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    Home » Recipes » Mains » Mongolian Beef

    Mongolian Beef

    Last Modified: April 25, 2022 - Published by: christieathome - Comments: 6 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Mongolian Beef. Crispy and delicious beef smothered in a sweet, savoury sauce with a very mild kick (that can be omitted if desired)! 

    Mongolian Beef

    A wonderful main that pairs well with steamed rice and greens. Great for dinner or lunch.

    I dream of this dish

    Back when I used to work in an office, I remember ordering this dish for lunch and how good it tasted! There would be times I would salivate just thinking of that crispy beef in that sweet savoury sauce. So I decided I had to re-make it at home and I'm happy to share my recipe with you.

    Mongolian Beef

    The Best Mongolian Beef!

    There are many Mongolian beef recipes online but mine is:

    • easy to make
    • packed with flavour
    • perfectly balanced in sweetness and saltiness
    • does not require any deep frying!

    I will show you step by step with visuals and a short video on how to cook a Mongolian beef.

    What is Mongolian beef?

    It’s beef, usually flank steak, coated in cornstarch and fried until crispy. Then covered in a sweet sauce that is balanced in saltiness and has a slightly mild kick, which can be omitted.

    Mongolian Beef

    Popular in Asian Cuisine

    This Mongolian beef dish is so popular and served at many Asian restaurants or takeaways for its sweet flavour and crispy texture. When I feel like eating beef, this is one of my favourite dishes to order.

    Easy Mongolian Beef

    This Mongolian beef stir fry is amazingly simple to make at home and requires no deep frying. We are simply marinating the beef and then coating it in cornstarch. Next, we’ll shallow fry the beef until crispy. Finally, we’ll fry the aromatics and pour in the pre-mixed sauce to thicken and reduce. Adding the beef back into coat. Optionally, you may garnish with green onions or sesame seeds to enjoy!

    Mongolian Beef

    No deep frying

    You heard me right! No deep frying. Instead, we are shallow frying, which reduces the amount of oil needed and reduces the amount of mess to clean up later.

    What you’ll need

    For this Mongolian crispy beef, you’ll need the following ingredients:

    • beef flank steak
    • cornstarch
    • ginger
    • garlic
    • red chili pepper
    • green onion
    • vegetable oil, or any neutral tasting oil

    Beef marinade:

    • regular soy sauce, not light or dark soy sauce
    • black pepper
    • baking soda

    Mongolian beef sauce:

    • hoisin sauce
    • regular soy sauce, not light or dark soy sauce!
    • brown sugar
    • sesame oil
    • cornstarch
    • water

    Optional garnish:

    • Sesame seeds

    How to make Mongolian Beef

    Below are brief steps with visuals to show you how to make Mongolian Beef. Please scroll down to the recipe card below to find full instructions and details.

    Thinly slice beef against the grain into 0.75 cm thick pieces and 2 inches in length. Do not slice any thinner.

    Marinate beef with marinade ingredients and set aside.

    In a bowl, combine sauce ingredients.

    Generously dredge several beef slices into cornstarch until well coated and transfer to a plate. Repeat this process until all your beef is coated.

    Over medium heat, heat oil. Check if oil is hot by inserting a wooden chopstick and look for bubbles.

    Once oil is hot, fry beef in batches 1 minute on each side until slightly crispy. Important: Immediately spread beef apart to prevent sticking. Fry in 2-3 batches to prevent overcrowding.

    Remove cooked beef from oil and set aside. Discard excess oil leaving 1 tsp in the pan.

    Over low heat, sauté ginger, garlic, red chili for 10 seconds.

    Pour in sauce to reduce and thicken.

    Mongolian beef

    Once thick, add beef and mix to coat evenly. Garnish with green onions.

    Mongolian beef

    Remove off heat. Optionally garnish with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

    Cooking Tips

    Below are tips on making my slightly spicy Mongolian beef:

    Freeze flank steak for 30 minutes to make slicing easier!

    This is a trick I’ve learned from countless chefs and I’m passing it on! If you freeze your beef for 30 minutes, it will make slicing the beef into thin pieces much easier.

    Baking soda helps to tenderize meat

    In case you’re wondering why we’re adding baking soda to the beef, this is a popular meat tenderizing agent used in Chinese cuisine to make meat tender.

    Coat beef generously in starch for crispy texture

    Ensure your beef is evenly coated in the cornstarch if you want a crispier beef texture.

    Do not over fry your beef

    Since we are frying the thinly sliced beef in hot oil, it’s important not to over fry it or it’ll too crispy and dry.

    Simmer sauce over LOW heat

    Because this sauce contains a high amount of sugar thanks to the hoisin and brown sugar, it’s important to first simmer the sauce over low heat to avoid burning.

    FAQ

    Below are frequently asked questions about this authentic Mongolian beef recipe:

    What is typically in Mongolian beef?

    It’s usually a beef steak like flank cut thinly then coated in some starch and fried in oil. Then combined with a sauce made of hoisin, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch and water to thicken it. The aromatics of this dish are ginger, garlic, onion and sometimes red chili for a kick. Sesame seeds are sometimes added.

    What is Mongolian beef sauce made of?

    The sauce is made of hoisin, regular soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and cornstarch + water to thicken it.

    Why do they call it Mongolian beef?

    They call it Mongolian beef as it was first created in Taiwan at Mongolian barbeque restaurants. 

    Is Mongolian beef spicy?

    Usually, it’s not spicy but my version has a slight mild kick – it’s not overpowering. If you’re not a fan of spice you can omit the red chilis.

    Is Mongolian beef Mongolian?

    Despite the name, this dish does not originate from Mongolia and comes from Taiwan.

    Other Chinese recipes you may like!

    If you enjoyed this Mongolian beef recipe, you may like these other recipes:

    Mongolian Chicken
    General Tso Chicken
    Orange Chicken
    Chinese Lemon Chicken
    Chinese Style Satay Beef

    Try it!

    Well, I hope you give my Mongolian Beef a try! It always excites me when you make my recipes and I hope this is one you try and most importantly, enjoy.

    Sharing is caring

    If you enjoyed my Mongolian beef from scratch, please share it with your family and friends or on social media! Take a picture of your re-creation and make sure to tag me @ChristieAtHome in your feed or stories as I would love to see it!

    Did you enjoy it?

    If you genuinely enjoyed my quick Mongolian beef stir fry, please leave a 5-star review. I would appreciate it 🙂

    Take care,
    Christie

    *This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I also earn from qualifying purchases through additional affiliate programs

    Easy Mongolian Beef (30-min. Recipe)

    christieathome
    Mongolian Beef. Crispy and delicious beef smothered in a sweet, savoury sauce with a very mild kick (that can be omitted if desired)! A wonderful main that pairs well with steamed rice and greens.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course dinner, lunch
    Cuisine Chinese
    Servings 2
    Calories 541 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 332 grams flank steak
    • 7 tbsp cornstarch
    • 5-6 small slices ginger with or without skin on
    • 4 tsp garlic minced
    • 1 red chili pepper sliced (optional)
    • 1 stalk green onion finely chopped
    • ½ cup vegetable oil or any neutral tasting oil

    Beef marinade:

    • 1 tsp regular soy sauce not light or dark soy sauce
    • ¼ tsp black pepper
    • ¼ tsp baking soda

    Sauce:

    • 4 tbsp hoisin sauce
    • 2 tbsp regular soy sauce not light or dark soy sauce!
    • 2 tbsp brown sugar
    • 2 tsp sesame oil
    • 1 tbsp cornstarch
    • ½ cup water

    Optional garnish:

    • ½ tsp Sesame seeds

    Instructions
     

    • Thinly slice beef against the grain into 0.75 cm thick pieces and about 2 inches in length. Do not slice any thinner.
    • Marinate beef with marinade ingredients and set aside.
    • In a bowl, combine sauce ingredients.
    • Generously dredge several beef slices into cornstarch until well coated and transfer to a plate. Repeat this process until all your beef is coated.
    • In a large pan set over medium heat, heat oil. Check if oil is hot by inserting a wooden chopstick and look for bubbles.
    • Once oil is hot, fry beef in batches, 1 minute on each side until slightly crispy. Important: Immediately spread beef apart to prevent sticking. Fry in 2-3 batches to prevent overcrowding.
    • Remove cooked beef from oil and set aside. Discard excess oil leaving 1 tsp in the pan.
    • Over low heat, sauté ginger, garlic, red chili for 10 seconds. Pour in sauce to reduce and thicken.
    • Once thick, add beef and mix to coat evenly. Garnish with green onions. Remove off heat. Optionally garnish with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

    NOTES

    Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!

    Suggested Equipment & Products

    Large Non-Stick Pan
    Measuring Set
    Cutting Board
    Santoku Knife
    Keyword authentic mongolian beef recipe, easy mongolian beef, how to make mongolian beef, mongolian beef, mongolian beef from scratch, mongolian beef recipe, mongolian beef recipes, mongolian beef stir fry, mongolian beef taste, mongolian crispy beef, quick mongolian beef stir fry, spicy mongolian beef
    Nutrition
    Calories: 541kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 1862mg | Potassium: 809mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 278IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 4mg
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Emma

      May 04, 2022 at 12:59 pm

      5 stars
      Tastes like you ordered from a Chinese restaurant and so easy to make! For some reason I’ve always been a bit intimidated by flank steak but it was really easy to cut, especially with her tip to freeze for 30 mins, and also easy to cook. I air fried some broccoli and served with rice and it was perfect.

      Reply
      • christieathome

        May 04, 2022 at 5:26 pm

        Thank you so much Emma for making my Mongolian beef! I'm so glad the tip to freeze the flank steak was helpful!

        Reply
    2. David

      June 30, 2022 at 7:31 pm

      Hello, and thank you for all the great recipes.

      This recipe calls for sesame oil, is that the dark toasted sesame oil?

      Thank you.

      Reply
      • christieathome

        June 30, 2022 at 9:46 pm

        You're welcome! It's roasted/toasted sesame oil. For the exact brand, I use Kadoya Pure Sesame Oil. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    3. Boyd

      July 07, 2022 at 4:20 pm

      5 stars
      Awesome awesome awesome!!! I love this recipie!

      Reply
      • christieathome

        July 09, 2022 at 2:24 pm

        Thank you so much Boyd! I truly appreciate your kind support!

        Reply

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    Christie

    Hello! My name is Christie. I enjoy sharing Asian recipes from around the world. So that you can make them from the comfort of your own home. In my spare time, I enjoy spending it with my wonderful husband and two pups.

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