Super crispy pieces of beef coated in a sweet salty sauce = heaven in the form of a stir fry. PF Chang’s copycat – done right! Marinating the beef is key for packing in great flavour into every single bite.
This recipe is similar to Honey Pepper Beef Stir Fry – with the addition of the crispy beef!
Mongolian Beef
I cannot get enough of this Mongolian Beef. I am obsessed!
PF Chang’s is an Asian themed restaurant chain in the US. They seem to be everywhere – and it’s wildly popular. Because of its sheer popularity, I had to try it when I was in the US. I actually didn’t mind the Chow Mein that my friend got, but personally I found the Mongolian Beef too sweet and too oily.
I didn’t get it. I couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about, and why America is so obsessed with Mongolian Beef! Every single other food on my “must try” list that I had on my US foodie road trip was a home run. But Mongolian Beef? Disappointing.
But knowing how popular it is, I tried it again at a Chinese restaurant in LA. I had too, I was curious. This time, I scored! I understood! Made properly, it is absolutely addictive. Dangerously so.
What is Mongolian Beef – and what does it taste like?
For the Australians reading this, Mongolian Beef is similar to what we know as Szechuan Style Beef and Peking Beef. Thin slices of beef that is shallow fried so it’s super crispy then tossed in a sticky sauce.
It’s different to what we know as Mongolian Lamb which is not fried or crispy, and the sauce is not as sweet.
It’s the combination of crispy and sticky that makes Mongolian Beef SO good. See how thick and caramel-like the sauce is? The photo on the right is when the sauce is bubbling away, thickening and coating the beef. Heaven in a pan, that’s what this is. 🙂
Did you notice that I made it in a skillet instead of a wok? To tell you the truth, normally I make it in a wok but I wanted to try it in a skillet too so I could provide directions for that.
It’s easier made in a wok because you can shallow fry the beef in the wok. But if you don’t have a wok, I recommend frying the beef in a small saucepan instead because the beef is cooked with only 1/4 cup of oil. If you use a skillet, then the oil spreads too thinly and you won’t get the same crispiness. After the beef is cooked, finish the rest of the recipe in a skillet. Easy!
In the crispy / sticky stakes, I have to say that this is right up there with Buffalo Wings. That is to say, if someone put a plate of this and a plate of Buffalo Wings in front of me, I am not entirely sure which one I would go for.
Actually, I do know. Probably both at the same time. 🙂
– Nagi x
PS I got side tracked and forgot to mention that I tried a few recipes I found on a mission to get the closest match to the Mongolian Beef I had at a Chinese restaurant in LA, not PF Chang’s which I didn’t enjoy very much. A few were close, but didn’t nail it. This recipe is from a blog called Woks of Life which is run by a Chinese family who used to run a Chinese restaurant in America. It’s my “go to” source for American Chinese recipes. Every single recipe I have tried has been an absolute ripper. Honestly!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Crispy Sticky Mongolian Beef recipe video!
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Crispy Sticky Mongolian Beef
Ingredients
Beef and Marinade
- 8 oz / 250g beef steak (rump, scotch or flank), sliced into 1/5″ / 3mm slices (Note 1)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch/cornflour
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
Sauce
- 2 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (light or all purpose, NOT dark)
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry, or more chicken broth (Note 2)
- 3 tbsp / 1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
Crispy Beef
- 1/4 – 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (Note 1)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch/cornflour
Stir Fry
- 1/2 tsp ginger, finely minced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 scallions/shallots, cut into 1 1/2″ / 4cm pieces on the diagonal
Instructions
Beef and Marinade
- Combine the Beef and Marinade ingredients in a bowl and marinate for 10 minutes (though you could even leave it overnight).
Sauce
- Mix the cornstarch with a splash of the water. Then add the remaining Sauce ingredients, including remaining water.
Crispy Beef and Stir Fry
- Add 1/4 cup cornstarch and use your fingers to lightly coat the beef.
- Heat 1/4 cup oil in a wok (Note 2) over medium high heat. Add 1/2 the beef and cook the first side for around 45 seconds or until golden and crisp. Then flip (I use an egg flip) and cook the other side for 30 – 45 seconds until golden and crisp. Remove onto a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining beef.
- Discard the oil, leaving behind about 1 tablespoon in the wok.
- Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for about 15 seconds. Don’t let it burn!
- Add the Sauce into the wok. Bring it to a simmer and let it cook for about 1 1/2 minutes or until it thickens into a glossy sticky sauce.
- Add the beef and scallions, toss to coat and cook for a further 30 seconds.
- Serve immediately with rice – or for a low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
That time I washed all his toys…
Made this tonight. Beautiful. A little sweet for me but, my fussy husband loved it. ♥️
Just finished eating dinner for breakfast day two of RTE and what a show stopper!!! You really are on crack this time (isn’t that what those crazy Aussie’s tell you in their comments about your amazing blog). …Well, you surely cracked the code on this one you little Sassy Saltine. Thanks for sharing The Woks of Life’s recipe that had my SOB begging for more…You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have The Woks of Life and Naji too!!!
I had another mishap in hour three of making this 25 minute recipe when my Significant Other Boyfriend (SOB) came in the kitchen just as klutzy me was at the critical frying stage using a brand new stovetop with a new hood and just laid hardwood floor…the crazy maniac tried to give me another neck kiss…which I won by choosing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win the playoff game Sunday…and I got startled and spilled half my wok of extra virgin olive oil all over the place…just missing the three layers of protective plastic and paper he put down like puppy pads in every other spot except where my WEVOO landed. It actually made the floor look like it just got polished. So again I thank you for another amazing dinner/breakfast hit! I can’t wait to begin making my third recipe…only this time I’m going to lay down more puppy pads !!!
I am sure I commented when I first made this several years ago, because I pinned it not only on my Asian and Beef boards but also on my Favorites! I hadn’t made it in a while and had 8 ounces of flat iron steak that was perfect for the recipe. It was fabulous! The slight modifications I made were to add a splash more soy to the marinade and use 4-5 scallions, because Mr. Fussy loves them. It’s amazing how so few sauce ingredients can make such a flavorful dish. Nagi rules!!!!
Hello. Thank you for your site and taking the time to share recipes. Do you have a recipe for chicken feet, which I enjoy at dim sum. The sauce is reddish.
Also, please advise regarding using baking soda to tenderize meat.
Forgot to add rating
Yes! This is delicious and so so easy. My only complaint is the serving size – no way it could feed 3 in our household! We wanted seconds but it was already gobbled up. Too good
WOW WOW WOW!! Possibly the best RTE recipe I’ve ever tried. Easy and delicious. Can’t recommend highly enough. Added sliced carrot and onions otherwise didn’t change a thing.
not being a cook at all i made this by the recipe ..it turned out great …
What could I use in this recipe instead of brown sugar. I forgot to buy some.
Do you think I could get away with using kangaroo steak with this recipe?
If not, is there another recipe you could recommend please!
Thanks! Love you Nagi!! 😀
I ended using kangaroo steaks, and also velveted it using your method to ensure tenderness.
Worked a treat! Very tasty.
hi it’s Joanne or Joey from Australia again by the way I used 500g of stir fried beef I also marinated in the in a of baking soda allowed it to for being 2 for half an hour then washed it thoroughly this adds to the tenderness of the beef try this and you’ll be for always be extremely tender
Absolutely awesome I also tenderised my beef in some baking soda to make sure my beef was extremely tender it was beautiful thank you very much
Absolutely loved it Joey from Australia did double the recipe as Australian said a lot of beef was fantastic made it with beautiful nasi goreng totally enjoyed it thanks very much
What veggies can be added if any at all? Need to provide the kids with veggie options as well. Thank
Hi Jess, some carrot sticks and broccoli would work well here too! N x
Hi Nagi,
Is it possible to use cooked beef to make crispy beef?
Made this tonight and it was absolutely awesome. We love PF Chang‘s and this is truly a worthy contender. I have tried so many of your recipes and they all have become staples in our kitchen. Thanks, Nagi and greetings from Germany
Hi. Do you really see a serving size as only 85grams of beef? I am more likely to eat restaurant serving size of 600grams between 2 people. Is that crazy? Do people really eat such small serving sizes?
Loved this Mongolian beef! In my opinion it’s better than take out or any I’ve had in a restaurant. Instructions are easy to follow and lead to success.
Wahoo, that’s great to hear Kathleen, thanks so much!! N x
Hi Nagi! Will this be good with chicken? I’m making another beef recipe and want to make a chicken starter
Hi Swapna, I’m not sure it will go crispy like beef will unfortunately! N x
I made this with chicken breast as well as beef as my daughter doesn’t love beef. The chicken was crispier. Absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for this recipe. We all loved it.
Used this but used cauliflower instead of beef. Came out awesome.
Oh that’s a great option Anurag – perfect for vegetarians! N x
question: you say 3 tbs/1/4 cup of brown sugar is that 3tbs PLUS 1/4 cup of sugar? Thanks!
Hi FJ, 3 tablespoons = 1/4 cup so just this single amount – N x
4T = 1/4c