This crispy Beijing Beef will definitely outshine your takeout favorites. Juicy strips of beef are fried until golden and caramelized to perfection in a luscious, sweet, and spicy glaze that clings to every bite. Throw in cubed sweet onions and peppers, and you’ve got a dish that is just off-the-charts delicious!
Table of Content
What Is Beijing Beef
If you love bold, savory flavors like in my Mongolian Beef, this will be your new favorite!
My crispy Beijing Beef recipe is inspired by the iconic dish from Panda Express and is surprisingly fast and easy to make at home. With fresh ingredients and just 30 minutes, you can create a restaurant-quality meal that’s sure to impress!
Unlike the popular Panda Express Beijing Beef, my recipe includes a homemade, flavorful sauce with an extra kick of spice and is fried in less oil for a healthier, still crispier result. Not to mention, every bite is so sinfully good, you’ll be hooked on it for days like me!
The beef is thinly sliced against the grain, which helps create those tender, melt-in-your-mouth strips that fry up into a perfectly crispy texture. Thanks to the velveting technique, the beef stays crispy even after being tossed in the sweet and spicy sauce.
I love serving my Beijing beef with a side of sticky or fried rice; it completes the meal and helps soak up that zingy, flavorful sauce. Pair it with my noodles and hot & sour soup and you have Chinese spread right at your home.
Looking for more Asian recipes? Try my Chicken in Garlic Sauce, Chilli Chicken, Copycat Firecracker Chicken and Cashew Chicken.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Quick & Easy - It’s the perfect meal for busy nights because it comes together so quickly and effortlessly.
Better Than Takeout - Crispy beef and a rich, homemade sauce made with fresh ingredients plus you have a Panda Express takeout meal for cheap at home.
No Deep Frying - I shallow fry the beef, so you get that satisfying crispiness with less oil and mess—almost like deep frying, but tad healthier and easier to clean up.
Crowd-Pleaser -A perfect balance of sweet, savory, and spicy that everyone will love!
Ingredients & Substitutions
See recipe card for quantities
- Beef - I recommend using flank steak but you can use sirloin, or even round steak. If you want a leaner option, round steak works fine, but flank steak cut in ¼” strips adds the best texture. Thinly slicing the beef across the grain is crucial to ensure tenderness.
- Baking Soda - This helps tenderize the beef and gives it a slightly airy texture once fried, making it super crispy.
- Cornstarch - For this recipe, the beef is coated in a cornstarch which helps create a light, crispy coating while keeping the meat tender. This is also called velveting which is a Chinese technique used to make meat tender and smooth even when stir-fried at high heat. The cornstarch absorbs less oil than flour, allowing the beef to stay crispy even after being coated in the sauce.
- Seasoning - I season the beef strips with salt, white pepper and a dash of regular soy sauce.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic is the best here.
- Green Onion - Use the white part as an aromatic and the green for garnish.
- Veggies - You can stick to the classic bell peppers and onions. I used red but feel free to use yellow or green bell pepper. You can also mix in other veggies you have, like snap peas, carrots, or mushrooms. Just keep them crunchy for texture. Also cut them in chunks and in the same sizes so they cook and absorb the sauce evenly.
- Oil - Use a neutral cooking oil like vegetable or canola oil for frying the beef.
Beijing Beef Sauce
For the stir fry sauce, use regular or light soy sauce but not dark soy sauce as it can overpower the dish.
I also use ketchup, oyster sauce and hoisin sauce. Hoisin sauce brings a sweet and tangy flavor that pairs well with the savory beef, and you can easily find it in most grocery stores or Asian markets.
You can find chili garlic sauce in most Asian stores; South Asian versions are also a great option. Sweet chili sauce and sambal oelek will also do.
I also use sriracha for the heat in this dish, you can always adjust it to your liking if you don’t like too much spice.
White vinegar gives the dish a tangy kick, but if you don’t have it, rice vinegar is a good substitute. Finally, I use a bit of brown sugar to balance out the flavors with a hint of sweetness.
For thickening the sauce, cornstarch slurry is made by mixing cornstarch with a bit of water to create a glossy, smooth finish. Be sure to stir it evenly before adding.
How To Make Beijing Beef
Let's make this easy Beijing Beef recipe in 30 minutes!
- Marinate beef slices for 15–20 minutes with soy sauce, baking powder, cornstarch, white pepper and salt.
- In a bowl, combine the sauce ingredients, mix well and set aside.
- Fry the tender beef strip on high heat in a large skillet or wok until crispy and cooked through. Remove the cooked beef and set aside.
- In the same wok, sauté crushed garlic, sliced chili, and green onion whites. Add bell pepper and onion, cooking until tender yet crunchy.
- Pour the sauce and let it simmer on low heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Then toss in the crispy beef strips. Garnish with green onions and red chili before serving.
Expert Tips
- Cut the beef against the grain to ensure tenderness. Look at the lines running across the beef (these are the muscle fibers), and slice against them. This technique prevents the beef from becoming tough during cooking.
- Fry in hot oil (but not smoking) to create a crispy, golden exterior while locking in moisture. The hot oil sears the beef quickly, forming a crunchy crust and preventing it from absorbing excess oil.
- Avoid overcrowding the pan. Fry the beef in batches to maintain the high heat of the oil, ensuring each piece gets crispy without steaming.
- Prep everything beforehand—have the sauce mixed, beef marinated, and veggies chopped. This way, you can smoothly transition from one step to the next without any delays.
- Cook the vegetables just enough to stay tender yet still crunchy. Overcooking them will make them too soft and mushy.
What To Serve With Beijing Beef
Fried rice or steamed white rice are the classic pairings, as the rice soaks up the flavorful sauce, balancing out the heat and sweetness of the beef. My Garlic Butter Fried Rice will complement this dish really well.
Chinese egg noodles, chow mein, or chili oil noodles are also amazing options. And you could always go for egg rolls as appetizers to this dish.
Or pair this spicy Beijing Beef with one of my Asian soups, like my noodle soup, hot and sour soup or Chinese corn soup.
Storage & Reheating
For storing leftovers, keep your crispy Beijing beef in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this dish because the bell peppers can become mushy once thawed, and the beef might lose its crispy texture.
To reheat Beijing Beef, the stovetop method is the best for retaining its crispy texture. Heat a pan over medium heat, add a small amount of oil, and sauté the beef for a few minutes until it's heated through. If the sauce has thickened too much, you can add a splash of water or broth to loosen it.
For a quicker option, you can microwave it by placing the beef in a microwave-safe dish, and heating in 30-second intervals, stirring in between. While the microwave is convenient, the beef may lose some of its crispiness.
Can you make it in advance? While this dish is best enjoyed fresh, you can prepare the components ahead of time. Slice and marinate the beef, chop the vegetables, and mix the sauce in advance.
Store them separately in the fridge, and cook everything together when ready to serve. Reheating fried beef, however, can make it less crispy, so it’s ideal to fry it just before serving.
Variations
- Make It More Saucy: If you prefer your Beijing Beef with extra sauce, simply increase the cornstarch slurry in the recipe. Mix 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch with a little more water and add it to the sauce while simmering. You can also add more beef or chicken broth to balance the savoriness.
- Swap the Veggies: The classic version uses bell peppers and onions, but you can easily adapt according to your own preference. You can add broccoli, snap peas, carrots, mushrooms, or zucchini. Just be sure to keep the cooking time in mind so the veggies stay crisp.
- Use a Different Protein: While beef is the star here, this dish works beautifully with chicken, shrimp, or even tofu. For chicken, use bite-sized pieces and marinate as you would the beef. Shrimp cooks quickly, so adjust frying time accordingly. For tofu, opt for extra-firm, press out excess water, and coat it with cornstarch before frying for a crispy texture.
- Turn Up the Heat: To make this dish spicier, increase the amount of sriracha or chili garlic sauce. You can also add a pinch of red pepper flakes or drizzle some chili oil over the finished dish for an extra kick.
FAQs
Beijing Beef has a sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy flavor, it features crispy fried beef, and is often served with peppers and onions. It is a dish popularized by Panda Express for Western tastes.
Mongolian Beef (find recipe here) is more sweet, and made with tender stir-fried beef. While it’s rooted in Chinese-American cuisine and loosely inspired by northern Chinese flavors, it’s less spicy and saucier than Beijing Beef.
Flank steak, sirloin, or even ribeye works great for Beijing Beef due to their tenderness when thinly sliced against the grain. These cuts absorb marinades well and remain tender after high-heat cooking.
Several factors can impact crispiness. Ensure the oil is hot enough (around 350°F/175°C) before frying, and don’t overcrowd the pan—fry in batches if necessary. Additionally, the cornstarch coating must be even and not too thick for best results.
Yes, Beijing Beef has a bit of spice but the level of heat can be adjusted to your preference. If you prefer a milder dish, you can reduce the amount of chili sauce or sriracha.
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📖 Recipe
Beijing Beef
Ingredients
Beef Marinade
- 600 g (1.3lbs) beef ribeye, sirloin or flank sliced across grain
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce regular or light
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup cornstarch (cornflour)
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup cooking oil to fry
Stir Fry
- 2 garlic clove crushed
- 3 Thai red chili sliced
- 1 white onion cut in cubes
- 1 red bell pepper cut in cubes
- 2 stalks green onion white chopped finely and green cut in long slices
Sauce
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce regular or light
- 3 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 2 tablespoon sriracha
- 2 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ cup water
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, ketchup, chili garlic sauce, sriracha, vinegar, brown sugar, water, and cornstarch. Stir until well combined and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix the sliced beef with soy sauce, white pepper, salt, baking powder, and cornstarch. Let the beef marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Heat the cooking oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add the marinated beef and fry until golden brown, crispy and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the beef and set it aside.
- Leave about 1 tablespoon of oil in the wok. Add the crushed garlic on medium-high heat and sauté until golden. Add the sliced red chilies and white parts of the green onions, and sauté for an additional minute. Then, add the bell pepper and onion, cooking for 2-3 minutes until they are tender yet still slightly crunchy.
- Pour the prepared sauce into the wok and bring to a simmer over low heat. Allow it to bubble for 1-2 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Return the fried beef to the wok, tossing to coat it evenly in the sauce. Stir in the green onion tops and remove from heat.
- Transfer the dish to a serving plate, garnishing with additional sliced green onions and red chilies for extra flavor and color.
Video
Notes
- Fry in small batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, so that the the beef crisps evenly.
- I shallow fry the beef to consume less oil, but you can also deep fry for an even crispier texture.
- For a saucier dish, increase the cornstarch slurry or add a splash of broth to adjust the sauce's consistency to your liking.
- You can also sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds at the end.
- Store leftover Beijing beef in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
PIN IT FOR LATER
Emily says
This was SO good! Will definitely make again!
Qashang says
Thank you! Glad you liked it. 🙂