Did you know that the most popular recipes on Cook Simply are some of the most sold dishes in my dad’s Chinese takeaway – including chicken chow mein, egg fried rice, prawn toast, and crispy chilli beef [you can find the fried version here]. If you’ve never had crispy chilli beef, then it’s time you tried it! A crispy chilli beef recipe sees thin strips of beef coated in egg and cornflour, deep-fried to crispy perfection, and then coated in a delicious sauce made from sweet chilli sauce, tomato ketchup, garlic and rice wine vinegar.
The perfect blend of crunchy texture, savoury and sweet flavours, as well as a kick of fiery spice – Chinese restaurants wouldn’t be popular if they didn’t have crispy chilli beef on the menu. But what if I told you you could recreate this dish at home with a healthier twist, using your air fryer? This air fryer crispy chilli beef is super simple to make, really tasty and has fewer calories than the non-air fryer version.
Why use an air fryer for crispy chilli beef?
You can still achieve a lovely crispy coating without tons of fat because the air fryer uses hot air circulation to crisp up your food with little oil. Not only is it much healthier but it’s less messy and less hassle too. The whole family is going to love this crispy chilli beef air fryer recipe.
What type of beef is best to use?
When it comes to making crispy chilli beef, choosing the right cut of beef is essential for achieving that perfect balance of tenderness and crunch. While different cuts can work well, some are better suited for this dish than others. I get that you won’t want to spend too much money, after all – you’re going to be slicing the beef into thin steak strips. My choice is usually a rump steak or minute steak.
- Sirloin steak is a popular choice for crispy chilli beef due to its tenderness and flavour. It’s relatively lean with just enough marbling to keep the meat juicy, and it slices easily into thin strips for quick cooking.
- Rump steak is another excellent option for crispy chilli beef. It’s flavourful and tender, with a slightly firmer texture compared to sirloin. Like sirloin, it’s easy to slice thinly for even cooking.
- Skirt steak is known for its rich, beefy flavour and distinctive texture. While it can be a bit tougher than sirloin or rump steak, slicing it thinly against the grain helps tenderise it.
- Minute steak is lean with a pronounced grain that runs across the width of the meat. Slicing it thinly against the grain helps break up the muscle fibres.
Ultimately, the best cut of beef for crispy chilli beef depends on personal preference and what is available in the shops – and also what suits your budget!
What ingredients are needed
Beef strips – opt for tender cuts like sirloin, rump, or skirt steak, thinly sliced into strips for maximum crispiness.
Crispy coating – use an egg, then coat in cornflour/cornstarch will give your beef an irresistible crunch.
The tangy sauce – Combine sweet chilli sauce, tomato ketchup, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sriracha sauce and garlic will infuse your beef with layers of flavour. And sliced red pepper/bell pepper will give you added texture and freshness.
Garnish – don’t forget sesame seeds and chopped spring onions/green onions for a final touch or sprinkle some chopped fresh red chilli.
How to make air fryer crispy chilli beef
Begin by thinly slicing your chosen cut of beef into strips. The key here is uniformity – aim for strips that are of similar thickness to ensure even cooking – and to make sure they’re tender – slice against the grain.
Put the steak strips in a bowl, then add one egg. Using your hands make sure all the the beef strips are coated.
In a bowl, add the cornflour/cornstarch. Now, it’s at this point you can either tip the cornflour into the beef strips and mix them with your hand until they’re all coated. This will mean they’re very sticky. And while this way does work, and is a quicker method, it is messier.
Having tested this several times, I have found that dipping a few pieces of beef into the cornflour produces better results. Do this in batches, until each strip is well coated in the cornflour. Lightly spray the strips with oil, or using a brush and around 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil.
Then preheat your air fryer to high heat, around 200°C (400°F) – or use your air fryer model’s preheat setting. This ensures your beef strips will crisp up beautifully in the hot air.
Make sure you spray your air fryer basket with oil to prevent sticking – or you can line your air fryer with baking paper or foil. Then arrange the coated beef strips in a single layer.
Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the beef in batches to avoid overcrowding. Air fryer the beef for 5-6 minutes at 200°C (400°F), and then turn the beef strips over and air fry for another 5-6 minutes until they have a crispy texture.
While the beef is crisping up in the air fryer, it’s time to whip up the sauce. In a saucepan, combine sweet chilli sauce, tomato ketchup, rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, sriracha sauce and minced garlic. Stir well then add the sliced red peppers/bell peppers and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Once the beef strips are crispy, transfer them to the pan with the tangy sauce and red peppers and stir until each strip is coated in deliciousness. Sprinkle sesame seeds and spring onions over the top before serving.
What to serve with air fryer crispy chilli beef?
Crispy chilli beef is versatile; you can serve it with plain steamed rice, egg-fried rice, or even noodles. Or as part of a wider Chinese meal, you may have other main dishes including crispy pork belly or char siu.
How do you keep leftovers?
If you want to keep the beef crispy, this is best eaten straight away. However, you can still store leftovers in a suitable container and heat them in the air fryer two days later. If you want to freeze the crispy chilli beef, you can do so for up to three months. Reheat and crisp up in the air fryer for around 8 minutes.
Other Chinese air fryer recipes you might like
Air fryer Chinese chicken wings
Air fryer Chinese char siu pork
Air fryer Chinese soy chicken thighs
Air fryer Chinese crispy pork
Air fryer sesame prawn toast
Air fryer crispy chilli beef recipe
Ingredients
- 360 g steak of choice sliced against the grain into thin strips
- 6 tablespoons of cornflour
- 1-2 tablespoon of vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons of sweet chilli sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons of ketchup
- 3 tablespoons of light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons of water
- 2 cloves of garlic pressed
- 1 red pepper sliced into strips
- 2 teaspoons of sriracha sauce or hot sauce more if you like it spicy
- Sesame seeds for garnish
- Chopped spring onions for garnish
Instructions
- Start by thinly slicing your chosen cut of beef into fairly uniform and even strips and slice against the grain to ensure you get tender pieces of meat.
- Put the steak strips in a bowl, then add one egg. Using your hands make sure all the the beef strips are coated in the egg.
- Spray your air fryer basket with oil to prevent sticking or line with baking paper or foil. Preheat your air fryer to 200°c (390F) for five minutes.
- Add the cornflour/cornstarch to a bowl, and then add a few strips of beef to the cornflour at a time, making sure that each strip is coated in the cornflour. Put to one side, and continue to coat the beef strips.
- Once you've coated each strip, lightly spray with vegetable oil on both sides or using a brush, dip in some vegetable oil and lightly brush over each strip.
- Lay the strips in a single layer in your air fryer basket.
- Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the beef in batches to avoid overcrowding. Air fryer the beef for 5-6 minutes at 200°C (400°F), and then turn the beef strips over and air fry for another 5-6 minutes until they have a crispy texture.
- Meanwhile, make the tangy sauce. In a saucepan, combine sweet chilli sauce, tomato ketchup, rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, sriracha sauce and minced garlic. Stir well then add the sliced red peppers/bell peppers and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Once the beef strips are crispy, transfer them to the pan with the tangy sauce and red peppers and stir until each strip is coated in deliciousness.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds and spring onions over the top before serving.
Nutrition
Did you make this air fryer crispy beef?
Please let me know if you made this recipe. Leave a comment below and tag @cooksimplyathome on Instagram. You can find other easy meal ideas here.
I love crispy beef and this recipe really is like the takeaway. Thank you = will be making it again.
This is just like we have it at the takeaway. So good. I added some carrots too.
This was highly praised by my teenage son and husband. I actually used pork but it cooked just the same and came out pretty close to the takeaway meal. Very happy
So pleased you all enjoyed it.