Dendeng Balado, Indonesian Crispy Chili Beef (41g Protein)

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This dendeng balado has about 41 grams of protein per serving, before the rice. It is lean beef sliced thin, fried until the edges go crisp, then covered in a fresh red chili and shallot sambal.

Dendeng is Indonesian dried-and-fried beef, and balado is the chili sauce it wears. The classic version simmers a thick cut of beef, shreds and pounds it, then fries it. I take a shortcut with thin slices that crisp in a couple of minutes, and it still gets you that chewy, salty, sweet and sour bite. It serves four and takes about 45 minutes.

Why this works

Top round is a very lean cut, which is exactly why it suits this recipe. Sliced thin against the grain and fried hot, it browns and crisps instead of turning dry and stringy the way a thick lean steak would. The cornstarch added at the last second gives the surface something to crisp against, and the sugar and tamarind in the marinade help it caramelize fast.

Work in batches. If you crowd the pan, the beef steams and goes grey, and you lose the crisp edges. The oil should sizzle the moment a slice touches it. And cook the sambal until the oil starts to separate from the paste, because raw chili paste tastes sharp and flat, while cooked paste turns sweet and deep.

Ingredient notes

Beef: Eye of round or top round both work. Freeze the beef for about 30 minutes so it firms up and you can slice it thin with a regular knife. Sirloin is a fine swap, but it adds more fat and a little less protein per serving.

Chilies: Indonesian recipes use cabai merah keriting, a long, mildly hot red chili. Fresno chilies are the closest thing in most US stores. The bird’s eye chilies are optional and only for people who want real heat. Taste the sambal before you add them to the whole batch.

Tamarind: Tamarind paste adds a gentle sourness to the beef. If you do not have it, 2 tbsp of lime juice works, though the flavor is brighter and less rounded.

Dendeng Balado (Indonesian Crispy Chili Beef)

Thin-sliced beef fried until crisp at the edges, then buried in a fresh red chili and shallot sambal. About 41 grams of protein per serving, in about 45 minutes.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 360

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 750 g beef top round or eye of round sliced against the grain into 3 mm slices (freeze 30 minutes first to make slicing easy)
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 4 cloves garlic grated, for the beef
• 1 tsp fine salt for the beef
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste or 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tsp brown sugar for the beef
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/3 cup neutral oil for shallow frying, about 80 ml
• 100 g long red chilies Fresno or red jalapeno also work, roughly chopped
• 3 bird's eye chilies optional, for more heat
• 6 shallots 3 roughly chopped for blending, 3 sliced into thin wedges
• 4 cloves garlic for the sambal
• 1 medium tomato roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp neutral oil for the sambal
• 2 tsp sugar for the sambal
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp fine salt for the sambal, adjust to taste
• 600 g cooked jasmine rice to serve (not in the nutrition figures)

Method

 

1. Toss the sliced beef with the coriander, grated garlic, 1 tsp salt, tamarind paste and brown sugar. Marinate 15 minutes at room temperature. Just before frying, add the cornstarch and toss until every slice is lightly coated.
2. Blitz the red chilies, bird's eye chilies, the 3 chopped shallots, 4 garlic cloves and the tomato in a food processor into a coarse paste. Do not puree it smooth, the texture should be rough.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Cook the paste, stirring, 8 to 10 minutes until the raw smell is gone and the oil separates at the edges. Stir in the sugar, 1/2 tsp salt and the sliced shallot wedges, cook 2 minutes more, then turn off the heat and stir in the lime juice.
4. Heat 1/3 cup oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until a slice sizzles right away. Fry the beef in 4 batches, spreading the slices in a single layer, 1 to 2 minutes per side until deep brown with crisp edges. Drain on a rack or paper towels.
5. Pile the crisp beef on a platter and spoon the warm sambal over the top, or toss everything together in the pan for 30 seconds. Serve right away with rice and sliced cucumber.

Tips and storage

The beef is best eaten within about 20 minutes of frying, while the edges are still crisp. The sambal holds up much longer. Make it ahead, keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days, and fry the beef fresh. If you want to meal prep the whole thing, store the beef and sambal separately and combine only when reheating. Reheat the beef in a hot dry skillet or an air fryer at 200C / 400F for 3 to 4 minutes to bring back some crunch.

If you like Indonesian beef dishes with a different texture, try our empal gepuk, which is a sweeter, pounded version, or the slow-braised semur daging. For another sambal-forward dish that cooks fast, see the sambal sotong.