Chef-tested recipe
Smoky Chifa-style beef stir-fry with ají amarillo, red onion, tomato, soy, vinegar, and freshly fried potatoes
Lomo saltado reflects Peru’s Chifa tradition, joining wok cookery with Peruvian beef, ají amarillo, tomato, and potato. The beef and vegetables are seared in small batches so they char without stewing. Freshly cut fries are prepared alongside and folded in only at serving, preserving their crisp edges while they catch the savoury pan juices.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Prep Time
- 15 mins
- Cook Time
- 15 mins
- Total Time
- 30 mins
- Cuisine
- Peruvian Chifa
- Course
- Main dish
- Cooking Method
- Deep-frying and high-heat wok stir-frying
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Best Served With
- Steamed Peruvian-style white rice and extra fresh ají amarillo on the side.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Ingredient and equipment links marked “paid link” may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Equipment
- Deep heavy saucepan paid link
- Deep-fry thermometer paid link
- Seasoned wok paid link
- Wok spatula paid link
- Slotted spoon paid link
- Kitchen paper paid link
- Digital kitchen scale paid link
Ingredients
For the hand-cut fries
- Floury potatoes: 600 g paid link
- Neutral frying oil: 1 litre paid link
- Fine sea salt: 3 g paid link
For the lomo saltado
- Beef tenderloin or sirloin: 600 g, cut into thick strips
- Fine sea salt: 4 g paid link
- Freshly ground black pepper: 2 g
- Ground cumin: 2 g
- Neutral cooking oil: 30 ml paid link
- Garlic: 15 g, finely grated
- Fresh ají amarillo: 30 g, seeded and cut into strips
- Red onion: 250 g, cut into thick wedges
- Ripe tomatoes: 350 g, seeded and cut into thick wedges
- Light soy sauce: 45 ml paid link
- Red wine vinegar: 30 ml
- Beef stock or water: 60 ml
- Fresh coriander leaves: 15 g
Preparation Overview
Heat the frying oil to 175°C. Cut the potatoes into 8 mm batons, rinse away surface starch, and dry them extremely well. Pat the beef dry before cutting and seasoning. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, and stock. Cut onion and tomato into sturdy wedges that can withstand fierce wok heat.
Method
Fry the dried potato batons at 175°C for 7–9 minutes until cooked through and golden. Drain, season with 3 g salt, and keep uncovered.
Heat a wok over the highest available heat until smoking. Add half the cooking oil.
Add half the beef in one layer and sear for about 60 seconds without moving. Toss for another 30–60 seconds, then transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining oil and beef.
Return the empty wok to high heat. Add garlic and ají amarillo and toss for 15 seconds.
Add red onion and stir-fry for 60–90 seconds so the edges char while the centre remains crisp.
Add tomato and toss for 30 seconds without crushing the wedges.
Return the beef and its juices. Pour the soy-vinegar mixture around the hot side of the wok and toss for 45–60 seconds until glossy.
Remove from the heat and fold in the coriander.
Divide immediately among plates and add the hot hand-cut fries, folding only a few through the sauce so most remain crisp.
Beginner Technique Notes
Dry potatoes before frying; water causes dangerous oil splatter.
Cook beef in two batches. Crowding lowers the temperature and releases liquid.
Cut onion and tomato thickly so they blister without collapsing.
The pan sauce should coat the ingredients, not become a large pool of gravy.
Tips and Variations
Fresh or frozen whole ají amarillo gives a truer fruitiness than generic chilli paste.
Tenderloin is classic and fast; sirloin is a more economical alternative if cut against the grain.
Keep fries and stir-fry separate until the final seconds.
A wok gives the strongest char, but a heavy cast-iron skillet works when thoroughly preheated.
Serving Ideas
- Plate the rice separately from the fries and spoon the beef between them. Serve at once while the onions are crisp and the fries retain texture.
Storage
Refrigerate beef and vegetables separately from fries for up to 2 days. Reheat the stir-fry quickly in a smoking-hot wok. Re-crisp fries in a 220°C oven for 6–8 minutes. Do not freeze the tomatoes or fries.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
Contains soy. Standard soy sauce contains wheat and gluten; use certified gluten-free tamari if required. Confirm stock ingredients for additional allergens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is lomo saltado associated with Chifa cuisine?
Its high-heat wok technique and soy seasoning reflect Chinese influence within Peruvian cooking.
Should the fries be mixed into the wok?
Both presentations are found. Folding in only some fries gives flavour while preserving crispness.
Can bottled ají amarillo paste be used?
Fresh or frozen whole chilli better follows the from-scratch approach. Paste is a last resort and its salt should be checked.
Why did my beef release water?
The wok was insufficiently hot, the beef was wet, or too much was cooked at once.
