This copycatP.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef recipe comes together in 20 minutes, it’s EASY, and makes for a great weeknight meal! Even picky eaters will love this, and any leftover sauce can be served over rice.
Copycat P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef
We don’t go to P.F.Chang’s all that often but when we do, this is a family favorite.And now I can make it at home.
I love it when I can recreate a restaurant dish and make it taste as good at home, if not better, and it’s extremely easy.
This copycat P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef recipe is loaded with rich Asian flavors from the ginger, garlic, sesame, and soy.
It’s ready in 20 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknight dinners. Or picky eaters, if you happen to have one!
Rather than frying the beef in a wok with excess oil, I seared it in a skillet with just a bit of oil. The beef is wonderfully tender thanks tothe tenderizing properties of cornstarch and so juicy from all the sauce.
The sauce tastes so authentic and is where it’s at with this dish. It’s so simple but really is the star of the show for me at home. You’ll likely have extra, and it’s great over rice.
I garnished my Mongolian beef with green onions, sesame seeds, and served it with rice (try this fried rice), but you could add sugar snap peas, snow pea pods, or broccoli in the final few minutes of cooking the beef if you want to turn this into more of a ‘beef with broccoli’ type of dish.
Tip: For those who love their Asian inspired beef recipes or beef with broccoli, I have Better-Than-Takeout Beef and Broccoli and 15-Minute Sheet Pan Chinese Beef and Broccoli.
What is Mongolian Beef?
If you’ve never been to P.F. Chang’s before, you might be a little confused about why I’m so excited for this copycat recipe. Essentially, Mongolian beef is a stir-fry made up of sliced beef (I used flank steak in this recipe) and a savory brown sauce.
Sauce ingredients may vary, but a combination of soy sauce, brown sugar, and ginger gives you the right flavor.
Depending on where you get Mongolian beef, it might come with stir-fried vegetables in it as well, and the sauce may be slightly spicy from the addition of chili peppers.
It’s always served with rice, but you can also make cauliflower rice or quinoa to go with it!
How to Make Mongolian Beef
This is such a fast and easy recipe for Mongolian Beef that everyone adores! Follow my easy and straightforward steps.
Step 1: To a large bag, add sliced steak and cornstarch, then toss to coat.
Step 2: In a medium saucepan, sauté garlic and fresh ginger until garlic is fragrant, taking care not to burn it.
Step 3: To that same saucepan, add soy sauce, water, and brown sugar, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and allow it to boil for a couple minutes before reducing the heat and simmering until slightly thickened and reduced.
Step 4: While the stir-fry sauce simmers, sear the steak in a well oiled skillet. Then pour in the soy sauce mixture and toss meat to coat it evenly with the sauce. Let the Mongolian beef continue cooking until the sauce thickens up, and give it a final taste before serving.
Step 5: I like to garnish my copycat P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef with green onions and sesame seeds, but that’s completely optional.
Tips for the Best Mongolian Beef
Corn starch – The cornstarch in this recipe is non-negotiable. It helps the beef crisp up a little when seared, and it thickens the sauce. If you omit the cornstarch, your sauce will be too runny and your Mongolian beef won’t be just like P.F. Chang’s!
Gluten-free – To make this recipe gluten-free, make sure your soy sauce is certified gluten-free. I know that’s important for many of my readers, so I wanted to mention that!
Slicing – When slicing the flank steak, make sure to slice with the grain so that the pieces stay intact while they’re cooking. If you’re unsure how to slice beef this way, see if the butcher at your local grocery store will cut the steak for you.
I had the butcher slice the steak for me, which made the recipe even faster and easier.
More Asian Recipes:
- Better-Than-Takeout Cashew Chicken–Juicy chicken, crisp-tender vegetables, and crunchy cashews coated with the best garlicky soy sauce! Skip takeout and make your own restaurant-quality meal that’s easy, ready in 20 minutes, and healthier!
- Orange Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin–An orange-scented teriyaki sauce keeps the pork so tender, juicy, and flavorful! Easy, one-skillet recipe that’s ready in 20 minutes and healthy! Under 250 calories with 25 grams of protein!
- Easy Sweet and Sour Asian Noodles – So much flavor in these easy noodles that are ready in 30 minutes! Plenty of vegetables add great crunch! You won’t miss takeout when homemade tastes way better and is healthier!
- Thai Coconut Chicken Stir Fry – Chicken, sugar snap peas, bell peppers, and carrots simmered in a rich coconut milk broth that’s irresistible! Layers of flavor,easy, ready in 20 minutes, and healthy!
- Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken – The easiest peanut chicken ever and your slow cooker does all the work!! Topped with crunchy peanuts, cilantro, green onions, and the peanut sauce is irresistible!
- Skinny Broccoli and Mixed Vegetable Stir Fry – Skip takeout and make your own fast, easy, and healthy stir fry! Think of all the money and calories you’ll save!!
- Peanut Chicken with Peanut Noodles – Easy, ready in 20 minutes, tastes better, and way healthier than takeout! Peanut sauce automatically makes everything tasteamazing!
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4.50 from 62 votes
P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef
By Averie Sunshine
This copycatP.F. Change's Mongolian Beef recipe comes together in 20 minutes and makes for a great weeknight meal! It's quick, easy, and delicious!
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 3
Ingredients
- 1 pound flank steak, sliced with the grain in 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick bite-sized pieces*
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
- 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh ginger or to taste, finely minced
- ½ cup lite or reduced sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed (light may be substituted), or to taste
- 1 or 2 green onions, sliced into thin rounds for garnishing
- sesame seeds, optional for garnishing
Instructions
To a large ziptop bag, add the steak slices, cornstarch, seal, and toss to coat. Set aside while preparing the sauce.
To a medium saucepan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and heat over medium-high for about 1 minute, or just until garlic is fragrant, taking care not to scorch it.
Add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and allow it to boil for about 2 to 3 minutes. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened and reduced.Taste the sauce and make any necessary flavor adjustments. While the sauce simmers, sear the steak.
To a large skillet, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, and steak. Cook over medium-high or high heat until steak is cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes, flipping the pieces intermittently to ensure even cooking.
Add the soy sauce mixture, noting it will bubble up. Toss meat to coat it evenly with the sauce. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 3 minutes at medium-high heat before reducing heat to low and simmering for 3 to 5 minutes, or until sauce has reduced and thickened to taste. Give mixture a final stir to coat all pieces evenly.
Evenly garnish with the green onions, sesame seeds, and serve immediately. Beef is best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
*You want the strips to stay intact, so slice the beef with the grain rather than against like you would for a stew.
Nutrition
Serving: 1, Calories: 792kcal, Carbohydrates: 62g, Protein: 48g, Fat: 40g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 28g, Cholesterol: 119mg, Sodium: 1633mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 45g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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MY
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Originally posted January 4, 2017 and reposted with updated text January 13, 2023.
