This copycatP.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef recipe comes together in 20 minutes and makes for a great weeknight meal! Even picky eaters will love this, and any leftover sauce can be served over rice.

P.F. Change's Mongolian Beef over white rice in large bowl

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 to the tenderizing properties of cornstarch and so juicy from all the sauce. I had the butcher slice the steak for me, which made the recipe even faster and easier.

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.

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!

P.F. Change's Mongolian Beef garnished with green onions atop white rice in large bowl

How to Make Mongolian Beef

To a large bag, add sliced steak and cornstarch, then toss to coat. In a medium saucepan, sauté garlic and fresh ginger until garlic is fragrant, taking care not to burn it.

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.

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.

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

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!

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!

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.

P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef (Copycat Recipe) - Make the restaurant favorite AT HOME in 20 minutes!! EASY and it has so much FLAVOR! Tastes even BETTER than the restaurant version!!

More Asian Recipes:

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  • 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 taste amazing!

This copycat P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef recipe comes together in 20 minutes and makes for a great weeknight meal! Even picky eaters will love this, and any leftover sauce can be served over rice.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound flank steak, sliced with the grain in 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick bite-sized pieces*
  • 1/4 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
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce (I used lite)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed (light may be substituted)
  • 1 or 2 green onion, sliced into thin rounds for garnishing
  • sesame seeds, optional for garnishing

Instructions

  1. To a large ziptop bag, add the steak slices, cornstarch, seal, and toss to coat. Set aside while preparing the sauce.
  2. 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.
  3. 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. While it simmers, sear the steak.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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 you slice it with the grain rather than against like you would for a stew.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

3

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 790 Total Fat: 40g Saturated Fat: 9g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 28g Cholesterol: 119mg Sodium: 2438mg Carbohydrates: 61g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 45g Protein: 47g

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