Crispy Chilli Beef

5 from 3 votes

This crispy chilli beef recipe is one of my favorite weeknight dinners! It's a flavor-filled quick meal that can be made in 30 minutes and only requires a few simple ingredients. Thin strips of crispy fried beef tossed in a tangy and sweet chilli sauce served on top of fluffy rice - it's the perfect meal!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Asian, Asian-Inspired

Servings:

Calories: 567kcal

Author: Britney

Equipment

Frying Pan or Wok

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs Sirloin Steak
2 tsp Onion Powder
Salt and Pepper , to taste
⅓ cup Corn Starch
1 Large Egg
6 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Onion , sliced
1-2 Red Chillies , sliced
2 tsp Ginger , grated
4 cloves Garlic , diced
3 tbsps Rice Vinegar
4 tbsps Soy Sauce
3 tbsps Tomato Paste
5 tbsps Sweet Chilli Sauce
2 tbsps Sugar
Sesame Seeds , for garnish

Instructions

Thinly slice meat against the grain and place in a large bowl. Season with salt, black pepper, and onion powder and add en egg. Make sure that all beef is coated with the egg and add corn starch.
Add vegetable oil to a frying pan and allow it to warm over medium-high heat. Place the beef strips in the heated oil in a single layer, do not overcrowd the pan - fry in batches if needed! Stir fry for about 4 minutes per side, until golden brown.
Remove the strips of beef from the pan with tongs or a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain any excess oil. Repeat until all beef is fried.
Make the spicy sauce: add sliced onions to the pan. Add an additional tablespoon of oil if needed. Saute onions until they've softened and become fragrant, about 3 minutes. Then add sliced red chillies, grated ginger, and diced garlic. Continue to cook for 2 minutes.
Add rice vinegar, soy sauce, tomato pasta, sweet chilli sauce, and sugar. Whisk together until all ingredients are full incorporated and a sauce forms. Bring to a light boil and remove from heat. Add beef into the pan and toss together. Serve over rice or or with noodles and garnish with sesame seeds, sliced spring onions, and additional chilli flakes.

Notes

Substitutions

If you don't have sirloin steak, you can also use ribeye, flank steak / skirt steak, New York strip steaks, or rump steak. Of note, if you're using flank steak, be sure to cut against the grain and cut as thinly as possible as this cut of meat can be tough.
Potato starch works in place of corn flour / cornstarch. Use the same quantities as listed in the recipe.
If you don't have any rice wine vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar instead.
No tomato paste? Use tomato ketchup instead.
If you have a hard time finding red chillies, you can use red pepper flakes instead (about 1-2 tbsps, depending on your spiciness preference). I go to the Asian market to get mine as I can't find it at my local grocery store.

Tips

Place the steak in the freezer for 20 minutes prior to cooking to make it easier to cut. Placing it in the freezer firms it up a bit, making it easier to cut.
Try to use freshly grated ginger for maximum flavor!
When frying the beef, do no overcrowd the pan! Fry the beef in batches if needed.
Not enough sauce? If you want more sauce, double the sauce mixture ingredients!

Nutrition