Perfect crispy strips of beef in a tangy spicy sauce. This is my favourite dish from the Chinese takeaway, so it has a lot to live up to. I’ll show you how to get a craggy, crispy exterior without using a deep fryer.
This is one of my go-to meals. Whenever I ask Chris what he fancies, he usually says, “Crispy Chilli Beef!” It’s my favourite takeaway dish too, but restaurant versions can be inconsistent—sometimes the beef is lost beneath too much batter. At home you can get a crisp, craggy coating while still tasting tender beef inside. Homemade is reliably perfect.
📋 What do we need?
- I recommend thin-cut or quick-cook sirloin steak for the best flavour. You can substitute ribeye, flank, skirt or rump. If using flank, skirt or rump, slice very thinly against the grain to avoid chewiness.
PRO TIP – Pop the steaks in the freezer for about 30 minutes to firm them up slightly; that makes them much easier to slice thinly.
🔪 How to make Crispy Shredded Chilli Beef
Full recipe with detailed steps is available in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Slice the steak thinly and place the strips in a bowl. Coat with one small beaten egg.
- Add cornflour, salt, black pepper and white pepper, and toss together. The mixture will be sticky—this is what creates the crisp coating.
- Fry the steak in two batches in very hot oil. I shallow-fry to avoid dealing with a large pan of oil—about 4½ tablespoons total works for the whole recipe.
- Remove the crispy beef and drain briefly on kitchen paper. In the same pan, fry sliced onion, then add sliced red chilli, minced ginger and garlic.
- Make the sauce by combining rice vinegar, dark soy sauce, caster sugar, tomato puree (or paste), tomato ketchup and sweet chilli sauce in the pan. Bring it to a bubble for a minute so it reduces slightly.
- Return the beef to the pan and toss everything to coat the strips thoroughly in the glossy, tangy sauce.
Serve with noodles, boiled rice or egg-fried rice for a complete meal.
Want more sauce?
This recipe makes enough sauce to coat the beef with a tablespoon or two left in the pan. If you prefer extra sauce, double the sauce ingredients (rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, tomato puree, ketchup and sweet chilli sauce). For a lighter flavour, use half light soy and half dark soy.
🍲 More fantastic Asian-inspired recipes
Asian
Crispy Sesame Chicken with a Sticky Asian Sauce
Asian
Sticky Chinese Pork Belly
Quick & Easy
Honey Garlic Chicken
Appetizers
Sticky AND Crispy Asian Chicken Wings
Asian
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Asian
Crispy Chilli Beef
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Crispy Chilli Beef
Ingredients
- 360 g (¾ lbs) thin-cut sirloin steaks, cut into thin strips
- 1 small egg
- 4 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ⅛ tsp white pepper
- 4½ tbsp sunflower oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced into thin strips
- 1 red chilli, finely sliced (discard seeds if you prefer milder)
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato puree (paste in the US)
- 6 tbsp caster sugar (or superfine sugar)
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce (Thai-style recommended)
Instructions
- Place the steak strips in a bowl and add the beaten egg, mixing to coat thoroughly.
- Add the cornflour, salt, black pepper and white pepper, then toss to coat. The mixture will be sticky.
- Heat 3 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat until very hot.
- Fry the steak in two batches. Add half the beef at a time, spreading the strips out so they can crisp. Fry until dark brown and crisp, about 5–6 minutes, stirring just a few times.
- Transfer the cooked beef to a bowl lined with kitchen paper to drain. Add another tablespoon of oil and cook the second batch the same way.
- When all the beef is cooked, add the remaining ½ tbsp oil to the pan and reduce heat to medium. Add the sliced onion and cook for 2 minutes until slightly softened.
- Add the sliced chilli, minced ginger and garlic and cook while stirring for about 30 seconds.
- Add the rice vinegar, dark soy sauce, tomato puree, sugar, ketchup and sweet chilli sauce. Turn up the heat and let it bubble for a couple of minutes to reduce slightly.
- Return the beef to the pan, toss to coat and heat through for 1–2 minutes until piping hot. Serve with rice or noodles.
Video
Notes
Note 1 – Slicing the steak
Place the steak in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up slightly; it will be easier to slice thinly.
Gluten free?
Yes—replace soy sauce with tamari and check that tomato puree, ketchup, sweet chilli sauce and rice vinegar are gluten free.
Make ahead or freeze?
The dish is best served immediately to keep the beef crispy. You can freeze leftovers—cool, cover and freeze. Defrost overnight and reheat thoroughly, adding a splash of water if needed.
Ingredient swaps
This works well with leftover roasted meats: chicken, duck, roast beef or roast lamb. Cook in the same way to crisp the coating.
Nutritional information is per serving and doesn’t include rice or garnishes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and should be used as a guide.
This post was first published 19th April 2014. Updated March 2021 with new photos, video, tips and tweaks.
If you were looking for the crispy tangy chilli beef with broccoli, you can find that recipe via the image below.
Some links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you—this helps keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. Nutritional information is approximate; see Terms & Conditions for more details.