What cut of beef is best for Beijing Beef?

Flank steak is the standard choice — it is lean, takes the cornstarch coating well, and stays tender when sliced thin against the grain. Sirloin or flat-iron also work. Avoid cuts with heavy marbling or connective tissue; they get chewy in a fast fry. Whatever cut you use, slice it 1/4 inch thick and perpendicular to the grain so the strips bite cleanly.

How do I get the beef as crispy as Panda Express?

Two things: a cornstarch coat (not flour) and hot oil. Dip the strips in beaten egg, dredge in cornstarch, and shake off the excess so the shell is thin. For restaurant-level crunch, fry twice — once around 325°F to cook the beef through, then a second pass at 375°F to set and crisp the shell. The double fry is what lets the coating survive the sauce without turning to mush.

What is in the sweet-tangy Beijing Beef sauce?

The backbone is ketchup for body and tang, brown sugar for sweetness, and rice vinegar for the sour note, rounded out with soy sauce, a little hoisin for depth, and Sriracha for heat. That ketchup-sugar-vinegar base is what gives Beijing Beef its signature sweet-and-sour profile — it is closer to a sweet-and-sour sauce than the citrus glaze on Orange Chicken.

How spicy is Beijing Beef?

Mild. The Sriracha reads more as warmth than fire, and the sugar and ketchup blunt most of the burn. If you want it hotter, add more Sriracha or a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce. To make it kid-friendly, drop the Sriracha entirely and you are left with a clean sweet-and-sour sauce.

Can I bake or air-fry the beef instead of deep-frying?

Yes. For the air fryer, spray the cornstarch-coated strips with oil and cook at 400°F for 8-10 minutes, shaking halfway. For the oven, bake on a wire rack set over a sheet pan at 425°F for 15-18 minutes, flipping once. Neither is quite as shatteringly crisp as a deep fry, but both give you a genuinely crunchy strip with far less oil. Toss with sauce only at the very end.

What can I make ahead, and how do I reheat leftovers?

The sauce holds in the fridge for up to a week and is the easiest thing to prep ahead. You can fry the beef a few hours early and hold it uncovered on a rack, but combine it with the sauce only at serving time — sauced beef goes soft fast. To reheat leftovers and recover crunch, skip the microwave and use a 375°F oven or air fryer for a few minutes.

Panda Express Beijing Beef

Name: Panda Express Beijing Beef
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
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

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.

More Panda Express Copycat Recipes

Build a full Panda Express plate with these counter favorites:

Panda Express Orange Chicken — the chain’s all-time best-seller: shatteringly crispy fried chicken in a glossy citrus-soy glaze that outsells every other item on the menu.
Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken — boldly spiced Sichuan stir-fry with dried chilies, roasted peanuts, and Sichuan peppercorn heat alongside the bell peppers.
Panda Express Chow Mein — stir-fried yakisoba noodles with celery, cabbage, and onions in a savory soy-sesame sauce, the natural side dish to pair with Beijing Beef.

See all Panda Express copycat recipes →

Panda Express is a trademark of its owner, used here only to describe the dish this recipe recreates. This is an independent copycat written in our own words — Copycat Spices is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Panda Express.

Panda Express Beijing Beef

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