Introduction

Before I embarked on my cooking journey, I always felt like crispy beef was one of those takeout dishes that was so hard to recreate at home, but this Crispy Honey Garlic Beef Recipe proved me wrong. This recipe still has that crispy, crunchy beef coated in an addicting sweet and salty sauce without needing the mess of a deep fryer. Seriously, out of all the takeout recipes I have made at home, this one is one of my favorites because of its rich, unique flavor while also being super easy to make at home.

How This Crispy Honey Garlic Beef Recipe Is So Crispy

This Crispy Honey Garlic Beef Recipe focuses on maximizing crunch without deep frying. I’ve found deep frying to be a little troublesome for home cooks due to the mess and the immense amount of oil used! That’s why we use a combination of cornstarch and flour, which still creates a crispy and light coating but in the air fryer. The cornstarch will help create those crispy edges, while the flour allows the coating to stay on the beef and prevents the beef from tasting too powdery from the cornstarch. Additionally using, thinly sliced flank steak is important because it cooks quickly and has the surface area to get crispy in the first place.

Piece of Crispy Honey Garlic Beef Recipe held with chopsticks above a bowl of crispy beef. The beef is coated in a sticky honey garlic glaze and finished with sesame seeds and fresh scallions.

Once you start air frying the beef, be sure to cook it in a single layer and spread apart, which will allow the hot air to circulate properly and help every piece become golden brown and crunchy. If you follow these tips, the result is a crispy beef dish that will still remain crunchy even after being tossed in the sauce.

Crispy Honey Garlic Beef Recipe Ingredients

Flank steak + coating (cornstarch, flour, salt) – The flank steak cooks quickly and becomes crispy in the air fryer, while the coating creates the crunchy texture.

Neutral oil spray – Helps the coating become golden brown and crispy in the air fryer.

Honey garlic sauce (soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, garlic, water) – A balanced sauce that creates a delicious glaze with savory, sweet, and tangy flavors.

Optional garnishes (sesame seeds, scallions, steamed rice) – The perfect ingredients to serve with Crispy Honey Garlic Beef.

How to Make Crispy Honey Garlic Beef

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

Flour, cornstarch, and salt being mixed together in a bowl for a Crispy Honey Garlic Beef Recipe. This simple coating helps create a crispy exterior on the air-fried beef.

Add the sliced flank steak and toss until evenly coated.

Thinly sliced flank steak being tossed in a flour and cornstarch mixture for a Crispy Honey Garlic Beef Recipe. Even coating ensures the beef becomes crispy and holds the sauce well.

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

Coated beef being placed in air fryer to be crisped up for this Crispy Honey Garlic Beef Recipe.

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

Coated slices of flank steak arranged in an air fryer basket and sprayed with oil for a Crispy Honey Garlic Beef Recipe. Air frying creates crispy beef without deep frying.

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

Minced garlic being added to a pan with honey, soy sauce, and rice vinegar while making the sauce for a Crispy Honey Garlic Beef Recipe. The garlic adds rich savory flavor to the glaze.

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

Thick honey garlic sauce being poured over crispy beef for a Crispy Honey Garlic Beef Recipe. The sauce combines soy sauce, honey, garlic, and rice vinegar for a flavorful glaze.

Serve immediately over rice and garnish if desired.

Fresh scallions being sprinkled over a bowl of Crispy Honey Garlic Beef Recipe. The garnish adds freshness, color, and contrast to the sweet and savory beef.

What to Serve with Crispy Honey Garlic Beef

This Crispy Honey Garlic 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 Honey Garlic Beef. I personally love making my Shanghai Fried Noodles!

How to Store and Reheat Crispy Honey Garlic Beef

This Crispy Honey Garlic 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 Honey Garlic Beef Recipe Substitutions

This Crispy Honey Garlic 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.
White sugar. Can be used instead of honey for sweetness and will still create the glossy glaze.
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.