Mongolian Beef – PF Chang’s Copycat

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This is a tender and delicious beef stir fry recipe that it’s inspired by the flavors used in PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef. It’s sticky, sweet, and savory. If you love Chinese takeout, then you should definitely make this at least once. You won’t be disappointed!

PF Chang's Mongolian Beef copycat recipe with rice in black bowl

What is Mongolian Beef?

Your first thought is likely that Mongolian beef originated in Mongolian. I did, too. However, the recipe actually originated in Taiwan. It takes inspiration from Mongolian barbecue but it is technically a Chinese dish. It has become a popular staple in American Chinese cuisine and you can order it from almost any Chinese restaurant. It’s not spicy but uses ginger, soy sauce, and onions giving it a robust flavor that is a little sweet.

ingredients with steak

What You’ll Need to Make Mongolian Beef

Here is everything you’ll need to make this delicious Mongolian Beef recipe.

Steaks:

  • New York strip steaks: Make sure your steaks are about 1” thick.
  • Cornstarch: Used to give a crust to the steak.
  • Salt
  • Black pepper: Must be coarsely ground.
  • Green onion: Added at the end for flavor.

Marinade:

  • Soy sauce
  • Garlic: Finely minced
  • Ginger powder
  • Rice wine vinegar

Mongolian Sauce:

  • Garlic: Finely mince the cloves.
  • Ginger root: Freshly grated.
  • Shaoxing wine: A Chinese cooking wine that can be found online, at a Chinese market, and sometimes at your local grocery store.
  • Soy sauce
  • Gochujang: Adds a hint of heat and depth of flavor.
  • Brown sugar
  • Cornstarch: This is used to thicken your sauce.
  • Water
  • Sesame Seeds

How to Make PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef

It may seem time-consuming, but the cook of this dish takes less than 30 minutes!

  1. Freeze the Steak. Freeze your steak for about an hour before starting prep. It makes slicing much easier and allows you to make thinner slices.
  2. Make the Marinade. Add the ingredients for your marinade to a ziplock bag.
  3. Marinade the Steak. Slice your steak into roughly ¼” strips and add to the bag with the marinade. Close it up and massage the ingredients to make sure they are mixed well. Let stand at room temperature to marinate for about 1 hour.
  4. Add the Remaining Ingredients to the Steak. After the hour has passed, add the salt, pepper, sesame oil, and cornstarch to the ziplock bag. (Use the measurements from the steak ingredients). Shake to combine and coat the steaks.
  5. Prep your pans. Heat a saucepan and a wok, both to medium-high heat.
  6. Cook the Steak. Add the steak to the wok and cook for approximately 6 minutes, flipping the slices halfway through.
  7. Make the Sauce. Add oil to the hot saucepan, and then the garlic and grated ginger. Saute together for about 1 minute and then add brown sugar, and Shaoxing wine. Cook for an additional minute. Lastly, add soy sauce and gochujang. Whisk until combined and cook for 3 more minutes. 
  8. Make a Slurry. Combine the water and cornstarch to make a slurry and then add it to the sauce to thicken. It should take about 2-3 minutes.
  9. Combine Sauce and the Steak. Pour the sauce over the steak in the wok and toss to coat. Add the stalk of green onions and cook all together for about 2 minutes.
  10. Garnish and serve. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and enjoy!

What is Shaoxing Wine?

Shaoxing wine is an inexpensive Chinese cooking wine. If you can’t find it, go for a dry sherry. They have very similar flavor profiles and the sherry makes a great substitute. You can use another Chinese wine caled Mirin but it is much sweeter.

close up image of PF Chang's Mongolian Beef with rice in black bowl

How to Store Leftovers

You can store your leftover Mongolian beef in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you want to prep the sauce ahead of time, you can make the sauce up to 3-4 days before cooking and reheat it over medium-low heat in a saucepan. Then, you would just pour your cooked steak and serve it as usual!

beef with green onions and sesame seeds in gray wok pan

What to Serve With Copycat PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef

  • Rice: This dish is traditionally served over white rice. If you are feeling bold, you can serve it with this Easy Chicken Fried Rice.
  • Noodles: Your favorite simple noodle dish pairs nicely as well, especially rice noodles.
  • Veggies: Broccoli is the obvious choice. You can steam and enjoy on the side or saute it in the Mongolian sauce!

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Mongolian Beef (PF Chang’s Copycat)

This is a tender and delicious beef stir fry recipe that it’s inspired by the flavors used in PF Chang's Mongolian Beef. It’s sticky, sweet, and savory. If you love Chinese takeout, then you should definitely make this copycat recipe at least once.
Servings: 6
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Marinade: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 New York strip steaks 1” thick
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp coarse black pepper
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 3 green onion stalks

Marinade

Mongolian sauce

Instructions

  • Freeze the steak for 1 hour. *this helps make thinly slicing the steak much easier and more uniform*
  • Add marinade ingredients to a ziplock. (¼ cup soy sauce, minced garlic, ginger powder, rice wine vinegar)
  • Thinly slice the steak into ¼” strips. Add steak to a ziplock with marinade and massage the marinade into the steak. let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
  • After 1 hour, add salt, pepper, sesame oil, and cornstarch to the ziplock with the steak. Shake until combined and steaks are coated.
  • Heat a saucepan and a wok over medium high heat
  • Add the steak to the wok. Cook for 6 minutes. Turn the steak over halfway through.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Add oil to the saucepan. Next add minced garlic and grated ginger. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and shaoxing wine and stir, cook for 1 minute. Next add soy sauce and gochujang. Whisk well and cook for 3 minutes.
  • Combine cornstarch and water to make a slurry, then pour into the saucepan. Whisk and cook until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into the wok over the steak. Toss to coat. Stir in the green onions and cook for 2 more minutes.
  • Garnish with sesame seeds and serve over rice. Enjoy!

Last Step:

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Nutrition

Serving: 6ounce | Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 2387mg | Potassium: 304mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg

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