P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef delivers tender beef coated in a glossy, savory sauce with just enough sweetness to make it instantly craveable.
Photo by Atlnav
Photo by PPPPP-2
Copycat P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef
P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef features sliced beef cooked quickly and finished in a dark, savory sauce with soy, sugar, and aromatics.
This copycat recreates the restaurant favorite by focusing on fast cooking, tender beef, and the signature sweet savory balance that defines the dish.
Quick Recipe Overview
- Best For: Dinner, takeout style meals
- Flavor Profile: Savory, lightly sweet, umami rich
- Skill Level: Intermediate stir fry
- What Makes It Like the Restaurant: Thin sliced beef and glossy soy based sauce
P.F. Chang’s
P.F. Chang’s helped popularize American Chinese restaurant dining by pairing bold flavors with an upscale casual atmosphere. The brand focused on familiar dishes presented with polish, making Chinese inspired food feel approachable and special at the same time. Mongolian Beef became one of its most recognizable menu items, appealing to diners who wanted rich flavor without extreme heat. The dish reflects the chain’s ability to balance comfort, consistency, and broad appeal.
The Sweet Savory Classic Everyone Orders
Despite its name, Mongolian Beef is an American Chinese creation rather than a traditional regional Chinese dish. It follows the stir fry tradition of quick cooking and bold sauces, adapted for Western tastes with added sweetness and tender textures. The style emphasizes contrast between savory soy sauce and caramelized sugar. This balance helped Mongolian Beef become a staple on American Chinese restaurant menus nationwide.
P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef Recipe
Make our P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef Recipe at home tonight for your family. With our Secret Restaurant Recipe your Mongolian Beef will taste just like P.F. Chang’s.
Ingredients
- Vegetable Oil
- 3 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh Ginger Root grated
- 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
- 1/2 cup Water
- 2/3 cup dark Brown Sugar
- 1 pound Beef Flank Steak sliced 1/4-inch thick on the bias, then into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 cup Cornstarch
- Vegetable Oil for frying
- 1 bunch of Green Onions cut in 3-inch lengths
Instructions
- Place the sliced beef into a bowl and add the cornstarch. Toss gently to thoroughly coat the beef pieces with the cornstarch. Set aside for about 10 minutes (while you make the sauce) to allow the cornstarch to absorb the beef juices and stick to the beef.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and ginger and sauté, stirring, just until they release their fragrance, about 30 seconds. Don't overcook them.
- Carefully add the soy sauce, water and brown sugar. Be EXTRA CAREFUL that the hot oil does not spatter on you.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and continue stirring until the brown sugar has dissolved and the sauce boils and thickens slightly, about 4 - 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
- In a deep-sided skillet, add enough vegetable oil to mostly cover and fry the beef. (How much will depend on the size of the skillet. Just eyeball it. It's not that crucial.)
- Heat the oil to medium-high heat. Do not let it smoke.
- When the oil is hot, take the beef pieces out of the bowl, shaking them slightly to remove excess cornstarch, and drop them into the hot oil, a few at a time.
- Stir briefly and sauté the beef until the edges become crisp and start to brown, about 2 minutes. Don't overcook the pieces as they are going to be cooked more later.
- Remove the beef from the oil with a large slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil. Set aside.
- Pour the oil out of the skillet and return the pan to medium heat.
- Return the beef slices to the pan and pour in the sauce. Stir a bit to combine and add the green onions. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the onions have softened and turned bright green, about 2 minutes.
- Remove to plate with a slotted spoon or tong.
- Serve with rice.
Related Copycat Recipes
- P.F. Chang’s Sweet and Sour Chicken – Crispy chicken tossed in glossy sweet-and-tangy sauce with classic takeout appeal
- Panda Express Mongolian Beef – Tender beef coated in a glossy sweet-savory sauce with classic takeout flavor
- P.F. Chang’s Great Wall of Chocolate Cake – Massive layered chocolate cake built for serious chocolate cravings
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Questions People Ask
Is P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef spicy
No. It is more sweet and savory than spicy.
What cut of beef works best
Flank steak or sirloin sliced thin against the grain works well.
Can I make this dish ahead of time
It is best served fresh, but leftovers reheat well in a skillet.
What is usually served with Mongolian Beef
It is commonly paired with steamed rice or simple vegetables.
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Photo of Mongolian Beef is by Atlnav and is used by permission under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0) License. Photo of “P.F. Chang’s” is by Rob Corder and is used by permission under the Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0) Creative Commons License. Read the Full License Here – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/legalcode. Thank you, Atlnav and Rob. Great Pictures. Photos may be representative of the recipe and not the actual finished dish. All photo licenses listed were correct at the time of the posting of the page. Recipe is our adaption of several recipes formally widely-circulated on the internet – courtesy of the Wayback Machine. Additional Information is from original research done by Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes and/or courtesy of Wikipedia and is used by permission.
November 3, 2016 @ 3:57 pm
I fixed the frozen P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef last night We really enjoy it !. Bob even likes the green beans ! The recipe you show on this site doesn’t mention green beans. Is there anything else you forgot? …or got wrong ?