Description
Spicy Beijing Beef delivers a mouthwatering Chinese-inspired culinary adventure straight from Panda Express’s kitchen. Crispy beef strips sizzle with bold peppers and zesty sauce, promising a restaurant-quality meal you can easily recreate at home.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 1 pound (454 grams) flank steak, sliced into ¼” slices (against the grain)
- 1 large egg (beaten)
- 4–6 tablespoons (60–90 grams) cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon (10 grams) cornstarch
Vegetables:
- 1 red bell pepper (cut into ½” pieces)
- 1 yellow onion (cut into ½” pieces)
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Sauce and Seasonings:
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) cold water
- ¼ cup (60 milliliters) water
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) honey (or sugar)
- 3 tablespoons (45 grams) ketchup
- ¼ cup (60 grams) hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) oyster sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons (22.5 grams) sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) rice wine vinegar
Instructions
- Prepare a silky marinade by whisking egg, cornstarch, salt, and water in a spacious mixing bowl. Thoroughly coat beef strips, ensuring complete coverage. Refrigerate for half an hour to tenderize and infuse flavors.
- Create a vibrant sauce by combining all specified ingredients, setting aside for later use.
- Remove marinated beef and generously dust with cornstarch, ensuring each piece is evenly and thoroughly coated. Add extra cornstarch if needed for complete coverage.
- Heat wok to medium-high temperature with oil. Sear beef in separate batches, cooking until exterior turns golden and crispy. Extract each batch and reserve on a separate plate.
- Discard excess oil, leaving a thin layer in the wok. Sauté onions, bell peppers, and garlic for 3-4 minutes until slightly softened and aromatic.
- Pour prepared sauce into vegetable mixture, stirring continuously. Allow sauce to gently simmer and thicken for approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Reintroduce crispy beef strips into the wok, tossing meticulously to ensure complete sauce coverage. Immediately remove from heat and plate while piping hot.
Notes
- Marinate the beef longer for deeper flavor infusion, ideally up to 2 hours for maximum tenderness.
- Choose lean cuts like sirloin or flank steak to ensure a tender and quick-cooking protein that absorbs marinades beautifully.
- Control oil temperature carefully to prevent burning; use a thermometer around 350-375°F for perfect golden-brown crispy beef without excessive greasiness.
- For gluten-free adaptation, swap cornstarch with potato starch and use tamari instead of soy sauce to maintain authentic flavor profile while accommodating dietary restrictions.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 488 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 760 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 26 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg