Copycat P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef

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Published: May 28, 2021Author: Elyse Ellis
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This Easy Mongolian Beef tastes just like P.F. Chang's takeout. Juicy, tender beef seared to perfection in a rich, flavorful sauce.
Copycat P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef

This Copycat P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef is great to make if you don’t have a lot of time, but if you want to try an even easier recipe, give our Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef a try!

My family loves getting Chinese takeout on the weekends, but in order to save a little money and a few calories, we decided to make Mongolian Beef at home.

Ingredients needed to make this Mongolian Beef at home:

  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger (minced)
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 pound flank steak
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
  • 3 cups cooked rice
  • 3 green onions (sliced) – optional garnish
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How to make this delicious Copycat P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef:

Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat, being sure not to get the oil too hot.  You don’t want the oil to start smoking.

Add ginger, garlic, soy sauce, water and brown sugar to the pan and whisk together.

Increase the heat to medium-high heat and bring to a boil.  Once it is boiling, let it continue to boil for 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.

Strips of steak dredged in flour

Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Tilt the blade of your knife to a 45 degree angle when you are cutting to get achieve a little thicker cut.

Place the sliced steak in a gallon-sized resealable bag and add the cornstarch to it.  Shake the bag until all the steak is completely coated in cornstarch and let it sit for 10 minutes.

While the beef sits, heat up some vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it is hot, but not smoking.

Steak strips iin oil in sauté pan

Carefully add the steak to the oil using tongs.

Copycat P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef in saute pan cooking

Sauté the steak and stir around a little so that it cooks evenly.  Be sure not to overcrowd the pan so all of the meat cooks quickly and evenly.

Continue cooking all the steak in batches until it is all browned.

Copycat P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef without sauce

After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon or tongs to take meat out of the hot oil and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Dab excess oil off meat with a paper towel and add to the saucepan with the sauce.

Copycat P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef cooking in sauce

Heat the sauce and steak over medium heat until heated through and the sauce reaches desired consistency.

Copycat P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef served over white rice

Serve over rice and garnish with green onion.

P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef with chopsticks

Enjoy!  We know you will love it just as much as we do.

If we ever have leftovers, we store them in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat them in the microwave.

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Want more Asian inspired recipes like this P.F. Changs Mongolian Beef?

Serves: 6

Copycat P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef Recipe

This Easy Mongolian Beef tastes just like P.F. Chang's takeout. Juicy, tender beef seared to perfection in a rich, flavorful sauce.
Prep Time 25 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 40 mins
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Ingredients

Sauce

  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon ginger minced
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup water
  • ¾ cup brown sugar

Beef

  • 1 pound flank steak
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 1½ cups vegetable oil
  • 3 cups cooked Rice
  • 3 green onions sliced, optional garnish

Instructions

Sauce

  • Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Don't get the oil too hot.
  • Add ginger and garlic to the pan. Then quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches.
  • Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then increase the heat to medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
  • Remove from heat.

Beef

  • Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4" thick slices. Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts.
  • Place the cut steak in a large resealable bag and add cornstarch. Shake the bag to coat the steak completely in cornstarch and let sit for 10 minutes.
  • As the beef sits, heat up the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. You want it hot but not smoking.
  • Add the beef to the oil and sauté until brown. Stir around a little so that it cooks evenly.
  • After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon or tongs to take meat out and place on paper towels. Dab excess oil off meat with a paper towel and add to medium saucepan with the sauce in it.
  • Put the pan back on the oven over medium/low heat.
  • Serve over cooked rice.
  • Garnish with green onion, if desired.

Notes

  • Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Tilt the blade of your knife to a 45 degree angle when you are cutting to get achieve a little thicker cut.

Nutrition

Calories: 358 kcal · Carbohydrates: 56 g · Protein: 21 g · Fat: 5 g · Saturated Fat: 3 g · Cholesterol: 45 mg · Sodium: 1131 mg · Potassium: 386 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 27 g · Vitamin A: 60 IU · Vitamin C: 2 mg · Calcium: 58 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Equipment

  • Medium Saucepan
  • Knife
  • Ziploc Bag
  • Skillet
  • Slotted Spoon

Recipe Details

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian

Have you checked out our YouTube channel?
These Copycat P.F. Chang’s Lettuce Wraps make the perfect appetizer for your Asian inspired dinner at home!  Watch the video below to see how easy they are to make:

Copycat P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef Recipe

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  1. Becki's Whole Life says:
    March 15, 2012
    This sounds perfect!
    Reply
  2. Little Sister says:
    March 15, 2012
    Oh, I think the kids and I will be trying this out this weekend! I remember this place in college that we used to get Mongolian Beef almost weekly, sometimes more than that! Probably where we gained our freshman 15! :)
    ~Amy
    Reply
  3. Sarah says:
    March 15, 2012
    I agree - could eat Asian cuisine EVERY day! This looks delish!
    Reply
  4. Laura says:
    March 15, 2012
    Can't agree with you more that you can never have enough Asian cuisine! And this looks delicious.
    Reply
  5. The Affable Girl {Brchell} says:
    March 15, 2012
    That looks amazing. Must try this.
    Reply
  6. Caroline Musacchia says:
    March 17, 2012
    This looks soooo yummy!!!! Thanks for sharing!


    Congrats! You've been given the Green Blend Award!! Go to my blog for more details!!
    Reply
  7. Sandy_N11 says:
    March 18, 2012
    Great page!!!
    Can't wait to come back and browse when I have more time ?
    Reply
  8. SuzQ says:
    March 19, 2012
    This is amazing. I skipped the ginger and green onions (kids), used London Broil and tossed with steamed broccoli. Wow! Everyone loved it and said they want it again tomorrow!
    Reply
  9. Jen says:
    March 19, 2012
    This is mostly word for word from Food.com. http://www.food.com/recipe/P-F-Changs-Mongolian-Beef-66121. I wouldn't really say you "adapted" it in anyway.
    Reply
  10. confessions of a newlywed says:
    March 20, 2012
    I worked at PF Changs all through college and this recipe sounds about right
    Reply
  11. Pittmans says:
    March 23, 2012
    Who cares, Jen? Get a life. I made this for my husband and son and it got demands for a repeat!
    Reply
    • mama jane says:
      April 17, 2012
      Lots of people care, giving credit is a pretty big deal in the blogosphere. I'm glad they linked to the original.
      Reply
  12. EmilyTheChef says:
    March 24, 2012
    We made this last night, it was delish! Some notes: The sauce didn't thicken, so we added a few tablespoons of cornstarch. Also, we cooked the beef 'till it was kind of crispy. Yum!!
    Reply
    • Megan says:
      August 12, 2018
      I did the same with the cornstarch. It worked beautifully and we loved this dish!
      Reply
  13. Tish Taylor says:
    March 27, 2012
    Thanks for posting my recipe! I posted it on Recipezaar (Now Food.com) a long time ago. It's awesome to see that everyone is still enjoying it :)
    Reply
  14. KatVonG says:
    April 4, 2012
    Made this tonight with venison sirloin. DELICIOUS! Like another person said, about 1/4 of corn starch is needed to thicken up the sauce. Other than that, everything was spot-on. Thank you!
    Reply
  15. Carmen says:
    April 9, 2012
    the real recipe has corn starch and a 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil. . . try it next time! it makes it much more like the real thing
    Reply
    • Aidan says:
      February 24, 2013
      Thanks. This will improve the flavor a bit. It's a bit greasy. I also suggest reducing the amount of oil to fry in to just enough to stir fry the beef, using peanut oil. Same great taste, not as much fat.
      Reply
  16. Anne says:
    May 21, 2012
    I use flat iron steak since I find it's usually more tender than flank steak (at least that I can find in our area). I've been making this for about 4months & it's a hit with adults to kids (the under 10 year old crowd). It does take a little time, but the results are ALWAYS worth it.
    Reply
  17. Amy K5 says:
    May 23, 2012
    OMG. This was delicious! I've tried many online recipes that were supposed to be fab and were big disappointments, but not this one. I'm making it tonight (a double batch!) and look forward to it.
    Reply
  18. Maui Jen says:
    May 23, 2012
    Awesome!! I will make this again and again! ITs fabulous. I will try the suggestion of adding cornstarch and sesame oil too. Thanks!
    Reply
  19. miss.marcedes says:
    June 13, 2012
    I've been making this recipe from food.com for a long time but I like to add thinly sliced onions along with the green onion. Also my fiance prefers his Mongolian Beef over puffed rice noodles which makes for a great alternative to steamed rice. Plus it gives it a little crunch!
    Reply
  20. Lilian Fernanda says:
    July 3, 2012
    This was very flavorful, but the sauce was too thin... I also didn't get the crispy coating on the beef strips to stay on them. They came off on the sauce (I did wait 10 minutes before I fried)... I used London broil, but they were not as tender as I hoped (tried to save a few bucks :-))... but even with the bad parts, I still love it. Next time I make it, I think I'll not coat the beef strips with cornstarch at all... and I'll definately thicken the sauce with cornstarch. I'll use a more tender beef like skirt steak or top sirloin.
    Reply
  21. AJ's Mama says:
    July 31, 2012
    Thank so much for sharing this recipe. I made it with an organic boneless sirloin which was super tender and infused the sauce nicely! There was a perfect salty sweet flavor blend!

    for those that attempt this recipe and don't get a crispy beef...you need to turn the heat up a bit in your pot and cook a smaller amount of beef at a time. You may have to do a few batches. Also, if you use a cheaper cut of beef, pound it down a bit or use a natural tenderizer...or cook the beef and sauce then put in the crock pot for a few hours to make the meat tender. You can def use a less expensive beef, but just need to change your method a bit to make it equally as tender for ya! :)
    Reply
  22. Abby says:
    August 3, 2012
    Having worked at PF Chang's, I can tell you they use potato flour to coat their meats before frying, not cornstarch - that might be why some of you are not getting the crispyness. It can be hard to find, but Bob's Red Mill makes it.

    Also disappointed that the author here does not give credit to the food.com recipe which was obviously her inspiration as the first half of this recipe has been copied word for word.
    Reply
    • Nunya Bidness says:
      November 14, 2012
      She did though...it's under the title.
      Reply
  23. jillyellow says:
    August 22, 2012
    Yum yum! Can't wait to make it...
    Reply
  24. AngieA says:
    August 24, 2012
    Also if your looking for a much more healthy version try frying the meat in coconut oil, so much better on those inflamed arteries ...xoxo
    Reply
  25. Robin says:
    September 8, 2012
    Just made this recipe and it is phenomenal! I am in love with PF Changs Mongolian Shrimp, but decided to give this beef a try... my boyfriend and I have died and gone to Mongolian heaven! I crave their sauce at least 3 times a month so this is a perfect quick home recipe :) for half the price!
    Reply
  26. Jenny Landis says:
    September 11, 2012
    Made this for dinner tonight and it was a huge hit! Served it with egg-rolls and it's now the husbands favorite! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
    Reply
  27. Leslie says:
    September 23, 2012
    Wow made this last night after I found it on pinterest, delicious. Thank you!
    Reply
  28. brittandspence says:
    October 1, 2012
    Made this tonight and hubby LOVED it! Will definitely make it again! Anyone have any ideas on how to make this a little "lighter"? I would love to try a healthier version! :)
    Reply
  29. Maureen says:
    October 17, 2012
    This was delish! It's on my Pinterest Top 10!

    http://coconutxoxo.blogspot.com/2012/10/top-10-pinterest-recipes-tested-and.html
    Reply
  30. Umama Rizvi says:
    October 25, 2012
    I actually tried it exactly as it says and everyone loved it!!
    Reply
  31. From the mouth of......... me says:
    October 27, 2012
    I made this tonight. But I didnt add Ginger and the green onions. I steamed broccoli and mixed it in. served on top of brown rice. My kids loved it. my son text his friend and said he missed the best dinner ever.
    Reply
  32. ~ Free the Diva says:
    October 30, 2012
    Ok, after the third try on this recipe, I finally got this dish perfect. This is what I did different: I used thin sirloin steak instead, (because flank steak is too expensive here) and marinated it for 3 hours in the sauce. I used potato starch instead of cornstarch - it is what a lot of high end restaurants use and in asian cuisine. I found it at an asian market. I added about 1 tbl sesame oil. At the end, I needed a little more sauce so i added 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup chicken broth. It was too thin and too salty, so I added about a tablespoon of cornstarch, 2 tbl butter and a squeeze of lemon.

    Perfecto! :)

    Reply
  33. Lani Goldstein says:
    February 4, 2013
    I made this over the weekend and it was delicious! I added bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, straw mushrooms, and sprouts. Thanks for the recipe!
    Reply
  34. dianagirly says:
    February 7, 2013
    I tried this in the crock pot! I just didn't add all the oil (instead, 1 tsp sesame seed oil) and didn't add the cornstarch until the meat was done and then took the meat out, added in the cornstarch to thicken the sauce up, and added the meat back in. It was soooooo yummy!! thank you!
    Reply
    • Jackie says:
      August 2, 2016
      Would love to be able to cook this in the crock pot, how long did you cook it for?
      Reply
  35. Madeline says:
    March 19, 2013
    I've tried this recipe multiple times. It always comes out really greasy and way too sweet. I've tried cutting down on the sugar and the oil but that doesn't seen to help. Personally, I don't think it's a good recipe at all.
    Reply
  36. Jeff Gutierrez says:
    April 11, 2013
    This was a super yummy recipe that my whole family adored. I just had to post about it, but don't worry, I linked back to you a few times over! :) Thanks for the copycat recipe! Cheers!
    Reply
  37. The Burggrafs says:
    April 29, 2013
    Tried this tonight! Wasn't disappointed a bit! I used flat iron and didn't have any problem with the meat getting crispy (I was actually surprised that it got that crispy) or thickening the sauce (I cooked it quite a bit longer than suggested). The only change I would make is using low sodium soy sauce...ours turned out a little salty. Will definitely make again and again and again, and I will try the sesame oil next time!
    Reply
  38. Kimberly says:
    October 20, 2013
    Looks delicious!! If I were to make this to freeze, are there any special instructions? How would I unfreeze this meal? Thanks!
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      October 21, 2013
      Just make the entire recipe. Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag. When ready to eat thaw and reheat.
      Reply
  39. Lori says:
    January 7, 2014
    Just made this tonight and it was delicious! I doubled the sauce ingredients and added a little cayenne for heat also didn't have green onion so used sweet onions and julliended carrot strips, the meat I used was a sirlion steak.
    Reply
  40. Nina says:
    January 20, 2014
    I tried this recipe tonight and it was delicious. It tasted just like P.F. Chang's! Thanks! :)
    Reply
  41. Danielle says:
    January 21, 2014
    I've actually never been to P.F. Chang's but I love Asian food! This recipe was so good but I kicked it up a notch with red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper. So yummy!
    Reply
  42. BettyM says:
    March 1, 2014
    A waitress at PFC's suggested one night that I order it the way the wait staff does...add green beans to it. OMG!! Delicious
    Reply
  43. Lisa Jean says:
    March 12, 2014
    Just made this for supper. Awesome and easy!
    Reply
  44. Beth says:
    June 13, 2014
    Made this last night and it was a HUGE hit!!! Thank you!
    Reply
  45. Katie says:
    June 13, 2014
    Are the nutrition facts for this that are listed on Recipe magic for the whole recipe or for one serving?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      June 17, 2014
      Hi Katie, The nutrition facts are off for this recipe. I turned the problem in to get adjusted. The calorie count for one serving is closer to 840.
      Reply
  46. Amberjane says:
    February 9, 2015
    I love the look of this so much I have included it in my meal plan this week :) Thank you for sharing.
    Reply
  47. Linda says:
    February 20, 2015
    How many servings does this make?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      February 23, 2015
      This recipe makes about 4 servings.
      Reply
  48. Gemma says:
    January 8, 2018
    Entirely too sweet, should have cut down on the brown sugar, didn't enjoy it. Won't make again
    Reply
  49. P Ash says:
    January 24, 2018
    This recipe was great. I reduced the brown sugar to 1/2 cup and used new york strip I had in the freezer. Came out very flavorful and tender. It has now been added to my regular meal plan.
    Reply
  50. Terry Camp says:
    September 26, 2021
    I added some Chinese chili paste, a dried red chili and grated orange rind to mimic P.F. Chang’s crispy orange beef…absolutely perfect
    Reply
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