The next time you're craving Mongolian beef in that savory-sweet and glossy sauce, skip the trip to the restaurant and make this popular dish in the comfort of your own kitchen—this version is super easy, and healthier, too!
The Search for Mongolian Beef Leads Me... Home?
What is Mongolian Beef, and what makes it so popular?
This particular dish has everything we love about Chinese-American cuisine; and when done just right, it's perfectly sweet and savory, slightly spicy and loaded with lots delicious aromatics such as ginger, garlic, green onions and even a few dried red chilis, all combined to bring a nice pop of deep, fragrant flavor.
Often times when my husband and I get a hankering for a little meal out but can't quite get our cravings aligned, we can pretty much always settle on our favorite little Asian restaurant about fifteen minutes from home.
It isn't a fancy place at all, and some would argue that it's not necessarily even all that authentic, but that's alright with us. The food is always hot, delicious and flavorful, the service super friendly, and we've yet to encounter a time we haven't enjoyed ourselves when we go.
This place has a extensive menu, and I must say I love to sample something different as often as I can.
And for years I'd been wanting to try Mongolian beef, a dish that a lot of big-name Asian restaurant chains usually offer. But I discovered that our favorite place actually didn't have that on their menu!
So of course that meant that I would have to put my own Mongolian beef recipe together (after doing a little research), so that I could finally enjoy this popular restaurant entree, and see for myself why folks love it so much!
Mongolian Beef, Made from Scratch!
I find that when I crave Asian food, I'm either looking for something light, fresh and healthy; or something more indulgent, like a crispy, saucy and flavorful meat dish, served over a bed of rice or noodles.
And Mongolian beef is definitely a great representation of the latter.
For my Mongolian beef recipe, I found that using flank steak is indeed the best option; because it's tender and sears up quickly in a hot cast-iron skillet, the next best thing when one doesn't have a wok.
And then to give this dish its signature flavorful glossiness, I prepared a simple sauce with a bit of soy, hoisin, and brown sugar to drizzle over top as a finisher.
It turns out that Mongolian beef is a tasty meal that one doesn't really need to visit an Asian restaurant to enjoy, because it's actually quite quick and easy to prepare at home, which is still the best place to enjoy a spectacular meal!
Recipe
Mongolian Beef Recipe
by Ingrid Beer
Category: Entree
Cuisine: Asian
Yield: Serves 6
Nutrition Info: 423 calories
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons water
- 1 ½ pounds flank steak, sliced very thinly against the grain on the bias into about 1 ½” strips
- Salt
- Black pepper
- ¼ cup (heaping) cornstarch
- Vegetable oil (I like avocado or peanut), about 6 tablespoons total
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 5 dried red chilis
- 2 teaspoons garlic, pressed through garlic press (about 4 large cloves)
- 4 green onions, sliced on the bias into 1” long pieces
- Rice, to serve on the side, if desired
- To prepare your sauce, whisk together the hoisin sauce, the soy sauce, the brown sugar and the water; set aside.
- Toss the sliced flank steak with a couple of pinches of salt and black pepper, plus the the cornstarch; set aside while you heat your pan.
- Place a wok, cast-iron skillet or other heavy-bottom pan over high heat, and drizzle in about 4 tablespoon of the oil; once smoking hot, add in some of the flank steak (working in batches) in an even layer and sear, undisturbed, on that first side for a couple of minutes; flip and sear on the other side, until the steak has a brown crust; remove and hold on a large plate, and repeat with the rest of the steak.
- Reduce the heat under the pan to medium-low now (as it will be very hot), and add about 2 tablespoons more of the oil; then, add in the dried red chilis and stir to fry those up for about 30 seconds; then, add in the ginger and the garlic, and stir together for about 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Add in the beef and stir to coat it in the mixture for about 30 seconds, then add in sliced green onions, and the sauce, and toss everything together to coat and become hot for about 30 seconds more.
- Serve family style over a bed of white rice, or spoon onto a platter and serve separately with rice or noodles.
Tips & Tidbits for Mongolian Beef:
- Tender cut of beef: Flank steak cut against the grain (on the bias) is a great pick for this recipe; but you can use sirloin, or any other quick-cooking beef. (Avoid stew meat, as it is tough.)
- Choose your spiciness level: Because the dried red chilis are left whole, they don't add a huge amount of heat to the dish unless you bite directly into them; but feel free to leave these out if cooking for folks with a sensitive palate.
- Get that pan super hot: Because you don't want to make the beef tough, make sure the skillet is very, very hot; this way, when you add in a batch of the steak, it can begin to caramelize quickly and you can remove it from the pan.
- Don't overcrowd the pan: Work in smaller batches with the beef so as to not overcrowd the pan and cause the meat to steam, robbing it of that crispiness.
Looking for more Asian inspired recipes? Check out this Peanut Sauce Chicken, this Teriyaki Chicken, or this Spicy Pork with Noodles...
Puja
Hi Ingrid ... I just luvvv all your recipes
Super easy and delicious too
Just one question since I don’t eat beef
Will the recipe taste as good with chicken
Wud appreciate ur reply so I can make it
For lunch or dinner this week
Thank you
The Cozy Apron
Hi Puja, thank you! I think this recipe would be really delicious substituting chicken, and I, personally, would even add some peanuts in that case. I hope you enjoy, and happy cooking to you!
Shannon
Okay.... I just made this... I have never made anything better in my life, and I'm a pretty good cook. My whole family thanks you for this recipe!!
The Cozy Apron
Hey Shannon, how awesome! I'm thrilled the whole family enjoyed it! High-five for a job well done, and thank you so much for taking a moment to share your results with me.
Puja
Hi Ingrid ... the chicken turned out amazing
And like u suggested to add in some
Peanuts which I did .. the husband and
Son totally enjoyed lunch this afternoon
Just to mention also I sprinkled some
White sesame seeds on top as well
Before serving ... it was delicious
Thx u once again and looking forward
To some more simple and yummy recipes
From u ....
.
The Cozy Apron
Puja, so glad you came back to share! When the husband and son are happy, then I know momma is happy, too. Job well done on adapting this recipe to your personal needs—I'm thrilled it was a hit for you! Happy cooking!
Kevin
So I hardly ever leave comments for online recipes, but in this caae I feel compelled to do so, because, holy crap, is this recipe good! Mongolian beef has been my go-to choice at Chinese restaurants forever, and this beats them all. The only downside is that my wife and kid kept me from comsuming the entire batch, curse them. I'll know better next time, and scale up the recipe. Thank you;
The Cozy Apron
Hi Kevin,
I am so thrilled you shared your experience with the recipe—this put a BIG smile on my face! 😉
And I'm very happy that it met your expectations, seeing as your a bit of "connoisseur" of Mongolian beef...the beauty is that now you don't have to go out to enjoy it. (Glad the family enjoyed it, too.)
And yes! You can easily double or 1 1/2 x this recipe next time for extra or to have leftovers.
Thank you for your comments!
Jane M.
Hi, I just made this recipe and it was very yummy as everyone else has said, but I was wondering if you could give me any advice about the heat level when cooking the beef. I thought that I had it just right because the oil had just started to smoke, but when I added the beef in it started spattering everywhere-- so much so that my electric burner actually caught on fire and I had to get the pan off the range and turn everything down. However, after I put the pan back on lower heat it seemed to be taking a bit too long to cook. Do you have any general advice about how to keep the oil from spattering/how to know when the range is just right? Sorry for the novice question, but I really enjoyed the taste of this and would like to make it again without the fire.
The Cozy Apron
Oh no, Jane!
While this is not funny, your last line actually did make me chuckle...don't blame you for wanting an experience sans fire.
I'm not sure what to advise exactly, as cooking food that requires high heat like this on an electric burner is a bit tricky. Fire (gas range) is always preferred, just because you can manage the heat a little easier, and make adjustments quicker.
What's challenging here is that you need it super hot for it to crisp and actually cook quickly, rather than slowly which makes the meat tougher...
The only thing I can think to offer is to perhaps try using a touch less oil next time. You need the high heat, and of course some oil, but if there's too much oil (or moisture) spatter can happen. Maybe if there's less, then there won't be as much spatter.
The other thing is to make sure that the meat is dry. If you pat it very dry before tossing in cornstarch then it that helps too.
I hope your next experience with the electric burner will a better one!
Sarah Dosanjh
Very easy and quick to fix delicious Mangolian style meat dishes I had it over warm steamed Jasmine rice. Thanks for this recipe. If you are cooking with chicken, make it browner and top it with wala wala fried onions and green spring onions. I added a pinch of garlic chili sauce to spice it up a bit. Enjoy!!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Sarah, glad you enjoyed! Thanks for sharing.
Brian Kimmel
I love it! Roomates love it! No more panda express for me!!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Brian, so glad you all enjoyed it! And when the roommates enjoy it, you know what that means: you just might become the house cook for a while, if you aren't already, lol... 😉
Yes to "no more Panda Express"! Thanks so much for sharing.
Jacqui
Hi Ingrid! I just made your Mongolian Beef and it was amazing! My husband told me it was better than our favorite restaurant. I can’t wait to make even more of your recipes. Thanks for making me a better cook!!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Jacqui, I'm thrilled to read that! You made my day! 😉
I, too, can't wait for you to try out more of my recipes...I hope both you and your hubby gain lots of nourishment and pleasure from them! Happy cooking!
Drea
What type of red dried chilies are these? Thank you!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Drea, mine happen to be arbol, as these were what my market had that were thin, longish and red.
Hope you enjoy!
Sammi
What could you substitute for the dried chili’s? I have Thai chili’s but aren’t dried and jalepenos and spices not sure what to use instead!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Sammi, the fresh would work just fine as well!
I would just recommend that you use your personal level of spice. Since you have these at home, I'm assuming you're familiar with how spicy they are, and I'd say just slice them thinly and add them to the finished dish, or at the very end of the final sauté in the pan. (Be careful, as the fresh tend to release the capsaisin into the air...)
You could also use red pepper flakes if you happen to have those in your cupboard.
Annie
AMAZING!!! I’ve tried multiple recipes for Mongolian Beef and while good...not what I wanted. This is perfect! Hubby is going to town on it.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Annie, what a wonderful review—thank you! So excited that you and your hubby enjoyed the recipe, and that this one is more in line with what you were looking for.
Thank you for sharing your experience here, and I hope you garner lots of pleasure and comfort from the dish!
Gigi
This was so delicious and easy to prep. We used grass fed sirloin and cooked it just as Ingrid suggested. Made such a yummy sauce! For those looking for dried red chilis, I found a small bag for less than $2 at our local Asian grocery store. I also added fresh green beans at the same step as the chilis and it was awesome! My son went back for 2nds and finished off the pan! Will definitely make again!
The Cozy Apron
Gigi, the grass fed beef is so delicious, isn't it? I use that pretty much exclusively in my cooking these days.
So glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe, and I thank you for taking some time to share your experience!
Peggy Gorley
Delicious. I used chicken and also sliced an onion and cooked just before adding the garlic and ginger. Will make again.
The Cozy Apron
Peggy, so glad you enjoyed, and made it your own!
Meredith
Hi. I’m going to cook this tonight!! When you cook the steak, are you cutting it up into the small slices before cooking it or cooking the steak in bigger chunks and then slicing once it’s cooked?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Meredith, how fun you'll be preparing this!
You will cut the raw steak into thin strips, then proceed with the seasoning, etc, and searing the strips off in the hot pan.
Hope that clarifies, and I hope you enjoy!
Stephanie Smith
Delicious! I made this tonight and it was delicious! I’ll be making it again!
Julie
Hi, I'm not sure if your hoisin sauce in the U.S. is less sweet than ours in Canada. I found the recipe really good, but a tad sweet for my liking. I'm thrilled with the way the flank steak was nice and tender and I love the way it browned up. But I feel that I could've omitted the brown sugar from the sauce. Our hoisin sauce is fairly sweet already. Otherwise, love the recipe, thanks!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Julie, glad you enjoyed! And yes, absolutely make the recipe according to your personal preferences next time around. That's the beauty of cooking! 😉
Sue
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit! I doubled the sauce because I had 2 pounds of meat and was serving it over egg linguine instead of rice. I will definitely make this again!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Sue, so happy to read that you enjoyed the recipe so much!
Nice little swap/substition by making this into a bit of a pasta dish—sounds yummy! 🙂
Susan
Could this be made in an electric skillet? I have a ceramic top stove so can’t use a wok or cast iron skillet. Don’t really want to buy an electric wok due to storage space limitations.
Your recipe sounds so delicious that I want to make it if I can do it on an electric skillet. YUM.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Susan, unfortunately, I have no experience using an electric skillet. If it can get really hot and produce a nice sear on the meat, then I'd say absolutely—go ahead and use it! You just basically need a pan that'll be able to handle getting really hot for best results.
Leslie Capps
Hi there! When I made this I used the prescribed amount of oil, but the sauce seemed especially oilly when I finished. Any thought as to what may have happened?
Thanks!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Leslie, not quite sure! It sounds a bit like the oil didn't emulsify or completely blend with the sauce, because it shouldn't be "oily". It may just be that you don't need as much oil, so I'd simply recommend using less in that case, and you should be fine. 🙂
Kobey Kitty
Would Tri-Tip steaks work with this recipe?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Kobey, if that's what you have on hand, then sure! This cut can get a little tough and dry if overcooked, so just keep that in mind. But I think the flavor will be great!