CopycatSpices
Copycat Panda Express Beijing Beef
Panda Express Beijing Beef features crispy strips of beef tossed in a sweet, tangy, mildly spicy sauce with bell peppers and onions — addictively good.
copycat · panda-express · fast-food · beef
🕑Prep20 min
🍳Cook15 min
⏱Total35 min
🍽Serves4
⭐DifficultyMedium
Ingredients
- 1 pound flank steak, sliced thin against the grain
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1/2 medium onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 large eggs, beaten
Instructions
- 1.Prep the beef. Slice the flank steak into thin strips, about 1/4 inch thick, cutting against the grain. Dip the strips in beaten egg, then dredge in cornstarch, shaking off excess.
- 2.Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, and Sriracha. Set aside.
- 3.Fry the beef. Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok to 350°F. Fry the cornstarch-coated beef strips in batches for 2-3 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
- 4.Cook the vegetables. Drain most of the oil, leaving 1 tablespoon. Over high heat, stir-fry the bell pepper and onion for 2 minutes until slightly softened but still crisp. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- 5.Combine everything. Pour the sauce into the wok with the vegetables. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute until the sauce thickens slightly. Add the crispy beef and toss quickly to coat.
- 6.Serve immediately. Plate over steamed white rice. The beef should still be crispy on the outside — don't let it sit in the sauce too long or it gets soggy.
Copycat Panda Express Beijing Beef
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Panda Express Beijing Beef is the spicier, bolder sibling of Orange Chicken. Thin strips of beef are breaded and fried until crunchy, then tossed in a sweet and tangy sauce with stir-fried bell peppers and onions. The sauce has that classic American-Chinese balance of sweet ketchup, savory soy sauce, tangy vinegar, and just enough Sriracha heat to keep things interesting.
The key to this dish is the double coating technique — egg wash followed by cornstarch — which creates an ultra-crispy shell that holds up against the sauce. You need to work fast when combining the fried beef with the sauce, or the coating will get soggy.
Crispy Beef Tips
- Slice against the grain. This makes the beef tender instead of chewy. Look for the lines running through the flank steak and cut perpendicular to them.
- Cornstarch, not flour. Cornstarch creates a lighter, crispier coating that shatters when you bite into it. Flour gives you a heavier, bread-like crust that doesn’t hold up as well in sauce.
- Toss and serve immediately. The crispy coating starts absorbing sauce the moment it makes contact. Toss quickly, plate immediately, and eat right away for maximum crunch.
Panda Express Pricing
A plate with Beijing Beef at Panda Express costs about $9-11. This recipe serves four for about $12 total in ingredients — $3 per serving. You get more beef, more vegetables, and that fresh-from-the-wok flavor that the steam table version can’t match.
