Easy Spicy Beef Strips

Honestly, takeout sounds a lot better at 5:45 when practice is at 6:15. These crispy chili beef strips taste like takeout, but they’re whipped up in the time it takes me to drive to get takeout, just like my other dinners on the go.

It’s one of my favorite meal prep recipes because the sauce keeps the beef tender for lunches. It’s a spicy one though, so if you’re feeding heat-sensitive kids, start with the honey garlic version below. And if you want a milder, sweeter stir fry night, my Hawaiian chicken stir fry is the way to go.

What Makes It Different💭

20 minutes, one skillet: It’s 5 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, and the beef sears in the same pan the sauce goes into. Another one-skillet dinner is my creamy chicken thighs skillet.

Homemade chili garlic sauce: No bottle needed. The sauce is just oil, garlic, green onion, ginger, sesame seeds, chili flakes, soy sauce, and sugar.

Heat you can control: Taste the sauce before it goes on the beef and add a little more sugar or soy sauce to balance the heat. The honey garlic version below tones it down too.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Beef: 1 pound of sirloin or flank steak, sliced thin. Sirloin works best for me.
• Soy Sauce: Use gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos if you need it gluten-free.
• Cornstarch: Arrowroot powder or tapioca flour work here too, so use what you have on hand.
• Oil: You need a high-heat oil like avocado oil for searing the beef.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Flavors To Try

A few easy ways to change up these spicy beef strips.

Honey Garlic: Add 1-2 tablespoons of honey to the sauce for a sticky, sweet and spicy version. It tones the heat down a bit and makes the beef extra glossy and more family-friendly.

Peanut: Whisk a spoonful of peanut butter into the chili sauce and serve the beef over rice noodles. This is my personal favorite.

Sweet Basil: Toss fresh basil into the skillet right before serving and add a squeeze of lime juice.

How To Make the Spicy Beef Strips

Step 1: Toss the sliced beef with the soy sauce, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt, and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Step 2: Heat the oil in a small saucepan and cook the garlic, green onion, ginger, and sesame seeds until golden, then take it off the heat and stir in the chili flakes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Let it sit while you cook the beef.

Helpful Hints

• Freeze the steak for up to 30 minutes before slicing. It’s much easier to cut into thin strips when it’s really cold, but that time isn’t counted in the 20 minutes, so grab pre-sliced beef on a rushed night.
• Slice the beef across the grain to keep it as tender as possible.
• Make sure the skillet is fully hot before the beef goes in, so the strips sear and get crispy edges instead of steaming.

How To Store It

Fridge: Once cooled, store the spicy beef strips in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Reheating: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until warmed through. You can also microwave them; just stir before eating.

Freezer: I wouldn’t recommend freezing this one, because the oil separates from the sauce when it thaws.

They make a good meal prep lunch since the sauce keeps the beef tender. If you want a different make-ahead lunch, try my slow cooker cabbage roll soup.

How To Serve It

Here are a few ways to serve these spicy beef strips:

• Over rice with a splash of kimchi. I like to make my low carb shrimp fried rice but use these instead.
• Over rice noodles with sautéed mushrooms and bok choy
• With sliced bell peppers cooked in for the last few minutes, for a pop of color
• Rolled into a wrap with some extra veggies.

More Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes

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If you tried this Spicy Beef Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes!