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Tender pieces of flank steak are slow-cooked in the tastiest sweet and savory sauce. This slow cooker Mongolian beef is melt-in-your-mouth perfection and bursting with flavor. Quick and easy to prepare and one of our favorite slow cooker meals!
If you love restaurant Mongolian Beef, this super easy make-at-home rendition will be your new favorite dinner. Serve over this easy fried rice for a complete meal. And if you really want to wow your guests, egg rolls and vegetable stir-fry on the side would be amazing!
Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
Mongolian beef made in the slow cooker is life-changing! Slow cooking the beef ensures that it’ll be delicate and succulent. This slow cooker Mongolian beef recipe is an explosion of flavors in every bite! Garlic, soy sauce, and brown sugar come together to create a caramelized sauce that coats the tender juicy pieces of steak.
This is hands down one of the BEST dinners that I have ever made. My family couldn’t get enough of it! It’s so easy to make restaurant-worthy meals for the family at home. If you love this slow cooker Mongolian beef recipe then I can’t wait for you to try more of our favorites. Make this sweet and sour chicken, these lettuce wraps, of this incredible bang bang chicken.
Mongolian Beef Ingredients
Slow cooker Mongolian beef is SO easy to make with minimal ingredients. The ingredients are simple, but the outcome is incredible! Your dinner is prepped and ready to go in under 10 minutes!
- Flank Steak: Sirloin can be substituted here but avoid stew meat.
- Corn Starch: This acts as a natural tenderizer for the beef.
- Olive Oil: Use canola oil if you’d rather.
- Garlic: Minced or chopped will give the most flavor.
- Soy Sauce: Either low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos can be used here.
- Water: This will help make it saucy.
- Brown Sugar: Light or dark brown sugar is both great in the sauce.
- Carrots: Grate a carrot or instead use pre-shredded carrots.
- Green Onions and Sesame Seeds: Optional garnish, but make a stunning topping.
How to Make Mongolian Beef in a Slow Cooker
The beef literally just melts in your mouth! You can always count on the slow cooker for tender beef. The tasty sauce clings to the cornstarch-coated steak and every bite is bursting with flavor. See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Cut and Coat: Cut the flank steak thinly and across the grain to ensure a tender bite. Place the steak in a ziplock bag with the cornstarch then shake to coat. Make sure to coat the beef evenly.
- Add ingredients to the Slow Cooker: Mix the oil, garlic, soy sauce, water, brown sugar, and carrots in the slow cooker.
- Coat the Beef: Stir the beef into the slow cooker making sure it’s well-coated
- Cook: Set on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-6 hours.
- Garnish and Enjoy: Garnish with chopped green onion and sesame seeds for added flavor and texture then enjoy over rice!
Tips and Variations
Everything about this Mongolian recipe is perfect, and I know that it will become a family favorite at your house just like it did at ours! Here are some ideas and variations to make it your own! I also included instructions for making it in the instant pot when you’re short on time!
- Slicing the Beef: When slicing the flank steak make sure to slice it against the grain. I like to slice mine about 1/4 inch thick.
- Veggies: Roast broccoli, green beans or red bell pepper then stir in before serving. Vegetables add texture and nutrition.
- Instant Pot: This easily converts to a quick Instant Pot recipe. Saute the steak on high until browned. Add the sauce ingredients and cook on “Manual” for 10 minutes. Lastly, quick release the pressure and enjoy!
How to Store Leftovers
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: Place leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
- In the Freezer: Once cooled, store leftovers in an air-tight container or freezer ziplock bag for up to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before rewarming.
- To Reheat: Place leftovers in a microwave-safe bowl then heat for 1-2 minutes or until warmed through.
More Savory Slow Cooker Recipes
Slow cooker dinners always save the day! They’re easy and SO delicious. Everyone loves coming home to a warm home-cooked dinner. Try some of our favorites this week for dinner. You’ll love them all!
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Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds flank steak
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- ¾ cup soy sauce
- ¾ cup water
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup carrots, grated
- green onions and sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Cut flank steak into thin strips. In a ziplock bag add flank steak pieces and cornstarch. Shake to coat.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the olive oil, minced garlic, soy sauce, water, and brown sugar. Whisk to combine and add to the slow cooker.
- Add the grated carrots and coated flank steak to the slow cooker and stir until coated in the sauce.
- Serve over rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Does the cornstarch thicken the sauce right in the crock pot? I can never thicken sauces properly.
no hustle in preparing this food too easy….but ,I love spicy foods! So, If ever i will do this for sure I’ll gonna add a lot of chili for my taste buds
This was one of the best slow cooker recipes I’ve ever made! It was wonderful and we will be having it again in the future! The beef was melt in your mouth tender, the taste of the sauce was wonderful, the only problem was we ate too much! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I’m making it right now!!! I can’t wait to try it! I’m doing 3 hrs on high … did anyone else do it on high?
Loved it! Maybe a little too thick, I may cut the cornstarch in half next time. Hubby and I personalized it at the table with green onion, red pepper and snow peas?
The recipe calls for cloves, but is not included in the video, please advise if this is indeed an ingredient that is to be added.
I was so looking forward to this dinner but when I got home it had burned! I followed directions exactly and set my crock pot to 6 hours. Should I have done 4 instead? Did it burn from staying warm the two hours before I got home? Any tips would help cuz I tasted a piece that didn’t burn and it was yummy! Thanks!
Going to make this tonight. But am confused about the carrot situation? It says grated carrots for garnish but in the recipe is states to throw them in before cooking. But surely that’ll make grated carrots soggy and horrible. What’s doing with the carrots?
Looks great. Have read all the comments and suggestions. I want to double the recipe but don’t know if my standard slow cooker is large enough. What size do you think is necessary if I double the recipe? Thank you!
Natasha-If you fill a crockpot or slowcooker right to the top edge of the pot, during the bubbling or simmering process, a vacuum will form which will cause some of the crockpot liquid to be siphoned out of the cooker, and it will drip down the side of the pot and onto your counter. For this reason, I recommend to not fill your slowcooker right to the top, but allow at least 1 to 1-1/2 inches of space below the top edge of the pot to allow ample room for the foods to simmer during cooking. This practice will reduce food waste and avoid a messy cleanup.
Wow, thanks so much for taking the time to respond with this useful information Alyssa. Do you have any idea how full the crockpot gets with the recipe as stated? I have a 6 quart crockpot and wondering if I could prepare the recipe for 8 people – ie. I would make 1.5x what the recipe states – and just not sure how full it will get. Thx!
Not quite as good as it looks. I added a cup of water each hour to keep it moist. Also helps to add some onions for flavor during the final hour.
Five stars! So easy – so good!
My family gives this 5 stars, it makes a frequent appearance during our busy weekdays. Additionally, we like steamed broccoli added over rice. I often buy precut meat labeled “thin sliced beef for carne picada”, it works well and turns out very tender!
That is so great to hear! Thank you for sharing the idea about pre-cut meat. That makes things super easy!
Made this for tonight – bubbled away on high for 3 hours and tastes good. I did reduce the sugar to half a cup and still tastes very sweet to me – may reduce a bit more next time. Added a small piece of scotch bonnet chilli too.Used beef shin as that’s all they sell on Sainsbury’s (UK) butchery. Thank you for making me use my slow cooker which I’ve had for about 30 years. Will do again soon 🙂
Love simple recipes that taste good! I made according to directions this time, but it was a bit too sweet for my family, so I will cut the sugar down to 1/4 cup next time. Will definitely make it again! (I also used “thin slices beef for carne picada” from Aldi instead of flank. Very tender and cooked perfectly unless than two hours.)
We have made this a few times now; the first adjustment was to cut the soy in HALF, because it was so salty. Then made up the liquid with half water and half rice wine vinegar. Then added some chili oil to perk it up some (red pepper flakes is a good idea). We like it with more carrots.
This is clearly a very adjustable dish – play with it! But it is delicious and very easy.
Yes, almost any cut of beef will work, but London or flank seem best.
I am in Australia and I don’t think we have cornstarch. Can I use cornflour?
Cornflour is cornstarch I believe. It’s called that in the UK too