Easy Mongolian Beef

This is a PF Chang’s copycat that tastes like the real thing and comes together in 30 minutes without a wok. The sauce is soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger — you make it first, then it waits while you get the beef ready. The whole dinner is on the table in 30 minutes, no wok required.

What Is Mongolian Beef?

Mongolian Beef is a Chinese-American restaurant staple — thin slices of flank steak coated in cornstarch, quickly fried until the edges get crispy, then tossed in a savory-sweet sauce made with soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. It’s served over rice with green onions.

Despite the name, it’s not actually from Mongolia. It’s a Chinese-American dish popularized by restaurants like PF Chang’s, and it’s the kind of thing that sounds like a takeout splurge but is very doable at home. The magic is in the technique: cornstarch coating plus hot oil gives you crispy edges that hold onto the sauce without going soggy.

Why This Recipe Works

• 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

Ingredient Breakdown

Flank Steak (or Flat Iron Steak)

The cut matters here. Both flank and flat iron are lean with a strong grain — slicing against it gives you tender strips. Ask your butcher to slice it thin for you. That one step saves a lot of effort at home.

Cornstarch

The secret to that restaurant-style crust. Not flour — flour would make it heavy. Cornstarch stays light and crisps up fast in the hot oil.

Low Sodium Soy Sauce

The base of the sauce. Low sodium is important here because you’re using half a cup — full sodium would make the whole dish taste like salt. Low sodium lets the other flavors come through.

Dark Brown Sugar

Gives the sauce its signature sweetness and that glossy look. Dark brown sugar has deeper molasses flavor than light brown — it’s worth using the right one here.

Garlic and Ginger

The aromatic foundation of the sauce. Both go in early so they mellow as the sauce cooks. Don’t skip either one.

Green Onions

Added at the very end. They stay bright and fresh against the rich sauce and are part of what makes this taste like the restaurant version.

How to Make It: Step by Step

Step 1: Make the sauce. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a saucepan over medium-low. Add garlic and ginger, whisking as they sizzle. Pour in the soy sauce, water, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and cook about 5 minutes. The sauce will still be fairly thin — that’s fine. Remove from heat and set aside.

Step 2: Prep the beef. Slice the flank steak into ¼-inch strips at a 45° angle against the grain. Toss with cornstarch until each piece has a light coating. Let it sit for about 10 minutes — this helps the cornstarch adhere.

Step 3: Fry the beef. Heat 1 cup of oil (or 1½ cups if using a sauté pan instead of a wok) over medium-high. Add the beef and cook 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the edges are browned and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.

Step 4: Finish the dish. Pour the oil out of the pan. Return the pan to medium heat and add the beef back in. Cook 1 minute, then pour in the sauce and add the green onions. Toss everything together and serve immediately over rice.

Serving Suggestions

• 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

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

• 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

Why You’ll Love It

• Seriously close to the real PF Chang’s flavor — most people can’t tell the difference
• Ready in about 30 minutes
• No wok required — a regular sauté pan works
• Tastes just like PF Chang’s — made at home in your own kitchen
• Kids actually like it
• Leftovers are just as good the next day

Frequently Asked Questions

What cut of beef is best for Mongolian Beef?

Flank steak is the classic choice. Flat iron steak also works well. Both are lean, have a strong grain to slice against, and cook quickly. Ask your butcher to slice it thin for you — it saves a lot of effort at home.

Do I need a wok to make this?

Nope. A large sauté pan works just fine. Use about 1½ cups of oil instead of 1 cup to compensate for the shallower depth — you want the beef to almost submerge so it fries evenly.

Why is my sauce so thin?

That’s normal. This sauce is meant to be fairly runny when it finishes boiling. The cornstarch on the beef absorbs some of it as you toss everything together and it thickens as it sits. If you want it thicker, stir a teaspoon of cornstarch into a tablespoon of cold water and add that to the sauce before it goes into the pan.

Can I make it less sweet?

Yes — reduce the brown sugar to ½ cup instead of ¾ cup. The sauce will be more savory. Don’t go below ½ cup or it loses the balance that makes this dish work.

Is this the actual PF Chang’s recipe?

It’s a copycat inspired by PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef. It won’t be identical, but it hits all the same notes — the salty-sweet sauce, crispy beef, green onions over rice. Close enough that you won’t miss the drive.

Variations and Substitutions

• 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

What to Do with Leftovers

• 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

A Few Things Worth Having for This Recipe

Two things that genuinely improve how this comes out:

A wide, heavy-bottomed sauté pan. You need enough surface area so the beef isn’t crowded — crowded beef steams instead of crisping. A 12-inch stainless or carbon steel pan gives you the high heat retention you need for that quick crispy sear. This is the technique that makes restaurant Mongolian Beef taste the way it does.

Low-sodium soy sauce — specifically. You’re using half a cup, so regular soy sauce will make the whole dish 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

Skip the frying and cook the cornstarch-coated beef in a dry nonstick skillet or lightly oiled pan over high heat instead. You won’t get the same crispy edges, but you’ll save significant calories. Reduce the brown sugar to ½ cup, use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce to cut sodium, and serve over cauliflower rice to lighten it up further.

Nutrition Info

One serving (¼ of the recipe, without rice) is approximately 350–420 calories with about 25g protein. Actual values vary based on how much oil the beef absorbs during frying. Full nutrition info is in the recipe card below.

A Note from Kate

My nearest PF Chang’s is over 30 minutes away — on a weeknight with kids and homework, that’s not happening. This recipe came out of necessity and a little stubbornness. I kept thinking it would be too complicated. It wasn’t. I made it in a regular sauté pan with grocery store ingredients and it was gone before anyone could ask for seconds. My butcher sliced the steak for me, which I’d highly recommend — that’s the one part that takes forever if you try to do it yourself at home.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve been putting off making Mongolian Beef at home because it sounds complicated, this is the recipe to start with. The sauce takes 10 minutes, the beef cooks in under 5, and dinner is on the table in 30 minutes. Make it once and you’ll have it on regular rotation.

Related Recipes

• Instant Pot Mongolian Beef with Fried Rice
• Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff
• White Bean Turkey Chili
• Crock Pot Chicken Chili
• Crockpot Enchilada Soup