Crispy Orange Beef is a quick and flavorful dish, perfectly cooked in just 30 minutes with a zesty, savory-sweet finish. Perfect for tonight!
This is a dish that will be the big flavors and be a crowd pleaser around your table. If you love Chinese takeout, you’re going to love trying my Sweet and Sour Chicken, too!
Sabrina’s Crispy Orange Beef Recipe
Crispy Orange Beef is definitely in the shadows of the powerhouse Orange Chicken, but it has a delicious flavor all its own and without a heavy coating of breading. There are three classic cooking methods for most takeout Chinese food. First is deep-fried food with a breading. Second, it is a pan fry with a cornstarch coating to keep the food crispy, but without the breading like in this recipe. Third is your classic stir-fry.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds flank steak , thinly sliced against the grain
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil , for frying
- 1 teaspoon ginger , grated
- 2 tablespoons garlic , minced
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 2 teaspoons orange zest , optional
Instructions
- Add the steak and soy sauce together in a large Ziploc bag, leaving air inside and shake.
- Add in the cornstarch and leave air in the bag again before closing, shake until well coated.
- Heat the oil on high heat in a wok or pan and cook the steak strips for 45 seconds on each side.
- Remove to a plate and cook in batches to allow space in wok for beef to crisp.
- Drain most of the oil, leaving just a tablespoon.
- Add in the ginger and garlic, and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add in the sugar, vinegar, orange juice, and zest, then stir.
- Add the beef back in and toss.
Nutrition
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Table of Contents
Chef’s Note
If you’ve ever wondered how Chinese food recipes get a crisp coating without the breading, the magic is usually a soak in soy sauce that is then coated in cornstarch. When the cornstarch is fried, it gets very crispy and, btw, delicious!
Cooking Tips and Tricks
- Orange Swap: If you don’t want to use orange juice and zest, you can swap them for some orange marmalade. Mix about ¼ cup and add maybe 2 tablespoons of water to thin it out. (Cut sugar back if you do this.)
- Steak Tip: Don’t cook the steak for too long — it will get tough. High heat for a very short period of time on each side.
- Pan Tip: Don’t crowd the pan. The beef needs to get crisp, and if you add it all at once, it’ll steam and get gummy instead.
- Sesame Boost: If you want a richer, deeper sesame flavor, add a teaspoon of sesame oil in with the orange juice.
Related Recipes
More Chinese Beef Recipes
Photos used in previous versions of this post.
Sabrina’s American Chinese food is very nice. She gets the memo.
She can probably post a mice Cha xiao bao recipe and shumai as well. These are great to eat. Con yo bin is a great breakfast. in China.
There are many cool things to eat in China and I bet she knows most of them. Beijing Kao Ya! Ma Po Dofu. A number of egg dishes. The best way to cook certain kinds of vegetables. Pork is a staple there as well. HUNDREDS of recipes. Nio ro mien. Ju ro mien. Easy breezy. These American Chinese recipes you will not find in any Chinese American household, but she is catering to the American market. Ask her.
It tasted OK, but was *not* crispy– and it’s not really my fault. Read on…
I’ve got some issues with this recipe as written.
IMHO, a recipe should tell you everything you need to know in order to make it, and make it a success. I want something I can print out and use days/months/years later without having to look it up online later because some key suggestions/instructions are not included… but *are* mentioned in the five or six paragraphs of descriptions, tips, tools, etc. before the recipe itself.
As a result:
1. I didn’t happen to use a wok, but should have; a wok was mentioned in the tools section, but not suggested in the recipe itself. I would have no qualms about using high heat in a wok– in fact, I expect to.
2. I took the recipe literally and cooked the meat on medium-high heat for 45 sec. on a side instead of the high heat mentioned in the tips. No wonder it wasn’t crispy! I kept wondering to myself as it cooked, “OK, so when and how does it get crisp?”
BTW: flank steak in my town runs $9.99/lb.– too pricey for something that you’re expected to cook the hell out of. I used a petite sirloin rather than flank steak, but I doubt that this was much of a factor in the less-than-crisp result.
Seriously it is your fault. No Wok is a nightmare. I lived in China for 20 years. This is an American dish not Chinese at ALL. Flank steak prices are what they are. it is the cheapest form of beef. Perhaps try chicken and broccoli. Although I am the CEO, I cook real Chinese every night. This recipe is easy peasy Amerikanski. Unless you speak Chinese you won’t get the secret menu most Chinese restaurants have for Chinese.
Anyway this recipe is easy. Study your actions, It works every time,
Sabrina, I’ve come back and back again to your website this year. You have blessed our family with all these awesome recipes, especially in this crazy 2020, where we have had a lot of family dinners! Thank you and can’t wait for some of the Thanksgiving recipes!
Happy Thanksgiving, Sean & Family!
Sean, thank you so much for these kind words! You made my day. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I hope you enjoy the Thanksgiving recipes!
I’ve not had orange beef in a very long time, and found this recipe to be very easy to follow, and the crispy orange beef came out very tasty. It’s a big hit with the family.
if I use orange marmalade instead of orange juice and zest, how much do I use of the orange marmalade and then do I use only 1/4 cup sugar?
I would add about 1/4 cup of marmalade mixed with 2 tablespoons of water to help thin it out and cut back to 3 tablespoons of sugar. You also might want to add a tablespoon of white vinegar because you’re going to loose some of the tang from the juice. It’s up to you. Enjoy!
I’ve been searching for a good crispy orange beef recipe that replicates the one served at my favorite Chinese restaurant and this one is as close as I’ve come. My only changes have been: I added sambal olek to the sauce, and will add dried chili peppers next time. This dish needs heat to offset the sweetness. Will use strips of peel rather than zest (or maybe in addition) so that there is the punch of citrus. Next time I will bite the bullet and deep fry rather than pan fry. It just took too long to cook that much meat using a pan fry method. Easier to maintain the right temperature too. Served with steamed rice and broccoli. Planning to make again this week.
So glad you love it so much, Laura!
Not crispy. The meat was sort of crispy after the first step. Dumping it into the OJ/vinegar
negated it. Disappointed that I wasted a quality piece of steak. Also… WAY TOO VINEGARY!
Sorry it didn’t live up to your expectation.
If it wasn’t crispy you might want to recheck your technique. Mine was wonderfully crispy if dredged and fried properly in enough very hot oil. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Also, if you cook the juice, sugar, and vinegar in the pan by itself until the vinegar reduces you won’t be left with the strong taste of vinegar. Like boiling off alcohol. Toss in the beef and done.
Another delicious recipe. I made it with the sesame oil and the flavour was wonderful.
Thanks for coming back to let me know how much you enjoyed it!
I came late to the “party”, so I made mine with valentine sprinkles and chocolate candies. Cute and delicious!
Newlywed & trying to make dinner for my steak loving husband, but I HATE steak. BUT that being said I made this tonight and ate almost as much as him! The crispiness is sooooo good. I used the marmalade instead of orange juice & zest and it all turned out so yummy. I’m so glad to have found a recipe that we both love! Thank you!
I’m so glad you decided to give it a try, Jordyn! Thank you so much for the 5 stars!
Prep time was good Cook time great. Made just in time before family got home.
Family says it’s Delicious Dad
This looks unbelievable. Great pictures!
Thanks Jason!
Okay, this looks incred. Way better than takeout, that’s for sure! And I can’t believe how simple it is!!
I am going to have to try this out very soon! It looks so tasty!
Enjoy!!
OMG that sauce!!! Drooling!
Thanks, Cathy!
One of my favorites to get from take-out! Now I can make it at home. 🙂
Yep, no need to leave the house!!
This looks SO good! I love that I can eat orange beef at home!
Thanks, Amy!
Just shared this with my husband so he’ll make this for dinner, soon! It sounds delicious!
Thanks, Patricia!
And all of a sudden, I’m totally craving some Chinese food! This is definitely going on our menu soon!
I hope you enjoy it!
This looks soooo good! Way better than takeout!!!
Thanks, Allyson!