Panda Express Beijing Beef
Beijing beef is a sweet and spicy Chinese beef recipe that can be made in minutes! Velveted beef is pan seared to a crisp along with onions, bell pepper, ginger, and garlic. The beef and vegetables are tossed in a sticky Chinese sauce that boasts sweet and tangy flavors paired with the spice from red chili sauce.
We’ve all tried the classic Chinese beef stir fry recipe, but have you tried the Beijing Beef by Panda Express?! When I first saw the meal, I thought to myself that it must be similar to the popular Mongolian Beef recipe. Boy was I wrong. Beijing Beef is BETTER (yeah, I said it).
What is Beijing Beef?
Beijing Beef didn’t become popular at Panda Express for no reason. It’s delicious! Thin beef strips from flank steak are marinated in corn starch, baking powder, and soy sauce then pan seared until tender. Onions, red bell pepper, ginger and garlic are then sauteed in the pan drippings. The beef and vegetable mixture is then smothered in a sweet and spicy Chinese sauce and served over rice.
Why You Will Love Beijing Beef
Chinese Flavor: The sauce has flavors of umami, a little bit of tangy heat, and finishes off with sweetness from brown sugar. There isn’t another sauce out there that rivals this. Paired with tenderized beef and crunchy sauteed vegetables.. this recipe has me in a chokehold.
Made in Minutes: Asides from marinating, Beijing Beef can be made in about 20 minutes!
Budget Friendly: Flank steak is the main star of this dish.. and it happens to be one of the cheapest cuts of steak.
Beijing Beef Ingredients
Flank Steak – a very underrated cut of meat, flank steak is perfect for the soft and chewy texture required for this dish! It does an excellent job at soaking up the sauce when cut to bite sized pieces.
Cornstarch and Baking Soda – tenderizes the beef and thickens the sauce.
Garlic and Ginger – powerful aromatics that make the kitchen smell divine and give an excellent background flavor.
Onion and Bell Pepper – The main vegetables of this dish, onions and bell peppers add a little bit of crunch with a pop of crisp flavor.
Vinegar – we use both rice and apple cider vinegar for this recipe. The apple cider vinegar adds a tangy, sweet flavor to the sauce while the rice vinegar adds a mild “vinegary” taste.
Hoisin Sauce – a thick, sweet sauce with notes of umami that gives the flavor a Chinese kick.
Brown Sugar – to thicken the sauce and add sweetness.
Soy Sauce – acts as the salt with umami flavor. Yamasan is literally the BEST tasting if you’re willing to spend a few extra bucks.
Sweet Chili Sauce – adds heat and sweetness.
Oyster Sauce – gives a background note with a VERY subtle shellfish flavor. Don’t worry if you don’t like fish, you can barely taste it.
Ketchup – adds to the tangyness.
Vegetable Oil – to sear the steak and veggies.
How to Make Beijing Beef
Start by marinating the beef. Thinly slice 2 lbs of flank steak into 2” long pieces. Marinate the beef in the refrigerator for 30 minutes with 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tbsp baking soda, and 3 tbsp soy sauce.
While the beef is marinating, prepare the sauce. Mix ¼ cup hoisin, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, and 2 tbsp ketchup in a bowl. Set aside.
Heat a large frying pan to medium high heat. Once heated, drizzle with a little bit of vegetable oil and sear the marinated beef for about 3 minutes until golden brown. This time may vary based on how thick you cut the steak. Adjust the time as needed until the steak is golden brown.
Remove the cooked steak from the pan and set aside to cool. Keep the pan on the heated stovetop.
Chop 2 medium sized bell peppers, ½ of an onion, 5 cloves of garlic and 1 tbsp of fresh ginger. Cook the onions for about 2 minutes, then add in the chopped garlic and ginger for an additional 2 minutes. Add the steak back to the pan along with the sauce.
Allow to simmer on low heat for at least 5 minutes. We want to allow it to simmer together just enough for the meat and vegetables to soak up the sauce.
Serve with rice or side of your choice. Enjoy!
How to Store Leftovers
Store in an airtight container for 4-5 days. This can be stored in a vacuum sealed bag for up to 6 months. The FoodSaver is the best vacuum sealer I’ve been able to find!
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Panda Express Beijing Beef
Ingredients
Steak Marinade
- 2 lb Flank Steak
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Baking Soda
- 3 tbsp Soy Sauce
Beijing Beef Sauce
- 1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
- 1/4 cup Brown sugar light
- 2 tbsp Rice vinegar also known as mirin
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp Sweet Chili sauce
- 2 tbsp Apple Cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp Ketchup
Beijing Beef Extras
- 2 whole Red Bell Peppers
- 1/2 Yellow Onion
- 5 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tbsp Ginger minced
Instructions
- Start by marinating the beef. Thinly slice 2 lbs of flank steak into 2” long pieces. Marinate the beef in the refrigerator for 30 minutes with 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tbsp baking soda, and 3 tbsp soy sauce.
- While the beef is marinating, prepare the sauce. Mix ¼ cup hoisin, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, and 2 tbsp ketchup in a bowl. Set aside.
- Heat a large frying pan to medium high heat. Once heated, drizzle with a little bit of vegetable oil and sear the marinated beef for about 3 minutes until golden brown. This time may vary based on how thick you cut the steak. Adjust the time as needed until the steak is golden brown.
- Remove the cooked steak from the pan and set aside to cool. Keep the pan on the heated stovetop.
- Chop 2 medium sized bell peppers, ½ of an onion, 5 cloves of garlic and 1 tbsp of fresh ginger.
- Cook the onions for about 2 minutes, then add in the chopped garlic and ginger for an additional 2 minutes. Add the steak back to the pan along with the sauce.
- Allow to simmer on low heat for at least 5 minutes. We want to allow it to simmer together just enough for the meat and vegetables to soak up the sauce.
- Serve with rice or side of your choice. Enjoy!