This easy to make Panda Express Beijing Beef copycat recipe is just what you need to enjoy the popular sweet and tangy beef entree at home! Strips of flank steak are wok fried until wonderfully crispy, then the peppers and onion are stir fried with garlic and tossed in the Beijing sauce! The sweet and sour flavor of the sauce is also perfect for dipping, or making Beijing chicken!
If you love stir fried beef dishes, try my spicy Hunan Beef! The teppanyaki style Hibachi Steak and Shrimp is another great beef dinner that the whole family will love!!
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🥢 Panda Express Beijing Beef {Copycat Recipe}
One of the most popular dishes at Panda Express is their Beijing Beef, and right now ( 2020 ) it's off the menu! So it's the perfect time to break out your wok and cook this better than Panda copycat recipe at home!
Who would have thought that crispy fried beef would be this good?! Apparently the Panda Express chefs thought up a real winner, paired it with just the right vegetables, and made the perfect sweet and sour sauce to round out the trifecta of flavor perfection!
As I've mentioned before, my husband is an absolute Panda Express fanatic. So I have worked on this recipe, as well as many other Panda copycat recipes until it received his approval. He gives this a hearty two thumbs up!
🥘 Ingredients
Panda Express Beijing Beef Ingredients
- 1 lb flank steak (thin sliced, against the grain, into bite size chunks or strips)
- 1 cup peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- ½ cup red bell pepper (cut into ½ inch squares)
- ½ cup yellow onion (or white onion - cut into ½ inch pieces)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- 6 tablespoon cornstarch
Beef Marinade Ingredients
- 1 large egg (beaten)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon water (cold)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Panda Express Beijing Sauce Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoon ketchup
- 3 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
How To Make Panda Express Beijing Beef
- Start with making the beef marinade in a medium-size mixing bowl. Combine 1 beaten egg with salt, water, and the first 1 tablespoon portion of cornstarch.
- Place your sliced flank steak in the marinade and mix until well coated.
- Cover with plastic wrap or cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to an hour before cooking. *This step could also be done a day in advance, along with making the Beijing sauce and slicing the vegetables.
How To Make Panda Express Beijing Sauce Recipe
- In a small bowl, combine the Beijing sauce ingredients: water, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, crushed red bell pepper flakes, sugar, ketchup, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, and sweet chili sauce.
- Mix or whisk until the sauce is smooth, then set aside. *You can also add about ¼ cup of the sauce to your marinating beef for added flavor.
Cook the Beijing Beef
- Heat a wok, large skillet, or frying pan to medium-high heat with the peanut or vegetable cooking oil.
- While the wok is heating, add 6 tablespoons of corn starch to a medium-size bowl and coat the marinated beef with the cornstarch. Discard any remaining marinade.
- Transfer the coated, marinated beef to your heated wok and cook until all sides are browned and crispy, about 2 - 3 minutes. Use tongs to turn the beef while cooking, as needed.
- Once cooked, remove the browned strips of flank steak to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Clear any debris from your cooking oil and increase the heat to cook the vegetables on high heat.
- Add the sliced red bell peppers and onion and stir fry until they reach your desired level of tenderness. After 2 - 3 minutes, they are usually fork-tender and caramelizing on the edges.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Once the vegetables and garlic are cooked, transfer them to the plate that the cooked beef strips are on and set aside.
- Place the Beijing sauce in your wok, still on high heat, and bring to a boil to thicken. Cook for 3 - 5 minutes to reach the thickened consistency.
- Return the fried beef and stir-fried vegetables to the wok with your sauce and toss to coat thoroughly. Continue to toss until the beef is warmed through, then serve immediately.
Serve with my super easy fried rice, Panda Express chow mein, or Jasmine rice. Enjoy!
Looking for more fabulous Panda Express copycat recipes? I've made enough that it was time to add a dedicated Panda Express Recipes page so that you can find all of your favorite entrees, sides, and appetizers quickly!
🐼 More Panda Express Recipes
All My Panda Express Recipes
- Panda Express Orange Chicken
- Panda Express Shanghai Angus Steak
- Panda Express SweetFire Chicken Breast
- Panda Express String Bean Chicken Breast
📋 Recipe
Panda Express Beijing Beef
Ingredients
Panda Express Beijing Beef
- 1 lb flank steak (thin sliced, against the grain, into bite size chunks or strips)
- 1 cup peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- ½ cup red bell pepper (cut into ½ inch squares)
- ½ cup yellow onion (or white onion - cut into ½ inch pieces)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- 6 tablespoon cornstarch
Beef Marinade
- 1 large egg (beaten)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon water (cold)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Panda Express Beijing Sauce
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoon ketchup
- 3 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
Instructions
Beef Marinade
- In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the marinade ingredients (beaten egg, salt, water, cornstarch). Add the sliced beef and mix until smooth. Cover with cling film and refrigerate to marinate for at least 30 minutes to an hour.
Beijing Beef Sauce
- In a small bowl, combine the Beijing Beef sauce ingredients (water, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes, sugar, hoisin sauce, ketchup, oyster sauce, sweet chili sauce). Mix Beijing sauce until smooth, then set aside.
Beijing Beef
- Heat your wok, large skillet or frying pan with oil at medium high heat. Place 6 tablespoons of cornstarch into a medium size bowl and coat marinated beef with cornstarch. Discard the remaining marinade.
- Transfer the coated beef to the heated wok and fry beef until golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Use tongs to turn the beef as needed, to brown all sides of the cut pieces.
- Remove the cooked beef from the wok and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Remove any debris in the cooking oil and increase the temperature to cook on high heat.
- Stir fry the sliced peppers and onions until they reach your desired level of tenderness, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Transfer the cooked peppers and onions to the plate that the beef is set aside on.
- Add the Beijing sauce to the wok, cooking on high until it comes to a boil and thickens. This should take between 3-5 minutes.
- Once the sauce has thickened, return the beef and vegetables. Stir until well coated with the Beijing sauce and the beef is heated through. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
Elizabeth says
Do we not drain the oil before adding the Beijing sauce to the pan?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
You shouldn't have a ton of oil left in the wok. You can either a) remove some oil if needed, leaving about a tablespoon of oil to cook in or b) remove the oil, wipe your wok clean, and start with a bit of fresh oil. Thanks for asking!
Terry S. says
I wish Panda Express still had this on the menu, incredible dish!
Cynthia Reed says
I didn't have the flank steak so I used a NY strip steak, really a great recipe for all of us home cooks!
Bart says
I love that this recipe is here, when it was gone off the menu at Panda Express I made your Beijing Beef recipe and have now mastered making it at home! Endless Thanks!