Orange Beef

Orange Beef

from carlsbadcravings.com
40 min
6 servings

This Orange Beef recipe is 5 star delicious and guaranteed to land on your “top favorites” list!  It boasts crispy breaded beef (stir fry option available) tossed in the most fabulous, multidimensional orange sauce ever!  It’s bright, savory, sweet and tangy infused with orange juice and orange marmalade for plenty of citrus punch all balanced by sugar, soy sauce, hoisin, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Serve this Orange Beef over a hot bed of steamed rice with stir fried vegetables for an easy weeknight meal or throw in some cream cheese wontons and ramen noodle salad when you’re feeling extra ambitious 😉.  Any way you serve it, this Orange Beef is a stunner!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound flank steak cut against the grain into ¼ inch strips, (about 3 inches long)
  • vegetable oil, (as needed)
  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper ((may sub 3/4 tsp black pepper))
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/3 cup sweet orange marmalade ((see notes for regular/not sweet))
  • 3-4 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons quality hoisin sauce like Lee Kum Kee or Kikkoman
  • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp EACH salt, onion powder, garlic powder, ground ginger, red pepper flakes
  • Sliced green onions
  • Sesame seeds

Directions

  1. 1

    Batter: Whisk together the cornstarch and flour in a large bowl. Add the water and egg and whisk until the batter is smooth. Add the beef strips and stir until completely coated; set aside.

  2. 2

    Sauce: Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl; set aside.

  3. 3

    Fry Beef: Fill a large Dutch oven/fryer (this is the one I use) with 1 inch of vegetable oil. Heat the oil to 350-375 degrees F (177 C). Line a baking sheet with paper towels to receive the fried beef.

  4. 4

    Working in batches, use tongs to add the beef strips to the hot oil. Use a fork to stir and break them apart as they cook.

  5. 5

    Fry the beef strips for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden (they will only be lighlty golden, not deeply golden due to the cornstarch). Remove the beef strips with a slotted spoon or spider strainer and let them drain in a single layer on the prepared paper towels.

  6. 6

    Simmer Sauce: Add the sauce to a large saucepan and simmer for 2 minutes, (it will not thicken, we are just concentrating the flavors).

  7. 7

    Combine: Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the fried beef strips and stir to coat in the sauce for about 2 minutes, until the beef absorbs the sauce. Garnish beef with the sesame seeds and green onions.