Mongolian Beef
on Apr 05, 2019, Updated Apr 10, 2022
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This 20-minute dish is so easy to make, with a wonderful savory-sweet glaze coating the ultra thin slices of steak.
Easy Mongolian Beef
My family cannot get enough of Asian food, and any time I crank out a dish that announces itself with aromas of garlic, ginger, and soy sauce I pretty much know dinner will be a success.
What is Mongolian Beef?
Mongolian Beef is a Chinese-American (or American-Chinese) dish consisting of beef coated with a savory brown sauce that includes hoisin (usually), soy sauce, and chili peppers (or something spicy), plus some other additions. Usually there is some sweetness added as well, here brown sugar, which allows the sauce to caramelize so nicely.
It is highly reminiscent of the kind of dish you might get at an old-school Chinese restaurant. Often broccoli is included, and I am going to add some next time, for for now….broccoli on the side would be great.
Shaved Beef Steak
Look for shaved beef steak, sometimes called beef shaved steak—I don’t know why—napkin-thin slices of beef which can come from any part of the cow. It might be labeled “sandwich steak” (designed for sandwiched like Philly subs) or shabu-shabu beef (intended for Japanese cooking, or possibly Chinese hot-pot) or Pho (used in the traditional Vietnamese soup). It also could be called braciole beef (used in that classic Italian dish where it is wrapped around a filling, usually involving breadcrumbs and cheese). Bulgogi in Korean markets. Rouladen in German butcheries.
If you have a friendly butcher ordering this cut of meat can generate some interesting conversation about the different ways to cook it.
This 20-minute dish is so easy to make, with a wonderful savory-sweet glaze coating the ultra thin slices of steak.
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How to Make Mongolian Beef
Mongolian beef can also be made with different types of thinly sliced or small cut meat, and if shaved beef isn’t an option, place a piece of flank steak in the freezer until quite firm but not totally frozen and then thinly slice it across the grain and use that instead. It will essentially defrost as you cut it and it waits to hit the hot pan. This thinness of the meat allows every little bit of it to be coated with a wonderful glaze.
Coat the Beef with Cornstarch
Dusting the slices of beef in cornstarch before sautéing them allows them to brown nicely. Saute in batches, so it can brown evenly. This is slightly annoying, but it goes SO fast. And then when the beef meets with sauce the cornstarch not only helps the thicken the sauce, but also allows the sauce to coat the beef deliciously.
Saute the Beef Quickly
The beef needs just a few minutes in the pan to brown.
Add the Sauce
Once all of the meat has been browned, put it back in the pan and add the sauce. Toss until it’s thick and the glaze looks and smells lovely.
Finish the Mongolian Beef
The scallions add a little bit of spiciness, and some welcome fresh green (it’s a brown dish, I will say that).
Toss until everything is well combined.
How to Serve Mongolian Beef
Serve it up over some hot rice. For an old school Chinese-American dish I default to white rice. This kind of food makes me wonder where the little packets of duck sauce are. Hey, maybe next time I make this, I will see if a little duck sauce on the side hits the spot. It seems like it could really work.
I could probably make this once a week for my family and it would be a long time until they tired of it. I served this up last with some Blistered Green Beans with Miso Butter. It really worked. And do give the beef one last sprinkle of fresh sliced scallions.
Mongolian Vegetables
Instead of beef, try this with a mixture of broccoli florets, sliced carrots, and snow peas. Use 6 cups of vegetables in total, and treat them just as you would the sliced beef. And if you want to use half beef (3/4 pound) and half vegetables (3 cups), just sauté them separately, with 6 teaspoons of cornstarch mixed with each, and then add half of the sauce and scallions to each of the pans and finish cooking.
What to Serve with Mongolian Beef:
Other Asian Beef Recipes:
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Mongolian Beef
Ingredients
- ¼ cup approximately plus 2 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced ginger
- ½ cup less sodium soy sauce
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 ½ pounds beef shaved steak see recipe intro for more info
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 6 scallions trimmed and thinly sliced (white and green parts)
- Hot cooked brown or white rice to serve
Instructions
- In a small saucepan heat 2 teaspoons of the oil. Add the garlic and ginger, and saute for 30 seconds, then add the soy sauce and brown sugar and bring to a simmer, whisking frequently over medium heat. Allow it to simmer and reduce a bit, until it gets a glazey consistency, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, toss the shaved steak in a mixing bowl with the cornstarch until evenly distributed.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet (the bigger the better) over medium high heat. Line a counter or a large plate with paper towels. Sauté the beef in batches, taking care not to crowd the pan, and flipping it as it browns, about 2 minutes in all. Use tongs to remove the beef when it is browned, transferring it to the paper towels. Repeat until all of the beef is browned, adding more oil as needed (make sure the oil has a chance to get hot before you add the next batch of beef so it browns up nicely).
- Pour off any additional oil and return the large skillet to medium high heat. Add all of the beef back to the pan, along with the sauce and scallions. Stir for about 3 minutes until the sauce is thickened and glazes all of the meat evenly. Serve over the rice.
Really good, I might cut back a bit on the sugar next time to 1/4 cup, The sauce was amazing. I threw in some frozen stir fry veggies that I sauteed in the skillet after the beef was cooked.
the amount of sugar is definitely flexible, and always nice to add vegetables!
I just made it delicious my husband and my children loved
so glad – thank you for writing to say so!
I’ve made this 3 times now. It’s been a big hit in my household. I found your recipe because my grocery store began stocking shaved beef and the search was on for a quick recipe. I found yours. It’s very flavorful on its own but I will try some of the suggestions of sesame oil as a finish garnish as well as the sriracha. Thank you
so happy to hear!!
Can I do this in the crockpot? Will the shaved beef fall apart too much?
I think it would, actually. You can do it in a crockpot with the same flavors and beef stew cubes though fore a different version of this dish!
my husband and son(and me also) loved it. i used sesame oil and coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. i also added broccoli and sugar snap peas. absolutely delicous. sadly thete were no leftovers. thank you for sharing this recipe.
next time, a double batch is needed! thanks for writing.
My son loves it! Was quick and easy….will make again!
so glad to hear!
In the intro, you mention that the sauce involves hoisin, but it’s not listed in the actual recipe ingredient list! :) How much would you add?
Some recipes use it, which is why I mentioned it in the overall description of the dish, but I didn’t in mine, but you could definitely add a tablespoon or two to the sauce if you wanted to amp up the flavor even more!
Made the recipe, really enjoyed how it turned out. Meat was very soft and tender. I topped mine with Sriracha and a drizzle of sesame oil, added a nice kick!
It was very good, but next time I make it I am going to dilute the soy sauce with some beef stock/ broth. It was a bit salty even with the reduced sodium soy sauce.
that sounds like a smart option!
Hi! I am Excited to try this! I only need to make 4 servings, can I just cut all the measurements and Ingredients in half? I want To make there is enough sauce to create a thicker consistency with the beef
that should be fine!
I used some beef soup paste and water with the soy sauce. Was fantastic. I also added thinly sliced onions (paper thin) tiny broccoli bits and shredded carrots. Tasted great!
I added some red pepper flakes to spice it up a bit.
Hi Katie,
We love your Mongolian Beef recipe! I find the shaved beef sticks together, pre eating it being coated on each side. It has to be peeled apart, dredged in the cornstarch and cooked. So tedious! Am I doing something wrong?
sadly, no, that’s the way this thinly sliced meat works. And you’ll probably never get it all pulled apart, some pieces will cook still stuck together it’s ok, as long as you get some browning on a lot of the surface it will be good. But you are right – it’s a bit tedious!!
This is delicious! Even my son’s girlfriend loves it, and so quick and easy! Thank you, Katie!