This Beijing Beef Panda Express Recipe is nice, delicious, simple, and cheaper than Panda Express. Also, you can always try and make things a little different with copycat recipes, and quite often, it turns out even better than the original.

Ingredients

• 1 (8 oz./226g) flank steak, flap, or sirloin chopped against the grain into ¼” strips
• ½ medium yellow onion, sliced
• ½ medium red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Cornstarch (for dusting the beef before frying)
• Salt-Sugar

BATTER INGREDIENTS

• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ tsp cornflour
• Dash of white pepper
• ½ tsp salt

BEIJING SAUCE

• 4 tbsp water
• 1 ½ tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 2 tsp sweet chili sauce
• 1 tbsp ACV
• 1 tsp chili peppers, crushed

Instructions

Preparing the Beef with Batter:

1. In a bowl, mix together all batter ingredients until well combined.
2. Place beef in the batter, making sure it’s fully immersed. Leave it for 15 minutes.

Preparing the Sauce: 3. In a separate bowl, mix all sauce ingredients together.

Coating the Beef: 4. Put cornflour in a bag or another bowl.

5. Take out the beef from the batter and put it in the cornflour. Shake or toss to coat the beef evenly.
6. Store the coated beef in the fridge for a short while.

Frying the Beef: 7. Pour a generous amount of oil into a deep pan or wok.

8. Take the beef from the fridge and coat it again with cornstarch. Make sure each strip is evenly coated. Shake off any extra cornstarch.
9. Heat the oil and fry the beef in small batches until golden brown (a few minutes should do).
10. Place the fried beef on a dish lined with paper towels.

Stir-Frying the Veggies: 11. In a hot wok with some oil, stir-fry onions and bell pepper until they have a nice brown edge.

12. Add garlic and stir-fry for just 10 seconds. Remove everything from the wok.

Combining Everything: 13. With the wok on medium-high heat, pour in the sauce mixture. Let it simmer until it thickens a bit.

14. Add the fried beef, onions, garlic, and bell pepper to the sauce in the wok. Toss everything together for about a minute until the beef absorbs the sauce.

Serving: 15. Transfer everything to a serving plate.

16. Serve warm, ideally with a side of steamed rice. Enjoy!

How To Prepare Beijing Beef

Like most recipes at Panda Express, the meat is first dipped in batter and deep-fried. To replicate their famous Beijing sauce, I changed the recipe a few times to achieve the right blend of flavors and aromas.

Panda Express Beijing Sauce

This sauce has an overwhelming list of ingredients, but don’t let this stop you from making it as the final taste will totally win you over. It’s so nice that you’ll want to make it again and again.

Fortunately, you can prepare a big portion of the sauce and refrigerate it to use it later when you want to make any Beijing meat recipe (chicken, beef, etc). It’s a matter of preference.

What Does Beijing Beef Sauce Contain?

Beijing sauce features fermented ingredients that work in conjunction to yield a nice blend of sweet, sour, and savor flavors. The taste is incredibly versatile and you can even use it as a dip in side dishes.

Beef stock or “consomme,” as it is known in the culinary world, is rich and multidimensional beef broth. You can use veal and make your own homemade stock for best results. If you are in a hurry though, you may use its store-bought counterpart.

How The Beef Stock Refinement Works

When you prepare beef stock at home, some proteins from the meat dissolve poorly in the liquids and result in a murky or dark appearance. After the water reaches a certain high temperature, these proteins stick together and rise to the upper surface.

When you properly monitor this procedure these clotted proteins will all rise to the outer surface, revealing totally clear stock.

Key Ingredients For Clearing Beef Stock/Broth

1. Fat-free ground beef is a rich source of clean protein that allows the clarification of meat proteins and also boosts the flavor of the beef stock.
2. Egg whites to boost the meat’s clarification potency.
3. Mirepoix (diced vegetables) and other herbs or seasonings add flavor.
4. Acidic-based ingredients e.g. tomato juice help break down and bind the proteins together. These are not mandatory, but they are quite helpful.

Classic Beef (or Veal) Consommé Recipe

Ingredients

Base:

• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef (veal preferred for a lighter flavor)

• 20 cups (5 quarts) cold veal or beef stock

• 8 oz egg whites

Mirepoix:

• 8 oz white onion, finely chopped

• 4 oz celery, finely chopped

• 4 oz carrots, finely chopped

• 8 oz tomatoes (canned or fresh), chopped

• 6 stems fresh parsley, chopped

Seasonings:

• 2 whole cloves

• 1 bay leaf

• Pinch of dried thyme

• ½ tsp crushed black pepper

Instructions

1. Start with Cold, Rich Stock
   Use a flavorful beef or veal stock that’s cold. If your stock tastes weak, reduce it by simmering until it’s rich, then cool completely. Skim off any excess fat.

2. Prepare the Clarifying Mixture
   In a large stockpot, combine the ground beef or veal, mirepoix vegetables, tomatoes, egg whites, herbs, and spices. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or whisk.

3. Add the Stock
   Gradually pour in the cold stock, stirring to fully incorporate it with the meat and vegetable mixture.

4. Bring to a Simmer
   Place the pot over low heat and slowly bring it to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

   • As it heats, the proteins in the meat and egg whites will rise to the surface, forming the “raft” that will clarify the broth.

5. Simmer Gently
   Once simmering, stop stirring. Reduce the heat so it stays at a gentle simmer—never a rolling boil, as that can break the raft and cloud the consommé. Let it cook uncovered for about 1½ hours.

6. Strain the Consommé
   Carefully ladle or siphon the clear liquid from beneath the raft into another pot. Strain it through several layers of cheesecloth to remove any remaining particles.

7. Degrease the Surface
   Skim any remaining fat from the top using a ladle or blot gently with strips of brown paper (they absorb fat without soaking up much liquid).

8. Taste & Adjust Seasoning
   Season with kosher salt to taste—its purity gives a cleaner flavor than table salt.

Storage:

• Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Serving Tip:
Consommé is best served hot, garnished with fresh herbs or thinly sliced vegetables for a refined presentation.

Pin this recipe to your favorite soup board so you can make this elegant French consommé anytime.

This a super simple homemade Maja Blanca recipe that I will teach you how to make so it’s nice and soft. The sweetness is not excessive and is packed with a rich corn and coconut flavor. You may use dry latik on the top to keep it classic or grated cheese to keep it simple.

Maja Blanca is definitely one of my favorite Filipino desserts besides this amazing Buko Pandan. I simply enjoy the creamy coconut consistency with the sweet corn and toasted coconut on top. It’s creamy, smooth, sweet, and super flavorful.

Easy Maja Blanca Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Cooling and Chilling Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 55 minutes

Yield: 1 8-inch square pan, about 9 servings

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon neutral oil or coconut oil, for greasing the pan
• 1 can (13.5 fluid ounces/400 ml) full-fat coconut milk
• 1 can (12 fluid ounces/354 ml) evaporated milk
• 1 can (14 ounces/396 g) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup canned whole-kernel corn, drained well
• ¾ cup (180 ml) cold whole milk
• ¾ cup (90 g) cornstarch
• ½ cup (40 g) unsweetened coconut flakes

Instructions

1. Prepare the Pan

Lightly grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan with neutral or coconut oil. Set it aside.

2. Make the Cornstarch Slurry

Whisk the cold whole milk and cornstarch in a medium bowl until completely smooth. Set it aside, then whisk it again immediately before adding it to the hot mixture because cornstarch settles quickly.

3. Heat the Coconut Mixture

Combine the coconut milk, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and drained corn in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan.

Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is steaming and reaches a gentle simmer. Don’t let it boil rapidly because the milk can scorch or separate.

4. Thicken the Maja Blanca

Reduce the heat to low. Slowly pour in the cornstarch slurry while whisking continuously.

Continue cooking and stirring for 3 to 5 minutes. As the mixture becomes thicker, switch to a sturdy spatula and scrape across the bottom and around the sides of the pan.

The maja blanca is ready when it forms a very thick, smooth paste that pulls slightly away from the sides of the pan and falls from the spatula in heavy mounds. Don’t remove it while it still pours like a thin pudding, or it may not set firmly enough to slice.

5. Fill the Pan

Immediately transfer the hot mixture to the prepared pan. Smooth the surface with a lightly oiled spatula, working quickly before it begins to set.

6. Cool and Chill

Let the maja blanca cool uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes. Once it is no longer steaming, cover the pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until completely cold and firm.

7. Toast the Coconut

Place the coconut flakes in a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until lightly golden.

Transfer the coconut to a plate immediately so it doesn’t continue browning in the hot pan.

8. Serve

Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the maja blanca shortly before serving so it stays crisp. Cut into squares with a thin, sharp knife and serve chilled.

Storage Tip: Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Tips for Smooth, Firm Maja Blanca

• Mix the cornstarch with cold milk. Warm liquid can cause the starch to clump before it is evenly dispersed.
• Whisk the slurry again immediately before using it. Cornstarch settles quickly at the bottom of the bowl.
• Keep the coconut mixture at a gentle simmer. A rapid boil can scorch the milk or cause it to separate.
• Pour the slurry slowly while whisking continuously. Once the mixture becomes too thick for the whisk, switch to a sturdy spatula.
• Don’t stop cooking when the mixture merely resembles pudding. It should become a heavy paste that pulls slightly away from the pan and drops from the spatula in thick mounds.
• Transfer it to the prepared pan immediately. The mixture begins setting quickly once removed from the heat.
• Let it stop steaming before covering the pan. Covering it while hot traps condensation and can leave water on the surface.
• Add the toasted coconut shortly before serving. It softens as it absorbs moisture from the pudding.

Why Didn’t My Maja Blanca Set?

The most common causes are using too little cornstarch, failing to remix a settled slurry, or removing the pudding from the heat before it becomes thick enough.

Give the dessert at least two hours to chill completely before judging the texture. If it remains loose after chilling overnight, the starch was probably undermeasured or not cooked long enough.

Can I Make It Ahead?

Maja blanca is well suited to making ahead because it needs time to set. Prepare it up to one day before serving, cover it once cooled, and refrigerate it overnight.

Wait until shortly before serving to add the toasted coconut so the topping remains crisp.

How to Store Maja Blanca

Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below and use them within 3 days. Don’t leave the pudding at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.

The USDA recommends refrigerating perishable foods within two hours and using most refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days.

Can You Freeze Maja Blanca?

Freezing isn’t recommended. Cornstarch-thickened puddings often release water after thawing, which can leave the maja blanca separated or grainy. Refrigeration gives it the best texture.