Healthy Beijing Beef made gluten-free and refined sugar-free. Tender yet crispy beef in a sweet and sour sauce with a slight kick, this flavorful meal takes less than 40 minutes to prepare!

Blue plate of healthy Beijing Beef with a side of cauliflower rice

If youโ€™ve tried Panda Express Beijing Beef, or from a local Chinese restaurant, youโ€™re familiar with that explosion of flavor you get with each and every bite.

Sweet and sour, umami and savory, Beijing Beef has just the right amount of spice to make the whole dish a full palate experience!

For those of you who havenโ€™t tried it yet, hereโ€™s everything you need to know about Beijing Beef!

What is Beijing Beef?

Beijing Beef is thinly sliced beef that has been breaded, deep fried, then stir fried with a sweet, spicy sticky sauce along with onions and bell peppers.

The result is a crispy yet tender bite that is engulfed in the most marvelous sweet and spicy sauce, similar to what you get with my Paleo General Chicken or Paleo Orange Chicken.

Beijing beef is sometimes referred to as Peking Beef on Chinese restaurant menus, and has been made popular by the fast food restaurant, Panda Express.

I make the recipe lighter than classic Beijing Beef, as I pan-fry the breaded beef in less oil (as opposed to deep frying it). Using honey instead of refined sugar, weโ€™re able to get the sweet counterbalance to the heat without a lot of excess sugar.

Skillet with Beijing Beef and onion and bell pepper

Tips for Preparing Beijing Beef:

Use store-bought fajita meat, which comes already sliced. If youโ€™d like, you can slice flank steak to create thin strips, but I like going with the pre-sliced fajita meat option to cut down the prep time.

There are many ways you can change up the list of ingredients without sacrificing the authentic flavor, so be sure to look in the recipe card or in the Recipe Adaptations section for the possibilities. 

Beijing Beef Ingredients:

For the Beef Stir Fry: Avocado oil, beef, egg, gluten-free flour (or tapioca flour), yellow onion, and red bell pepper.

The beef gets coated in whisked egg and gluten-free flour in order to create a breading for pan frying. This creates a crispy outside and a tender inside, which we all find irresistible in Chinese food!

For the Beijing Beef Sauce: Sesame oil, garlic, hoisin sauce  (or gochujang sauce if you donโ€™t like the ingredients in hoisin), honey, liquid aminos (or soy sauce), sambal oelek (sweet chili sauce or sriracha), red pepper flakes, and rice vinegar (or cider vinegar).

This combination of ingredients is what generates the sweet, sour, umami, sticky amazing tangy sauce for the crispy tender beef. You can find all of them in almost all grocery stores!

While the sauce includes a fairly long list of ingredients, you may already have all of the ingredients on hand, especially if you cook Chinese food at home often.

Close up of chopsticks taking a portion of Beijing Beef off a blue plate

Recipe Adaptations:

You can substitute the gochujang sauce with hoisin sauce for a sweeter version of this recipe, and you can use coconut aminos instead of liquid aminos to make the recipe soy-free.

Incorporate 1 to 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce in the recipe if you have it on hand.

If you donโ€™t like the ingredients in gochujang sauce or hoisin sauce, you can use โ…“ cup of unsweetened ketchup and increase the amount of sambal oelek to 3 tablespoons.

To keep the recipe refined sugar-free and honey for sweetening the sauce instead of sugar. If you prefer using sugar or pure maple syrup, you can make the substitution.

Use corn starch instead of gluten-free flour if you’d like, or use regular gluten-free all-purpose flour.

Add 2 to 3 tbsp ketchup to the sauce recipe if desired.

You can change up the type of vinegar and use white vinegar or cider vinegar instead of rice vinegar.

Letโ€™s make it!

How to Make Beijing Beef:

Make the Sauce:

Add all of the ingredients for the sauce to a bowl or measuring cup and whisk them together until combined (note: you can also blend everything in a small blender like a Magic Bullet if you have one).

Stir Fry the Beef:

Whisk the egg in a mixing bowl then toss the beef slices in the egg until all of the pieces are well-coated.

Add the flour and stir until the beef is coated in flour. Note that the beef will stick together at first, but it will come apart during the cooking process so no need to pull the pieces apart from each other.

Heat a large skillet over high heat and add the avocado oil. Once the skillet is very hot, add the breaded beef and spread it into a single layer.

Allow the beef to brown for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has a golden crisp on it.

Add the Veggies:

Transfer the onion and bell pepper to the skillet and continue stir frying for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.

Add the Sauce:

Pour the sauce into the skillet and stir well until everything is well-coated.

Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the Beijing sauce is thick and sticky, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Serve this easy Beijing Beef recipe with your choice of steamed rice, fried rice, or cauliflower rice with fresh chopped green onion and sesame seeds (optional).

Horizontal image of Beijing beef on a blue plate with cauliflower rice, a brown napkin and chopsticks to the side.

More Chinese-Inspired Recipes:

If you love copycat Panda Express recipes, check these out!

If youโ€™re wanting to step up the whole experience, I recommend serving this Healthy Crispy Beijing Beef with Vegetable Fried Rice or Kimchi Fried Rice.

Enjoy this on your dinner menu tonight!

Blue plate of healthy Beijing Beef with a side of cauliflower rice

Healthy Beijing Beef

5 from 2 votes
Healthy Copycat Panda Express Beijing Beef made gluten-free and refined sugar-free. Crispy, tender beef in amazing sticky sweet, sour spicy sauce makes an amazing meal!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings

Ingredients

For the Beef Stir Fry:

For the Beijing Beef Sauce:

Instructions

  • Add all of the ingredients for the sauce to a bowl or measuring cup and whisk them together until combined (note: you can also blend everything in a small blender like a Magic Bullet if you have one). Set aside until ready to use.
    Ingredients for Beijing Beef Sauce in a measuring cup
  • Whisk the egg in a mixing bowl then toss the beef in the egg until all of the pieces are well-coated.
    Strips of raw beef in a mixing bowl with whisked egg
  • Add the flour and stir until the beef is coated in flour. Note that the beef will stick together at first, but it will come apart during the cooking process so no need to pull the pieces apart from each other.
    Raw beef in a mixing bowl tossed in flour
  • Heat a large skillet over high heat and add the avocado oil. Once the skillet is very hot, add the breaded beef and spread it into a single layer. Allow the beef to brown for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has a golden crisp on it.
    Beef in a skillet browning
  • Transfer the onion and bell pepper to the skillet and continue stir frying for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.
    beef, onion and bell pepper sautรฉing in a skillet
  • Pour the sauce into the skillet and stir well until everything is well-coated.
    Sauce being poured over the stir fry beef and veggies
  • Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and sticky, about 5 to 8 minutes. Serve Beijing Beef with your choice of steamed rice, fried rice, or cauliflower rice.
    Skillet of finished Beijing Beef

Notes

*I buy beef that is sliced for fajita meat in order to minimize prep, but you can also purchase a 1-pound steak and cut it into strips yourself.
**Swap tapioca flour or arrowroot flour for the gluten-free all-purpose flour. You can also use cornstarch.
***To keep the Beijing Beef mild, omit the red pepper flakes
****Use soy sauce or coconut aminos as a replacement for liquid aminos

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving ยท Calories: 647kcal ยท Carbohydrates: 48g ยท Protein: 42g ยท Fat: 31g ยท Fiber: 3g ยท Sugar: 26g
Author: Julia
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: Beijing Beef sauce, healthy Beijing beef, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce
Did You Make This Recipe?I want to see it! Tag @the.roasted.root on social media!
Healthy Beijing Beef made gluten-free, soy-free, and refined sugar-free. An easy, quick copycat Panda Express Beijing Beef recipe!

Julia Mueller
Meet the Author

Julia Mueller

Julia Mueller is a recipe developer, cookbook author, and founder of The Roasted Root. She has authored three bestselling cookbooks, – Paleo Power Powers, Delicious Probiotic Drinks, and The Quintessential Kale Cookbook. Her recipes have been featured in several national publications such as BuzzFeed, Self, Tasty, Country Living, Brit.co, etc.

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Questions and Reviews

  1. Thank you for another great recipe. I tried it with ground beef also, made them into tiny little meatballs and turned out just as good!

    1. Oooh, I love the idea of making it with ground beef! I’m going to have to try that, myself!! xo