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A close-up of a bowl of Crispy Chilli Beef Rice, featuring tender beef strips coated in a glossy sauce with red chili peppers, served over fluffy white rice.

Crispy Chilli Beef Rice

This recipe delivers a restaurant-quality Crispy Chilli Beef Rice that you can make at home in under 30 minutes. It's perfect for busy weeknights when you crave bold flavors and a satisfying meal.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
Calories: 472
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Beef
  • 360 g thin-cut sirloin steaks cut into thin strips
  • 1 small egg
  • 4 tbsp cornflour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp white pepper
For the Sauce
  • 4.5 tbsp sunflower oil divided
  • 1 medium onion peeled and sliced into thin strips
  • 1 red chilli finely sliced
  • 1 tsp minced ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree paste for US
  • 6 tbsp caster sugar or superfine sugar
  • 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
  • 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce Thai-style

Equipment

  • bowl
  • Frying pan
  • Slotted spoon
  • kitchen roll

Method
 

  1. Place the steak strips in a bowl and add the egg. Mix together to thoroughly coat the steak in the egg.
  2. Add the cornflour, salt, black pepper, and white pepper. Toss together to coat the steak. It will be a sticky mixture.
  3. Heat 3 tbsp of the sunflower oil in a large frying pan or wok over a high heat until very hot.
  4. You will probably need to work in two batches. When the oil is hot, add half the beef, a strip at a time, and spread it out.
  5. Fry the steak until dark brown and crispy. Try not to move the meat around too much. It generally takes about 5 or 6 minutes to crisp up the beef, with about 3 or 4 stirs during that time.
  6. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the beef from the pan and place in a bowl lined with kitchen roll to soak up excess fat.
  7. Add a further tablespoon of oil and repeat, cooking the second batch of beef and then placing it in the bowl with the first batch.
  8. Once you’ve removed all the beef from the pan, add the remaining ½ tbsp of oil to the pan and turn the heat down to medium.
  9. Add in the sliced onion and cook for 2 minutes until slightly softened.
  10. Add in the finely sliced chilli, minced ginger, and minced garlic cloves and cook whilst stirring for 30 seconds.
  11. Add the rice vinegar, soy sauce, tomato puree, sugar, tomato ketchup, and sweet chilli sauce to the pan.
  12. Turn up the heat and let it bubble for a couple of minutes until the sauce starts to reduce a little.
  13. Add the beef back in, give it a stir and heat through for 1-2 minutes until the beef is hot.
  14. Serve with rice or noodles.

Nutrition

Calories: 472kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 21gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 1141mgFiber: 1gSugar: 26g

Notes

It’s easier to cut the steak into thin strips if you place it in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up a little.
You can make this recipe gluten-free by replacing the soy sauce with tamari and ensuring your tomato puree, ketchup, sweet chilli sauce, and rice vinegar are also gluten-free.
This recipe is best served immediately as the beef will lose its crispiness upon freezing or reheating. However, it still tastes good if frozen; cool, cover, and freeze. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat thoroughly in the wok or microwave until piping hot. Add a splash of water if it’s dry.
This recipe also works with leftover roasted chicken, duck, beef, or lamb. Cook in the same way as the raw steak to achieve a crispy coating.

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