Mongolian Beef is a super simple stir fry made with thin slices of tender beef, simmered in a sticky sauce, and comes together in under 30 minutes!
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Next time you're craving Mongolian Beef skip the take-out and make this from the comfort of your home! This is a close copycat of the PF Chang's Mongolian beef and uses simple ingredients a popular dish the entire family will love!
Why this recipe works
Mongolian beef is one of my favorite Chinese takeout options. Tender strips of beef, saturated in a delicious sauce! Savory and slightly sweet, I serve this stir-fry recipe over white rice or pasta with Roasted Broccoli.
Ingredients needed
Notes
- Steak: Flank steak, skirt steak, filet, or sirloin steak
- Corn starch:
- Soy sauce: Low sodium soy sauce
- Brown sugar: Either dark or light.
- Ginger: I prefer fresh ginger but ground ginger will work in a pinch.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic is best.
- Green onions: Garnish with sliced green onions or fresh parsley.
- Red pepper flakes:
How to make this recipe
- Step 1: In a small bowl add the sauce ingredients
- Step 2: Slice the meat into thin slices against the grain.
- Step 3: Sprinkle with cornstarch over the meat and toss beef until coated.
- Step 4: Heat a cast iron skillet or wok on high heat add the olive oil, and 1/4 of the sliced beef and sear in the hot pan for 2-3 minutes until crispy. Remove to a plate and finish cooking the rest.
- Step 5: Add the sauce mixture into the hot skillet and let come to a simmer, reduce the heat to low.
- Step 6: Add in the cooked steak and toss until coated, serve over rice or pasta.
Recipe tips
- Cut the meat into thin slices against the grain.
- You can use a regular, but I love to use a cast iron wok or cast iron skillet. It gets super hot and creates the best caramelization on the meat.
- Cook the beef in smaller batches you don't want to overcrowd the wok/ skillet.
Recipe Faq's
Both are beef stir fry recipes that require thinly sliced beef. Mongolian beef has a sweeter sticky sauce, and Kung Pao has bell peppers, onions and peanuts.
Both are long odd looking cuts of meat. They both work but they aren't the same. Flank steak tends to be leaner and can be a little tougher. Both skirt and flank steak takes well to marinades and have great flavor. I personally prefer skirt steak as it has a bit more fat and cooks super fast over high heat.
Look for the long fibers in the meat you want to cut across those fibers for the most tender meat. It helps to put the meat in the freezer for about 30 minutes to firm it up enough to be able to cut thin strips without it being too soft. If your using a more tender cut of beef like filet no need to cut it against the grain.
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Mongolian Beef
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak sliced against the grain into thin bite-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 2 green onions sliced
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk soy sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper until combined.
- Slice the steak thinly against the grain into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Toss the sliced flank steak and the cornstarch until evenly coated, and set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large cast iron skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once it's nice and hot add 1/4 of the beef and cook until browned and slightly crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Remove the meat and set aside. Add more oil if needed and repeat until all the meat is cooked.
- Add the sauce to the pan, simmer until thickened about 2-3 minutes, then add the beef back in and toss until coated.
- Serve with rice and top with green onions.
Yes light brown sugar will work and ground ginger works in a pinch but I always recommend fresh.
Ca you use light brown sugar instead and ground ginger instead of fresh?
I have never used round steak but I think it will work. Make sure you cut it really thin against the grain and don't cook it to long.
Can round steak be used for this recipe?
Yay Mandy! So happy everybody loves it 🙂
I’m back making this for the fourth time now, it is an absolute winner in our house!