Mongolian Beef that’s easy to make in just 30 minutes, crispy, sweet and full of garlic and ginger flavors you love from your favorite Chinese restaurant.
Mongolian Beef is a recipe that I’ve been cooking for clients for many years for a number of reasons. One, people love anything that tastes like Chinese takeout. Two, the sweet flavor of the dark brown sugar mixed with the salty soy sauce and the strong ginger and garlic is incredibly addicting and three you get to enjoy it over a mountain of steamed rice, which if you are anything like me is your happy place.
This Mongolian Beef is very flavorful and takes just 30 minutes to make from start to finish including all the slicing of the meat! It also uses basic pantry ingredients so don’t worry I am not sending you to the store today for oyster sauce or hoisin sauce. Everything in this recipe is available in every grocery store.
Want to round out your meal with a few more options?
- Every Panda Express Recipe on the Menu
- P.F. Chang’s Orange Peel Chicken
- P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- CPK Thai Chicken Pasta
- SO many more Chinese Food options!
The one thing I want to caution when preparing this dish is how thick you slice the steak.
If you feel uncomfortable with cutting the steak thinly enough and have an hour or so notice, place the steak in the freezer for one hour. This will freeze it just enough that slicing it will be as easy as slicing a vegetable. The meat will firm up enough that you can slice it even thinner if you’d like.
One more note because I know I am going to get this question in the comments below. Yes, you can use light brown sugar in place of dark brown, and yes you will notice the taste difference. The addition of molasses to the dark brown sugar adds to the depth of flavor in this dish.
So if possible please use dark brown sugar. If you are in a pinch and you only have light brown don’t worry you will still have a very tasty meal. Just promise me the next time you make it you will use dark brown sugar, the flavor difference is noticeable.
Tools Used in the making of this Easy Mongolian Beef:
Soy Sauce: Nothing much to say here except Kikkoman has the best flavor overall and I always recommend reduced sodium.
Wok: Great for high heat, quick cooking. This wok is a great addition to your kitchen if you love cooking Chinese food or stir fries in general.
Large Frying Pan: I use this Cuisinart for most of my non cast iron cooking unless I am going with a stainless steel option, then I choose my All Clad.
Mongolian Beef
Ingredients
- 1 pound flank steak
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger , minced
- 1 tablespoon garlic , minced
- 1/3 cup lite soy sauce , low sodium
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 4 stalks scallions , green parts only, cut into 2 inch pieces
Instructions
Slice the flank steak against the grain (the grain is the length of the steak) the long way 1/4 inch think pieces and add it to a ziploc bag with the cornstarch.
Press the steak around in the bag making sure each piece is fully coated with cornstarch and leave it to sit.
- Add the canola oil to a large frying pan and heat on medium high heat.
Add the steak, shaking off any excess corn starch, to the pan in a single layer and cook on each side for 1 minute.
- If you need to cook the steak in batches because your pan isn't big enough do that rather than crowding the pan, you want to get a good sear on the steak and if you crowd the pan your steak with steam instead of sear.
- When the steak is done cooking remove it from the pan.
Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and sauté for 10-15 seconds.
- Add the soy sauce, water and dark brown sugar to the pan and let it come to a boil.
Add the steak back in and let the sauce thicken for 20-30 seconds.
- The cornstarch we used on the steak should thicken the sauce, if you find it isn't thickening enough add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir to dissolve the cornstarch and add it to the pan.
Add the green onions, stir to combine everything, and cook for a final 20-30 seconds.
- Serve immediately.
I have just made this for the first time and it was lovely! I didn’t stick strictly to the recipie – chopped up 1 ribeye steak out of the freezer so had half the recipie amount of beef , but I improvised and added a red pepper, baby corn, and 1 chilli. Used same amount of everything else so we had enough sauce. I also only had light muscovado sugar and dark soy sauce (not low salt). Served with rice cooked in coconut milk and pak Choi and it was lovely ? definitely recommended and I will make again. Also 10/10 from my partner he loved it!
I’m glad you were able to customize it to what you had on hand, Sally. Sounds like a winner!
I cooked this today and it was delicious! My husband kept saying it was like we were eating at a restaurant. Thank you. This one is definitely a keeper
Thank you for such an excellent recipe. My family enjoyed it and I received lots of compliments.
This was absolutely delicious!
I made this & doubled the sauce, but did not double anything else & it had an awful flavor, I could not explain the taste to my husband & I looked back at the recipe & realized my mistake. I used Baking Soda rather than Cornstarch. I grabbed the wrong box! Almost had a metallic flavor. (Only way I could explain it)
I had to throw the entire batch away & start all over again.
Luckily it is a fast/easy recipe & the 2nd time it tasted great! My husband & daughter loved it!
Thanks for coming back to let me know how much you enjoyed it!
Nice but way too sweet. Added chili flakes at the end for some heat
My go to for easy beef recipe and the fact that its delicious is a major plus. Thanks Sabrina ! Everyone from the toddler to the 10 year old boys of mine loves this.
I absolutely love this recipe! I cook my meat in sesame oil instead. I also use the whole green onion sliced. And I add toasted sesame seeds to all of it.
Super easy to make and delicious
Amazing, better than our local place!!
Thanks for the 5 stars, Julia!
I make this occasionally, it’s delicious. My partner loves it. Only problem is it’s messy to make so cover the fry pan when searing the meat. I also add bokchoy, onion and sometimes red capsicum or broccoli ? It also reheats fine the next day.
Great recipe! I tried to cook for the first time and all my family loved it! Thanks!
I made it last night and it was a top top top!
– Love from Germany
We love this! I double the recipe because they eat it so fast.
Thank you. Easy, fast and accessible ingredients . And yes – the flank steak meat is a must. Whole Foods has it always.
Great recipe! I will definitely make this again.