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This 30-Minute Mongolian Beef is savory and sweet and so delicious!! With thinly cut steak, soy sauce, brown sugar, fresh garlic, and ginger – this Mongolian Beef recipe is all prepped and ready to eat in just 30 minutes!
Lately, I’ve really been craving Chinese food. I think it’s because I’ve been feasting on so much traditional American comfort food - you know, with the Holidays and all.
How about you - could you go for some Chinese food right about now? What’s your favorite dish?
A few of my favorite Asian meals would have to include Mango Chicken, Broccoli and Beef, a big ole bowl of Ramen,Sweet and Sour Shrimp, Mongolian Chicken, or the classic General Tso Chicken.
... PLUS my latest obsession and today’s recipe – this super easy, 30-Minute Mongolian Beef!
30-Minute Mongolian Beef
You may have tried this tasty dish at PF Chang’s – I think it’s one of their most popular menu items.
And just in case you haven’t and you’re wondering “What is Mongolian Beef?” I’m here to break it down for you.
What is Mongolian Beef?
It’s typically flank steak thinly sliced and quickly seared, then added to a sweet and savory sauce. And paired with scallions or mixed veggies.
It’s usually served over steamed rice or in lettuce wraps with those crispy cellophane noodles.
And personally, I can’t get enough of this savory sweet combination of fresh garlic and onions – yum! I also like to add some chili oil or red pepper flakes for a bit of spicy heat. It’s so good my friend!!
Allow me to share all my best tips for making this Mongolian beef…
How to make Mongolian Beef?
As I mentioned flank steak is usually the cut of meat used for this dish. But it’s a tougher cut of meat, and has never been my favorite, so I used sirloin steaks for my version. You could also use strip steak for this dish.
- The steaks were about 1½ inches thick. I cut them into ¼ inch slices.
- Then I laid the slices flat, covered them with plastic wrap and used a meat pounder to flatten them.
- Next, I put the meat in a resealable plastic bag and added cornstarch (this helps the meat crisp up nicely and will thicken the sauce).
- I massaged the steak and cornstarch together to make sure each piece was fully coated. Then I let them sit for 15 minutes while I prepped my other ingredients.
- Next, I added canola oil to a large frying pan and allowed the pan to heat up over medium-high heat.
- Then I added the steak to the pan in a single layer and cooked for30 seconds on each side (1 minute total).
- Cook the steak in batches rather than over-crowding the pan, because crowding the pan results in a steamed steak instead of a seared steak! I removed the steak from the pan as soon as it finished cooking, set it aside on a plate, and sprinkled it with salt.
- I added the fresh ginger and garlic to the pan and sautéed it for10-15 seconds. I added chili oil but you can use chili pepper flakes or skip this step if you don’t care for any spice.
- I stirred in the tamari/soy sauce, water and brown sugar, and brought the mixture to a boil.
- Next, I folded the steak back into the pan and let the sauce thicken for20-30 seconds.
- Finally, I turned off the heat, added the green onions, and stirred them to combine.
Better than Chinese restaurant food, in the comfort of your own home, in just 30 minutes!
Amazing – right!??
What to serve with Mongolian Beef?
So, I served my Mongolian beef over steamed jasmine rice. But you could also serve it with steamed brown rice, rice noodles, or in lettuce wraps with crispy cellophane noodles.
This quick and easy sweet and salty dish is hearty and delicious, and the perfect weeknight meal!
I’m gonna go out on a limb here and just predict that this Mongolian Beef recipe will become one of your new go-to dinner recipes!
Yield: 6 servings
30-Minute Mongolian Beef
This 30-Minute Mongolian Beef is savory and sweet and so delicious!!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1½ pound 1-inch thick sirloin steak
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 4 tablespoon garlic, minced
- Red pepper flakes or chili oil
- ⅓ cup reduced sodium tamari sauce (for gluten-free), or soy sauce if you prefer
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 8 stalks scallions, green parts only, cut into 2 inch pieces
Instructions
- Slice the steak in ¼-inch slices. Lay the slices flat, cover with plastic wrap and use a meat pounder to flatten the meat. Put the meat in a ziploc bag and add the cornstarch. Massage the steak and cornstarch together to make sure each piece is fully coated.
- Pour the canola oil into a large frying pan, and heat on medium high heat.
- Add the steak to the pan in a single layer and cook for 30 seconds per side (1 minute total). Cook the steak in batches rather than over-crowding the pan. Remove the steak from the pan as it finishes cooking, set it aside on a plate, then sprinkle with salt.
- Next, add the ginger, garlic, and chili oil or red pepper flakes (if desired for more spice) to the pan and sauté for 10-15 seconds.
- Stir in tamari (or soy sauce), water and brown sugar and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Fold the steak back in and let the sauce thicken for 20-30 seconds. (The cornstarch used on the steak should thicken the sauce.)
- Turn off the heat, add the green onions, and stir to combine.
- Serve over white rice, rice noodles or in lettuce wraps.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
4 ounces of beef with ½ cup rice
Amount Per ServingCalories 478Total Fat 28gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 105mgSodium 908mgCarbohydrates 23gFiber 1gSugar 11gProtein 33g
This nutrition card uses an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. This estimate is not a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice!
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Melissa
My sauce didn’t thicken up and my sauce was gritty. What did I do wrong.?
Reply
holly
Hi Melissa, I'm not sure. Did you do anything different than what the recipe instructs? Maybe it's your cornstarch, or possibly not cooking the sliced meat at a high enough temperature.
Reply
Chanel
I love Mongolian beef and I’m so happy that’s on this recipe because now I can make it on my own
Reply
holly
Hi Chanel, welcome to Taste And See! The Mongolian Beef recipe is the number one recipe right now so you have good instincts. Let me know what you think of it after trying it. I think you're going to love it!
Reply
Ken
Can this be made with chicken breasts?
Reply
holly
Hi Ken, I don't recommend this cooking method for chicken. It just doesn't seem to come out very tender. I do have a Mongolian Chicken recipe on the blog - you should check that out.
Reply
Tes
Very good and easy to make!
Reply
holly
Yayy! Thank you!
Reply
Ericka
Thank you for the recipe! Very easy to make. This is the best tasting and very easy to make Mongolian beef that I tried (and I tried many). Great tip on cooking the beef separately! Other recipes instructs to cook the meat with the sauce but sauce has sugar so it comes out burnt when the right meat is not being use (eg flank steak). Thank you! I save this website.
Reply
holly
Hi Ericka, you're more than welcome! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience with the recipe. It's awesome to hear this is the "best tasting" Mongolian beef recipe you've tried. I Love that - thank you so much!
Reply
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