Mongolian Beef Recipe

This Mongolian Beef recipe is my take on the popular and absolutely delicious stir fry dish like you can get at P. F. Chang's restaurant or your local Chinese takeout. The tender beef stir fry recipe is in a savory and sweet brown sugar and soy sauce with green onion slices.

Try your hand at making your own Mongolian Beef stir fry at home. The Mongolian sauce is made with common pantry ingredients, no specialty sauces in this version of the recipe. Save money and ensure there is no MSG in your family's meal.

Origin of Mongolian Beef

Mongolian beef is a stir-fry dish that is not a traditional Mongolian dish at all. It was actually created in Taiwan not Mongolia. Mongolian Barbeque Beef was created by Wu Zhao-nan [ref], a renowned Taiwanese comedian and restaurateur. It eventually became a classic Chinese American stir fry dish served at most Chinese restaurants in the US.

What Cut of Beef to Use for Stir Fry?

Flank steak is what I have chosen to use here and the most common cut used to make Mongolian beef. While you can prepare many cuts of beef with this recipe, being able to cut it into thin strips is necessary.

Some other good choices beyond flank steak are: top round, flat iron steak, skirt steak or NY strip.

Thinly sliced beef and coating the meat with cornstarch before cooking (a quick version of velveting), ensures tender beef, with a wide array of cuts. [ref]

How to Make Mongolian Beef

Here I will walk you through the process of making the best mongolian beef recipe (totally not biased) complete with step-by-step pictures. Jump right down to the printable recipe card if you prefer.

The recipe makes 4 servings.

Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Total Time: 25 mins

Ingredients for Mongolian Beef

Here is everything you will need to make Mongolian Beef at home.

• 1 pound flank steak, sliced against the grain in to ¼-inch thick strips
• salt and pepper to season meat
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha or pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (omit or adjust depending on your taste preference)
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed (using light brown sugar is OK)
• Green onions, the green parts sliced diagonally

Instructions

Tip: freeze the steak 20 minutes before slicing the partially frozen beef is easier to slice.

Season the beef slices with Kosher salt and black pepper.

Combine the sliced steak and cornstarch in a gallon-sized ziplock bag. Toss to coat.

Place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, garlic and ginger. Saute for 1 minute.

Add soy sauce, Sriracha, water and brown sugar to the pan and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and allow it to boil for about 2 to 3 minutes. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.

Take a large skillet and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Add the steak strips and cook over medium-high heat until the steak is cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes, flipping the pieces as they cook.

Add the sauce mixture to the steak pan. Toss the steak in the sauce and let it simmer for about 4 minutes until the meat has a glaze over it.

Sprinkle generously with green onion slices over the top.

Serve over steamed brown rice, jasmine rice or homemade fried rice perhaps with a drizzle of Yum Yum sauce. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top.

Noodles are also a popular option to serve Mongolian Beef over. Sauteed or steamed veggies are a great side for this simple Asian dish. Asian Cucumber Salad or Pickled Daikon Radish are cool and crunchy dishes to pair with this beef.

For an appetizer to serve with this dish, consider Chinese Steamed BBQ Pork Buns or Asian Chicken Drumsticks.

Variations on the Recipe

The simple stir fry recipe can serve as a starting place for a wide array of variations. Here are a few ideas:

• Use chicken, pork tenderloin or a plant based substitute in this easy Mongolian sauce, to suit your family's dietary preferences.
• Add vegetables such as peppers or broccoli in the stir fry.
• If you are a spice lover, add some extra heat by doubling up the red pepper seeds or hot sauce. Adding some fresh hot Asian peppers to the stir fry is also a delicious way to do this.
• If you are on a low carb diet swap a zero calorie brown sugar substitute for the sugar in the recipe. Use Glucomannan powder (from konjac) in place of the cornstarch. Serve with cauliflower rice.

Storing Leftovers

If you have any of the beef leftover after dinner, store them in an airtight container and refrigerate within 1-2 hours of cooking to avoid bacterial growth.

Reheat in the microwave or a skillet until hot.