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The crispy beef is chewy on the edges and tender and juicy inside, tossed in rich chili crisp with scallions for an addictive taste. You only need five ingredients to make this amazing main dish!

4-Ingredient Sichuan Crispy Beef

By Maggie Zhu
4.93 from 13 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Marinating time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
The crispy beef is chewy on the edges and tender and juicy inside, tossed in rich chili crisp with scallions for an addictive taste. You only need five ingredients to make this amazing main dish!

Ingredients

Marinade

  • 1 lb beef flank steak , sliced into 1/4” (5 mm) pieces again the grain
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Stir fry

  • 4 to 6 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp
  • 4 scallions , sliced on the bias into 1” (2.5 cm) pieces
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Combine the beef, salt, baking soda and oil in a medium bowl. Gently mix by hand until all the beef slices are coated with oil. Marinate for 30 minutes.
  • When ready to cook, add cornstarch one tablespoon at a time. Mix to coat the beef until all surfaces are coated.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook in batches, spread the beef slices without overlapping. Cook until the bottom turns golden and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the slices to fry the other side, until golden brown and crispy, another 1 to 2 minutes. (*Footnote 1) Transfer beef to a large plate. Cook the rest of the batches. Add more oil if the pan gets dry, and turn to medium heat if the pan starts to smoke too much.
  • Once all the beef is cooked, add it back to the pan and turn to medium-high heat. Add the chili crisp and the scallion. Stir and cook until the beef is evenly coated with the chili oil and the scallion starts to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer everything to a large plate. Serve hot as a main dish.

Notes

  1. When the beef is pan fried, the cornstarch will become light golden first. Then you will notice some of the pieces turning dark brown. That means the beef surface is fully dehydrated, and will form a crispy chewy texture similar to beef jerky. Aim to create this texture on some of the pieces, but not all the surfaces. So the inside of the beef will remain juicy and tender, without getting too dry and chewy.
  2. To make the dish gluten free: Make sure to use a gluten-free chili crisp.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 353kcal, Carbohydrates: 8.4g, Protein: 32.6g, Fat: 20.4g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 95mg, Sodium: 670mg, Potassium: 470mg, Fiber: 0.5g, Sugar: 0.4g, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 20mg