Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
Adapted from: BBC Good Food by Cassie Best
Tender strips of beef are marinated, air-fried until crispy, then tossed in a sweet, sticky chilli sauce with crunchy peppers and spring onions for a takeaway-style meal at home.
Ingredients
For the beef
250g thin-cut minute steak, thinly sliced into strips
2 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus a drizzle
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, cut into chunks
4 spring onions, sliced (green and white parts separated)
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
For the marinade
½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp caster sugar
Method
- In a bowl, combine the Chinese five-spice, soy sauce, sesame oil and caster sugar. Add the beef strips and toss well to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for up to 24 hours if time allows, or continue straight away.
- Sprinkle the cornflour over the marinated beef and mix until each strip is evenly coated. Separate the strips onto a plate and drizzle lightly with vegetable oil. Preheat the air fryer to 220°C if required.
- Arrange the beef strips in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for 6 minutes, turn the strips over, then cook for a further 4–6 minutes until crisp and golden.
- Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat. Stir-fry the garlic, ginger, chilli, red pepper and the white parts of the spring onions for 2–3 minutes until the pepper begins to soften. Take care not to burn the garlic or ginger.
- Stir in the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce and tomato ketchup. Bring to a gentle bubble and cook for 1 minute until slightly thickened.
- Add the crispy beef to the wok and toss well until evenly coated in the sauce. Cook for another minute until piping hot.
- Scatter over the green parts of the spring onions and serve immediately with rice or noodles, with extra sauce on the side if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Energy: 440 kcal
- Fat: 19g
- Saturates: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Sugars: 20g
- Fibre: 3g
- Protein: 31g
- Salt: 3.1g