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Crispy Chilli Beef Rice

Crispy chilli beef rice with shatteringly crispy beef strips coated in a glistening red-orange sweet-spicy chilli sauce, piled over fluffy white rice. Tossed hot and served immediately for takeout-style crunch, with green onion and sesame seeds on top.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Crispy beef
  • 1 lb flank steak Slice very thin so it fries crisp fast.
  • 0.333 cup cornstarch Coats the beef for a crunchy, shatter-like exterior.
  • salt and black pepper Season the cornstarch coating.
  • oil for frying Use enough to reach about 1/2 inch depth for deep-frying.
Chilli sauce
  • 3 garlic cloves Minced.
  • 1 red chilli Sliced, or use 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes if preferred.
  • 0.25 cup sweet chilli sauce
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
Serving
  • cooked rice For serving.
  • green onions Sliced, for garnish.
  • sesame seeds For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Coat the beef
  1. Toss sliced flank steak with cornstarch, salt, and black pepper until every piece is well coated, with no dry cornstarch patches visible.
  2. Heat oil for frying in a Dutch oven to 350°F, checking that the surface shimmers consistently before frying.
Fry until shatter-crisp
  1. Fry the beef in batches, keeping it in about 1/2 inch of hot oil for 2–3 minutes per batch until extremely crispy and golden.
  2. Drain the fried beef on paper towels until no longer steaming, aiming to preserve the crisp exterior.
Make and finish the sauce
  1. Mix all chilli sauce ingredients together in a bowl until evenly combined and glossy.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok (or use the Dutch oven if that’s what you have), then cook minced garlic and sliced red chilli at 350°F for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Add the chilli sauce and simmer at 350°F for 1 minute until slightly thickened and red-orange in color.
  4. Add the crispy beef and toss quickly until coated, then serve immediately over cooked rice to prevent the crust from softening.
Garnish and serve
  1. Top each bowl with green onions and sesame seeds so the garnish stays bright and fresh.

Notes

For maximum crunch, fry in small batches and keep the sauce hot-but-not simmering hard, then toss and serve right away. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days (crisping won’t hold fully), and reheat in a hot oven or skillet to re-crisp. Freezing is not recommended because the fried coating softens after thawing. For a lower-sugar swap, use a reduced-sugar sweet chilli sauce in the same amount.