You probably know crispy chicken—now meet crispy beef. Its exact origin is hard to pin down.
While the technique suggests Chinese roots, you’ll find versions everywhere, and some even claim Canadian roots. Either way, crispy beef is an absolute treat!
Tips for Crispy Beef
For frying, use neutral-tasting oils such as peanut, canola, vegetable, sunflower, or corn.
If you’re using potato starch to fry the meat, don’t overcrowd the pan.
Add the pieces one by one and fry so they don’t touch. Potato starch tends to stick during the first fry, and if the pan is crowded (pieces touching), you’ll end up with one giant clump of crispy beef instead of bite-size pieces. (Is that better? As a big eater, I’m torn…)
If you love extra sauce, simply double the ingredients. It’s fantastic over rice.
If you’re short on time, reduce the marinating to 30–40 minutes by leaving the beef at room temperature for 20–30 minutes, instead of refrigerating it for an hour.
Make this recipe ahead by double-frying the beef without the sauce. When you’re ready to serve, give it a quick fry to reheat and finish the recipe as usual.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 700 g beef strips
- 140 g potato starch (divided; you can use cornstarch, but it won’t be as crispy)
- Oil for frying
Beef Marinade
- 1 small onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 4 thin slices of ginger (2–3 mm)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
Sticky Sweet-and-Sour Sauce
- 150 g honey
- 72 g light soy sauce
- 125 ml water
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
To Thicken the Sauce
- 5 teaspoons cornstarch
- 6 teaspoons water
Instructions
- In a food processor, blend the onion, garlic, and ginger into a paste. (If you don’t have a food processor, grate them or mince very finely by hand; just make sure the ginger pieces are very small.)1 small onion, 2 garlic cloves, 4 thin slices of ginger (2–3 mm)
- Add the marinade and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce to the beef; mix well and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.700 g beef strips, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- After marinating, sprinkle half of the starch over the beef and use your fingers to coat it well. Let rest for 10 minutes.140 g potato starch (divided; you can use cornstarch, but it won’t be as crispy)
- Heat the oil to about 190 degrees.Oil for frying
- After the 10-minute rest and once the oil is hot, add the remaining starch and coat again.
- Fry the beef for 1 to 2 minutes (in small batches), then transfer to a paper towel–lined plate.
- Once all the beef has had its first fry, return it to the oil for a second fry for 1 more minute.
- Pour off all the oil from the pan and return the pan to the stove over medium-low heat.
- Add all the sauce ingredients except the water and cornstarch.150 g honey, 72 g light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- Stir until combined, then bring to a boil.
- In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and cold water, add to the sauce, and continue stirring until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat.5 teaspoons cornstarch, 6 teaspoons water
- Add the crispy beef and toss to coat in the sauce.
Nutrition
If you enjoyed this crispy beef, you’ll love the classic Chili Beef
