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Meat, East Asian

Orange beef with rice

Orange beef with rice is a Chinese style dish for 4 people, ready in 40 minutes, rated easy, at a cost of €3.80 per serving. Crispy battered flank steak strips are tossed in a sweet, sour, and salty orange sauce. The key to success is frying the meat in small batches and tossing it with the sauce at the very last moment so the crust stays crispy.

Tonight, Chinese style orange beef, crispy glazed strips in a tangy orange sauce, with white rice.

Orange beef with rice
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.80
Calories per person
650 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

Orange beef is all about contrast, crispy battered beef meeting a bright sauce that's sweet and tangy at once, thanks to both the zest and the juice of the orange. Dried chili adds just enough heat without overwhelming the dish, and garlic rounds out the sauce as it thickens in the pan.

It's a great weeknight dish when you want something different without spending hours in the kitchen, and it also works well for a weekend when you feel like cooking something a bit more hands-on. Kids usually love the sweet and tangy flavor and the crunchy texture, and you can adjust the chili to suit the whole family.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Beef flank steak 600 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Untreated oranges 3
  • Garlic 3 cloves

Dairy

  • Egg 1

Pantry

  • Cornstarchoften in the pantry 5 tbsp
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Rice vinegar 2 tbsp
  • Sugaroften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Dried chili 2
  • Frying oiloften in the pantry 30 cl
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g

Allergens Gluten, Soy, Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the flank steak into strips, dip them in beaten egg, then roll them in cornstarch.

    Coat each strip well, the crust stays crispier.

  2. Mix the juice of two oranges with the zest of one, the soy sauce, the vinegar, and the sugar.

    Taste it, the sauce should be equally sweet, sour, and salty.

  3. Fry the strips in hot oil until golden, then drain them. 8 min

    Don't fry too much meat at once, the oil needs to stay hot.

  4. Sauté the garlic and chilies in a bit of oil, pour in the sauce, and let it thicken. 5 min

    The sauce should coat the back of a spoon.

  5. Cook the rice in salted water, return the beef to the sauce, toss quickly, and serve. 11 min

    Toss at the very last moment to keep the crust crispy.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pat the beef strips dry before dipping them in egg, extra moisture keeps the cornstarch from sticking properly and the crust won't turn out as crispy.
  • Make the sauce and prep every ingredient before you start frying, the rest of the recipe moves fast and there's no time to improvise.
  • Keep the frying oil at a steady temperature by never crowding the pan, otherwise the meat steams instead of browning.

The variations

  • Swap the flank steak for thinly sliced chicken for a quicker cooking version, just fry it a bit less time.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the beef with firm tofu cut into strips and battered the same way.
  • For kids or a faster meal, leave the dried chilies out of the sauce and serve the beef lightly glazed instead of fully coated.

What to serve it with

  • Plain white rice, already in the recipe
  • Steamed broccoli for some color
  • Hot green tea or lemon water

Storage

Orange beef keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container, though the crust softens over time. Reheat it in a hot skillet rather than the microwave to bring back some crispness. Freezing isn't recommended because of the batter.

Questions about this dish

Can I use flour instead of cornstarch?

Yes, flour works too but the crust will be a bit thicker and less crispy. Cornstarch gives a result closer to what you'd get at a Chinese restaurant.

Do I really need to deep fry the beef, or can I pan fry it?

Deep frying gives the dish its signature crispy crust, even once coated in sauce. Pan frying with a bit of oil still tastes good but turns out less crunchy.

Can I make the sauce ahead of time?

Yes, you can mix the juice, zest, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar the day before and keep it in the fridge. You'll just need to thicken it with the garlic and chilies on the day you cook.

Why does the recipe call for orange zest?

The zest holds the orange's aromatic oils, which carry far more flavor than the juice alone. It gives the sauce a real orange taste instead of just a sweet tartness.

How long does it take to make an orange beef with rice?

Count 40 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in an orange beef with rice?

About 650 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does an orange beef with rice cost?

About €3.80 per serving, or €15.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, soy, eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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