Easy air fryer orange beef that tastes just as good as your favorite take-out! Made with sirloin steak and a tangy orange sauce, it’s an easy weeknight dinner. Eat it alone for a low carb option, or serve over rice or cauliflower rice! It’s one of the many air fryer recipes you’ll find on the blog!
This post is sponsored by the Certified Angus Beef ® brand in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions are my own.
You all know how I love my air fryer; it has been a life-saver when it comes to weeknight dinners. This air fryer orange beef is an easy Chinese take-out inspired dinner, like my air fryer sticky Asian beef and air fryer sweet & sour chicken, that’s easy to make and will have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients needed
To make your own air fryer orange beef at home, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 1 red pepper
- 1 yellow pepper
- 1 orange pepper
- 1/2 cup liquid aminos or soy sauce
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 Tbsp. orange zest
- 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1-1.5 pound Certified Angus Beef® brand sirloin steak
- 1/4 cup arrowroot or corn starch
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- sesame seeds (optional)
- rice or cauliflower rice (optional)
How to make air fryer orange beef
- In a skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium heat, then add the sliced red, yellow, and orange peppers and cook until tender. Once tender, reduce heat to low.
- In a saucepan, add the liquid aminos, orange juice, orange zest, sugar, ginger, and minced garlic – whisk to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Let the sauce cook while you prepare the steak. At the 10 minute mark, if the sauce is still thin and runny, add 1/2 teaspoon arrowroot starch and whisk to combine. Reduce heat to low and let cook until ready to use.
- While the sauce and peppers are cooking, begin to prepare the steak. Thinly slice the sirloin steak. Add the salt and pepper to the arrowroot starch, then toss the steak in the mixture to fully coat.
- Spray the air fryer basket with oil to prevent sticking, then add the steak strips to the air fryer basket. It’s okay if some of the pieces overlap one another.
- Cook in the air fryer at 400 degrees F. for ten minutes. Open the basket and using a fork toss the steak. Then, cook for an additional five minutes or until the steak is crispy and reaches the desired level of doneness.
- Once the steak is finished, remove the air fryer basket and transfer the cooked steak to the pan with the red peppers. Add the thickened sauce and stir to coat.
- Serve over rice, cauliflower rice, or on its own. Top with sesame seeds if desired.
Recipe FAQs and Variations
Can you use corn starch in air fryer?
Yes! Arrowroot starch or corn starch are my favorite options for coating food that will be cooked in the air fryer. The starch is light enough that it will give your food a nice crispy coating in the air fryer.
Is arrowroot starch the same as corn starch?
Arrowroot starch is a starch that is extracted from the arrowroot plant. It is naturally gluten-free and easily digested. Corn starch is extracted from corn. They are both thickening agents and are mostly interchangeable.
Do you need to preheat the air fryer?
No, you do not have to preheat your air fryer. Some recipes do recommend preheating; however, it is not a requirement with this recipe.
What type of beef is best for air fryer orange beef?
This recipe calls for sirloin steak. We always recommend our partners at Certified Angus Beef® brand as we believe in the quality standards they use with all of their cuts of beef. You could also use flank steak for this recipe as well. You can find your local Certified Angus Beef® brand retailer here.
Recipe variations
- For a spicier dish, add 1/2-1 Tbsp. of red pepper flakes.
- Add additional vegetables, if preferred.
- No arrowroot or corn starch on hand? Use a light coating of flour instead.
Recommended kitchen resources for this recipe.
Wanderlust and Wellness
My air fryer has made cooking SO EASY! These are my top air fryer recommendations. You can check out my air fryer recommendations that will fit almost any budget and my favorite air fryer accessories.
Enjoy these other Certified Angus Beef® brand recipes.
- Coffee Rub Prime Rib – A holiday favorite main dish
- Mexican Street Corn Beef Casserole – an easy weeknight casserole dish
- Mississippi Pot Roast – An easy slow-cooker dinner
- Skirt Steak with Blue Cheese Polenta – A simple yet elegant dinner for two
- Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed French Bread – A crowd-pleasing appetizer
- Sheet Pan Philly Cheesesteak – an easy sheet pan dinner option
Air Fryer Orange Beef
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Air Fryer Orange Beef
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Easy air fryer orange beef that tastes just as good as your favorite take-out! Made with sirloin steak and a tangy orange sauce, it’s an easy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 1 red pepper
- 1 yellow pepper
- 1 orange pepper
- 1/2 cup liquid aminos or soy sauce
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 Tbsp. orange zest
- 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1–1.5 pound Certified Angus Beef® brand sirloin steak
- 1/4 cup arrowroot or corn starch
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- sesame seeds (optional)
- rice or cauliflower rice (optional)
Instructions
- In a skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium heat, then add the sliced red, yellow, and orange peppers and cook until tender. Once tender, reduce heat to low.
- In a saucepan, add the liquid aminos, orange juice, orange zest, sugar, ginger, and minced garlic – whisk to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Let the sauce cook while you prepare the steak. At the 10 minute mark, if the sauce is still thin and runny, add 1/2 teaspoon arrowroot starch and whisk to combine. Reduce heat to low and let cook until ready to use.
- While the sauce and peppers are cooking, begin to prepare the steak. Thinly slice the sirloin steak. Add the salt and pepper to the arrowroot starch, then toss the steak in the mixture to fully coat.
- Spray the air fryer basket with oil to prevent sticking, then add the steak strips to the air fryer basket. It’s okay if some of the pieces overlap one another.
- Cook in the air fryer at 400 degrees F. for ten minutes. Open the basket and using a fork toss the steak. Then, cook for an additional five minutes or until the steak is crispy and reaches the desired level of doneness.
- Once the steak is finished, remove the air fryer basket and transfer the cooked steak to the pan with the red peppers. Add the thickened sauce and stir to coat.
- Serve over rice, cauliflower rice, or on its own. Top with sesame seeds if desired.
Notes
- For a spicier dish, add 1/2-1 Tbsp. of red pepper flakes.
- Add additional vegetables, if preferred.
- No arrowroot or corn starch on hand? Use a light coating of flour instead.
- Nutritional Disclaimer
- Category: dinner
- Method: air fryer
- Cuisine: Chinese
Keywords: air fryer orange beef, orange beef, air fryer recipes
Jennifer is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Wanderlust and Wellness since 2016. She creates easy, approachable gluten-free recipes for the everyday home cook; because cooking gluten-free doesn’t mean food has to be complicated or tasteless.
This recipe is amazing! I love finding new air fryer recipes and this one did not disappoint! I dare say it’s as good as my local chinoiserie place or even better (knowing that it is so much healthier for us!) I omitted the peppers as we are not fans and served with steamed broccoli instead. I did opt to add some red pepper flakes for heat. Other than that, I stayed exactly to the recipe (a rarity for me). Delicious!
So happy you enjoyed it!! I love Asian air fryer recipes!