Authentic Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe Like PF Chang's (2024)

Beef Recipes Chinese Recipes

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This copycat Mongolian Beef recipe is simply amazing! Nobody will believe this Mongolian Beef is homemade – it tastes exactly like the one from Chinese restaurant!

Authentic Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe Like PF Chang's (1)

This delicious recipe makes authentic Mongolian beef that tastes exactly like the Mongolian beef from your favorite Chinese restaurant. This dish is a copycat version of Mongolian beef served by PF Chang’s. Thinly sliced pieces of beef are cooked in the delicious sweet and salty sauce, and garnished with sliced green onions. Once you taste this amazing Mongolian beef recipe, you won’t be able to tell the difference between this homemade version and the PF Chang’s!

If you are reading it and thinking that “Authentic” and “PF Chang’s” shouldn’t be used in the same sentence, here’s some background on Mongolian beef. Mongolian beef recipe in the form that we know didn’t originate in Mongolia or China. According to Wikipedia, it is a Chinese-American creation by the Chinese restaurants in the US. In China, they have numerous dishes of stir-fried beef with green onions and other vegetables, but they don’t use the same sauce and don’t have the same taste as what we in the US know as a classic “Mongolian beef”.

So my goal is to recreate the recipe of Mongolian beef that we, as Americans, perceive as authentic – the taste of Mongolian beef that comes to our mind when we are craving one. And PF Chang’s version of Mongolian beef hits the spot :)

Authentic Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe Like PF Chang's (2)

Ever wondered how to achieve that unique flavor of Mongolian beef sauce? That sauce tastes mysteriously deep even though it’s not spicy, so what is the secret ingredient? If you thought it’s MSG, it is not :) This recipe doesn’t include MSG, but has the amazing and complete flavor you are looking for. The Mongolian beef sauce ingredients are soy sauce, garlic, fresh ginger, water and dark brown sugar – the ingredients that aren’t very unique on their own, but work wonders when combined together in the right proportions.

Authentic Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe Like PF Chang's (3)

Making Mongolian beef at home is pretty easy – you just combine the sauce ingredients in a blender, stir-fry the beef and add the sauce. From start to finish this recipe takes less than 20 minutes – that’s faster than getting a Chinese takeout. Not to mention that it will cost you a fraction of the restaurant meal!

Serve Mongolian beef over rice (I always cook rice in my rice cooker, so it will be ready by the time I’m ready to serve the Mongolian beef). Feel free to double the portion, as Mongolian beef reheats very well and makes great leftovers! We need to have leftovers to truly replicate the Chinese restaurant experience :)

Authentic Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe Like PF Chang's (4)

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This easy Mongolian beef recipe tastes exactly like the version served in a popular Chinese restaurant PF Chang's - amazing!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time7 minutes mins

Total Time12 minutes mins

Course: Beef

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: 4 servings

Author: MelanieCooks.com

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Slice the beef across the grain as thinly as you can.

  • Put the beef in the bowl and add cornstarch to it. Toss beef and cornstarch with your hands until all beef pieces are covered in cornstarch.

  • Slice the green onions and set aside in a separate bowl.

  • Combine soy sauce, water, garlic, ginger and brown sugar in a blender (or a food processor bowl fitted with a steel blade). Process for 1 minute or until smooth.

  • Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.

  • Add the beef to the frying pan and cook, stirring every 30 seconds, for 4 minutes.

  • Add the sauce mixture to the beef in the frying pan and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

  • Add the green onions and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

  • Remove Mongolian beef from heat and serve over rice.

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Authentic Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe Like PF Chang's (2024)

FAQs

What is Mongolian beef sauce made of? ›

Our recipe for Mongolian beef sauce includes oyster sauce, soy sauce, tamari soy sauce (as a replacement for dark soy sauce), chili sauce, sugar, and cooking wine. Check the ingredient list to see precise amounts. Don't forget that you can scale the recipe up and down!

Why is Mongolian beef so tender? ›

Minced garlic: We sauté the fresh garlic in the oil before we put the stir fry together. Baking soda: acts as a natural tenderizer in this recipe. It is my secret ingredient for take-out recipes as it gives the beef (or chicken) a tender texture even if you marinate it for a short 15-20 minutes.

What is the difference between Mongolian beef and Chinese beef? ›

Szechuan beef vs Mongolian beef, what's the difference? Szechuan beef has a sweet and spicy flavor, and Mongolian beef has a mild taste. Szechuan beef hails from the Sichuan Province in southwestern China.

Does PF Chang's use monosodium glutamate? ›

We do not use any MSG in our food. Sorry to hear your'e not feeling well.

Is Mongolian beef authentic Chinese? ›

Despite its name, the dish has nothing to do with Mongolian cuisine. Mongolian beef is among the meat dishes developed in Taiwan where Mongolian barbecue restaurants first appeared. Thus, none of the ingredients or the preparation methods are drawn from traditional Mongolian cuisine but rather from Chinese cuisine.

What is the secret ingredient in stir fry beef? ›

Velvet the beef: The velveting technique involves tenderizing, marinating, and a quick searing of the meat. To tenderize: Sprinkle with baking soda (the secret Chinese meat tenderizer). To marinate (a quick marinade): Add basic beef marinade and mix to coat evenly. Let marinate for 15 minutes or up to overnight.

What is a substitute for cornstarch in Mongolian beef? ›

It gives the Mongolian beef its signature glossy, thick sauce. If you can't find cornstarch, use flour instead, but it may not provide the same clear, glossy finish. Soy sauce: This gives the dish its savory, umami flavor.

What do Chinese use to make beef tender? ›

While there are several ways to velvet, a pound of meat needs about two teaspoons of cornstarch and two teaspoons of oil, says Leung. You may also include two to three tablespoons of water. For beef, add a 1/4-teaspoon of baking soda for tenderizing. Additional seasonings are optional and vary from recipe to recipe.

How do Chinese get their beef so soft? ›

How is it that these restaurants can get the meat to be so soft and moist no matter how much they are cooking and for different recipes? It all starts with tenderizing the meat with baking soda and water that is massaged into the thinly sliced meat. It is then left to marinate for about an hour or two before cooking.

What is the secret ingredient to tenderize meat? ›

Whether hosting a holiday cookout, serving up some stir-fry or tackling game meats, baking soda is the go-to meat tenderizer to help make your steak, chicken or turkey silkier, juicier and yummier.

How do the Chinese marinate their beef? ›

In Chinese cooking, velveting meats includes 2 steps: tenderizing and marinating. Tenderize beef in a mixture of baking soda, soy sauce, salt, and oil. Let the mixture marinate for at least 15 minutes or overnight for optimal flavor and tenderness.

What cut of beef is Mongolian beef made from? ›

Flank steak is the most traditional cut used for Mongolian beef and a cut we often used to use. It has great flavor, cooks quickly and can get incredibly tender.

What is similar to Mongolian beef? ›

If you are like me, you probably asked yourself what's the difference between Szechuan Beef vs Mongolian Beef because these two dishes look very similar. The main difference is in flavor and the use of peppercorns. Szechuan Beef has a sweet and spicy flavor with added chili peppers and Szechuan peppercorns.

Why is Chinese takeout beef so tender? ›

The secret is tenderising the meat. It's called velveting beef. Your cheerful local Chinese restaurant is using economical stewing beef to make stir fries with ultra tender strips of beef by tenderising it!

What's the difference between teriyaki beef and Mongolian beef? ›

Mongolian Beef: Mongolian beef is usually stir-fried, with thinly sliced beef quickly cooked in a hot pan or wok. The beef is typically seared until browned and then combined with the sauce and onions [3]. Beef Teriyaki: Beef teriyaki can be prepared by grilling, broiling, or pan-frying the beef.

What is the difference between Mongolian and Szechuan? ›

Mongolian Beef can be described as having a savory soy-based sauce with scallions as its main aromatic. Szechuan Beef has a similar soy sauce-based profile but with the addition of a spicy element, such as fresh or dried chilis and/or Sichuan peppercorns for a numbing sensation.

What are the ingredients in spicy Mongolian beef Bao? ›

Ground beef, sauce (cane sugar, bean sauce [soybean paste (water, soybean, salt, wheat flour), water, sugar, salt & sesame seed oil], chili garlic sauce [salted chili peppers, (chili peppers, salt), water, sugar, rice vinegar, dehydrated garlic, modified corn starch, acetic acid], salt, chili de arbol), green onion, ...

What animal is Mongolian beef made from? ›

Forbearers of modern Mongolian cattle are known as Asian wild cattle or Turano-Mongolian cattle (Bos turano mongolicus). This breed was predominantly native to Mongolia and northern China.

References

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