Easy Mongolian Beef

Easy Mongolian Beef recipe is a perfect quick 30 minutes dinner, made with crispy thinly sliced flank steak and coated with sweet and spicy sauce.

If you need a quick dinner in under 30 minutes, you should make this amazing Easy Mongolian Beef! It’s made with thinly sliced flank steak and coated with sweet and spicy sticky sauce.

There is no reason to get take-out, when you can make your own delicious meal in no time! Plus, you can control the quality and the amount of the ingredients, which is always better and made to your liking.

How to make Mongolian Beef sauce?

Mongolian Beef sauce is very easy to make and it has a perfect flavor combination (sweet, sour, and spicy). All you need to do is just mix the ingredients (low sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, water, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes).

Make sure you use LOW SODIUM soy sauce!

When I made this dish for the first time, I made a BIG mistake and used a regular soy sauce. Oh boy, what a mistake! It was way too salty…

With low sodium soy sauce, the whole dish is more balanced and you can taste all the different flavors and not just salt. I like this one: Low Sodium Soy Sauce.

I also like to add red pepper flakes to make it spicy. You really can play around with the amount, depending on how spicy you like the sauce. Though keep in mind, the longer you cook the sauce, the spicier it will be.

How to make Mongolian Beef

After you prepped the sauce, let’s work on the beef.

Rinse and Dry. First, rinse and pat dry the meat. It’s important to dry it before cooking to make it crispy.

Slice. Then thinly slice the beef against the grain, about ¼ inch thick. I like to cut it a bit under an angle, about 45 degrees.

Mix with Cornstarch. You can mix it together with cornstarch in a mixing bowl or a large resealable bag. I like to mix in a large mixing bowl, less work.

Sear. Now we are ready to sear the beef to get those perfect crispy edges.

Here are a few tips for the perfect crispy beef:

1. Make sure your pan is hot. That will help you to cook it quickly and get a perfect sear outside while keeping it tender inside.
2. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Make sure you sear in a single layer and keep space between the meat. Otherwise it will boil and won’t get crispy.
3. Cook quick. Since the beef slices are very thin and the pan is hot, it takes about 30 seconds per side to get the perfect crisp. If you cook the meat for too long, it will be tough.

When the meat is cooked, put on a separate plate and put aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and pour the sauce into the pan. Bring it to boil and cook for a few minutes to reduce.

Then add the meat and cook for a few more minutes. Make sure you coat the beef from all sides.

Note: The cornstarch from the meat should help to thicken the sauce. If it’s still too runny, you can mix a teaspoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of water and gradually add it to the sauce until it thickens.

What to serve with Mongolian Beef?

The classical Mongolian Beef is served with rice and topped with sesame seeds and some chopped green onions. Though often, you can see it served with some broccoli or stir fry vegetables.

If you want it to be gluten free, you can easily serve it with cauliflower rice.

Check out these 30 Minute Meal recipes:

• Pasta with Meat Sauce
• Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs
• Grilled Chicken Tacos
• Instant Pot Orange Chicken

5 from 10 votes

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Easy Mongolian Beef

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Easy Mongolian Beef recipe is a perfect quick 30 minutes dinner, made with crispy thinly sliced flank steak and coated with sweet and spicy sauce.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: Easy Mongolian Beef

Servings: 2

Calories: 611 kcal

Author: Veronika's Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 pound flank stake
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• sesame seeds, for topping
• green onion, chopped, for topping

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk the sauce ingredients (low sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, water, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes) and set aside.

2. Rinse and pat dry the flank steak. Thinly slice the meat against the grain, about ¼ inch thick. Add cornstarch and evenly coat the meat.

3. Preheat the pan over the high heat and add vegetable oil. Make sure the pan is hot before adding the beef.

4. Brown the beef slices in a few batches. Make sure it’s cooked in a single layer and not overcrowded. Cook about 30 seconds on each side. Don’t overcook!

5. When done, put the meat on a plate and set aside.

6. Lower the heat to medium and add the sauce. Bring it to boil and cook for a few minutes to thicken it up.

7. Add the beef to the sauce and cook for a few more minutes. Stir the meat to cover with the sauce from all sides.

8. Serve with a bowl of rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped green onions.

Recipe Notes

1. Make sure your pan is hot. That will help you to cook it quickly and get a perfect sear outside while keeping it tender inside.
2. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Make sure you sear in a single layer and keep space between the meat. Otherwise it will boil and won’t get crispy.
3. Cook quick. Since the beef slices are very thin and the pan is hot, it takes about 30 seconds per side to get the perfect crisp. If you cook the meat for too long, it will be tough.
4. Make sure to use LOW SODIUM soy sauce!
5. The cornstarch from the meat should help to thicken the sauce. If it’s still too runny, you can mix a teaspoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of water and gradually add it to the sauce until it thickens.

Nutrition Facts

Easy Mongolian Beef

Amount Per Serving

Calories 611 Calories from Fat 230

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 25.5g 39%

Saturated Fat 8.7g 44%

Trans Fat 0.2g

Cholesterol 121.3mg 40%

Sodium 1069.1mg 45%

Total Carbohydrates 48.2g 16%

Dietary Fiber 0.2g 1%

Sugars 36.8g

Protein 49g 98%

Vitamin A 12%

Vitamin C 2%

Calcium 5%

Iron 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.