Crispy chilli beef recipe | Good Food

Crispy chilli beef in a bowl with chopsticks

350g thin-cut minute steak
very thinly sliced into strips
3 tbsp cornflour
2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
100ml vegetable oil
1 red pepper
thinly sliced
1 red chilli
thinly sliced
4 spring onions
sliced, green and white parts separated
2 garlic cloves
crushed
thumb-sized piece ginger
cut into matchsticks
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
or white wine vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
cooked noodles
to serve (optional)
prawn crackers
to serve (optional)

Method

step 1
Put 350g thin-cut minute steak strips in a bowl and toss in 3 tbsp cornflour and 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder.
step 2
Heat 100ml vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan until hot, then add the beef and fry until golden and crisp.
step 3
Scoop out the beef and drain on kitchen paper. Pour away all but 1 tbsp oil.
step 4
Add 1 thinly sliced red pepper, ½ thinly sliced red chilli, sliced white ends of 4 spring onions, 2 crushed garlic cloves and thumb-sized piece ginger, cut into matchsticks, to the pan. Stir-fry for 3 mins to soften, but don’t let the garlic and ginger burn.
step 5
Mix the 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce and 2 tbsp tomato ketchup in a jug with 2 tbsp water, then pour over the veg.
step 6
Bubble for 2 mins, then add the beef back to the pan and toss well to coat.
step 7
Serve the beef on noodles with prawn crackers, if you like, scattered with the remaining ½ sliced red chilli and sliced green parts of the spring onions.