Beijing Beef

Name: Beijing Beef
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 lb flank or sirloin steak (sliced into thin ¼-inch strips); 1 egg; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine; ¾ cup cornstarch (for dredging); 3 cups neutral oil (for frying (or 1 tbsp if air-frying)); 3 tbsp ketchup; 2 tbsp sugar; 2 tbsp rice vinegar; 1 tbsp light soy sauce; 2 tsp hoisin sauce; 4 cloves garlic (minced); 3 dried red chilies (snipped (optional)); 2 tsp sambal or chili-garlic sauce (optional, for heat); 1 red bell pepper (cut into 1-inch pieces); ½ yellow onion (cut into chunks); 1 tbsp neutral oil (for the stir-fry)

By The Chowmi Test KitchenUpdated June 9, 2026↓ Jump to Recipe

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🧪 Developed & tested by the The Chowmi Test Kitchen for US kitchens. How we develop our recipes.

Quick answer

Beijing beef is a Panda Express–style American-Chinese dish: crispy strips of battered beef tossed with bell peppers and onion in a sweet, tangy, lightly spicy red sauce. Despite the name, it isn't a traditional Beijing dish — it's an American restaurant invention, loved for the contrast between the craggy fried crust and the sticky sweet-sour-garlicky glaze. The keys at home are a double coating of cornstarch for a crust that stays crisp under the sauce, frying the beef until deeply golden, and a balanced sauce built from sugar, rice vinegar, ketchup, soy, and chili. Tossing the beef in the sauce at the very last second keeps it crunchy rather than soggy. It comes together in about 35 minutes and beats takeout for a fraction of the price.

Crispy Beijing beef strips with red bell pepper and onion in a glossy sweet-tangy red sauce

Why you'll love this beijing beef

Crispier than the mall-food-court version, with a sweet-tangy glaze that actually clings.
The double-cornstarch coating keeps the beef crunchy even after saucing.
One balanced sweet-sour-garlicky sauce you can make milder or spicier at will.
Every hard-to-find ingredient is flagged with an exact US-grocery substitute.

Ingredients

Beef & coating

1 lb flank or sirloin steak, sliced into thin ¼-inch strips
1 egg
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing winesubstitutes →
¾ cup cornstarch, for dredging
3 cups neutral oil, for frying (or 1 tbsp if air-frying)

Sauce

3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp rice vinegarsubstitutes →
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp hoisin saucesubstitutes →
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 dried red chilies, snipped (optional)
2 tsp sambal or chili-garlic sauce, optional, for heat

Vegetables

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
½ yellow onion, cut into chunks
1 tbsp neutral oil, for the stir-fry

Missing an ingredient?

Tell us what you have and what you're making — get the best US-grocery swap, with ratios.

Hard-to-find ingredients, delivered

Stock the pantry once and you can cook this anytime: Shaoxing wine, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce. Asian groceries deliver nationwide.

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Equipment

Wok or deep skillet — For frying the beef and tossing the sauce.(shop →)
Spider or slotted spoon — For lifting the beef out of the oil.(shop →)

Instructions

Coat the beef
Toss the beef strips with the egg, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. Let sit 10 minutes, then add the cornstarch and toss until each strip is dry-coated and craggy (add a touch more cornstarch if wet).
💡 The craggy, almost dry cornstarch coating is what fries up shatteringly crisp — don't make a wet batter.
Mix the sauce
Stir all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Prep the bell pepper and onion.
Fry the beef
Heat 3 cups oil to 350°F. Fry the beef in 2–3 batches until deep golden and crisp, 3–4 minutes each. Drain on a rack. (Air-fryer: spray the coated beef with oil and air-fry at 400°F for 10–12 minutes, shaking halfway.)
Sauce & vegetables
In a clean wok, heat 1 tbsp oil over high. Stir-fry the onion and bell pepper for 1–2 minutes until crisp-tender. Pour in the sauce and simmer 1 minute until it thickens and turns glossy.
Toss & serve
Add the fried beef and toss for 20–30 seconds, just to coat — work fast so it stays crisp. Serve immediately over rice.
💡 Sauce the beef at the very last second; the longer it sits in the sauce, the softer the crust gets.

Tips & notes

Slice the beef thin and against the grain so it stays tender after frying. Freezing it 20 minutes makes thin slicing easier.
Frying twice (or frying then a quick re-fry) makes it extra crisp if you're serving a crowd and need to hold it.
For an authentic Panda-style tang, don't skip the ketchup — it's the backbone of that sweet-sour-red sauce.
Air-fryer version is lighter and less messy; spray generously with oil so the cornstarch crust crisps instead of staying powdery.
Make it gluten-free with tamari for the soy sauce and a gluten-free hoisin.

Recipe wording too vague?

Paste any fuzzy step (少许, 火候正好, 焯水) and get exact amounts, temps and times.

Recipe

Beijing Beef

New recipe

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 35 min
Serves: 4
Level: Intermediate

Ingredients

Beef & coating

1 lb flank or sirloin steak, sliced into thin ¼-inch strips
1 egg
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
¾ cup cornstarch, for dredging
3 cups neutral oil, for frying (or 1 tbsp if air-frying)

Sauce

3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp hoisin sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 dried red chilies, snipped (optional)
2 tsp sambal or chili-garlic sauce, optional, for heat

Vegetables

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
½ yellow onion, cut into chunks
1 tbsp neutral oil, for the stir-fry

Instructions

Toss the beef strips with the egg, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. Let sit 10 minutes, then add the cornstarch and toss until each strip is dry-coated and craggy (add a touch more cornstarch if wet).
Stir all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Prep the bell pepper and onion.
Heat 3 cups oil to 350°F. Fry the beef in 2–3 batches until deep golden and crisp, 3–4 minutes each. Drain on a rack. (Air-fryer: spray the coated beef with oil and air-fry at 400°F for 10–12 minutes, shaking halfway.)
In a clean wok, heat 1 tbsp oil over high. Stir-fry the onion and bell pepper for 1–2 minutes until crisp-tender. Pour in the sauce and simmer 1 minute until it thickens and turns glossy.
Add the fried beef and toss for 20–30 seconds, just to coat — work fast so it stays crisp. Serve immediately over rice.

Nutrition (est., per serving): 470 cal · 26 g protein · 38 g carbs · 24 g fat

Beijing Beef FAQ

Is Beijing beef actually from Beijing?

No — Beijing beef is an American-Chinese dish made famous by Panda Express, not a traditional dish from Beijing. The name evokes Chinese cuisine, but the crispy fried beef in a sweet-tangy ketchup-based sauce is an American restaurant creation. It's delicious, just not authentic Beijing food.

What's the difference between Beijing beef and Mongolian beef?

Beijing beef is battered and fried until crispy, then tossed in a sweet-and-sour red sauce with bell peppers and onion. Mongolian beef is not battered — it's velveted and stir-fried, then coated in a savory-sweet soy-and-brown-sugar sauce with scallions. Beijing beef is crispy and tangy; Mongolian beef is silky and savory.

How do I keep the beef crispy?

Three things: use a dry, craggy cornstarch coating (not a wet batter), fry until deeply golden at 350°F, and add the beef to the sauce only at the very end — toss for 20–30 seconds and serve immediately. The longer fried beef sits in sauce, the softer it gets.

Can I make Beijing beef in an air fryer?

Yes. Coat the beef as directed, spray it generously with oil, and air-fry at 400°F for 10–12 minutes, shaking halfway, until crisp. Make the sauce and vegetables separately in a pan, then toss. It's lighter and far less messy than deep-frying.

What cut of beef is best for Beijing beef?

Flank steak is ideal — it's flavorful and stays tender when sliced thin against the grain. Sirloin or skirt steak also work. Avoid tough, lean cuts that turn chewy, and always slice across the grain into thin strips for the best texture.