Description
Crispy Chilli Beef is a flavorful, spicy stir-fried dish featuring thinly sliced sirloin steak coated in a crunchy cornflour batter and cooked to golden crispiness. The beef is tossed in a tangy, sweet, and savory chilli sauce made with soy, rice vinegar, tomato paste, and a blend of aromatic ingredients, perfect served alongside rice or noodles for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Beef Coating
- 360g (¾ lbs) thin-cut sirloin steaks (approx 3 thin steaks), cut into thin strips
- 1 small egg
- 4 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ⅛ tsp white pepper
- 4 ½ tbsp sunflower oil, divided
Sauce and Vegetable Mix
- 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced into thin strips
- 1 red chilli, finely sliced (seeds discarded if less heat desired)
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato puree (tomato paste for US)
- 6 tbsp caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce (Thai-style recommended)
Instructions
- Prepare the beef coating: Place the thinly sliced sirloin steak strips in a bowl and add the small egg. Mix thoroughly until every steak strip is coated well with the egg.
- Coat with cornflour mixture: Add cornflour, salt, black pepper, and white pepper to the egg-coated beef. Toss everything together to create a sticky mixture evenly coating the beef.
- Heat oil and fry the beef (first batch): Heat 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat until very hot. Add half of the beef strips, spreading them out in a single layer. Fry without excessive stirring for about 5-6 minutes until the beef is dark brown and crispy, stirring only 3 or 4 times to maintain crispiness.
- Drain cooked beef: Remove the crispy beef using a slotted spoon or tongs and place it on kitchen paper–lined bowl to absorb excess oil.
- Fry remaining beef (second batch): Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, repeat frying with the rest of the beef strips until crisp and brown. Remove and drain as before, combining with the first batch.
- Sauté onion: Add the remaining half tablespoon of oil to the pan and reduce heat to medium. Add the sliced onion and cook for about 2 minutes until slightly softened.
- Add aromatics: Stir in the sliced red chilli, minced ginger, and minced garlic, cooking for around 30 seconds while stirring to release their flavors.
- Prepare the sauce: Pour in rice vinegar, dark soy sauce, tomato puree, caster sugar, tomato ketchup, and sweet chilli sauce. Increase the heat and let the sauce simmer, bubbling gently for 2 minutes to allow slight reduction and flavor melding.
- Combine beef and sauce: Return all the crispy beef to the pan, stir thoroughly to coat beef in the sauce, and heat through for 1-2 minutes until hot and glossy.
- Serve: Serve the crispy chilli beef hot alongside cooked rice or noodles for a delicious meal.
Notes
- Using thin-cut sirloin or flank steak works best to achieve crispy texture and quick cooking.
- Discard chilli seeds if you prefer a milder spice level.
- Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, which helps maintain crispiness of the beef.
- Superfine sugar dissolves more easily, balancing the tangy and savory flavors of the sauce.
- Serve immediately after cooking to enjoy the beef at its crispiest.
