PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe
by Chungah
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This PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef copycat recipe can be made right at home with the most tender saucy slices of beef. A 30-min weeknight dinner!
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Why You’ll Love This PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef Copycat
- 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 restaurant-quality 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?
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.
How to make PF Chang’s Mongolian beef
- Prep the steak. Freeze the steak for 30 minutes before slicing across the grain into thin 1/4-inch thick slices.
- Make the sauce. Combine the water, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, simmering until slightly thickened, about 5-10 minutes.
- Coat in cornstarch. Coat the flank steak in cornstarch, shaking off any excess. This is called velveting, serving as a protective barrier to keep the meat juicy and tender while absorbing surface moisture to keep the thinly sliced beef ultra-crispy when cooked.
- Cook the beef. Add the beef to a large cast iron skillet until browned and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Work in batches, if needed, to avoid an overcrowded pan.
- Combine. Stir in the sauce until the beef is well coated and the sauce is thick and glossy.
- Serve. Stir in the green onions and garnish with green onions, serving warm over steamed rice.
Storing, reheating and freezing
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, gently reheating over medium heat, stirring frequently, until heated through.
What to Serve with PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef
Tools For This Recipe
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.
Reduced sodium soy sauce is ideal as it helps control the salt content while still providing a rich, savory flavor. Avoid regular soy sauce if possible 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 but the flavors may vary slightly with these substitutes.
Mongolian beef pairs beautifully with steamed white rice, fried rice, or even noodles. It also goes wonderfully with a side of crispy potstickers.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, reheating gently on the stovetop to maintain the same flavors and texture.
Yes! Mongolian beef is very freezer-friendly, keeping in the freezer for at least 2 months.
PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe
Video
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
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.
Equipment
Notes
- 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.
- Slice against the grain. Cut the steak against the grain, slicing perpendicular to the direction of the muscle fibers. This shortens the fibers so that the meat becomes incredibly tender rather than chewy.
- 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 cast iron skillet. A heavy bottom pan, such as a cast iron skillet, 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.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
We loved this dish, it was my best Asian recipe so far. Easy to follow and quick. Thanks for a keeper!
Very good! I only put 1/2 the amount of brown sugar and added a little oyster sauce. Then added regular oven and broccoli, definitely will be making again
Made this delicious recipe many times. Wondering….can this be made in advance and reheated?
Sounds delicious! Is the flank steak tough at all.
Damn Delicious never lets me down! This is so good that I’m about to go get seconds Next time I’ll do light brown sugar — the dark one has made this a tad too sweet. Still, will definitely make again!
Used chicken instead of steak and used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce (less sodium) and this was delicious!
I followed the recipe but didn’t think it matched PFC. It was too sweet and the sauce was too thick.
It was still good but not the same.
Easy and DELICIOUS! Thank you for sharing this. We will absolutely make this again!
Amazing recipe, as are all your recipes! Thanks for providing us with another favorite our yours to our meal rotation!
This recipe is So delicious. When I see who posted the recipe, I automatically print it, as I know it will be fantastic, and I am never disappointed. This recipe is wonderful. Thank you!
Delicious, quick and easy. When I made it the first time I ate the few leftovers the next day. We liked it so much we’ve had it for dinner 3 times his month. I followed the recipe exactly as written. I made a slurry to thicken it. I sent the recipe to my son and he made it for his family. Rave reviews! Thank you for sharing this recipe
Are you able to provide the macros for this please?
My store doesn’t sell fresh ginger. Is there a substitute for it?
Victoria, if you can find it I’d suggest using the frozen “Dorot Gardens Crushed Ginger Cubes”. Each cube is a full teaspoon of crushed fresh ginger. I purchase mine at Trader Joe’s, but there might be other stores that carry it as well. Really comes in handy and I always have fresh ginger when I need it. Their crushed fresh garlic cubes are a lifesaver to.
I see what appears to be sesame seeds in the pictures but I do not see it listed in the ingredients. Are they suppose to be? And if so, are they toasted? And when do you add them???
They’re in the recipe.
Terrific! Hubby said it was the best Mongolian Beef over any Chinese Restaurant he’s had. Guys, if you like Mongolian, you need to try this. I added the Sriracha sauce because we like the heat. Made with fried rice. No leftovers.
A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.!!!
The only part I would add is that you need to make sure to cute the thinly cut strips of flank steak up so they are the size shown in the picture but I am sure most will figure that out. So GOOOOOOD and easy.
This recipe was exceptional! I’m an Asian food snob and never find recipes as good as my favorite restaurants. But this Mongolian beef recipe surpassed my expectations! My husband loved it too! I made a little extra sauce. I will definitely make it again and again! Thank you!
INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS!! By accident, I didn’t have enough low sodium soy sauce so I used equal parts low sodium and regular soy sauce and it gave the dish a little more body.
I’ve made it several times and will continue to make it. Have you ever tried frying the beef twice so it will stay crispier? Also, has anyone tried to make this sauce ahead of time, in the morning, and then when you are ready, fry the beef and add sauce at that time? Just wondering if it makes a difference.
Anyway, this an all time favorite, and yes it is wayyyyy better than P.F. Changs.
Easy & delicious. Absolutely No leftovers!
Will definitely add to rotation.
Delicious. Has become a family favourite. I serve with Pita breads, lettuce, tomato and grated cheese or with rice.