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This copycat PF Chang Mongolian Beef recipe has tender beef strips in a flavorful sweet, salty, and savory sauce that’s every bit as good as at the restaurant! The foolproof trick to tenderizing the meat is an easy cooking technique called velveting that only takes 15 minutes. Serve it up with copycat PF Chang’s chicken lettuce wraps for the full experience.

spread of Mongolian beef with steamed jasmine rice and broccoli

Have you ever made a restaurant favorite at home and wondered why it wasn’t as good as it was at the restaurant? They have certain tricks, tips, and cooking methods that elevate a meal!

For example, Mongolian beef. It’s a Taiwanese dish that’s a favorite at Chinese restaurants, and it’s what my fiancé and I order more often than not when one of us suggests takeout! Mongolian beef is a beef stir fry with a sweet, salty, and savory glaze-like sauce containing soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Flank steak is the classic cut used here, and it’s always melt-in-your-mouth tender and packed with flavor. The meat is stir-fried so it crisps nicely, and then the sauce is added to coat the meat.

How do they take a tough cut like that and tenderize it? Velveting!

Velveting is a Chinese cooking method that results in tender, flavorful meat even when you use a tough, cheap cut. It’s easy to do, only takes 15 minutes, and you probably already have everything on hand to do it.

Make this copycat PF Chang Mongolian beef and takeout will be a thing of the past!

front view of plated copycat pf Chang Mongolian beef served with rice and broccoli

What’s the Difference Between Velveting and Marinating?

Both velveting and marinating are cooking techniques used to tenderize meat. The main difference is that marinades typically contain an acid (such as vinegar, citrus juice, etc.) and velveting uses an alkaline mixture (like baking soda).

In addition to tenderizing meat, marinades are meant to infuse meat with flavor, so they often contain herbs, spices, or aromatics. On the other hand, velveting might have no flavoring ingredients added or minimal flavoring ingredients added (here we just use a bit of soy sauce for flavor). This is why velveted meat is typically served with a sauce.

Mongolian beef sauce is where most of the flavor comes in for this dish. However, it’s not a marinade because the meat isn’t soaked in it before cooking.

How to Velvet Beef

Time needed: 15 minutes

Velveting meat is a Chinese cooking method that tenderizes cheap cuts of meat, which can be tough. To velvet meat, you need an alkaline ingredient, such as baking soda or egg white. Here we use an easy foolproof method with baking soda.

  1. Prep the Beef

    Cut the beef into 1/4-inch thick slices across the grain.thinly slicing beef across the grain

  2. Mix it With Water and Baking Soda

    Add the sliced beef to a bowl along with 1 teaspoon baking soda + 1/4 cup cool water for every 1/2 pound of meat. This recipe uses 1 1/2 pounds of flank steak, so we need 3 teaspoons baking soda and 3/4 cup water. Swish everything around so the baking soda is dissolved, and then make sure the meat is mostly submerged in liquid.adding beef strips to velveting liquid

  3. Let it Soak

    Let it soak for 15 minutes. (Really, it doesn’t need longer than that! If you over-soak you run the risk of the meat turning mushy because it’s so tender.)velveted beef in alkaline soaking liquid

  4. Rinse and Drain

    Drain the meat, and then rinse it under cool running water and drain it well. Now it’s ready to cook!rinsing and draining velveted beef strips

Why You’ll Want This Recipe On Repeat

  • Double money-saving – This budget-friendly recipe helps you save money in two different ways: 1) it uses an economical cut of meat, and 2) you’re also saving money by making this meal at home instead of ordering Chinese takeout or going out to eat at a restaurant!
  • Perfect for meal prep – It freezes and reheats beautifully! I like to make what I call PF Chang’s Mongolian beef bowls. To make them, portion a serving of beef stir fry, steamed jasmine rice, and steamed broccoli or green beans into glass meal prep containers. Then you can keep the prepped meals in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. (After freezing, thaw to room temperature before reheating.)
  • Absolutely delicious – This really is a restaurant-quality meal! Take 15 minutes to velvet the beef and you’ll be surprised at how much this meal tastes like it came from your favorite restaurant.
  • Special diet-friendly – This recipe is easy to make gluten free, paleo, low carb, and keto-friendly, and I give instructions for each.

Ingredients For Copycat PF Chang Mongolian Beef

Ingredients Explained

In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.

Velveted Beef Ingredients

ingredients for velveting beef
  • Flank steak – Although flank steak is flavorful, because it’s a tougher cut of meat, it’s typically cheaper than other cuts. Flank steak is classic in Mongolian beef. Don’t worry about the toughness; this tough cut is tenderized perfectly with the velveting technique! You can also use skirt steak here with great results.
  • Water – We use enough water to submerge the meat in the alkaline mixture.
  • Low-sodium soy sauce – Or tamari sauce or coconut aminos.
  • Baking soda – Baking soda (aka sodium bicarbonate) is a base (aka alkaline substance). When you soak meat in a mixture of water and baking soda, the baking soda raises the pH of the meat so that the proteins relax (aka tenderize). This process is called velveting, and it only takes 15 minutes!

Mongolian Beef Sauce Ingredients

Mongolian beef sauce ingredients
  • Low-sodium soy sauce – This is a classic ingredient in Mongolian beef. Soy sauce lends a ton of savory flavor and its umami factor interplays beautifully with beef. Soy sauce is very high in sodium, so I recommend using low-sodium soy sauce. To keep it gluten free, use tamari sauce or coconut aminos.
  • Light brown sugar – Mongolian beef sauce has a well-balanced flavor. Brown sugar adds sweetness and notes of rich molasses to offset the savory, salty, umami flavor of soy sauce.
  • Garlic and ginger – Use fresh garlic and ginger for the most intense piquant flavor and aroma. In a pinch I’ve also used about 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, but fresh ginger is best if it’s available.
  • Rice vinegar – A splash of vinegar adds tanginess and helps create a balanced flavor profile.
  • Toasted sesame oil – For rich nutty flavor.
  • Cornstarch – Cornstarch thickens the sauce so it coats every piece of meat with flavor and a shiny glaze.
  • White pepper – The earthy, gingery flavor of white pepper is perfect in this dish.
  • Salt – Some people add more soy sauce instead of salt, but I prefer a combination of soy sauce with a little pinch of salt. You can hold back on adding the salt if you want to cut down on the sodium a bit.

Other Ingredients

  • Vegetable oil – You can use any neutral or mild-flavored oil with a high smoke point.
  • Scallion – Scallion adds mild onion flavor and pops of green color. It’s a classic ingredient in this recipe.
  • Sesame seeds – These are completely optional here; they’re mostly decorative, but also echo the sesame oil that’s in the marinade.

How to Make This Copycat PF Chang Mongolian Beef Recipe

1: Velvet the Beef

You can see photos of this process above.

  1. Slice the flank steak across the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices.
  2. Whisk together the water, soy sauce, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the sliced steak and stir to coat. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
  3. Drain the meat and rinse it well under cool running water.

2. Stir Fry the Beef

how to make Mongolian beef

Start by making the Mongolian beef sauce so it’s ready when you need it. To do so, add all ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside for now.

  1. Heat a wok (or a large, deep skillet) over high heat. Once hot, add the oil, and then add the beef in a single layer. Cook for 5 minutes, letting it sear for 2 minutes before stirring.
  2. Stir in the sauce and cook until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  3. Stir in the scallion and cook 30 seconds.
  4. Remove from the heat and sprinkle on the sesame seeds. Serve!

Storage, Freezing & Reheating

You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to make what I call PF Chang’s Mongolian beef bowls. To do so, I portion a serving of beef stir fry, steamed jasmine rice, and steamed broccoli or green beans into glass meal prep containers and pop them in the fridge or freezer depending on when I want to eat them.

If you’re reheating meal prepped bowls with beef stir fry, rice, and a steamed vegetable, you can reheat it in the microwave or in the oven. For the microwave method, make sure the food is in a microwave-safe dish. Remove the dish’s cover, and place a damp paper towel directly on top of the food (this will help prevent it from drying out). Heat it for 2 minutes and 30 seconds at 80% power, then stir the food and heat it in additional 45-second increments at 100% power until it’s warm throughout. For the oven method, put the food in an oven-safe dish and cover it with foil. Heat it in a preheated 250F oven until warm, about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

And if you’re reheating just the meat, you can reheat it in either the microwave or oven using the same methods described above, or heat it in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat for about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

close up top view of tender Mongolian beef in wok

To Reduce the Sodium

If you tend to steer clear of a lot of Chinese foods because of their high sodium content, here are a few tips to lower the sodium in this recipe:

  • Use low-sodium soy sauce.
  • Skip the soy sauce in the velveting mixture.
  • Omit the added salt in the Mongolian beef sauce.
  • And if you really want to cut the sodium, make a half-batch of the sauce. It will still have enough sauce to coat all the meat, it just won’t be extra saucy.

Special Diet Friendly

  • Gluten free – Instead of soy sauce, use tamari sauce or coconut aminos.
  • Paleo – In place of of soy sauce, use coconut aminos or liquid aminos. Substitute coconut sugar for the brown sugar. Skip the cornstarch and use 2 teaspoons arrowroot starch or 4 teaspoons tapioca starch.
  • Low carb and keto friendly – Use liquid aminos instead of soy sauce, and keto brown sugar instead of regular brown sugar. If you don’t mind a thinner sauce you can just omit the cornstarch, or you can use 1 teaspoon beef gelatin or 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum instead.

What to Serve with Copycat PF Chang Mongolian Beef

There are a ton of side dishes that pair well with this stir fry. Steamed jasmine rice and steamed broccoli are our favorites. However, instead of rice, you can go with quinoa or noodles. Additionally, if broccoli isn’t your thing, it’s also great with green beans, asparagus, or cauliflower. Take this meal and make it your own!

If you’re following a low carb or keto way of eating, you can serve it with cauliflower rice instead of jasmine rice to keep the carbs down. Or try your favorite keto noodles!

Expert Tips

  • When you’re velveting the beef, don’t let it soak for more than 15 minutes. Additionally, make sure to rinse it well until cool running water after it’s done soaking. If you let it go for longer than that or don’t rinse off all the baking soda, this tenderizing technique works so well that your meat can become mushy.
  • If you like stir fry with a spicy kick, it’s easy to add heat here. You can add hot chili peppers or crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Start with less because you can always add more!
  • For more complex flavor, you can add up to 1/2 teaspoon of Chinese five spice. This spice mix refers to the fact that it contains five traditional elements of Chinese cuisine: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and spicy. The spices and ratios vary, but this blend frequently includes star anise, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, fennel seeds, cloves, ginger, white pepper, and cardamom.
top view of copycat pf Changs Mongolian beef bowl

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Mongolian beef taste like?

This dish features tender slices of beef that are beautifully crisp outside thanks to stir-frying in oil. The traditional sauce is sweet and savory with rich, bold flavor notes of brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. It’s thickened with cornstarch, which gives it a glossy glaze-like texture. This is a mild dish that doesn’t usually contain spicy heat.

What is Mongolian beef sauce made of?

The glossy sauce for this dish is sweet, salty, and umami, and beautifully coats the tender strips of beef. Most of the flavor of Mongolian beef sauce comes from salty soy sauce, sweet brown sugar, and aromatic garlic, ginger, and scallion.

Different recipes might contain other condiments, sauces, or ingredients, such as hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine (aka Chinese cooking wine), Asian sweet chili sauce, etc. With minimal components, this recipe lets the sweet and salty flavor of classic Mongolian beef shine.

What is the difference between Szechuan beef and Mongolian beef?

Szechuan beef has a similar sweet and salty sauce, but it also contains Sichuan peppercorns and/or fresh or dried chilis. Because of this, Szechuan beef is spicier than Mongolian beef. And the unique thing about Sichuan peppercorn is that not only does it add spicy heat, but it also creates a numbing or tingling sensation in the mouth, and requires quite a bit more oil to extract the flavor of the peppercorns.

Another difference between these two dishes is that Mongolian beef is stir-fried with scallion, and Szechuan beef frequently has other vegetables added, such as bell peppers, broccoli, carrot, celery, etc.

What is the difference between Mongolian beef and beef teriyaki?

The sauces for these two dishes are quite similar, and both contain soy sauce and sweetener (such as sugar). However, Japanese teriyaki sauce typically also includes sake and mirin.

Why is Mongolian beef so tender?

The meat for this dish is typically velveted, which tenderizes tough cuts of beef.

Does Mongolian beef contain oyster sauce or hoisin sauce?

I’ve seen some recipes that call for oyster sauce and/or hoisin sauce, and others that don’t. If you have these sauces on hand, you can add one or both of them if you want, but it really isn’t necessary. This recipe is already packed with flavor! (Start small with no more than a tablespoon and add more to taste so you don’t overdo it.)

More Weeknight Beef Dinner Recipes to Try

beef stir fry recipe served with rice

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Copycat PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef Recipe (And How to Make Velveted Beef)

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Other Time15 minutes
Yields: 6 servings
This Mongolian beef is a PF Chang copycat recipe with stir-fried meat in a rich sweet and savory sauce. Budget-friendly flank steak becomes incredibly tender using an easy cooking technique called velveting, and it only takes 15 minutes!

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Equipment

  • Wok or a large, deep skillet

Ingredients
 

Velveted Beef:

Mongolian Beef Sauce:

Other:

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or avocado oil
  • 6 scallions ends trimmed and sliced into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Serving Suggestions:

Instructions
 

For the Velveted Beef:

  • Slice the flank steak across the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices.
  • Whisk together the water, soy sauce, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the sliced steak and stir to coat. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
  • Drain the meat and rinse it well under cool running water.

For the Mongolian Beef Sauce:

  • Add all ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside for now.

To Cook:

  • Heat a wok (or a large, deep skillet) over high heat. Once hot, add the oil, and then add the beef in a single layer. Cook for 5 minutes, letting it sear for 2 minutes before stirring.
  • Stir in the sauce and cook until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  • Stir in the scallion and cook 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and sprinkle on the sesame seeds.
  • Serve along with broccoli and rice.

Notes

  • Storage: You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to make what I call PF Chang’s Mongolian beef bowls. To do so, I portion a serving of beef stir fry, steamed jasmine rice, and steamed broccoli or green beans into glass meal prep containers and pop them in the fridge or freezer depending on when I want to eat them.
  • Reheating: If you’re reheating meal prepped bowls with beef stir fry, rice, and a steamed vegetable, you can reheat it in the microwave or in the oven. For the microwave method, make sure the food is in a microwave-safe dish. Remove the dish’s cover, and place a damp paper towel directly on top of the food (this will help prevent it from drying out). Heat it for 2 minutes and 30 seconds at 80% power, then stir the food and heat it in additional 45-second increments at 100% power until it’s warm throughout. For the oven method, put the food in an oven-safe dish and cover it with foil. Heat it in a preheated 250F oven until warm, about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through. And if you’re reheating just the meat, you can reheat it in either the microwave or oven using the same methods described above, or heat it in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat for about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Velveting Time: When you’re velveting the beef, don’t let it soak for more than 15 minutes. Additionally, make sure to rinse it well until cool running water after it’s done soaking. If you let it go for longer than that or don’t rinse off all the baking soda, this tenderizing technique works so well that your meat can become mushy.
  • To Add Spicy Heat: If you like stir fry with a spicy kick, it’s easy to add heat here. You can add hot chili peppers or crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Start with less because you can always add more!
  • Flavor Variation: For deeper, more complex flavor, you can add up to 1/2 teaspoon of Chinese five spice. This spice mix refers to the fact that it contains five traditional elements of Chinese cuisine: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and spicy. The spices and ratios vary, but this blend frequently includes star anise, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, fennel seeds, cloves, ginger, white pepper, and cardamom.
  • Gluten Free Version: Instead of soy sauce, use tamari sauce or coconut aminos.
  • Paleo Version: In place of of soy sauce, use coconut aminos or liquid aminos. Substitute coconut sugar for the brown sugar. Skip the cornstarch and use 2 teaspoons arrowroot starch or 4 teaspoons tapioca starch.
  • Low Carb and Keto Friendly Version: Use liquid aminos instead of soy sauce, and keto brown sugar instead of regular brown sugar. If you don’t mind a thinner sauce you can just omit the cornstarch, or you can use 1 teaspoon beef gelatin or 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum instead.
  • To Reduce the Sodium: If you tend to steer clear of a lot of Chinese foods because of their high sodium content, here are a few tips to lower the sodium in this recipe:
    • Use low-sodium soy sauce.
    • Skip the soy sauce in the velveting mixture.
    • Omit the added salt in the Mongolian beef sauce.
    • And if you really want to cut the sodium, make a half-batch of the sauce. It will still have enough sauce to coat all the meat, it just won’t be extra saucy.

Nutrition

Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 1428mg | Potassium: 525mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Taiwanese
Keyword: Copycat PF Chang Mongolian Beef, Copycat PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef, Easy Mongolian Beef, Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe, How to Make Mongolian Beef, How to Velvet Beef, PF Chang Mongolian Beef Recipe, PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef, PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef Recipe

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Faith, author of An Edible Mosaic.
About Faith

I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.

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