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With a sticky, sweet-and-savory sauce, bright green onions, and toasty sesame seeds, my Mongolian Beef Recipe is as irresistibly tasty as your favorite takeout. Better yet, it takes just 20 minutes to make from start to finish! Serve it over rice or with noodles in a stir fry recipe.
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What is Mongolian Beef?
Mongolian Beef is a Chinese-American restaurant staple, featuring thinly-sliced beef coated in cornstarch, then stir-fried to achieve a tender and crispy finish with a savory-sweet sauce and green onions. Paired with white rice or noodles, it's a classic favorite! You might know it from P.F. Chang's!
Easy Mongolian Beef Ingredients
- Flank Steak: You can also use beef bottom round steak! Thin-sliced steak that cooks quickly is important to use here. You don't want to use a cut that takes longer to cook before it tenderizes. However, you can also use thin-sliced chicken or pork steak for this recipe!
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used to achieve the crisp exterior crucial to the best flavor for your Mongolian Beef. The cornstarch can be substituted for potato starch or tapioca starch. If you don't need to avoid gluten, flour can be used as well, but it will have a slightly less silky texture.
- Green Onions: Green onions are by far the best type of onion to pair with recipes for Mongolian Beef. Their sharp, bright flavor complements the sticky-sweet sauce so well. For the most balanced flavor, don't skip these!
- Avocado Oil: You can also use another neutral vegetable oil, such as canola oil.
- Beef Stock: If you don't have beef stock, you can also use chicken stock, pork stock, or whatever type of stock you have on hand. This will change the flavor, but it will work. Just make sure to use stock, not broth.
- Soy Sauce: Low sodium preferred. For a gluten-free version, use Tamari Shoyu. For a soy-free version, use your favorite soy-free soy sauce or coconut aminos. If you use coconut aminos, make sure to halve the amount of brown sugar used, as coconut aminos are sweet!
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds sweetness to the Mongolian Beef Sauce and caramelizes for that sticky texture we all love.
- Ginger: Adds a fragrant flavor you can only get from fresh ginger.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is a must. If you don't already have a garlic press, I recommend picking one up!
- Water: This is used along with cornstarch to form a slurry that thickens the sauce.
- White Rice: Or rice noodles, for serving! Serve your Mongolian Beef however you prefer.
- Sesame Seeds: These add a toasted flavor to the dish as well as texture variation.
- Red Chili Pepper: Optional, if you prefer spicy Mongolian Beef! Leave these out if you're cooking for kids.
How to Make PF Chang's Mongolian Beef
- Slice the steak into thin slices, about ¼-inch thick and 3-4 inches in length. Place in a bowl with all but 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch, and mix well until evenly coated.
- Chop the green tops of the green onions into 2-inch pieces, and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once hot and shimmering, add the steak and sear for 2-4 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove, and set aside.
- Add the beef stock, soy sauce, brown sugar, grated ginger, and minced garlic to the pan, and mix well, making sure to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. If using chili peppers, add them in now.
- Prepare a slurry of the water and last tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl. Mix well, then pour it into the sauce in the pan, stirring frequently. Cook another 2-3 minutes until thickened.
- Add the beef and green onions to the pan, and stir to coat.
- Serve over white rice or noodles with a topping of sesame seeds, and enjoy!
Tips for Making Mongolian Beef
- Slice the beef thinly and against the grain. This is critical for keeping the beef tender! For extra tender beef, add ¼ teaspoon baking soda to the marinade.
- Make sure not to overcrowd the pan! If you have a wok, use one. Otherwise, cook the beef in batches to ensure even cooking.
- Adjust the flavors of the sauce by adding a little more sugar for sweetness, or a few red chili peppers or red pepper flakes for heat! Break the chilies in half to release the seeds for even more spice.
- This base recipe is perfect for add-ins. I like adding red bell peppers, sliced onions, whole button mushrooms, or broccoli rosettes.
- Store the white parts of the scallions to grow more! Just set the roots in a shallow cup of water, and set the cup in a sunny window. Change the water out every few days and enjoy more fresh scallions!
FAQ
You can fry the beef in advance, but it won't retain its crispy crust if you do. If you choose to cook it in advance, reheat it in the air fryer or oven at 400°F until the beef gets a crisp coating, then toss it quickly in the sauce and serve.
You can use any sort of meat you'd like for this recipe! I've made it with pork and chicken before, and it's still delicious. Just be careful with the amount of soy sauce and sugar; beef is very rich, and absorbs the strong flavors well. For milder meats like pork and chicken, use less sugar and soy sauce.
Velveting the beef isn't necessary in this recipe, as the short cook times and high temperatures will ensure the beef is nice and tender. But if you want to ensure it's as tender as possible, marinade the beef in a simple marinade of dry 1 tablespoon each dry sherry, water, soy sauce, and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda.
Storing Leftover Mongolian Beef
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. It won't stay crispy, but it'll still taste delicious!
- Freezer: Mongolian beef can safely be frozen for up to 3 months in airtight containers. To reheat, add the frozen beef to a pan over medium-low heat or thaw in the fridge overnight.
What to Serve with Mongolian Beef
Mongolian Beef Stir-Fry
Every time I make my favorite Mongolian Beef recipe at home, I have to marvel at how easy it is to prepare when it's also so delicious. Tender, velvety steak, a sweet and savory sauce, fluffy rice, and endless possibilities for vegetable add-ins... all ready in 20 minutes or less! It's too good to be true, right?
The short cooking time is actually part of what makes this recipe taste as good as it does! By quickly searing it over medium-high heat, the beef forms a perfectly crispy coating without overcooking. You wind up with flavorful, tender strips of beef with a crisp exterior that tastes even better coated in the sticky Mongolian Beef sauce.
If you're like me, then I just know you're going to love throwing extra vegetable add-ins into this dish, too. Some of my favorites are red chilies for spice, fresh broccoli, snow peas, red pepper, broccoli shoots, or water chestnuts. The possibilities really are endless, and you may just convince your picky eaters to enjoy their veggies!
Easy Mongolian Beef
Equipment
- Pan or Wok
Ingredients
- ½ lb Flank steak - thinly sliced into ¼ inch pieces
- ¼ cup Cornstarch
- 2 stalks Green onions - cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 Tablespoons Avocado oil
- ½ cup Beef stock
- ¼ cup Low sodium soy sauce
- ⅕ cup Brown sugar - adjust to taste
- 2 teaspoons Ginger - minced or grated
- 4 cloves Garlic - minced or grated
- ¼ cup Water
- 3 cups White rice - cooked
- 2 Tablespoons Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Slice the steak into thin slices, about ¼-inch thick and 3-4 inches in length. Place in a bowl with all but 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch, and mix well until evenly coated.½ lb Flank steak,¼ cup Cornstarch
- Chop the green tops of the green onions into 2-inch pieces, and set aside.2 stalks Green onions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once hot and shimmering, add the steak and sear for 2-4 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove, and set aside.2 Tablespoons Avocado oil
- Add the beef stock, soy sauce, brown sugar, grated ginger, and minced garlic to the pan, and mix well, making sure to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. If using chili peppers, add them in now.½ cup Beef stock,¼ cup Low sodium soy sauce,⅕ cup Brown sugar,2 teaspoons Ginger,4 cloves Garlic
- Prepare a slurry of the water and last tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl. Mix well, then pour it into the sauce in the pan, stirring frequently. Cook another 2-3 minutes until thickened.¼ cup Water,¼ cup Cornstarch
- Add the beef and green onions to the pan, and stir to coat.
- Serve over white rice or noodles with a topping of sesame seeds, and enjoy!3 cups White rice,2 Tablespoons Sesame seeds
Notes
Asian Beef Tips
- Slice the beef nice and thin, against the grain. This is critical for keeping the beef tender! For extra tender beef, add ¼ teaspoon baking soda to the marinade.
- Make sure not to overcrowd the pan! If you have a wok, use one. Otherwise, cook the beef in batches to ensure even cooking.
- Adjust the flavors of the sauce by adding a little more sugar for sweetness, or a few red chili peppers or red pepper flakes for heat! Break the chilis in half to release the seeds for even more spice.
- This base recipe is perfect for add-ins. I like adding red bell peppers, sliced onions, whole button mushrooms, or broccoli rosettes.
- Store the white parts of the scallions to grow more! Just set the roots in a shallow cup of water, and set the cup in a sunny window. Change the water out every few days and enjoy more fresh scallions!
Mongolian Beef Sauce Substitutions
- Gluten Free: To make this recipe completely gluten-free, use Tamari instead of Soy Sauce, which often has hidden gluten in the ingredients.
- Soy Free: To make a Mongolian beef recipe that's soy free, just swap out the soy sauce for your favorite soy-free soy sauce or use coconut aminos and half the brown sugar.
- Cornstarch: The cornstarch can be substituted for potato starch or tapioca starch. If you don't need to avoid gluten, flour can be used as well, but it will have a slightly less silky texture.
- Flank steak: Naturally, this recipe is made for using beef. However, you can use any cut of beef or even thinly sliced chicken or pork for this recipe! It will be delicious any way.
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