This Chinese crispy beef is a restaurant-quality recipe featuring super crispy strips of beef smothered in a sweet tangy glaze. Easy to prepare and loaded with flavor, your Asian dinner will be ready in less than 30 minutes.
Toss beef strips with 2 teaspoon soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch; set aside.
To make the sauce, combine soy sauce, honey, sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and starch in a small mixing bowl; mix well and set aside.
Coat the beef again with the remaining cornstarch to ensure it is thoroughly coated.
Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add a small batch of beef strips, shaking off the excess starch, and fry until lightly golden; about 1-2 minutes. Remove the beef strips using a metal wire strainer and place on a wired rack or a plate lined with a paper towel. Repeat with the next batch.
Note: If you put too many beef strips at once, they might stick to each other and you will end up with a giant ball of meat instead of small bite-sized strips. Doing small batches is key for a successful deep fry for this recipe.
Once the first fry is completed, do the second deep-fry (again in small batches) until the beef turns deep brown and crispy, about 1 minute. Strain the beef with a metal strainer and transfer onto a wired rack.
Wipe the extra oil off the skillet, leaving about 1 tablespoon behind. Add shredded carrot and stir fry for 1 minute until slightly soft. Add green onion and chili (if using) and stir for 10 seconds.
Pour the reserved sauce mixture in a skillet. It should bubble and thicken right away. When the sauce is reduced and thickened to a sticky glaze (about 10 seconds), return the beef strips and toss together to coat evenly.
Garnish with toasted sesame seeds if you wish. Serve the crispy beef immediately with rice.