PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe
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This PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef copycat recipe is incredibly easy to make in under 30 minutes or less (start to finish) and tastes 100 times better than the restaurant version!
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Why You’ll Love This PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe
- Copycat favorite. This is an exact, budget-friendly replica of PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef Recipe, a takeout favorite, and quite possibly even better than the restaurant version.
- 30 min weeknight hero. This homemade version can be whipped up in 30 minutes or less, start to finish, with easy to find ingredients and pantry staples.
- Less sodium and sugar. This recipe conveniently gives you the full control of the salt and sugar content in your dish, ideal for eating a little healthier and lighter at home.
- Flexible recipe. Add vegetables and greens, serve over rice or noodles, or tuck into some butter lettuce for lettuce wraps.
- Freezer-friendly. This is a great recipe to double or triple as needed, throwing a batch in the freezer for quick cooking for those super busy weeknights.
What is Mongolian Beef? Origins and Key Ingredients
Mongolian beef, originating from Taiwan, not Mongolia, is a stir fry dish of thinly sliced, crisp-tender beef (typically flank steak) coated in a garlicky sweet and savory sauce, commonly paired with scallions and served over rice.
Tips for Making Perfect PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe
- Freeze the steak for slicing. Throwing the steak in the freezer for 20-30 minutes will make it easier to slice the meat into very thin, even pieces.
- Cornstarch is key. The cornstarch is a key ingredient in two ways. It helps to tenderize the beef, keeping it tender and juicy while developing that favorited light, crispy crust. It also serves as a thickening agent, creating that glossy sauce that coats the steak oh-so-perfectly.
- Use reduced sodium soy sauce. Reduced sodium has less sodium and less salt without compromising flavor.
- Use a hot cast iron grill pan. A heavy bottom pan, such as a cast iron grill pan, retains heat much better than a nonstick skillet, allowing for even cooking, a better sear and smoky, caramelized flavors.
- Cook in batches. Work in batches to properly sear the meat for maximum caramelization and smoky flavors. An overcrowded pan will unfortunately steam the beef instead.
- Mix it up. Add broccoli, asparagus or green beans. The added vegetables will soak up all the sauce, perfect for those picky eaters and toddlers.
- Freeze as needed. Mongolian beef is a dish that freezes very well, always freezing the beef separately from the rice to preserve the texture and prevent sogginess.
Freezing and Storing PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef for Later
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Reheating
Let the meat sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Reheat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until heated through.
Freeze after cooking
Let cool completely. Transfer the meat to an airtight, resealable freezer bag. Label, date and freeze up to 2 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating over medium heat, stirring frequently, until heated through.
Best Sides to Serve with PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef
PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Skirt steak or flat iron steak are excellent alternatives to flank steak. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, beef chuck works well, but it requires some trimming.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. For best results, reheat gently on the stove to maintain the flavor and texture.
Yes! Mongolian beef is very freezer-friendly. It’s perfect for meal prep – just store it in an airtight container or freezer bag and it will stay good for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and reheat for an easy, quick meal.
Reduced sodium soy sauce is the best option for this recipe as it helps control the salt content while still providing a rich, savory flavor. Avoid regular soy sauce, as it tends to be too salty for this dish.
Yes! You can substitute honey, agave syrup, or even maple syrup for sugar if you’re looking for a more natural sweetener. Keep in mind that the flavor may vary slightly.
Mongolian beef pairs beautifully with steamed white rice, fried rice, or even noodles. It also goes wonderfully with a side of crispy potstickers.
PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound flank steak
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
for the soy sauce mixture
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Equipment
Instructions
- Wrap steak in plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Unwrap and slice across the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices.
- In a large bowl, combine flank steak and cornstarch.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet. Working in batches, add beef and fry until browned and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; discard excess oil.
- Add beef and soy sauce mixture to the skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in green onions.
- Serve immediately, garnished with sesame seeds, if desired.
for the soy sauce mixture
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and vegetable oil. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5-10 minutes.
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Was delicious! The whole family loved it
My family loves this recipe! It is one of our favorites!! Because of low sodium soy sauce, I believe that it tastes better than when ordered in the restaurant. I serve this rice cooked with a can of coconut milk combined with beef stock. To make this a one dish meal, I blanch broccoli and toss it in the pan when adding the sauce to the meat.
Oh my goodness this is BETTER than restaurant quality!! I’ll never order Mongolian Beef when I’m out again–nothing else compares. My only note is that it did seem to need a LOT more cornstarch than the recipe called for to adequately coat the beef strips (maybe 3/4-1 cup total). I wasn’t having luck with the bowl method, either. For me, the best method to coat the beef evenly was to put a good bit of cornstarch in a paper bag. Adding the beef in batches, just shake to coat. Replenish corn starch in bag as needed. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe for this delicious dish!
Excellent recipe, thank you so much . I always wanted to cook it at home since it’s my favorite Chinese dish . Since we are from the Middle East, I added pomegranate molasses to the sauces and reduced the sugar amount, it was great .
My family loves this meal! The only change I make is to use flatiron steak. Thanks so much for a terrific recipe!!
I made this tonight following the recipe exactly and it was amazing! I don’t mind a sweet sauce and found it was perfect! Have to write a review on the orange chicken which was amazing as well! I highly recommend this dish!
I absolutely loved this dish. I added some some broccoli and mushrooms before adding the beef back in with the sauce and it turned out amazing. Very easy and quick to make. Thank you for a great recipe.
Everyone loves it! I serve it over white rice! It is great leftover
So yummy and a great change from our normal dinner. This is a keeper and we are so happy we tried it. This recipe was easy!
This was definitely a hit for my family! I didn’t have corn starch. I just used flour and thinly sliced beef. It was delicious and we will definitely be saving this recipe!
Excellent recipe. It was done by my young son and came out absolutely delicious .
Excellent recipe. It was done by my young son and came outabsolutely delicious .
This was so beyond fabulous! I am still dreaming of it two days later. I made a second, veggie version for my husband with Seitan, and he was over the moon, too!
Amazing and so easy!! Due to what I had on hand… I used strip steak rather than flank, coconut sugar instead of brown sugar, used grated ginger instead of fresh and tossed in some sautéed red bell peppers at the end. What a hit! Thank you thank you thank you!
Sooo delicious, whole family (even my picky eater) enjoyed and will definitely be making again!!
For those saying it’s too salty: be sure you’re using the low sodium soy sauce! That’s all I ever use and I don’t add any salt to the rice being served with this or any other recipe using soy sauce.
Wow – copycat recipes are rarely this spot on! This was delicious, and my whole family loved it. Thank you for a much less expensive way to enjoy P. F. Chang’s at home!
The recipe is really eat and straight forward but it was too sweet for my preference. I also added twice the amount of gree onions and loved that aspect.
I just made this with thin chicken breast. I am still dancing around my kitchen because it was so delicious! I never quite get Chinese food at home right but this was AH-MAZING and so easy. Every single recipe of yours turns out perfectly. Thank you again for another successful recipe!
Amazing recipe! I’ve made it out of venison twice now and it is picky-eater approved! I’d like to make this in a large batch for a church pot luck. Any suggestions on how to go about doing that? I was thinking brown the meat, make the sauce, then combine and keep hot in a crock pot. Does that sound feasible?