from Fujian province and has Southeast Asian influences — it contains dried shrimp, garlic, chili, and peanuts. This beef brisket version is a Fujianese home classic, often served over rice or noodles.

Recipe author: HǎoWèi Test Kitchen

Home-cooking research team

Reviewed by HǎoWèi editorial team · Last updated 2026-08-29

More beef recipes →Spicy

Ingredients

beef brisket, 4cm chunks牛腩块🛒 local600 g
Shacha sauce (or satay sauce substitute)沙茶酱🏮 asian3 tbsp
garlic cloves, minced蒜末🛒 local4 cloves
ginger, sliced姜片🛒 local3 slices
scallions, cut into 3cm sections大葱段🛒 local3 stalks
light soy sauce生抽🏮 asian1 tbsp
rock sugar冰糖🛒 local1 tsp
cooking oil食用油🛒 local2 tbsp
hot water热水🛒 local1 L
green onions, for garnish葱花🛒 local2 stalks

Shacha sauce (or satay sauce substitute): Shacha sauce is available in Asian supermarkets. If unavailable, satay sauce works.

🌶️ Adjust to your taste

Pick a level and we'll show exactly how much to change — no more "适量".

Spice level

Saltiness

Oiliness

Make it vegetarian

Instructions

1Blanch brisket in cold water, skim foam, drain and rinse.
焯水
🔍 Look for
Visual: 灰色浮沫Gray foam
You know it's right when: 水变清Water runs clear
2Heat oil, fry garlic, ginger, and scallion whites until fragrant (30s).
爆香
🔍 Look for Medium heat
Visual: 蒜边微黄Garlic golden at edges
You know it's right when: 香气四溢Aromatic
3Add brisket, stir-fry 3 min. Add Shacha sauce, soy sauce, rock sugar. Stir to coat.
炒香调味
🔍 Look for
Visual: 牛肉裹上红褐色酱汁Beef coated in reddish-brown sauce
You know it's right when: 视觉信号已稳定状态已稳定
4Add hot water. Bring to boil, reduce to low. Cover and simmer 60 min.
炖煮
🔍 Look for Low heat 60 minutes
Visual: 汤汁浓郁飘香Broth is rich and aromatic
You know it's right when: 视觉信号已稳定状态已稳定
5Check tenderness — beef should be fork-tender. Simmer uncovered 10 min to thicken sauce if needed.
收汁
🔍 Look for
Visual: 酱汁浓稠挂肉Sauce thickens and coats meat
You know it's right when: 叉子轻松插入Fork slides in easily
6Garnish with scallion greens. Serve with steamed rice.
出锅

Tips

· Shacha sauce varies by brand — taste and adjust.
· This sauce is great over rice or noodles — the extra sauce is perfect for soaking.
· Add a pinch of sugar if the sauce is too salty.

Sources & references

Quantities, technique notes, and substitution ratios are cross-checked against established Chinese cookery references and standard food-science sources.

Read our editorial policy
Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking
USDA FoodData Central — ingredient nutrition and portion data
Traditional Chinese family-kitchen practice and regional taste records

Common questions

It's too spicy. How do I tone it down?

Add a dairy element (a swirl of yogurt, milk, or a spoon of peanut butter) — dairy fat binds the capsaicin. Sugar or honey also helps balance heat. For next time: remove chili seeds (they hold most heat) or halve the dried chilies and add chili oil at the table instead.

Source: HǎoWèi flavor guide

Why do you cook the aromatics (garlic/ginger) first on low heat?

Aromatics contain oils and sugars that turn bitter if scorched. Gentle heat (low-medium) lets garlic and ginger release their fragrance without browning too fast. If the pan is too hot, garlic goes bitter within seconds — that's why we always add aromatics first, before the main ingredients.

Source: Chinese Cooking Demystified technique library

Can I skip Shaoxing wine? What's the substitute?

Dry sherry is the closest 1:1 swap (fidelity ~80%). No sherry? Use a splash of white wine plus a little water, or just skip it and add a tiny extra pinch of sugar — the wine's job is depth and removing meat's gamey notes, and a good marinade covers most of it.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine