Air-Fryer Crispy Beef: Quick, Easy, And Delicious

If you're craving a Chinese takeaway classic, why not try making crispy chilli beef in an air fryer? It's healthier, less messy, and you can still achieve a lovely crispy texture.

To make this dish, you'll need to slice your chosen cut of beef into thin, uniform strips. You can use a variety of beef cuts, such as sirloin, ribeye, flank steak, or skirt steak. Once you have your beef strips, you'll coat them in a marinade and/or cornflour, and then air fry them until crispy. While the beef is cooking, you can prepare a tangy, sticky sauce by stir-frying ingredients like garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, and chilli. Finally, toss the crispy beef in the sauce, sprinkle with garnishes like sesame seeds and spring onions, and serve!

Choosing the right cut of beef

Sirloin Steak

The sirloin steak is an excellent choice for crispy beef in an air fryer. It has a robust flavour and tender texture, making it a popular option for stir-fries and Asian dishes. Sirloin is relatively lean, with a good amount of marbling, ensuring your beef is juicy and full of flavour. When preparing sirloin for crispy beef, it's best to cut it into thin strips, slicing against the grain to ensure maximum tenderness.

Ribeye Steak

Ribeye steak is another fantastic option for your air fryer crispy beef. It has a bold, beefy flavour and a tender texture, making it a favourite among meat lovers. Ribeye is well-marbled, which means it will stay moist and juicy during the cooking process. As with sirloin, cut the ribeye into thin strips, ensuring you slice against the grain for the most tender results.

Flank Steak

If you're looking for a more economical option, flank steak is a great choice. This cut is lean and relatively tough, but when sliced thinly against the grain, it can be perfect for crispy beef. Flank steak is full of flavour and takes well to marinades, ensuring your dish is packed with taste.

Skirt Steak

Skirt steak is another budget-friendly option that works well for crispy beef. It has a robust beefy flavour and a loose grain that can be tenderised through proper slicing and marinating. Like flank steak, it's essential to cut skirt steak thinly against the grain to ensure maximum tenderness.

Minute Steak

Minute steak, also known as sandwich steak, is a thin cut of beef that's perfect for quick cooking methods like air frying. It's typically cut from the sirloin or round and is ideal for stir-fries and Asian dishes. Minute steak is usually sold pre-sliced, making it a convenient option for crispy beef recipes.

When choosing your beef, look for well-marbled meat, indicating a good balance of fat and lean, which will enhance the flavour and juiciness of your dish. Also, consider the amount of time you want to spend preparing the meat. Cuts like sirloin and ribeye may require more trimming and slicing, while flank, skirt, and minute steaks are often thinner and quicker to prepare.

Marinating the beef

To make crispy beef in an air fryer, you'll need to start by marinating the beef. Here's a detailed guide on how to do that:

Select the Right Cut of Beef:

When making crispy chilli beef, choosing a tender cut of beef that will give you that perfect balance of tenderness and crunch is essential. While various cuts can work, some are better suited for this dish. Recommended options include sirloin steak, rump steak, skirt steak, or minute steak.

Slice the Beef into Thin Strips:

Using a sharp knife, slice your chosen cut of beef into thin, uniform strips. Aim for strips of similar thickness to ensure even cooking. For maximum tenderness, slice the beef against the grain. Freezing the steaks for about 30 minutes beforehand can make slicing easier.

Prepare the Marinade:

In a bowl, combine the marinade ingredients. A typical marinade for crispy beef includes cornflour (or cornstarch), baking soda, soy sauce, and sesame oil or vegetable oil. You can also add other ingredients like Chinese cooking wine, garlic, or ginger for extra flavour.

Coat the Beef with the Marinade:

Add the beef strips to the bowl of marinade and toss to coat evenly. Use your hands to ensure all the beef strips are well coated. Let the beef marinate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to absorb into the meat. You can also leave it in the fridge for up to 24 hours for a more intense flavour.

After marinating, your beef will be ready for the next steps in making crispy beef in your air fryer. Follow the rest of the recipe instructions for cooking, coating, and serving to enjoy your delicious, crispy beef creation!

Air-frying the beef

Now that you have prepared your beef strips, it's time to cook them in the air fryer.

First, preheat your air fryer to the highest setting (usually around 200°C/400°F) for about three to five minutes.

Next, arrange the beef strips in a single layer in the air fryer basket, ensuring they don't overlap. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the beef in batches to avoid overcrowding.

Close the air fryer and cook the beef for 5-10 minutes at the highest temperature setting (200°C/400°F). Halfway through the cooking time, open the air fryer and turn the beef strips over to ensure even cooking. Cook for another 5-10 minutes until the beef is crispy and golden brown.

If you prefer your beef extra crispy, you can air fry for a further few minutes, keeping a close eye on it to avoid overcooking or burning.

Once the beef strips are crispy and golden, remove them from the air fryer and set them aside while you prepare the sauce.

Note: Some recipes suggest shaking the air fryer basket once or twice during cooking to ensure the beef strips crisp up evenly.

Tips for crispy beef:

• Use an oil spray or brush to lightly coat the beef strips with oil before air frying.
• Ensure your beef strips are thin and of uniform thickness for even cooking.
• Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket; cook in batches if necessary.
• Preheat your air fryer to ensure the beef crisps up nicely.

Making the sauce

While the beef is crisping up in the air fryer, it's time to make the sauce. In a saucepan, combine sweet chilli sauce, tomato ketchup, rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar, soya sauce, sriracha sauce, and minced garlic. Stir well, then add sliced red peppers or bell peppers and simmer for 2-3 minutes. You can also add sliced carrots and cook for about a minute.

For a more tangy sauce, add some rice wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar, and a little Chinese five-spice powder. If you want a spicier sauce, add some dried chilli flakes or extra sriracha. For a sweeter sauce, add a little honey.

Once the beef strips are crispy, transfer them to the pan with the tangy sauce and stir until each strip is coated.

Serving suggestions

There are many ways to serve crispy beef cooked in an air fryer. Here are some suggestions:

Serving with a Sauce

You can serve the crispy beef with a tangy, sticky, and sweet-and-spicy sauce. To make the sauce, heat some oil in a wok or a large frying pan. Add sliced onion, garlic, ginger, and carrot strips and stir-fry over high heat. Then, pour in soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup, Sriracha, and honey and bring to a boil. Finally, stir in some cornflour slurry. Toss the crispy beef in the sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds, chilli, and spring onions.

Serving with a Side

You can serve crispy beef as a side with plain steamed rice, egg-fried rice, or noodles. It can also be served as part of a wider Chinese meal with other main dishes such as crispy pork belly or char siu.

Serving as an Appetizer

You can serve the crispy beef bites as an appetizer or a snack. You can also serve them with a side salad or roasted veggies for a delicious meal.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

If you want to keep the beef crispy, it is best to eat it straight away. However, you can store leftovers in an airtight container and reheat them in the air fryer the next day. You can also freeze the crispy beef for up to three months and reheat and crisp it in the air fryer for around eight minutes.

Frequently asked questions