This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.
This Mongolian beef is crazy tender with a crispy seared edge that gets coated in a bold sticky sauce. It’s way better than P.F. Changs and so easy to make at home!
If you want to try making this in the slow cooker, we love this Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef. It’s one of the top recipes on the website!
Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe
We love this slow cooker Mongolian beef so much at our house. It melts in your mouth perfectly and has the most amazing flavor. Even my picky eaters 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. My family likes it saucy so it’s smothered in that thick, delicious glaze. The flavor is unreal. Serve it up with some fresh steamed rice and these Asian lettuce wraps for a restaurant-quality meal that the whole family will go crazy over.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These simple ingredients combine to make the most tender and flavorful Mongolian beef! I love that so many of them are basic cooking staples and things you’ll already have on hand. Exact measurement are in the recipe card below.
- Flank Steak: Flank steak is a lean and flavorful cut of beef that’s perfect for Mongolian Beef. Slicing it thin ensures it cooks quickly and absorbs the tasty sauce.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used to coat the sliced beef. It creates a light, crispy texture when cooked and helps the sauce cling to the meat, making each bite flavorful.
- Vegetable Oil: Used to cook the beef slices, giving them a nice sear.
- Low-Sodium Soy Sauce: Soy sauce adds that classic umami flavor and a touch of saltiness to the dish.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds sweetness to the sauce and also gives it a rich, caramelized glaze.
- Water: To thin out the sauce.
- Minced Ginger: So the sauce has a zesty and slightly spicy kick.
- Garlic Cloves: Minced to add savory flavor to each bite.
- Red Pepper Flakes: For some subtle heat.
- Green Onions: Sprinkled on top for a fresh garnish.
How to Make Mongolian Beef
Grab your ingredients and get ready to make the most flavor-packed beef ever! Since it only takes 25 minutes from start to finish, it’s the perfect dinner for busy weeknights.
- Coat Beef: Add the sliced flank steak and cornstarch to a large Ziploc bag. Then toss the beef to coat evenly.
- Sear: Heat a large skillet to high heat and add the vegetable oil. 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 then set aside on a plate.
- Prepare Sauce: 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.
- Combine: Add the steak to the sauce and allow the sauce to thicken for a couple of minutes.
- Garnish: Toss with the chopped green onions and then sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Mongolian Beef
Getting your Mongolian beef just right is all about nailing those key steps. Here are some expert tips to ensure your dish comes out perfectly delicious:
- Slicing Your Beef: When slicing your flank steak make sure to slice it against the grain. I like to slice mine about 1/4 inch thick.
- Use a Hot Pan: Since the beef is so thin, you want to avoid overcooking. 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 make it lose that crispy signature edge.
- Make 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.
- Serve With: Mongolian beef is great served over some rice and with a side of stir-fried vegetables. Your favorite vegetables like broccoli, snap peas, etc. will make a great addition.
Storing Leftovers and Reheating
Store any leftover Mongolian beef you may have, because it’s great for heating up and enjoying later! I like to make a little extra rice as well for a quick lunch that’s super satisfying!
- In the Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat: Warm over the stove on medium-low heat or in the oven, covered with aluminum foil, for about 10 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Looking for More Delicious Asian-Inspired Recipes?
Try these! Not only are they beyond easy to make, but SO flavorful and satisfying. Skip those costly delivery fees and enjoy flavor-packed Asian dishes from the comfort of your kitchen!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Super Easy Mongolian Beef (Tastes Just like P.F. Chang’s!)
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. 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
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItSuper Easy Mongolian Beef (Tastes Just like P.F. Chang’s!)
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. 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
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is seriously my favourite beef dish! I used pre packed stir fry beef from the grocery store and added extra ginger and lots of black pepper because I love that taste! So yummy and I have it for lunch the next day too!
So delicious. Meat was tender and flavorful. New family favorite.
Loved the recipe: very easy and absolutely tasty! I added it a bit of chili sauce and tastes like heaven.
This dish is fantastic. Best Mongolian recipe I’ve ever tried, in or out of a restaurant. I did it with onion wedges, sugar snaps and water chestnuts over rice noodled, absolutely delicious. Just a question, if I wanted to make say half again of the sauce, would I still add more garlic and ginger? Thanks very much for this one!
This sounds delish, can i use another kind of meat in this recipe ? thanks
Yes, what meat are you thinking?! I would love to hear how it turns out!
Could you use chicken?
Yes, that will work great! Let me know what you think is best!
This was delicious. I added some red capsicum strips for a bit of colour and a chopped red chilli to the sauce and served with Asian greens and brown rice. Yummy!! Next time I will cut the sugar back a bit and see if it is still as good.
When adding the beef to the pan the oil gets absorbed rather quickly from the cornstarch. Is it advisable to add more oil as you go? We tried this and you lose
heat every time you add more oil. If you don’t add oil only the 1st batch gets it.
Hope that makes sense.
Totally makes sense. I like to continually add a little bit of oil or enough to cover the base of the pan if I am making a double batch. Also, using a frying pan plugged in is a great way to keep it from losing heat compared to a stove top. Hope that helps! Let me know how it turns out!
I used strip steak and it’s was delicious!! This very quick and easy.
That was a nice and easy recipe. Do need to order out for my favourite any more. Thanks.
My variation, is to add pickled jalapeno slices plus some juice at end of fry of meat. Add sliced shallots at the last 5 mins of cooking. The heat is like soaking up the summer sun with a just about to a filling stomach. I always do a rachel ray, never measure the portions , just be close to but never spot on chemistry accurate, it does’nt have to be.
That sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing!
I read comments and some said it was too salty so I ended up using 1/4 cup soy sauce and 1/2 cup water. This recipe was so good I can wait to make it again!! Thank you
It was a bit salty but I added green onions, grated ginger and ponzu to the sauce to cut it a little.
You are welcome to reduce the amount of salt and still have a great turn out with this beef. Hope you can try it again. Thanks for following along with me!
Wow, was this good! Thanks so much and really like that you suggest side parings!
We made this tonight. Definitely easy. Definitely delicious. Didn’t have flank steak out our butcher this week, used carne asada instead and it worked well. Very important to just let that beef crisp. Thanks for the recipe.
I want to make this to take to pot luck and I think it is better fresh than left over. I want to cook the meat at home and then add the sauce and let it cook when I get to the pot luck. Should I still do the cornstarch on the meat even if it sits for a while before adding the liquid ingredients or just brown the meat and add the cornstarch to the liquid ingredients when I arrive ? I have made this before at home it is absolutely amazing
This was very quick to put together, and for the most part it was delicious – it was a substitution I had to make that made the sauce extremely salty. My daughter in law is gluten intolerant so I never have soy sauce in the house, just tamari which is the same idea but gluten free. Next time, I’ll cut the amount in maybe half and just sub extra water to replace it. Other than the saltiness the taste was good!