Easy Recipes Sweet Sticky Crispy Beef

When it comes to take out, I am all about the sweet sauces. There’s something seriously addictive about something sweet and sticky tossed with a super crispy meat – sadly most of the time I end up with sweet and sticky soggy meat but that’s about to change because now we can make this at home totally tweaked with crispiness galore – better than take out! 🙂

One of the most delicious ways to enjoy take out is to have it as leftovers – sometimes even cold! This recipe will not maintain the crispiness the next day BUT it won’t be soggy either! It actually has a bit of a nice chew! Make once, enjoy twice – my kinda meal.

INGREDIENTS FOR CRISPY BEEF

Most ingredients can be found at a local grocery store, except for hoisin sauce and shaoxing cooking wine which can be easily found at an Asian grocery store or online.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs top sirloin steak (any type of beef works – flank steak, skirt steak)
• 1 cup potato starch (divided in half), (can be substituted with corn starch, but it won’t be as crispy)

Beef Marinade

• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4–5 slices of ginger (sliced thin, 2–3 mm)
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (reduced sodium)

Sweet and Sticky Sauce

• 3/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (reduced sodium)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon shaoxing cooking wine
• 5 teaspoons corn starch (for corn starch slurry thickener)
• 6 teaspoons water (for corn starch slurry thickener)

Garnish & Toppings (Optional)

• 1–2 stalks green onion (chopped)
• toasted sesame seeds

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Instructions

Marinate the Beef

1. Slice the steak into 1 cm wide strips and place it in a bowl. (If your steak is more than 1 cm thick, cut the strips in half again length-wise)
2. In a food processor, blitz the onion, garlic, and ginger until it is a paste. (If you do not have a food processor, you can grate them or chop it very finely by hand, just make sure the ginger bits are very tiny)
3. Add the marinade and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce to the beef and mix well and marinade it in the fridge for 1 hour (or 20-30 minutes in room temperature)

Deep Frying the Beef

1. After the beef has marinated, dust 1/2 cup of potato starch (or corn starch) on the beef and use your fingers to loosely coat the beef with it. Let it sit for 10 minutes
2. While you are waiting for the meat, heat up a heavy bottom pot (or wok) set the temperature of the oil to 375F (191C) (or medium heat) and add at least 1 inch of oil and wait for it to get hot.
3. Once the beef has sat for 10 minutes, dust the other 1/2 cup of potato starch (or corn starch) on the beef again to lightly re-coat the beef and lightly dust off any excess starch. Deep fry it immediately.
4. Using your fingers separate the beef if they are clumped together and deep fry it in the oil in small batches (make sure the oil is hot but not smoking – to test if the oil is hot enough, add 1 small piece of beef first and see if it instantly sizzles)
5. Deep fry the beef for 1-2 minutes, and remove it from the pot onto a plate with parchment paper or newspaper.
6. Once all the beef has been cooked once (first fry), add all of it back in for the second deep fry for 1 more minute.

Sweet & Sticky Sauce Time!

1. Remove all the oil from the pot and set it back on the stove on medium low heat
2. Add in all the sauce ingredients, except the corn starch slurry ingredients.
3. Stir until everything is combined well and wait until it comes to a low rolling boil
4. In a small bowl, combine the corn starch and cold water to make a corn starch slurry and add it into the sauce and keep stirring until the sauce has thickened. Turn off the heat.
5. Add in the crispy beef and coat it with the sauce
6. Serve immediately! Goes amazing with plain rice. 🙂

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