This Easy Mongolian Beef recipe is inspired by my favorite takeout dish from PF Chang’s! Tender cuts of beef flash fried and then mixed in a sweet and spicy teriyaki sauce makes this 30 minute meal better than any takeout order for dinner.

Easy Mongolian Beef

Name: Easy Mongolian Beef (PF Chang Copycat)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 pound flank steak, thin sliced; 1/3 cup cornstarch; 2 tablespoons oil for frying; 1 tablespoon oil; 1 teaspoon ginger, minced; 5 cloves garlic, minced; 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste; 1/2 cup soy sauce; 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed; 2 teaspoons vinegar; 1/4 cup water; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 4 green onions, sliced; 3-4 cups white or brown rice, cooked for serving

When it comes to Asian beef recipes, my favorite dish is the Mongolian Beef from PF Chang’s. Hands down!

For those who may be unfamiliar, PF Chang’s is a restaurant chain that serves up amazing food and their Mongolian Beef is the BEST!

Imagine.. flash fried tender cuts of beef in a soy teriyaki style sauce served up on a bed of riced and a topped off with spears of green onions.

Uggg,… I am drooling just thinking about it!

But these days, it’s hard to get out on the town so what is a girl to do when she has a craving for her favorite take-out dinner? She makes it at home!

Why Take Out at Home Works

This is an easy stir fry beef dish that is going to impress your entire family.. even those who don’t love stir fry!
Made with just a handful of ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, this is an easy 30 minute meal without the stress.
You control the sweetness and the spice of the sauce so this easy recipe for Mongolian beef will be perfect every time.
This is one restaurant inspired meal that is so much more affordable than ordering delivery, grabbing take out or sitting down in a restaurant. You never even have to change out of your yoga pants.
While this may not be an authentic Mongolian beef recipe, this is certainly a tasty take on it. Some prefer their sauce to be less sweet but this recipe checks all the boxes for me.

How to Make Mongolian Beef

Start by prepping your flank steak. Slice your flank steak in 1/4″ thin strips, being sure to cut against the grain.

Move your beef to a large bowl and coat with cornstarch. You can also spread the meat out on a large baking pan and coat them that way, if that is easier.

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Cook your beef in small batches until browned on each side (about 30 seconds a side) and move the cooked beef to a plate. Repeat the process until all of your beef has been cooked.

In the same skillet you browned your beef, add oil and then the ginger, red pepper flakes and garlic. Cook for one minute or until fragrant, stirring to make sure nothing burns.

Add in soy sauce, brown sugar and vinegar. Combine water and cornstarch together in a small bowl, whisk together to create a slurry and pour that into your sauce. Whisk to combine with your sauce and simmer, cooking until slightly thickened.

Return the beef to the skillet and mix with the sauce, cooking for 1-2 minutes until warmed through.

Serve over cooked rice and garnish with green onions.

Pro Tips for Perfect Mongolian Beef

To make thin-slicing your beef easier, pop your flank steak in the freezer for about 20 minutes prior to need it. This will help making the slicing a bit easier.
Slice the beef against the grain or tenderness. That means of you have your flank steak laid out in front of you, look at what direction the ‘lines’ aka the grain are running. Now plan your slices to cut in the opposite direction so that you are cutting through those lines.
Make sure to cook your beef in small batches. If you overcrowd the pan, it will steam vs fry.
Sauce is too sweet? Add more soy sauce. Sauce is too savory? Add more brown sugar. Adjust your sauce to satisfy YOUR tastes.
Want to serve with a side? Steamed broccoli or sugar snap peas is a perfect addition to this take-out dish at home.
Serve with white rice, brown rice, fried rice or even a bib lettuce cup if you like.
Looking for more easy recipes that won’t break the bank? Don’t forget to check out my Broke Until Payday ebook where I share 30 original recipes celebrating easy recipes with bold, restaurant-quality flavors while trying to be budget friendly to help save you money! Grab yours today HERE!

Looking for more Asian Inspired recipes? Here you go!

Enjoy!

If you’ve tried this Easy Mongolian Beef recipe, please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you it came out in the comments below.