This post may contain affiliate links for which I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more info, check out my Disclosure Policy. Thank you for your support!
This Air Fryer Crispy Chilli Beef recipe is quick and easy to make – and SO much better than getting takeout! It’s naturally gluten free, ready in 20 minutes and air frying it makes it so much healthier than the take-away, deep-fried version.
My Favourite Gluten Free Fake-Away Recipe
- Why choose this recipe? Making crispy chilli beef in the air fryer is so easy to do, you’ll wonder why you never tried it before! Crunchy, crispy and full of flavour, this dish is naturally gluten free so everyone can enjoy it! Plus if my face when I nailed this recipe doesn’t say it all, I don’t know what will…
- Money-Saving: This is so much cheaper than getting a takeaway, and you get way more per serving than buying a supermarket ‘at home takeaway’ version. Get more bang for your buck by making this air fryer crispy beef at home!
- Top Tip: Give the beef strips some space in the air fryer – this helps them to crisp up! If you cram too much in, they won’t go as crispy.
- Serving Suggestion: Serve this crispy chilli beef with stir-fried gluten free egg noodles, egg fried rice, or with dishes like sweet and sour chicken or chicken with cashew nuts. Bonus points for a side of gluten free prawn toast!
Ingredients and Substitutions
There’s a printable recipe card for this gluten free crispy chilli beef below. But for the shopping list here are the main ingredients you’ll need and ideas for any swaps.
- Spray Oil: I tend to use an oil with a high smoking point as it’s better for air frying, like avocado oil, rapeseed oil or vegetable oil.
- Beef Strips: I use the ‘lean stir fry beef strips’ in the supermarket for ease, but always go for a lean cut of beef like sirloin, minute steaks or rump steaks, sliced very thinly.
- Cornflour: This is naturally gluten free and helps create that light, crispy coating.
- Garlic and Ginger: I use pastes as I don’t want any lumps in my marinade!
- Sesame Oil: Essential for that classic taste.
- Tamari: Or gluten free soy sauce. Just make sure you double check it’s free from gluten as normal soy sauce contains wheat flour.
- Spring Onions
- Sweet Chilli Sauce: I just find this *so* much quicker and easier than making my own. Most sweet chilli sauce is gluten free but always double check.
This crispy chilli beef recipe is naturally egg and dairy free as well as gluten free, so there’s no need to make any extra swaps to adapt it for multiple allergens.
How to Make Crispy Chilli Beef in Air Fryer
Here are some step-by-step photos to show you how easy it is to make crispy chilli beef.
Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl, then pour over the beef strips, mixing well. Ideally leave overnight to marinade, but you can just continue on to the next step.
Pour the cornflour over the beef strips and mix together using a spoon (or your hands!) – it should form a thick, sticky batter which coats all the beef pieces.
Liberally spray the air fryer basket (with grill tray) with spray oil. Lay the beef strips out in one layer, with some space between them.
I have a dual-basket air fryer with smaller baskets, so I divided the beef between the two. Alternatively you could cook this in batches. The space is crucial for crispy beef!
Air fry at 220C (428F) for 6 minutes, then open the drawer and turn the beef over. Air fry for another 4-5 minutes at 220C (428F) until crispy and sizzling.
Turn the beef strips into a bowl and serve with sweet chilli sauce and chopped spring onion on top. Great with gluten free noodles or rice, or your favourite Asian dishes!
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some FAQs about this easy crispy chilli beef. If you can’t find the answer to your question here or in the post above, please comment and I’ll try answer!
This recipe is definitely best eaten fresh. However, any leftover crispy chilli beef can be kept in the fridge – I recommend storing it before adding the sauce as this will make it soften. Reheat in the air fryer to get that nice crunch back!
Yes, you can. This recipe is definitely best eaten fresh but you can freeze any leftovers to avoid food waste. I recommend freezing the cooked crispy beef without adding the sauce, then reheating in the air fryer before eating to get that crispiness back.
More Gluten Free Fake-Away Recipes
If you loved making this crispy chilli beef air fryer recipe, you simply have to team it up with some of my other favourite fake-aways!
Have you tried this recipe?
I have a huge favour to ask! It’s getting more and more difficult to get my recipes out there to the world – so if you try this and love it, it would mean a HUGE amount if you’d come back and leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review and a little comment telling me what you thought! Just 30 seconds of your time would be such a huge support! 💛
Want to connect further?
Prevent your screen from going dark
Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl, then pour over the beef strips. Mix well so the beef is coated – at this stage you can either refrigerate overnight for maximum flavour, or continue on with the next step.
Pour the cornflour over the beef strips and mix together using a spoon (or your hands!) – it should form a thick, sticky batter which coats all the beef pieces.
Liberally spray the air fryer basket (with grill tray) with spray oil. Lay the beef strips out in one layer, with some space between them. I have a dual-basket air fryer with smaller baskets, so I divided the beef between the two. Alternatively you could cook this in batches – the space is crucial to ensure the beef goes crispy!
Air fry at 220C (428F) for 6 minutes, then open the drawer and turn the beef over. Air fry for another 4-5 minutes at 220C (428F) until crispy and sizzling.
Turn the beef strips into a bowl and serve with sweet chilli sauce and chopped spring onion on top. Great with gluten free noodles or rice, or your favourite Asian dishes!
- Storage: Any leftover crispy chilli beef can be kept in the fridge – I recommend storing it before adding the sauce as this will make it soften. Reheat in the air fryer to get that nice crunch back! You can also freeze any leftovers and air fry to reheat.
- Step-by-Step Photos: Check out the blog post above for step-by-step photos of this method if you find it easier to follow a visual guide.
- Like this Recipe? It would mean SO much to me if you could leave a 5* rating and a little comment if you make this Air Fryer Crispy Beef recipe and love it. It really helps support my blog and get the recipe out there to more people! Thank you xx
Serving: 1 portion (minus sweet chilli sauce) | Calories: 469kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 28g
Get my cookbook!
Want more gluten free meals inspiration? My debut cookbook, Delicious Gluten Free Meals, has 100+ gluten free recipes, from breakfast and lunch ideas to dinners, desserts and sides.
Leave feedback about this