Panda Express Beijing Beef Recipe (Easy Copycat Version!)

Crispy beef in a tangy, glossy sauce is hard to beat when you are craving Panda Express. This copycat Panda Express Beijing Beef pairs tender strips of flank steak, coated in a light, crunchy cornstarch crust, with a sweet, tangy sauce, onions, and red bell pepper. A baking soda marinade keeps the flank steak tender, and frying at 350°F gives the coating a crunch that lasts. Serve it over steamed rice for an easy weeknight dinner that takes about an hour, including marinating time.

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Panda Express Beijing Beef is the dish you order when you want something different from Orange Chicken. It has sliced beef with a thin, crisp crust, coated in a sweet and tangy sauce with a little heat, plus onions and bell peppers for color and crunch.

This homemade version follows the same idea in three stages. Marinate the beef, fry it in small batches, then toss it with sautéed vegetables and the sauce right before serving. Everything uses standard grocery store ingredients.

Why this recipe works

Beijing Beef has to deliver two textures at once: tender beef inside and a crisp coating outside, and each step in this recipe targets one of them. Baking soda in the marinade raises the meat’s surface pH, making the beef more tender and less likely to turn tough in the fryer. Soy sauce seasons the beef and adds savory depth.

Patting the beef dry and dusting it with cornstarch gives the oil a thin, dry surface to crisp. Frying at a steady 350°F browns the coating quickly, so the beef cooks through before it dries out.

The sauce balances sweet ketchup, hoisin, and sugar against tangy seasoned rice vinegar, with red pepper flakes for mild heat. A small amount of cornstarch thickens it so it clings to the beef and vegetables instead of pooling on the plate.

Panda Express Beijing Beef ingredients

For the Beef Marinade:

• Flank steak – Provides the perfect texture when sliced against the grain
• Low-sodium soy sauce – Adds umami depth while tenderizing the meat
• Baking soda – Tenderizes the beef and helps create the crispy coating

For the Beijing Beef Sauce:

• Water – Helps create the proper sauce consistency
• Ketchup – Provides sweetness and body for the sauce base
• Hoisin sauce – Adds complex sweet and savory Chinese flavors
• Seasoned rice wine vinegar – Creates the signature tangy brightness
• Granulated sugar – Balances the acidity and enhances the sweetness
• Cornstarch – Thickens the sauce to coat the beef perfectly
• Dried red pepper flakes – Adds subtle heat without overpowering

For Frying:

• Marinated beef – The tenderized, seasoned protein base
• Cornstarch – Creates a light, crispy coating when fried
• Vegetable oil or canola oil – High-heat oil for perfect frying

For the Stir-Fry Finish:

• Yellow onion, diced – Adds sweetness and textural contrast
• Red bell pepper, diced – Provides color, crunch, and mild sweetness
• Garlic, minced – Essential aromatic that enhances overall flavor
• Ginger, minced – Adds warm, spicy notes that complement the sauce

How to make the Beijing Beef Panda Express serves

To make the beef marinade and marinate the beef:

1. Trim the flank steak of any remaining fat or silverskin. 
2. Cut the meat at an angle against the grain into quarter-inch slices. Place each piece in a mixing bowl.
3. Add the low-sodium soy sauce and baking soda to the bowl. 
4. Toss the beef with the marinade by hand. 
5. Cover and chill for half an hour. 

To make the sauce for this Panda Express Beijing Beef recipe:

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the ketchup, hoisin sauce, seasoned rice wine vinegar, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and dried red pepper flakes.
2. Continue stirring until the granulated sugar dissolves. Cover the bowl and set aside. 

To fry the beef:

1. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat it dry. 
2. Put some cornstarch in a bowl and coat each piece of meat in a thin layer. Shake off any excess and reserve.
3. Place a wide, thick-bottomed pot over high heat and attach a deep-fry thermometer to the side. 
4. Add about three inches of oil to the pot and bring the oil up to 350 degrees. 
5. In batches, carefully add the cornstarch-coated beef slices to the hot oil. 
6. Cook the beef for three to four minutes until both sides are golden brown. Drain the meat on a paper towel-lined wire rack. 
7. Reserve some cooking oil for later. 

To finish Beijing Beef:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
2. Pour some of the reserved cooking oil into the pan.
3. Add the diced onions and red peppers to the hot oil and cook until the onions are translucent. 
4. Toss in the minced garlic and ginger. Stir for about a minute or until you can smell the garlic. 
5. Stir in the sauce and stir to coat the veggies. Add the cooked crispy beef and toss everything together. 
6. Serve hot. 

Recipe variations

To cut calories without sacrificing flavor, you can skip dusting the flank steak slices with cornstarch, and instead of frying them in oil, give them a quick cook in a skillet:

1. Remove the beef slices from the marinade and pat them with a paper towel. Then, lay the beef out on a dish.
2. Heat a large skillet over a medium-high flame and add a little oil.
3. Stir-fry half of the beef until cooked to your preferred temperature, about two minutes for medium. Transfer the meat to a wire rack to drain.
4. Let the skillet return to temperature and add more oil. Cook the remaining beef. 

Adding more veggies is an easy way to stretch the recipe and make it healthier. Try including a few thinly sliced carrots or blanched broccoli. Baby bok choy is also a fantastic choice if your local supermarket carries it. 

What to serve with Panda Express Beijing Beef

While you can eat Beijing Beef on its own, it is better over rice—white or brown. Chinese noodles like lo mein or chow fun noodles are also great options. But why not keep the Asian-inspired theme going by adding a few dishes to the meal?

• Egg Drop Soup. The Chinese classic is much easier to make than you think. This version from Imperial Palace is so light and flavorful that you’ll want to make it often. 
• Cream Cheese Rangoons. A favorite appetizer at Panda Express, Cream Cheese Rangoons are wonton-skin purses stuffed with cream cheese and scallions, then fried. Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce. 
• Fried Rice. Why stick with plain rice when you can have fried rice? Making this fried Rice recipe uses commonly available ingredients and is a breeze. 

Storage & Reheating Instructions

• Freezing: Not recommended because the coating and vegetables change texture.
• Refrigerator Storage: Store leftovers in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Note: The crispy coating will soften over time.
• Best Reheating Method: Wrap in aluminum foil and reheat in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes until heated through. This method helps preserve some crispiness better than microwaving.

More Panda Express copycat recipes

• Broccoli Beef
• Chow Mein
• Cream Cheese Rangoons
• Honey Walnut Shrimp
• Orange Chicken
• String Bean Chicken

Favorite Chinese food recipes

• Beef Chow Fun
• Chinese Chicken Salad
• Chinese Spare Ribs
• General Tso Chicken
• Mongolian Beef
• Sweet and Sour Chicken
• Teriyaki Beef Stir Fry

Check out my easy Chinese food recipes and the best copycat fast food restaurant recipes on Copykat!

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Panda Express Beijing Beef Copycat

Crispy flank steak tossed with peppers and onion in a sweet, tangy Beijing sauce. An easy Panda Express copycat for weeknight dinner.

Author: Stephanie Manley

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5 from 1 vote

Servings : 6

Prep Time20 minutes minutes

Cook Time20 minutes minutes

Marinate30 minutes minutes

Total Time1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Ingredients

 

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Beef

• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• vegetable oil for frying
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger

Beijing Beef Sauce

• 1/2 cup water
• 4 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1/3 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

For Serving

• 6 cups cooked rice

Instructions

1. Cut the flank steak against the grain into 1/4-inch slices and place in a bowl with the soy sauce and baking soda. Stir to combine. Let the meat marinate for 30 minutes and then drain the beef of excess marinade.
2. While the meat is marinating, combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
3. Pour the vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed pot until it reaches a depth of 3 inches. Heat the oil to 350°F.
4. Dredge the beef on both sides with cornstarch. Shake off the excess.
5. Fry the beef in the vegetable oil in small batches for about 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. Drain the beef on a wire rack.
6. Heat a wok on high with a few tablespoons of the vegetable oil you used to fry the beef. Sauté the onions and red bell peppers until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant. Add the sauce to the wok and stir a few times. Then add the fried beef. Stir to coat the beef and vegetables with the sauce.
7. Serve with cooked rice.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 561kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 577mg | Potassium: 589mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 879IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 3mg

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese