Crispy Sesame Beef Recipe

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Craving Chinese takeout but want to make it at home? This Crispy Sesame Beef Recipe will have you ditching delivery in no time. Tender beef strips are fried to perfection and coated in a sticky, savory sesame sauce that hits all the right notes. Serve it over fluffy white rice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions for a complete meal that’s sure to become one of your favorite dishes. Need more take-out inspiration? Try my Orange Chicken next.

Why You’ll Love This Crispy Sesame Beef Recipe!

This sesame beef recipe is quick, easy, and way better than your favorite Chinese restaurant. The beef is super crispy thanks to a perfect cornstarch coating, and the sauce? It’s the perfect balance of sweet and savory with just the right amount of heat. Plus, you can make it all with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. No need for any fancy stuff here!

Ingredients Needed for Crispy Sesame Beef

Lots of common pantry and fridge items are used in this recipe! Hopefully you have most of them on hand- here is what you’ll need:

For the sauce:

• Sweet chili sauce: Adds sweetness and a bit of heat.
• Soy sauce: Regular or dark soy sauce works.
• Sesame oil: Gives that authentic Chinese cuisine flavor.
• Honey: Adds a natural sweetness to balance the savory.

For the beef:

• Sirloin steak: Cut into thin strips across the grain for tender beef.
• Cornstarch: for coating the beef.
• Peanut oil: For deep frying, use more as needed.
• Salt: A pinch of salt to taste.

To serve:

• White rice: Cooked and ready to serve.
• White sesame seeds: For garnish.
• Green onions: Diced for a fresh topping.

Variations

• Flank steak: Use instead of sirloin for a different texture.
• Liquid aminos: Substitute for soy sauce for a gluten-free option.
• Brown sugar: Swap out honey for a deeper sweetness.
• Rice vinegar: Add to the sauce for a bit of tang.
• Red pepper flakes: For an extra kick of heat.
• Oyster sauce: Mix with soy sauce for a richer flavor.

How to Make Crispy Sesame Beef

For full recipe details, including ingredient measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here are my step by step instructions for making crispy sesame beef:

1. Prepare the Sauce

In a large skillet, heat sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and honey until warmed. Keep on a very low simmer while you cook the beef.

2. Prep the Beef

Cut sirloin steak across the grain into 1/4 inch-thick pieces and place into a large bowl. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons cornstarch. Stir to coat each piece in cornstarch and set aside.

Pro Tip: freeze your steak 15-20 minutes for easier slicing.

3. Heat the Oil

In a large, deep pot, pour in oil and bring up to 350-375° F.

4. Fry the Beef

Add more cornstarch to the beef, ensuring all pieces are well-coated. This means extra crunchy beef! Fry in small batches until browned and crispy, about 2-3 minutes.

5. Drain and Season

Drain the crispy beef on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

6. Combine + Serve

Toss the fried beef in the prepared sauce, heat thoroughly, and serve over white rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. Add some steamed vegetables like broccoli, bok choy or snow peas for a complete meal.

Storage + Make Ahead Directions

Allow beef to cool to room temperature, then store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot pan to maintain crispiness.

Freeze

You can freeze crispy sesame beef. Store the beef and sauce in an airtight container. Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat the beef in a hot pan to retain its crispiness.

Make Ahead

You can prepare the sauce and coat the beef ahead of time. Fry the beef just before serving to keep it crispy!

More Meaty Recipes to Try!

• Asian Beef Tacos
• Kung Pao Chicken (Family Favorite!)
• Korean Beef
• Beef and Broccoli
• Homemade Teriyaki Chicken
• Asian Lettuce Wraps

This crispy sesame beef is one of the easiest ways to bring a delicious dish to your dinner table. With its crispy coating and savory sesame sauce, it’s sure to become one of your favorite things to cook. Try it with a side of rice vinegar pickled vegetables or as part of a stir fry with red pepper strips and green onions. The printable recipe card is below. Enjoy! 🙂

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.

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3.84 from 6 votes

Crispy Sesame Beef Recipe

Prepare yourselves for the best homemade Crispy Sesame Beef that tastes BETTER than take-out! Yes, it's possible and not all that hard to do either! Try it out tonight and see for yourself!

servings 4 servings

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

for the sauce-

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups sweet chili sauce
• ▢ 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons honey

for the beef-

• ▢ 1 1/2 lbs sirloin steak
• ▢ 4-5 tablespoons cornstarch divided
• ▢ 1 cup peanut oil for frying (add more as needed)
• ▢ salt to taste

to serve-

• ▢ 2 cups white rice cooked
• ▢ white sesame seeds for garnish
• ▢ 3 green onions diced, for garnish

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

for the sauce-

• In a large skillet, heat all ingredients for sauce until warmed. Keep on a very low simmer while you cook the beef.
  

for the beef-

• Cut sirloin steak across the grain into 1/4 inch-thick pieces* and place into a large bowl. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons cornstarch. Stir to coat each piece in cornstarch and set aside.
  
• In a large, deep pot, pour in oil and bring up to 350-375° F.
  
• The meat will absorb the cornstarch slightly, so sprinkle in 1-2 more tablespoons to coat everything again. Stir to ensure all the pieces of meat are separated from each other and evenly coated. This means extra crunchy beef!
  
• Once the oil has come up to temp, fry the meat in batches until browned and crispy.
  
• Drain onto paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Continue cooking the meat in batches.
  
• Once all the beef is cooked, add to the sauce and stir to coat and heat thoroughly.
  

to serve-

• Serve over white rice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion, if desired.
  

Video

Notes

*freeze your steak 15-20 minutes for easier slicing

Nutrition

Calories: 4571kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 469g | Saturated Fat: 37g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 2060mg | Potassium: 620mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 55g | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 3mg

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: sesame beef