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Easy Mongolian Beef has crazy tender beef with a crispy seared edge that gets coated in a bold sticky sauce. This is way better than P.F. Changs!
If you want to try making this in the slow cooker, we love this Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef. It is one of the top recipes on the website!
Easy Mongolian Beef
We love this Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef so much at our house. It has melt in your mouth beef and the most amazing flavor. The kids are always asking me to make it. So I knew that it was time to make an easy version that takes less than 30 minutes to make and tastes even better than….. dare I say… P.F. Chang’s!? The magic to this meal is the crispy pan fried beef that is so incredibly tender. Our family likes it saucy so it had plenty of thick and amazing sauce. The flavor is unreal. Your family is going to go crazy for this meal!
How do you make Mongolian beef?
- In a large ziplock bag add the sliced flank steak and cornstarch. Toss the beef to coat evenly. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat and add the vegetable oil.
- Once heated, add the steak in a single layer and cook on each side for about a minute until the edges just start to brown. Once the steak is cooked, remove and set aside on a plate.
- In a small mixing bowl combine soy sauce, brown sugar, water, ginger, and garlic. Add the sauce to the pan and bring to a boil. Add the steak to the sauce and allow the sauce to thicken for a couple of minutes. Toss with the chopped green onions and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
What kind of beef is used for Mongolian beef?
Most Mongolian beef recipes use flank steak. This can be thinly sliced about ¼ inch thick. When you combine the cornstarch with the beef, this gives it the distinct crunch on the outside and tender inside.
Tips and Tricks for making the perfect Mongolian beef:
- Slicing your beef: When slicing your flank steak make sure to slice it against the grain. I like to slice mine about ¼ inch thick.
- Make sure your pan is hot: Since the beef is so thin, you want to avoid over cooking. To get that crispy edge and tender center, make sure the pan is on hot heat so that it can quickly sear the edges of the beef and leave a nice and tender inside.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan: In order to cook the beef evenly and quickly in the hot pan, be sure to have the beef in single layers. You may have to work in smaller batches. You do not want the meat to steam which will lose that crispy signature edge.
- If you want the sauce thicker: The cornstarch on the beef should thicken up the sauce, but if you would like a thicker sauce, just add a teaspoon of cornstarch at a time.
What sides do I serve with Mongolian beef?
Mongolian beef is great served over some rice and with a side of stir fry vegetables. Your favorite vegetable like broccoli, snap peas, etc. will make a great addition.
Looking for more delicious asian inspired recipes?
Super Easy Mongolian Beef (Tastes Just like P.F. Changs!)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds flank steak sliced thin
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- green onions sliced for garnish
Instructions
- In a large ziplock bag add the sliced flank steak and cornstarch. Toss the beef to coat evenly. Heat a large skillet to high heat and add the vegetable oil. Once heated, add the steak in a single layer and cook on each side for about a minute until the edges just start to brown. Once the steak is cooked, remove and set aside on a plate.
- In a small mixing bowl combine soy sauce, brown sugar, water, ginger, and garlic. Add the sauce to the pan and bring to a boil. Add the steak to the sauce and allow the sauce to thicken for a couple of minutes. Toss with the chopped green onions and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
Video
Nutrition
Serves: 4
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Love the recipe on a whole, but 1/2 cup of Soy Sauce makes this too salty. I cut the soy sauce in half and make the difference up with beef stock. You still get that great soy flavor with much less salt.
Great recipe! This is always a hit.
I usually make 2 lb of flank steak and double the sauce recipe. Then I sauté bok choy and bell peppers (or whatever is at the store) in a splash of soy sauce and mix them all together to serve. The beef stands up really well to some crunchy veggies!
Find a better cut of beef(NY STRIP)preferably because it’s easy to over cook flank steak and it turns into beef jerky!!! But the flavor is AMAZING!!!
The potential flavors are there but WOW, too salty.
This recipe was absolutely amazing! I will definitely make it again… and again… and again! Make sure to follow directions exactly and you will be pleased! WAY better than P.F. Chang’s!
I followed the receipe to a t. It tasted amazing!
I’m so glad that you loved it! It’s delicious!
OMG! This was just like PF Changs, but better! First of all, I knew what was in it and second;u there was actually sauce! I did cut the amount of sugar down by half at first and did add a teaspoon back in. Other than that it was perfect!
Love your recipes!
This is a very good dish and easy and quick. My only critique is that it is way too sweet. Next time I will use much less sugar.
Been making this recipe for a couple of years now. Best Mongolian beef recipe out there. Absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing this!
I absolutely love love this recipe however only have sirloin on hand, can I use that instead of the flank steak? Thanks in advance!!
Amazinggggg! So easy and tatsty
It was amazing and my whole family loved it. Only thing I will change for next time is to use less sugar. It was a little too sweet but still delicious.
I agree.
Great recipe, its a regular in our home! I love the sauce so I always make extra, also garnish with some fresh sliced jalapeños for added freshness and spice! So delish!!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I made it tonight and it was delicious. Me, my boyfriend, and 2 year old loved it. 🙂
Delicious, better than take-out and easy too.
One of the best ever mongolian beef recipe i have ever tried so far. Thanks for sharing this recipe with all of us. Even i have a special slow cooker mongolian beef recipe as well.
This recipe is amazing, if I could give it more stars I would! Be sure you follow the instructions on not crowding the pan when cooking the meat. It takes a few extra minutes but is so important to get that fantastic texture.