Air-Fried Crispy Chilli Beef: A Lighter Take on a Bold Favourite
Satisfy your cravings for bold, spicy flavours with Air-Fried Crispy Chilli Beef, a healthier twist on the popular takeaway dish. By using an air fryer, you can achieve the same satisfying crunch of deep-fried beef strips, but with significantly less oil. Coated in a sticky, sweet chilli sauce and served with a side of rice or stir-fried vegetables, this dish is a perfect balance of heat, sweetness, and crispy texture.
The air fryer makes preparing crispy chilli beef easier and more convenient, ensuring that the beef stays tender on the inside while achieving a golden, crunchy exterior. Tossed in a homemade chilli sauce made from soy sauce, honey, garlic, and chilli flakes, the crispy beef absorbs all the flavours, creating a mouth-watering meal that’s bursting with spice and sweetness.
Ideal for a quick weeknight dinner or a special weekend treat, air-fried crispy chilli beef offers all the taste of the traditional dish without the guilt. It’s a perfect way to enjoy a takeaway favourite from the comfort of your home, with less oil but all the flavour and crunch you love.
Servings:
3 servings
Product:
Vortex Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 whole garlic
- 2 chillies
- 200-300 g rump steak
- 200 g cornflour seasoned with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 thumb size piece of fresh ginger
- 20 g coriander leaves and stems
- Handful dried red chillis
- Vegetable oil
The Marinade
- ½ tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 egg
The Sauce
- ½ tbsp dark soy sauce
- 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 6 tbsp Chinkiang black rice vinegar
- 4 tbsp honey
NB: Roast the garlic and dried chillis in the dual roasting drawers
Instructions
Preparation
- Spray the whole garlic with oil and pop into the Air Fryer. Select Roast and set the time to 20mins and temperature to 160°C.
- Soak the dried chillis in a bowl of water whilst the garlic roasts. When the garlic finishes, remove from the air frying drawer and drain the chillis and place inside. Select Roast again, for 3 minutes at 160°C.
- Cut the meat into thin strips roughly 3mm wide and place in a mixing bowl. Add the marinade ingredients and, using your hands, massage the pieces until they are evenly coated. Then add the seasoned cornflour and massage into the meat. The meat will first stick together in clumps, but as you continue adding cornflour, each piece of meat will start to separate completely. Once all the meat has separated and the pieces are dry and dusty white, they are ready to be air-fried.
- Finely dice the ginger, garlic and chillies and finely chop the coriander.
- Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Build your WOK CLOCK; place your meat bowl at 12 o’clock, then arrange the garlic, chilli, sauce bowl and coriander clockwise around your plate.
Cooking
- Spray the air fryer basket and the beef with a little oil. Select Air Fry and set the temperature to 205°C and the time to 4 mins. This is your ‘first fry.’
- When the cooking program finishes, open the drawer and spray the beef again,
- Put the drawer back in and select Air Fry and set the temperature to 205°C and the time to 5 mins. This is your ‘second fry.’
- In a separate wok, heat ½ tablespoon vegetable oil over a high heat until smoking hot. Add the ginger, garlic and chilli, lower the heat to medium and stir-fry for 30 seconds until slightly crispy and fragrant.
- Pour over the sauce mixture and bring to a vigorous boil, then add the crispy meat and give the wok two or three tosses to mix everything together.
- Spoon into a serving bowl and scatter over the coriander to finish. Serve immediately.
Notes
Tip: Popping your rump steak in the freezer 30 minutes before slicing will harden the meat and make it much easier to cut into even-size pieces.