This crispy orange beef is tangy, sweet and utterly delicious. An easy Friday-night fakeaway – ready in 25 minutes!
I love to serve this up with a big bowl of fluffy rice or some stir-fried noodles.
Yes, we’re using steak for this recipe, which is a little bit extravagant, but it means we’re getting tender meat, cooked in extra-quick time, with a lovely steaky flavour – rather than chewy meat (which is what you can get with cheaper cuts of beef).
I love the tanginess of this recipe. The sauce soaks into the rice beautifully – meaning lots of flavour in every bite!
📋 What do we need?
📺 Watch how to make it
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
👩🍳PRO TIP Place the steak in the freezer for 10-20 minutes before slicing. This will make it firmer so it’s easier to slice thinly.
Make this and I guarantee every plate will be clean within 10 minutes!!
🍽️ What to serve it with
- Boiled rice
- Egg fried rice
- Onion fried rice
- Or serve it up as part of a banquet with Prawn Toast, A Noodle Salad, Spare Ribs and Crispy Duck
Want to make it spicy? 🌶
Add a tablespoon of sriracha to the sauce and sprinkle with a few chilli flakes before serving.
🍲 More fantastic Chinese-takeaway inspired recipes
Stay updated with new recipes!
Subscribe to the newsletter to hear when I post a new recipe. I’m also on YouTube (new videos every week) and Instagram (behind-the-scenes stories & beautiful food photos).
Crispy Orange Beef
Ingredients
Crispy Orange Beef
- 3 tbsp oil
- 500 g (1.1 lbs) beef steak I use sirloin, chopped into strips*
- 2 tbsp cornflour cornstarch in the US
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
- 1 red pepper sliced
- 1 large onion peeled and sliced
- zest of half an orange
- juice of 2 large oranges (approx. 120ml or 1/2 cup or orange juice)
- 5 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp ginger paste
To Serve:
- boiled rice
- 4 spring onions (scallions) chopped on the diagonal
Optional – to thicken the sauce:
- 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 3 tbsp cold water to form a slurry (cornstarch in the US)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a wok or large frying over a high heat.3 tbsp oil
- Pat the beef dry with some kitchen roll, then mix the cornflour (cornstarch) with the salt and pepper and toss the beef in the cornflour until completely coated.500 g (1.1 lbs) beef steak, 2 tbsp cornflour, 1 pinch salt and pepper
- When the oil is hot, tip the beef in and fry until crispy. Try not to move the meat around too much as this reduces the amount of crispiness you get. It should take about 5-6 minutes to crisp up the beef, with about 3 or 4 stirs during that time.
- Once the beef is crispy and cooked through, remove the beef using a slotted spoon, and place it in a bowl lined with kitchen roll to soak up excess fat.
- After the beef has been removed from the pan there should still be a little oil left. Turn the heat down to medium and add the sliced red pepper and onion.1 red pepper, 1 large onion
- Fry for 2-3 minutes (so they're hot but still crunchy).
- While the peppers and onions are cooking, mix the orange zest, juice, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, rice vinegar, and ginger and put to one side.juice of 2 large oranges, zest of half an orange, 3 tbsp caster sugar, 5 tbsp soy sauce, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp rice vinegar
- Pour over the orange sauce. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1 minute.
- Then add the beef back in. Give it a stir and heat through for 1 minute. If your sauce is looking too thin, you can stir in a little cornflour slurry to thicken.1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 3 tbsp cold water to form a slurry
- Once bubbling and thick, serve up with boiled rice. Garnish with the spring onions (scallions).boiled rice, 4 spring onions (scallions)
Video
Notes
CAN I MAKE IT GLUTEN FREE?
Yes! Replace the soy sauce with tamari. I’ve done this lots of times and it works really well. You must ensure you use the correct amount of orange juice and sugar though, otherwise the tamari can overpower the flavours.CAN I FREEZE IT OR MAKE IT AHEAD?
This recipe works best when made and served right away. Freezing/chilling then reheating means the beef won’t be crispy.However, it does still taste really good. So if you did want to freeze it, then cool, cover and freeze. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat thoroughly in the wok or a microwave until piping hot throughout. You can add a splash of water if it’s a little dry. Nutritional Information is per serving and does not include the serving suggestion of boiled rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published September 2015. Updated May 2018 and then again in March 2023 with new photos and a video, plus extra tips.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
Equipment:
- A good Kitchen knife. I have recently bought this Dalstrong one and love it.
- Chopping Board
- Zester or microplane
- Juicer
- Measuring Spoons
- Garlic Press
- A wok or if you dont have a wok then a frying pan/skillet will do
- Wooden or Silicon Coated Spoons. We have just bought these and love them.
- Rice Steamer.
This Crispy Orange Beef is so good. It’s our family’s new fave food. I used Kikkoman Naturally Brewed Tamari Soy Sauce for a more flavorful twist of taste. Yummy! Best paired with Vitasoy Lychee Flavor Vita Juice Drink.
DELICIOUS! This recipe is definitely a KEEPER! Thank you very much.
I did add red pepper flakes to the sauce and to the cornstarch, as my family likes spicy food.
Thank you for a delicious meal.
Hi ….is it ok to make the Sauce, the orange juice, etc in advance , a day before for example
Came home Friday night, wondering what to have for evening meal. Made this and boy I did not regret it…… What an easy recipe but very taste and full of flavour.
Thanks again Nicky.
Really tasty!
I made this last night for my partner and me – it was really tasty. I found it best to get all my prep done and tidy up along the way and then followed the recipe. I will definitely make it again, thank you 🙏
This is the first recipe of yours I’ve tried and it won’t be the last! This was fantastic, everyone who had it loved it also. Quick and easy to make and will make again. Thank you.
Thanks Stacey,
So pleased that you liked the recipe. I love Orange Chicken too 🙂
Thanks
Chris
Oh. My. Gosh. This was so delicious! This is a must make. This was my first recipe by Kitchen Sanctuary and I’m very excited to explore all the others!
Delicious! And very easy to make
Awesome recipe..saved and posted to mt accounts on : Twitter..Pinterest.Yummly.facebook..and tumblr