This Mongolian Beef recipe is one of those dishes that’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, but it’s also impressive enough for company.
It’s surprisingly easy to throw together, and the flavors are just amazing. It’s a great balance of sweet, savory, and just a little bit spicy.
Recipe Overview: Mongolian Beef
This dish is all about tender slices of beef coated in a rich, flavorful sauce. Think of it as a quicker, easier alternative to some of your favorite takeout options. It’s got that satisfying umami flavor that makes it hard to stop eating!
The sauce is really the star here – a combination of soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic that creates this incredible sticky glaze. It coats the beef perfectly, and when served with fluffy rice, it’s just pure comfort food.
You can easily adjust the level of spiciness to your liking, too. If you’re not a fan of heat, just leave out the red pepper flakes. If you like things fiery, add a pinch more!
This is a great meal to serve with steamed broccoli or some stir-fried vegetables. It’s a complete, satisfying meal that comes together in under an hour. A simple green salad also works beautifully.
Detailed Ingredients for Mongolian Beef
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this delicious dish. Don’t worry, most of these are pantry staples!
- Beef: 1 ½ pounds flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain. You can also use sirloin steak.
- Cornstarch: ¼ cup. This helps to thicken the sauce and create a nice coating on the beef.
- Oil: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil, for frying.
- Garlic: 4 cloves, minced. Fresh garlic is best!
- Ginger: 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger.
- Soy Sauce: ½ cup. I prefer using low-sodium soy sauce so I can control the saltiness.
- Water: ½ cup.
- Brown Sugar: ½ cup packed light brown sugar. This adds sweetness and helps create that sticky glaze.
- Red Pepper Flakes: ¼ teaspoon (optional, for a little heat).
- Green Onions: 2, thinly sliced, for garnish.
If you don’t have flank steak, sirloin will work, as I stated before. Just make sure to slice it thinly against the grain – this helps keep the beef tender.
For the brown sugar, you can use dark brown sugar if that’s what you have, but it will give the sauce a slightly richer, molasses-like flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions: Making the Best Mongolian Beef
Let’s get cooking! Follow these steps, and you’ll have a delicious meal in no time.
- Prepare the Beef: Place the thinly sliced flank steak in a medium bowl. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the beef and toss to coat evenly. This is key for getting that slightly crispy texture.
- Sear the Beef: Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the beef in a single layer (you may need to do this in batches). Sear the beef for about 2-3 minutes per side, until it’s browned and slightly crispy. Remove the beef from the skillet and set aside. Don’t overcrowd the pan; otherwise, the beef will steam instead of sear.
- Sauté Aromatics: In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and ginger. Sauté for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic!
- Create the Sauce: Add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes (if using) to the skillet. Stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 3-5 minutes. It should coat the back of a spoon.
- Combine Beef and Sauce: Return the beef to the skillet. Toss to coat the beef evenly with the sauce. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, allowing the sauce to further thicken and cling to the beef. The sauce should be glossy and sticky.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove the skillet from the heat. Garnish with sliced green onions. Serve immediately over steamed rice.
Variations & Tips for Your Mongolian Beef
Here are a few ways to customize this recipe, along with some helpful tips for storage and reheating:
- Add Vegetables: Feel free to add some stir-fried vegetables to the dish. Broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, and snow peas all work well. Add them to the skillet after you’ve sautéed the garlic and ginger.
- Make it Less Sweet: If you prefer a less sweet sauce, reduce the amount of brown sugar to ⅓ cup.
- Make Ahead: You can prepare the sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. You can also slice the beef and store it separately. When you’re ready to cook, just sear the beef and add the pre-made sauce.
- Storage: Leftover Mongolian Beef can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat leftovers in a skillet over medium heat, or in the microwave, until heated through. You may need to add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.
- Serving Suggestion: Besides rice, this dish is also delicious served with noodles or even in lettuce wraps for a lower-carb option.
Key Details
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 25 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
- Servings: 4-6
- Equipment you’ll need: Large skillet or wok, mixing bowl, cutting board, knife
Mongolian Beef
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds flank steak thinly sliced against the grain
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 2 green onions thinly sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- Place the thinly sliced flank steak in a medium bowl. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the beef and toss to coat evenly.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the beef in a single layer (you may need to do this in batches). Sear the beef for about 2-3 minutes per side, until it's browned and slightly crispy. Remove the beef from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and ginger. Sauté for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes (if using) to the skillet. Stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 3-5 minutes.
- Return the beef to the skillet. Toss to coat the beef evenly with the sauce. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, allowing the sauce to further thicken and cling to the beef.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Garnish with sliced green onions. Serve immediately over steamed rice.