Easy Mongolian Beef
This PF Chang's copycat recipe tastes like the real deal and only takes 30 minutes to make, no wok needed! The sauce consists of soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. You make the sauce first and let it sit while you prepare the beef.
Everything comes together in about 30 minutes, start to finish.
The Backstory on This One
PF Chang's is more than 30 minutes from me, and with kids and homework, that's impossible on a weeknight. So this recipe was born out of a necessity and a bit of stubbornness.
I thought it would be too difficult to make. It turned out not to be. I used a standard sauté pan and grocery store ingredients. I was able to make it and it was gone before anyone could ask for seconds.
I'd recommend having the butcher slice the steak for you too; that's the one step that takes forever if you're doing it yourself at home.
The Five Technique Details That Make This Taste Like Takeout
- Cornstarch coating creates a light crust that holds the sauce instead of letting it slide off
- Hot oil frying crisps the edges quickly without making the beef greasy
- Making the sauce first means it’s ready to go — no waiting around at the end
- Slicing against the grain at a 45° angle gives you tender strips, not chewy ones
- No wok needed — a large sauté pan with enough oil does the same job
The Six Ingredients — and Why Low-Sodium Soy Sauce Matters
Flank Steak (or Flat Iron Steak)
The type of cut is important here. Flank and flat iron cuts are lean and have a prominent grain. Slicing against the grain offers tender strips rather than a chewy disaster.
I would not recommend using chuck or sirloin for this, the texture is different and they do not crisp up in the same way. Have your butcher thinly slice it. That one step will save you a ton of work at home.
Cornstarch
The secret to that restaurant-style crust is not flour. Flour would make it heavy and pasty. Instead, cornstarch keeps it light and crisps up quickly in hot oil.
This ingredient is what makes the difference between homemade Mongolian Beef that just tastes like a stir-fry and one that tastes like takeout.
Low Sodium Soy Sauce
The sauce base. Low sodium is a must here. You're using half a cup, and full sodium would make the whole dish taste like salt instead of food.
With less sodium, the garlic, ginger, and brown sugar can truly shine.
Dark Brown Sugar
Provides the sauce its signature sweetness, and gives that glossy look. The darker the brown sugar, the more pronounced the flavor of molasses, so dark brown is worth using here. Light brown sugar is ok to use in a pinch, but the sauce will lack the same depth of flavor.
Garlic and Ginger
The base for sauce aroma. Both are added at the start so they soften as the sauce simmers. Don't avoid either one — garlic feels incomplete without ginger, and ginger feels way too sharp without garlic. They complement each other here.
Green Onions
Added at the very end — don’t cook them down. They remain bright and slightly sharp. They are fresh against the rich sauce and are part of what makes this taste like the restaurant version rather than just beef in brown sauce.
How to Make Easy Mongolian Beef
Step 1: Make the Sauce
Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and ginger. Whisk as they sizzle. It smells incredible. That's exactly what you want.
Combine soy sauce, water, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes. The sauce will be thin, which is fine because it thickens when it hits the beef coated in cornstarch. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step 2: Prep the Beef
Cut the flank steak into strips about a quarter of an inch thick and at a 45-degree angle so the meat fiber runs horizontally. Coat the strips in cornstarch.
Allow it to sit for around 10 minutes. This will help it stick together with the cornstarch and will prevent it from falling off as much in the oil. Don’t rush this step.
Step 3: Fry the Beef
Pour 1 cup of oil (or 1½ cups if you’re using a sauté pan instead of a wok) and heat over medium-high until shimmering. Add the beef and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the edges brown and become crispy.
When they begin turning a deep golden color and you hear the sizzle settle down as the moisture cooks off, that's your cue. Use a slotted spoon to remove them and drain on paper towels.
Step 4: Finish the Dish
Pour the oil out of the pan. Place the pan back on medium heat and add the beef back in. Cook for 1 minute, then add the sauce and green onions.
Mix everything together, and the sauce will begin to thicken immediately as it contacts the warm beef. Serve immediately over the rice. It shouldn’t sit; the beef’s crunchy outer layer will quickly soften when the sauce is added.
What to Serve This Over
- Serve over white rice — jasmine or long grain both work great
- Brown rice is a fine swap if that’s your preference
- Add steamed broccoli or snap peas on the side to stretch the meal and get some vegetables in
- Great for a weeknight dinner — everything is done in about 30 minutes
- Leftovers are excellent the next day, especially over fresh rice
How to Store It and When to Make the Sauce Ahead
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days
- Reheating: Stovetop over medium heat with a splash of water works best; microwave works in a pinch
- Make-ahead: The sauce can be made 2–3 days ahead and stored in the fridge. Cook the beef fresh for best texture
Easy Mongolian Beef FAQ
What cut of beef is best for Mongolian Beef?
My favorite choice is flank steak, but flat iron steak will work as well. Both are lean, have good grain to slice against, and cook quickly in hot oil.
I have done it with sirloin and it works, though the texture isn't the same — flank and flat iron give the right crispy edges. Get your butcher to slice it thin for you to save some effort at home.
Do I need a wok to make this?
No, and I’ve never done it in a wok. A large sauté pan will work just fine — just use about 1½ cups of oil instead of 1 cup to make up for the shallower depth.
The important part is to ensure that the oil is sufficiently heated before putting in the beef. If it isn't shimmering, the beef will steam instead of giving it a nice crunchy texture.
Why is my sauce so thin?
This is normal, and not an issue. Once this sauce finishes boiling, it will be fairly runny — this is how it is meant to be. As you toss everything together, the cornstarch on the beef absorbs some of it and it will thicken as it sits.
To make the sauce much thicker, add a cornstarch slurry. For the slurry, mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir it in right before putting the sauce in the pan.
Can I make it less sweet?
Sure! You can cut the amount of brown sugar to ½ cup to get a more savory sauce. However, I wouldn't go any lower than that because you will lose the sweet-salty balance that makes this dish work. Below ½ cup and you are basically just having soy sauce beef.
Is this the actual PF Chang’s recipe?
PF Chang's Mongolian Beef is just a copycat, not an exact replica. They hit all the same notes — the salty sweet sauce, crispy beef, green onion over rice.
We're so close that most people at my table have given up on asking why we don't just go to PF Chang's.
Five Ways to Switch Up This Recipe
- Swap the protein: Chicken breast or thighs work well with this same sauce — slice thin and follow the same method
- Make it spicy: Add ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes or a drizzle of sriracha to the sauce while it cooks
- Add vegetables: Stir-fry broccoli, bell peppers, or snap peas in the pan after removing the beef, then bring everything back together with the sauce
- Gluten-free: Swap soy sauce for tamari and check your other ingredients for hidden gluten
- Less sweet: Reduce brown sugar to ½ cup — still very good, just more savory
Four Ways to Use Leftover Mongolian Beef
- Leftover Mongolian Beef is excellent in a rice bowl the next day
- Chop it up and stir into fried rice
- Wrap in lettuce leaves for a lighter lunch
- Serve over noodles instead of rice for a different feel
The Two Things That Make This Crispy, Not Soggy
Here are two things that will genuinely help improve this:
A sauté pan with a wide base is preferable. You need enough surface area so the beef isn't crowded. Crowd beef and they will steam instead of crisping. For that quick crispy sear, 12-inch stainless or carbon steel pans are best due to their level of heat retention.
Low sodium soy sauce works because you are using half a cup total of soy sauce for the recipe. Regular soy will make the whole thing taste like salt. Kikkoman Low Sodium is the standard. Same flavor profile, just dialed back enough so the garlic, ginger, and brown sugar can actually come through.
Lighter Version
Avoid the extra work of frying and simply place the cornstarch-coated beef in a dry nonstick skillet or use a little oil in an ordinary pan, and heat it up on high. The edges won't be as crispy, but you'll be able to save a lot of calories.
To lighten it up further, reduce the brown sugar to 1/2 cup, use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce to lower sodium, and serve over cauliflower rice.
More Quick Weeknight Dinners
Instant Pot Mongolian Beef with Fried Rice features the same flavors and a pressure cooker method, plus has fried rice built right in.
Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff is prepared by combining tender beef in delicious creamy mushroom sauce served atop egg noodles. Set it, forget it, and walk away!
French Dip Sandwiches made in the crock pot feature shredded chuck roast au jus and provolone cheese served on a hoagie roll.
Let me know in the comments what you think of this easy Mongolian beef.
Easy Mongolian Beef
Equipment
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Saucepan
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Large saute pan
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 pound flank steak or flat iron steak thinly sliced against the grain
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons oil for sauce
- 1 cup oil for frying, more if needed
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- green onions sliced
- rice for serving
Instructions
Instructions
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Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a saucepan over medium-low. Add garlic and ginger and whisk as they sizzle.
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Pour in soy sauce, water, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and cook about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
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Slice steak into 1/4-inch strips at a 45-degree angle against the grain.
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Toss steak with cornstarch until lightly coated and let sit about 10 minutes.
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Heat frying oil over medium-high until shimmering. Cook beef 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until edges are browned and crisp.
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Remove beef to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour oil out of pan.
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Return beef to pan over medium heat. Add sauce and green onions. Toss until sauce thickens and coats beef.
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Serve immediately over rice.