Mongolian Trio (P.F. Chang’s Copycat)
My favorite dish at P.F. Chang’s is the Mongolian Trio. It’s made with the same sauce as the Mongolian Beef, but it includes beef, chicken and shrimp. The protein trifecta!
I don’t think this version of the dish (with all three proteins) is technically on the menu – it’s more of a secret menu item! But if you order it, they will know what you’re talking about.
The meats are coated in an intensely flavorful sauce made from ginger, garlic, soy sauce and brown sugar. It’s sweet, salty and with some red pepper flakes it has just the right hint of heat.
Doesn’t that look absolutely mouthwatering?!
Thanks, to Kikkoman’s gluten-free soy sauce, this dish can now be made gluten-free! P.F. Chang’s also has this dish on their gluten-free menu, which is fantastic, because they carry gluten-free soy sauce and the meat is coated in cornstarch, versus flour.
But if you don’t feel like changing out of your yoga pants and leaving the house for the real thing, this homemade recreation is perfect.
It’s definitely a bit labor intensive because I cook all three proteins separately, due to their different cooking times. But it’s oh so worth it. You could totally stick with just one meat to keep this simpler, or even some crispy tofu would be great for a vegetarian twist on the dish.
Served over fluffy white rice, this is the ultimate homemade Chinese food.
Mongolian Trio (PF Changs Copycat)
- Total Time: 45-60 minutes
- YIELDS 4 large servings
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Instructions
Prepare the Rice:- Add the water and rice to a medium sauce pan and bring the water to a boil. Season with a healthy sprinkle of salt.
- Once it’s boiling, give it a good stir, cover the pot and reduce heat to a simmer for 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked and has absorbed the water.
- Fluff rice with a fork.
- Heat 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add ginger and garlic and cook for two minutes, until fragrant. Stir frequently so the garlic doesn't burn.
- Add soy sauce, water and brown sugar.
- Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened slightly, about 20 minutes. (Or, if you want to reduce it faster, you could boil the sauce for a few minutes to speed things up!)
- For the steak: Slice flank steak against the grain into ¼-inch slices with the knife held at a 45 degree angle. You can cut some of the longer pieces in half or thirds to make them bite-sized. Place in a bowl and toss with 2-3 Tablespoons of cornstarch, until all of the pieces are evenly coated. Let sit 10-15 minutes.
- For the shrimp: Wash and dry shrimp. Place in a separate bowl and toss with 2-3 Tablespoons of cornstarch, until all of the shrimp are evenly coated. Let sit 10-15 minutes.
- For the chicken: Trim the chicken and cut into bite-sized cubes. Place in a separate bowl and toss with 2-3 Tablespoons of cornstarch, until all of the pieces are evenly coated. Let sit 10-15 minutes.
- Heat 3/4 cup vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- First, cook the beef. I recommend cooking your beef in two batches, so you don't overcrowd the pan. This will allow the beef to brown more, too. Cook beef until brown and crispy, flipping pieces as necessary to make sure both sides are cooked.
- Remove cooked beef with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
- Next, cook the shrimp. In the same hot oil, cook the shrimp until pink, cooked-through and crispy. Flip shrimp halfway through cooking.
- Remove cooked shrimp with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
- Last, cook the chicken. In the same pan, cook the cubed chicken until cooked-through and crispy.
- Remove cooked chicken with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
- Carefully discard remaining vegetable oil.
- Place beef, shrimp and chicken back in the hot pan along with the thickened sauce and cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring to coat all pieces of meat.
- Add red pepper flakes if desired and scallions.
- Remove from heat. Top with additional scallions as garnish.
- Serve over rice.