Panda Express is a refreshing change of pace in the fast food scene, where most restaurants offer burgers, fries, or fried chicken. You can get a bowl full of anything from fried rice to black pepper angus steak. One of the most notable menu items is the Beijing Beef for its spicy beef, red peppers, and onions in a soy and garlic-based marinade. Most items on the menu have more ambiguous names, but this one notes a specific location.
Panda Express announced this dish 17 years ago as an homage to its predecessor, the Panda Inn. What’s now a major fast food company began as a family-owned restaurant operated by Andrew and Peggy Cherng, an immigrant couple whose clever recipes combining Chinese and American influences made a lasting impact on fast food. The Panda Inn still exists in its original location of Pasadena, California, which serves Mongolian beef. Panda Express’s Beijing Beef seems to be a spin on this recipe, changing certain ingredients while sharing the same idea of a spicy beef dish with a soy sauce glaze and vegetables.
What inspired the Panda Express Beijing Beef
At first glance, Panda Express’s Beijing Beef doesn’t seem to have much of a connection to the city of Beijing. Founder and CEO Andrew Cherng was born in Yangzhou, China and raised in Taiwan, both of which are far south of Beijing. The capital city is famous for its jiaozi dumplings, Peking duck, and hotpot-style dishes, and it doesn’t have the same flair for spice as the Southern regions. You might not find a dish called “Beijing beef” at another Chinese restaurant, so what’s the connection?
Panda Express specifically cites cuìpí niúròu as the base for their dish. Cuìpí is a genre of meat dishes with crispy skin, and “niúròu” translates to beef. The flavors of Northern Chinese cuisine come through with the beef influence, but the chili heat is how Panda Express made it its own. All the ingredients are tossed together in a wok with the sweet, spicy, and tangy sauce for a truly delicious dish that can be enjoyed fresh or used for meal prep.
