Introduction: Crispy Fried BEEF CHIPS
While crispy beef jerky chips can take hours and hours to make in a dehydrator, this version is a cinch. These thin slices of beef are flash fried in under a minute and a half. Holy cow, are they ever crisp! Imagine the crunch of bacon -- but beef. Not only are they a fraction of the time to make, they are also a fraction of the cost of a gourmet bag of beef chips. Anyone without a dehydrator nor air fryer can make these at home.
Step 1: Partially Frozen Eye of Round
Eye of round is my favorite cut when making beef jerky at home. It is lean. It is cheap.
As with making beef jerky, to make beef chips you will need to have a frozen eye of round, slightly thawed. This partially frozen state will make cutting thin slices a lot easier.
Step 2: Thinly Slice
Using a very, very sharp knife, slice the beef into no more than 2mm in thickness. With the beef partially frozen, this will be an easy process.
Step 3: Marinate
Of course you can make any marinade for your beef chips. Just keep in mind, the higher the sugar content, the quicker the burn rate. Of course eliminating any sugar will quickly turn these into keto-friendly chips.
For my marinade, I used for every pound of beef:
1 cup ginger ale
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
Place the beef slices in the marinade and let sit in the refrigerator for an hour.
Step 4: Drain
Remove beef slices from marinade and drain over a cooling rack for about 10 - 15 minutes. You want to minimize the amount of water in the beef.
Step 5: Flash Fry
Heat 1" depth of vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350F. Oil that is less than 1" deep would cause the slices to touch the bottom of the pan and burn.
Place a few slices of beef carefully -- there will be some splashing. Using tongs, continuously flip over the pieces until browned -- between a minute to a minute and a half.
Let drain on a paper towel.
Step 6: All That and a Bag of Chips
There you have it -- crispy fried beef chips!
Runner Up in the
Fried Food Challenge
11 Comments
7 months ago
Would these be air fry-able?
Reply 7 months ago
Hi! I haven't tried air frying them, but I don't see why not. My air fryer does have a dehydrate setting so I can do low temps, and I did try that method with much success.
Reply 7 months ago
Oooh! I'm gonna try! LOVE the idea of various spice possibilities, too!
7 months ago
Another fabulous recipe creation!!!!! You are so very creative!!!!
Reply 7 months ago
Thank you, Ronna!
7 months ago
That looks so good! Thanks for sharing!
And congratulations in advance! ;)
Reply 7 months ago
Haha! Thank you! Though I can't accept congratulations when the contest hasn't finalized. XD
7 months ago on Introduction
Wow! Looks delicious. I will definitely try that.!
Reply 7 months ago
Thank you. Let me know how it goes!
Question 7 months ago
his is an amazing recipe (!), but I have a question: The text compares this to beef jerky but one of the benefits of beef jerky is that it is 'shelf stable', doesn't spoil, and can be carried on a backpacking trip without need for refrigeration due to its low moisture content. How does the preparation of the beef using this recipe compare to the shelf life of dehydrated beef jerky?
Reply 7 months ago
These beef chips do need to be eaten immediately to appreciate the crisp texture. Given the fat content acquired in the frying process, no matter how lean the cut, the oil makes the meat perishable. So I wouldn't recommend them for hiking or backpacking without refrigeration. The pieces I've stored in the fridge have retained most of their crispy texture.