30-Minute Chinese Crispy Beef

Enjoy crispy beef coated in a sweet, tangy glaze with fresh chili right at home! This favorite from Chinese takeout menus takes just 30 minutes to make with our easy recipe. Perfect for a family dinner!

“OMG! This is my new signature dish. I absolutely loved it and so did my family. They said it was better than our favourite Chinese restaurant version. Wow!!”

Ruth

We don’t often indulge in Chinese takeout, but when we do, crispy beef is always on the order list. It’s a family favorite!

How can you resist those crackly crispy beef strips in a sweet, tangy glaze with fresh red chili, served with hot steamed rice? It’s so good, everyone hurries to the dinner table. Making this restaurant-style Chinese crispy beef at home is surprisingly easy.

Chili crispy beef, with its roots in Sichuan cuisine, involves frying beef strips until golden and crispy, then coating them in a deliciously sticky glaze. Whether you call it crispy shredded chili beef, preferring thinner strips, or like your beef chunkier, the result is always a mouthwatering stir-fry that’s bursting with flavor—rich but not too spicy.

If you’re keen to explore more Sichuan cuisine, consider trying well-known dishes like mapo tofu, twice-cooked pork, or kung pao chicken. These recipes are simple to prepare and guarantee an authentic taste.

Skip the takeout and try making this Chinese crispy beef yourself! It takes less than 30 minutes with just a few pantry staples. Prepare for some happy faces around your dinner table as your loved ones dive into this homemade Chinese food.

Ingredient Notes

Most ingredients, including sweet chili sauce, can be found at a local grocery store. If not available, you can also find them at any Asian grocery store or online.

What beef cut to use?

I recommend using steak quality beef, like strip-loin or top sirloin. The tenderness of the beef will maintain texture and juiciness even after the double frying.

I personally like about a 3/8-inch (1 cm) thickness, but you can make it into thinner strips or strips like shredded beef if you wish. It’s personal preference.

For the sticky sauce

The sauce is made of combination of soy sauce, honey, sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and cornstarch. A sweet, tangy and sticky glaze will quickly form once it is added to the hot pan.

How to make Chinese crispy beef

Prepare the Beef

Slice beef into thick strips with a knife, about 1 cm or 3/8-inch thick (or whatever thickness you desire). Toss beef strips with soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a large bowl; set aside.

Note: After a few minutes, you might notice that the beef and cornstarch are clumping together – Don’t worry! You will coat them again with cornstarch before frying it up.

Make the sauce

Combine sauce ingredients in a small mixing bowl; mix well and set aside. Toss the beef with extra cornstarch to ensure it is thoroughly coated.

To make the beef extra crispy

The secret to making beef extra crispy lies in the double frying method. This method creates a crunchier texture compared to single frying because the moisture is effectively driven out, and the surface is given two opportunities to crisp up.

First frying: Heat oil until hot. Fry a small batch of beef strips, shaking off excess starch, until lightly golden (1-2 minutes). Remove, shake off excess oil, and place on a wire rack. Repeat with the next batch.

Use a fine fat skimmer to collect any deep-fried burnt particles floating in the skillet.

Second frying: Fry the beef again in small batches until deep brown and crispy, about 1 minute. Strain and transfer to a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towels.

Add Veggies and Sauce

Wipe the extra oil off the skillet, leaving about 1 tablespoon behind. Add carrot and green onion and chili (if using) and stir for 10 seconds. Pour the reserved sauce in a skillet and let it thicken.

Coat beef with sauce

Once the sauce thickens to a sticky glaze (about 10 seconds), add the beef strips back in and toss to coat evenly.

For garnish, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and additional chopped spring onion, if desired. You can also drizzle a bit of sesame oil for added fragrance. Serve the crispy beef immediately with rice.

Helpful Recipe Tips and Advice

So, how do you make crispy beef like a Chinese restaurant? Here are my tips.

• If you prefer thinner strips, slice the beef to look almost shredded, aiming for less than 1/3-inch thickness. Thinner slices will also cook more quickly.
• Marinating beef with a little bit of soy sauce and cornstarch is key for packing in flavor and texture.
• Double coating cornstarch and double deep frying does wonders to ensure an extra crispy crust on the beef. Plus, it will hold this texture for longer.
• You don’t need a pot full of oil. About 1/4 cup of oil is all you need to fry up the beef strips. Less oil, less waste.
• Fry the beef in small batches. Overcrowding your frying surface will lower the temperature of the oil and you’ll end up steaming the beef instead of frying. Also, you might even end up with a giant lump of meat instead of separate bite-sized strips.
• The flavor of this homemade version of crispy beef has a little bit of heat from the bottled sweet chili sauce. It provides both a sweet and savory flavor without being too spicy.
• I like to add fresh red chili to my crispy beef, but that is totally optional and personal preference. If you don’t want any extra spice, just omit the chili and it will still be yummy and delicious.

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