Introduction

Crispy Chili Beef is one of those takeout dishes that always sounds good, but it always comes with a ton of oil and effort than a lot of people want to do at home. This Crispy Chili Beef Recipe, however, solves that problem because it uses an air fryer to create the crispy beef while still having that delicious spicy, sweet, and salty flavor that everybody loves. In less than 30 minutes, you’ll get a delicious crispy beef in a delicious chili sauce that tastes like something from your favorite takeout restaurant.

Why You’ll Love This Crispy Chili Beef Recipe

You’ll love this Crispy Chili Beef Recipe because it still gives you super crispy pieces of beef without the hassle of deep frying. Even though it is easier to make, it does not mean that you will sacrifice on flavor or texture. The combination of cornstarch and flour creates a crispy, yet structured bite of crispy beef. The cornstarch helps give those addicting crispy edges and the flour prevents a powdery taste that comes with using cornstarch. Once air fried, you’re left with delicious crispy and juicy bits of beef that you won’t be able to stop eating once you start!

A piece of Crispy Chili Beef Recipe being held with chopsticks, showing the crispy coating covered in sweet chili garlic sauce and topped with sesame seeds and scallions.

Why The Sauce Is So Important For This Crispy Chili Beef Recipe

The sauce is what gives this Crispy Chili Beef Recipe its signature flavor. The sweet chili sauce gives the dish its sweetness and slight heat while the soy sauce adds saltiness. The rice vinegar helps balance out the sauce with its acidity, and the chili flakes, well, add spice! As the sauce reduces and thickens, it’ll become the perfect sauce to place over the beef without making the exterior soggy, and the result is a finished dish that’s crunchy, salty, sweet, and delicious!

Crispy Chili Beef Recipe Ingredients

Flank steak + coating (cornstarch, flour, salt) – The flank steak cooks quickly and stays juicy, while the coating creates the signature crispiness.

Chili sauce (soy sauce, rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce, water, garlic) – A balanced sauce that creates a sticky sweet and salty glaze that pairs perfectly with the crispy beef.

Optional garnishes (sesame seeds, scallions, steamed rice) – Rice helps absorb the extra sauce, while sesame seeds and scallions add color and texture.

How to Make Crispy Chili Beef

In a bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, and salt.

Flour, cornstarch, and salt being mixed together in a bowl to create the crispy coating used in this Crispy Chili Beef Recipe.

Add the sliced flank steak and toss until evenly coated.

Thinly sliced flank steak being tossed in a mixture of flour, cornstarch, and salt to create the crispy coating for this Crispy Chili Beef Recipe.

Lightly oil the air fryer basket and arrange the beef in a single layer.

Coated pieces of flank steak being placed in an air fryer basket in a single layer before cooking for this Crispy Chili Beef Recipe.

Spray the tops with oil and air fry until crispy and golden.

Pieces of coated beef cooking in an air fryer until crispy and golden brown for this Crispy Chili Beef Recipe.

While the beef cooks, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce, water, and garlic in a small pan. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened.

Sweet chili sauce being added to a pan with soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, and garlic to create the glaze for this Crispy Chili Beef Recipe.

Transfer the crispy beef to a bowl and pour the sauce over. Toss until evenly coated.

Crispy air fried beef being coated in a glossy sweet chili garlic sauce for this Crispy Chili Beef Recipe.

Serve immediately over rice and garnish if desired.

Fresh scallions being sprinkled over a bowl of Crispy Chili Beef Recipe finished with sesame seeds and sweet chili garlic sauce.

What to Serve with Crispy Chili Beef

This Crispy Chili Beef Recipe is really great on its own, but if you want to serve this with some other dishes, as is traditionally done at Chinese dinners, here are a few of my favorite accruements:

Steamed white rice. The perfect base for this recipe because it soaks up any additional sauce.
Steamed broccoli. The freshness and crunch help balance the sweet and salty flavors.
Fried Noodles. One of my favorite side dishes to eat with Crispy Chili Beef. I personally love making my Shanghai Fried Noodles!

How to Store and Reheat Crispy Chili Beef

This Crispy Chili Beef Recipe is best enjoyed fresh out the air fryer when the coating is at its crispiest, but leftovers can still be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You also have a few options when it comes to reheating your food:

Air fryer. The best way to restore some of the crunch. I like to use the reheat function when reheating! It’s just air frying at 300°F (149°C) for 8 minutes.
Microwave. You won’t get the crunch back, but the flavor will still be excellent! I like to microwave on high for 2 minutes.
In a pan. You can restore some of the crispy texture using this method. I like to toss in a frying pan for about 3 minutes before serving.

Crispy Chili Beef Recipe Substitutions

This Crispy Chili Beef Recipe is flexible, and you can substitute some ingredients depending on what you have available. A few of my favorite substitutions are:

Sirloin steak. A great alternative to flank steak that still stays tender.
Chicken. Thinly sliced chicken breast or thighs also work super well in the coating and sauce.
Potato starch. A great substitute for cornstarch that creates an even crispier coating. You can find it in the gluten free baking aisle at your grocery store.
Baking in the oven. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can bake the beef at its highest temperature for 15 minutes, flipping and respraying with oil halfway through.