Panda Express Beijing Beef Copycat Recipe
This Panda Express Beijing Beef copycat recipe delivers crispy, flavorful strips of flank steak coated in a tangy, sweet, and savory sauce combined with caramelized onions and red bell peppers. Perfect for recreating the popular takeout dish at home with a satisfying crunchy texture and punchy sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese-American
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Coating
- 1 pound flank steak
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch (divided: 1 tbsp for beef marinade, 2 tbsp for frying)
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Vegetables
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 yellow onion (sliced)
- 1 red bell pepper (cut into 1-inch pieces)
Sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 6 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Instructions
- Slice the beef: Thinly slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4-inch strips and place them in a medium bowl to ensure tenderness.
- Marinate beef: Add salt and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to the beef strips, stir well to coat evenly, and let them sit for 30 minutes to tenderize and help the coating stick.
- Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients—water, brown sugar, ketchup, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sweet chili sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, and rice vinegar. Set aside.
- Fry the beef: Heat 1 cup of canola oil in a heavy-duty medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Toss the beef strips with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, shaking off excess. Fry beef in small batches for 2-3 minutes until crispy and browned. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté vegetables: Using a large pan or wok over high heat, add 2 tablespoons of leftover beef fat from frying. Add the sliced onion and red bell pepper; cook 2-3 minutes until they start to caramelize at the edges.
- Add aromatics: Stir in minced garlic and grated ginger, cooking for a few seconds until fragrant.
- Set aside vegetables: Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside to keep warm.
- Cook sauce: Add the pre-mixed sauce to the pan and cook on high heat until thickened, about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Combine beef and vegetables: Return the fried beef and sautéed vegetables to the pan. Toss everything together until well coated with the thickened sauce.
- Serve: Serve the Beijing Beef immediately over steamed rice, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
Notes
- Be sure to slice the beef against the grain for maximum tenderness.
- Frying the beef in small batches helps keep the oil temperature steady for a crisp crust.
- Leftover beef fat adds great flavor when sautéing the vegetables.
- You can adjust the crushed red pepper flakes to control the spice level.
- Serve with steamed white rice or fried rice for a complete meal.
Keywords: Panda Express, Beijing Beef, copycat recipe, Chinese takeout, fried beef, hoisin sauce, sweet chili sauce, beef stir-fry
