Simple & delicious crispy chilli beef recipe

One of the most popular dishes from my parents’ Chinese takeaway was crispy chilli beef. Alongside chicken chow mein, sesame prawn toast and Singapore noodles, it would fly out of the door faster than anything else.

Why this crispy chilli beef recipe is a game changer

I’ve spent years perfecting this recipe, testing different cuts of beef, adjusting sauce ratios, and figuring out exactly how to get that restaurant-quality crispy coating at home. The result? These tangy, spicy and moreish strips of crispy deliciousness are honestly better than takeaway.

Here’s what makes this recipe special: You don’t need a deep-fat fryer, you don’t need expensive steak, and you definitely don’t need to order takeaway. This crispy chilli beef recipe takes about 30 minutes and uses ingredients you probably already have.

When I serve this up to family and friends, they’re always impressed. It looks like you’ve spent hours on it, but you know the truth – it’s surprisingly simple.

What beef to use for crispy chilli beef

You can use any type of steak you want for this crispy chilli beef recipe, but here’s what I’ve learned: don’t waste money on expensive cuts. You’re coating and frying the beef until it’s crispy, so the natural flavour and tenderness of expensive steak gets overshadowed anyway.

Although sirloin steak works great, I always choose medallion steaks. They’re inexpensive, you can slice them very thinly, and they work perfectly for this dish. I’ve made this recipe dozens of times with medallion steak and it’s never let me down.

The key is slicing against the grain. This breaks down the muscle fibres and makes even cheaper cuts of beef tender. Slice them as thin as you can – about 5mm thick is ideal.

How to get that crispy coating like Chinese takeaways

The secret to crispy shredded beef is the coating technique. I watched my parents make this hundreds of times, and it’s all about the egg and cornflour combination.

The coating process

Start by adding your sliced steak to a bowl. Crack in one egg and use your hands to mix everything together. Don’t be squeamish – hands work better than spoons here. Every strip of beef needs to be coated in egg.

Then add the cornflour, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly until all the beef is coated. The mixture will be very sticky – that’s exactly what you want. This sticky coating is what creates those crispy, crunchy edges when it hits the hot oil.

The frying technique

Here’s the brilliant part: you don’t need a deep-fat fryer. Shallow frying in a wok or deep frying pan works perfectly.

Heat your vegetable oil until it’s very hot – around 3-4 minutes on high heat. Test it by dropping in a small piece of beef. If it sizzles immediately, you’re ready.

Add the beef strips one at a time, carefully separating them from the sticky mixture. Fry in two batches – crowding the pan lowers the temperature and you’ll end up with soggy beef instead of crispy.

Let them fry for 5-6 minutes until they’re dark brown and properly crispy. Don’t move them around too much – just give them an occasional stir. The darker they are, the crispier they’ll be.

Making the sticky chilli sauce

While your beef is draining on kitchen paper, it’s time to make the sauce. This is the easiest part – it’s literally just combining and heating.

Mix together the sweet chilli sauce, light soy sauce, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, garlic, sriracha sauce, and water. Pour everything into a clean frying pan and simmer over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.

The sauce will begin to thicken and get sticky. That’s when you know it’s ready. Add your crispy beef and stir everything through so all the strips are coated in that gorgeous sticky, chilli sauce.

Top tip: Don’t add the beef to the sauce until you’re ready to serve. Once coated, the beef starts to lose its crispiness as it absorbs the sauce. For maximum crunch, toss them together at the last minute.

What to serve with crispy chilli beef

I like to eat this crispy chilli beef with plain boiled rice – the sauce is flavourful enough that you don’t need anything fancy. Stir-fried pak choi or Chinese green cabbage on the side adds some fresh crunch.

It’s also fantastic over noodles, especially egg noodles or rice noodles.

If you’re celebrating Chinese New Year with a feast of different dishes, or just want to make a proper Chinese spread, serve this alongside:

• Pork dumplings – homemade or steamed
• Salt and pepper chicken wings – crispy and addictive
• Braised pork belly – rich and tender
• Egg fried rice – a classic pairing

Want more sauce?

If you’d like more sauce to drizzle over your rice, just double the sauce ingredients. I often do this because there’s something so good about that sticky, sweet-spicy sauce soaked into rice.

How to store crispy chilli beef

Best eaten straightaway if you want to keep the beef crispy. Once the beef sits in the sauce, it starts to soften. That’s just physics – crispy coating plus liquid sauce equals less crunch over time.

For leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave until piping hot. The beef won’t be crispy anymore, but it will still taste amazing. Sometimes I actually prefer it the next day because the flavours have melded together.

To freeze: You can freeze crispy chilli beef for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely first, then portion into freezer bags. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating thoroughly.

Pro tip from a reader: Freeze the fried beef strips before adding the sauce, then blast them in the air fryer to re-crisp before tossing with freshly made sauce. Genius.

Chinese crispy chilli beef recipe

5 from 15 votes

Don't call the takeaway, this delicious Chinese crispy chilli beef recipe is so worth making at home. Plus, it's really easy and quick to make!

Servings 4

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 360g medallion steak sliced against the grain into thin strips
• 1 egg
• 6 tablespoons of cornflour
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper
• 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
• 3 tablespoons of sweet chilli sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons of ketchup
• 3 tablespoons of light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 2 cloves of garlic pressed
• 2 teaspoons of sriracha sauce or hot sauce more if you like it spicy

Instructions

 

• In a mixing bowl, add the strips of steak and add the egg. Using your hands, mix them together and make sure all the steak is coated in the egg.
• Add the 6 tablespoons of cornflour, and the salt and the pepper. Combine well, ensuring the cornflour is coating the steak well. The mixture will be sticky.
  
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok on a high heat until very hot around 3-4 minutes. Test a small piece of beef in the oil, and when it sizzles, the oil is ready
• Carefully add the steak strips one at a time to the hot oil. You will have to separate them from the sticky mixture. It is best to fry the steak in two batches.
  
• Fry the steak until dark brown and crispy for around 5-6 minutes, giving a few stirs in between. Don't move them around too much.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the beef and place the steak strips onto a kitchen towel to drain any excess oil.
• Meanwhile, combine the sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, garlic, Schricha sauce, water and combine.
  
• In a clean frying pan, add the sauce and simmer over a medium heat for around 3-4 minutes. The sauce will begin to thicken and get sticky.
  
• Add the crispy beef to the sauce and stir through so all the steak is coated in the sticky, chilli sauce.
• Before serving, sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and serve immediately.

Notes

My top tip: The secret to restaurant-quality crispy chilli beef is dark brown beef. Don’t be afraid to let it fry until it looks almost burnt. That’s when you get the best crunch and flavour.

Oil temperature matters: Too cool and your beef will be greasy. Too hot and it’ll burn before the inside cooks. Heat for 3-4 minutes on high, then test with a small piece. When it sizzles immediately, you’re ready.

Sauce consistency: If your sauce seems too thick, add a splash more water. Too thin? Let it simmer for another minute or two. You want it sticky but still pourable.

Nutrition

Calories: 522kcal

Calories: 522kcal

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Did you make this easy crispy chilli beef recipe?

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