Mouthwatering, juicy, succulent: these are all words that are synonymous with this recipe. When prepared properly, Mongolian Beef almost melts in your mouth. The beef is balanced out by rice to give it a fuller mouth feel. Here is our kosher PF Chang copycat Mongolian beef recipe that you can make from scratch.
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I love this dish! When I was a kid, my parents always took us to a certain (now defunct) Chinese restaurant in my hometown. They had this family- style dinner we would order that came with soup, dumplings, a chicken dish, and Mongolian beef. My sister and I would try our hardest to wake up early in the morning to sneak down to the kitchen to eat the leftovers but no matter how early we got up, our brother had always already gotten to the leftovers. So frustrating! When I got older I would order my own personal container of Mongolian beef and could sleep in knowing my leftovers were safely waiting for me, and only me!
Tips for making Mongolian beef
- For easier cutting, place the beef in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes before slicing. Cut beef across the grain into ¼″ inch slices.
- You will see the long fibers in the meat, you want to cut across the fibers for tender meat. If you cut with the fibers the beef will be tough.
- Cornstarch acts as a tenderizer for your meat but also helps create a nice crust on the meat and allows the sauce to cling to the meat.
- Cook in small batches to avoid overcrowding of pan. Overcrowded meat will steam instead of sear.
- Serve with rice and a side of steamed or stir fried veggies for a complete meal. Plus more food to dip the delicious sticky sweet sauce into!
FAQ
An authentic Mongolian Beef recipe is prepared by wok frying thin strips of beef with onions and scallions. A sweet sauce is added right at the end of the cooking process to complete the flavor profile. The beef and onions are served over rice.
The sauce is a combination of brown sugar, soy sauce, and ginger, and garlic. This is a common sauce mixture in Chinese cooking.
The dishes are similar but Mongolian beef is going to be mild while Szechuan beef is on the spicier side. Also, it has been said that Mongolian beef originated in Taiwan (and has nothing to do with Mongolia) while Szechuan beef comes from the Sichuan province of China.
You can try it but the texture will be different. The cornstarch is used to thicken the sauce and when done correctly will dissolve into the liquid. Flour may leave some unsightly clumps and floury bits that are simply not tasty. Also, the cornstarch serves as a meat tenderizer and the flour will not work the same way so the meat may not have its signature softness.
If you have any leftovers...and I mean if... they will freeze very well. Just make sure to seal them in an airtight container before placing them into the freezer.
Serving Suggestions
Mongolian beef goes well along side any number of other kosher dishes but here are some of our favorites:
📖 Recipe
Best Mongolian Beef (PF Chang Copycat)
Ingredients
- 1 lb london broil steak
- 1 med onion thinly sliced
- ¼ cup cornstarch plus 2 tsp
- ½ cup vegetable oil plus 1 tsp
- ⅓ cup lite soy sauce plus 1 tsp
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 3 cloves fresh garlic grated
- ⅓ cup water
- 3 scallions cut into 2" pieces
Instructions
To prepare sauce:
- In a bowl whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, 2 teaspoons oil, water, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Set aside.
To prepare beef:
- Thinly slice steak against the grain into ¼" slices. Place into medium bowl with 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Mix well.
- Add ¼ cup cornstarch into beef and toss to coat all over. Set aside.
To cook the Mongolian beef:
- Heat a large skillet to medium high heat add oil and cook sliced onions until softened but not brown. Move onions around in skillet frequently.
- Add prepared beef and cook together until cooked through.
- Pour sauce over meat mixture and stir to coat. Cook until sauce has thickened moving constantly around skillet with a wooden spoon.
- Add scallions, stir into meat, and cook for about 30 seconds then turn off heat.
- Serve over rice. Yum!
Carly W. Rousseau says
Looks incredible!
Ben says
Thank you! Come back and let us know after you make it.
Devorah G says
Delicious! Took longer to make than I expected, but then again, next time I try this - I will have experience. Can't wait to try my next recipe. Thank you YayKosher!
Ben says
Thanks for reporting back! I hope it was worth the effort.
Marilyn Siegel says
We made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. We added in some other veggies, broccoli, mushrooms, bokchoy, water chestnuts and peppers. We cooked the veggies first and then added in the meat with some extra sauce. It was so good. Thanks Ben and Caryn!
Ben says
That sounds delicious, thanks for sharing!