I’ve seen recipes for PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef all over Pinterest for some time and since PF Chang’s is one of my favorite restaurants, I knew I had to try making Mongolian Beef at home.
Usually when we go to PF Chang’s, I am all about the Kung Pao Scallops, but Mongolian Beef is also a favorite of mine.
Crispy but tender pieces of beef coated in a thick, sweet and a little salty sauce. It’s almost like eating beef candy! Add some red pepper flakes if you want to balance the sweetness with some heat.
We don’t go to PF Chang’s often since it is a little pricey and the drive can take a lot of time when there’s traffic. So I am thrilled to be able to make this dish at home and it is so easy!
You don’t have to eat at PF Chang’s to enjoy a fabulously delicious Mongolian Beef. It’s easy to make at home and can be served over white rice for a meal that is sure to become a family favorite.
And your kids will think you have suddenly developed restaurant chef skills. 🙂
Sweet and Salty
This recipe is fairly sweet and salty. If you don not like salty foods, try using low-sodium soy sauce. Likewise, you can reduce the sugar by 1/4 cup.
Tips For Making Mongolian Beef
- Try adding some broccoli or asparagus.
- Sirloin steak can be used instead of flank steak
- Some people think this recipe is too salty or too sweet. If you tend to not like salty foods, try using low sodium soy sauce. If you don’t have much of a sweet tooth, cut back on the sugar but keep in mind that the sugar helps balance the salt and cutting back on the sugar may cause the sauce to taste saltier.
Try These Other Take-Out Favorites
- Thai Chicken Pasta
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
- Spicy Mongolian Beef and Pineapple
For more mouth watering recipes follow Spicy Southern Kitchen on Pinterest and Instagram.
Subscribe to Spicy Southern Kitchen’s Youtube Channel.
Mongolian Beef (PF Chang’s copycat)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
- 1-2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup Vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 bunch green onions, cut on diagonal into 2-inch pieces
Instructions
- Make the sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add soy sauce, water, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened some, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Slice flank steak against the grain into 1/4-inch slices with the knife held at a 45 degree angle. Some of the really long pieces I cut in half to make them more bite-sized.
- Toss flank steak with cornstarch and let sit 10 to 15 minutes.
- Heat 1 cup Vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
- Add beef (I cooked it in 2 batches) and cook 2-3 minutes, until brown and crispy, flipping pieces over to cook both sides.
- Remove meat with a slotted spoon and discard cooking oil. Place meat back in pan along with sauce and cook over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring to coat meat.
- Add red pepper flakes and green onions and remove from heat.
- Serve over rice.
Nutrition
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Recipe Adapted from: Food.com
Originally published April 14, 2015
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Very Yummy!!! Was a little to sweet but that’s ok
Seems like a lot of people think it is too sweet, but I am glad you enjoyed it!
I actually made this using leftover London broil and it was great!
Made this tonight. My son said it was his new favorite dinner but by the end of the meal we all thought it was too sweet. Maybe I will add broccoli next time and cut the sugar down. Thanks for the recipe!
It definitely is on the sweet side. Great idea to add the broccoli!
I added broccoli and it was still WAY to sweet.
This recipe was originally created by Todd Wilbur for his cookbook “Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2” (Penguin/Random House 2007). Kindly give the author credit and link back to the original source here:
http://topsecretrecipes.com/PF-Changs-Mongolian-Beef-Copycat-Recipe.html
Thank you for your support!
Made this with thick cut round steak. Partially frozen, cut on the bias. I added fresh picked asparagus and fresh pineapple. My guests were delighted and my “planned” leftovers weren’t, tho no one actually licked the dish. I think secret to thickness is reducing the sauce slowly. Make first and let it simmer while you prepare balance of recipe…old ISU food science grad
This is just Todd Wilbur’s recipe from topsecretrecipes.com with slight modifications. It’s good to make this recipe more well-known because it’s a good recipe, but give the creator credit where credit is due.
Delicious recipe! I added 1/4 cup of vinegar to soy sauce to lessen sweetness. frying in vegetable oil makes it unhealthy so I have to try baking next time. Someone mentioned baking the meat in earlier post but not sure for how long and at what temperature? On rack or directly on baking sheet? Let me know if you’ve done it! Thanks 😉
I’d recommend broiling the meat on skewers for just a few minutes if you don’t want to fry it. It closely resembles grilling it and will cook really quickly!
Thank you for the recipe! The dish turned out great!
Made it last night. The family loved it!
Made this for the second time tonight. It is delicious!
Glad it is a winner!
I made it last night using a ribeye that I couldn’t finish the night before and it was delicious
Made this tonight and it was AMAZING. I followed the recipe to a T and it turned out great. We will definitely be eating this regularly. Thanks so much – excellent job!
I just made this yesterday and it was delicious. I found a clip on You Tube from PF Chang’s showing how they make theirs and they added some sesame oil right before plating. Thought I would share. Thank YOU for sharing this recipe with us…love it!
Hello ..This is my first comment on this board . But I just finished making this fantastic mongolian beef recipe and I have to say it was one of the tastiest dishes I ever made. The sauce was sooo sweet, then the red pepper flake kicked in.. Had it with Broccoli with Asian Garlic Sauce and Jasmine rice … Life is Good …when eating this dish !!!
That’s quite the review Myles! Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi, made this tonight and it was one of the best recipes so far on Pinterest. Sauce thickened , meat was tender. I used top sirloin and added asparagus but everything else followed your directions. Will definitely be making again. Thanks for sharing
So glad you enjoyed it Laura! I will have to try adding asparagus next time I make it!
I grilled my meat instead of frying. It came out perfect. Tender and delicious. Thanks.
What a great idea!
Hi, I made this recipe and while I loved the flavor and the meat came out nice and tender, my sauce never thickened up. Any suggestions?
Im thinking she didnt put the right veg oil so i would put 1/3 or 1/2 cup she only put the 1cup vag oil for cooking the meet. She needs to fix that.
1/3, 1/2 cup or a cup of vegetable oil? I think you mean 1 tablespoon, right?
I must have done something wrong. My meat tasted saturated in oil. Ugh… my family didn’t like it.
Sometimes that happens if the oil is not hot enough Becky.
You have to make sure the oil is at maximum heat. You can also get away with less oil if you want to.
I baked my beef in oven 450 degrees until brown, turned pieces over and cooked until well brown. Delicious recipe.
Thank you for sharing! I made this tonight for my family & got a thumbs up from everyone. Definitely a recipe we will use again!
Made this tonight. Holy cow, it is SO good!!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe! (My family is already asking to have it again.)
So happy your family enjoyed it Stacy!
Just made this, way too salty!!!! Wont make this again.
Delicious! My family loved it.