PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe
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This copycat recipe is so easy to make in 30 min or less (start to finish) and tastes 100x better!
Let’s just say this isn’t any kind of Mongolian beef dish here. It’s almost an exact replica of PF Chang’s, a takeout favorite. With thinly sliced, crisp-tender beef swimming in that oh-so-heavenly garlicky, sweet/savory sauce.
It is incredibly easy to make right at home in 30 minutes or less start to finish, and it tastes so much better than the restaurant-version, mainly because you get to control your salt and sugar content.
Plus, the leftovers are even better for lunch the very next day.
PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe
This copycat recipe is so easy to make in 30 min or less (start to finish) and tastes 100x better!
Ingredients
- 1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced across the grain
- 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
- 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. Set aside.
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Hi,
Had the Mongolian shrimp here in Toronto a couple of times. It reminds me of something similar I’ve had in India, although that was a bit spicy. I’m gonna give yours a try tomorrow. Will let you know how it goes.
Hubert
I loved the flavor of this dish. For me the sauce didn’t thicken much. It reduced but didn’t really thicken. Did I just need to leave it on longer? What would help make it thicker?
Megan, you can add more cornstarch as needed until the desired consistency is reached.
P.F. Chang’s Mongolian beef is in my Top 3 meals of all time, so I had to try this recipe. The flavor was delicious! However, it was extremely salty; like, hurt the taste buds salty. Next time I will halve the soy sauce amount and add a smidge more brown sugar, and I think it will be a keeper. Thanks for the recipe!
Justine, this is generally on the salt side so it is best to eat this with rice or some sort of veggie side dish to balance out the saltiness.
This recipe taste just like PF Changs….only better because you make it yourself! I add grape tomatoes in with the green onions. I order it like that at PF Changs and it just adds color and a little flavor. Terrific recipe, I make it at least once a month.
How can a recipe be almost an exact replica of another recipe, yet taste ten times better? There must be some confusion about the definition of the word “replica.” In order for a recipe to taste “10x better” it would be difficult for it to be anything even close to the recipe trying to be replicated.
I have made your recipe several times and LOVE IT !!! it is the best!!
i want to make this and was wondering your thoughts on splenda brown sugar and light soy sauce.
They both sound like great substitutes.
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Thank you for this recipe! We’ve made it three times in the last month and love it! My husband craves it. Thanks again!
i love your Recipe name “Mongolia Beef Copycat”, lol! will definitely try this, tq for sharing, muacks!
Just finished dinner. It was fabulous. My husband and I finished the whole thing. Will be making this a regular. It was sweet and tangy and totally delicious. Thank you.
How would you prepare this for a freezer meal? Thanks it sounds so yummy!!
I do not recommend making this into a freezer-friendly meal. This is best served immediately after it has been prepared.
Holy Smokes! This one’s a keeper. Delicious. Tender. Easy. Fast.
I made this recipe tonight, it was great…has an intense flavor. I added fresh sliced mushrooms to it too. And yes, one cup of oil is too much to fry the beef in, it’s not necessary to use that much if you’re cooking in a non-stick pan. Also, I would suggest to top with the green onions, not stir them in, they and they’re flavor get lost in the sauce.
Made this tonight. I wasn’t in the mood to cook and thought delivery would be great and my husband loves mongolian beef from our usual place. I was about to order but misplaced their menu and started looking online for their number, then searched mongolian beef recipes and found yours. One thing led to another and I was cooking dinner. Easy, quick and DELICIOUS!!!! I had all the ingredients, well except cornstarch so I used flour instead. I did sprinkle some fresh ground pepper on the beef before putting it in the flour. I also fried it in batches so I didn’t have to use a whole cup of oil, just enough to cover the beef. My husband loved it, even said it was better than the restaurants. Great dinner tonight!!! Will try some of your other recipes!!!
Amazing! I’m so glad you had a chance to give this a try. It doesn’t even compare to take-out!
Totally planning to make this soon. Have you made the recipe without frying the beef? I bet it wouldn’t change much except texture, but trying to keep things a little healthier. Thanks!
Yes, the texture may change significantly. The frying of the beef is actually essential to obtain that crisp texture of the classic Mongolian beef dish.
Made this last night – it is DELICIOUS!!! Easy to make too! It’s going to make yummy leftovers for dinner tonight……..
Made this tonight and its was PERFECT… thanks for another great recipe. 🙂 Working my way through the blog … one damn delicious meal at a time … its so fun!
Chung-Ah, I ended up making this tonight and changed it up a bit by stir frying a bunch of veggies after frying the beef and tossed in some noodles at the very end. It was AMAZING! My family said it was the best stir fry dish I’ve ever made! Thank you so much!!! This will be a regular in our house! 😀
This sounds SO delicious! I’m pinning this to make soon!