A 20-Minute Mongolian Beef Recipe That’s Crispy and Tender

Mongolian beef may not be who it claims to be. Hint: It’s from Taiwan, not Mongolia. But what it actually is more than makes up for the misnomer.

So what is it? A quick-and-easy recipe with tender slices of beef that are seared to crusty perfection and smothered in a delicious sweet-and-savory, slightly caramelized sauce. It’s so good that it’s guaranteed to become a family favorite.

The first time my kid tasted it, he announced: “I could eat this chicken for 10 days.” Every meat is chicken to him – beef, pork, lamb – and 10 days is a seriously long time for a 5-year-old. Practically forever. So coming from him, it is the highest compliment.

And it’s not just the kid. Mongolian beef is one of those dishes that everybody loves. Your children, your grandma, your in-laws, and so on.

Which is lucky because it’ll only take you less than 20 minutes to make.

Why is it called Mongolian Beef?

Like Singapore noodles, French dip, and Hawaiian pizza, Mongolian beef is not from the country it’s named for. It actually has its roots in Taiwan.

So what does Mongolia have to do with this dish? Well, it all comes down to a combination of imagination, exoticization, and namely, politics.

You see, there was once a street food vendor named Wu Zhaonan who had the idea to open a barbecue stall where diners could choose their own meats, veggies, and sauces to have stir-fried up.

He wanted to name it “Beijing barbecue” but this was the early 1950s and it’d only been a couple years since Chairman Mao Zedong established the People’s Republic of China, with Beijing as the capital.

Beijing wasn’t just a city anymore – the name came loaded with political tension.

So he chose Mongolia instead. And why not? It was sufficiently exotic enough to be interesting. Mongolia also appealed to the imagination, drawing upon the lore of Genghis Khan and his troops slaughtering animals with their swords and using their helmets or shields as make-shift grills.

Long story short, the name had enough of that far-away, long-ago romance to capture the public’s imagination and the food was delicious and customizable enough to gain popularity. Thus, Mongolian barbecue restaurants became a thing.

Despite the fact that it has more in common with Benihana than Mongolia, the name stuck. And of all the combinations of meats, veggies, and sauces to come out of these Mongolian BBQ restaurants – the most popular was what makes up Mongolian beef today.

Then, over the past 70 years or so, the dish has traveled far beyond Taiwan to become one of the staple dishes in American Chinese restaurants.

And that, my ladies and gentleman, is how this mislabeled, misunderstood and oh-so-delectable dish has come to find its way to your dinner table.

Mongolian Beef Ingredients

At its most basic, you’ll need a good cut of beef and the delicious Mongolian beef sauce to simmer it in. Of course, you can always add veggies, too. Let’s go over the ingredients…

What’s the best beef for Mongolian beef?

The Mongolian beef you’ll eat at restaurants – including PF Chang’s – is typically flank steak (bavette in the UK). Which is great to use at home since flank is very beginner friendly and easy to slice against the grain.

But you can also make Mongolian beef with NY strip (sirloin in the UK), or tenderloin (fillet steak in the UK) or skirt.

These are all good options for a delicious Mongolian beef. Just avoid stewing beefs as we won’t be marinating or cooking this beef long enough to transform tougher cuts.

Cornstarch vs Rice Powder

The trick to getting that tender yet crispy beef we all love is to coat the strips of beef with either cornstarch or rice powder before searing it on a hot wok or pan.

Both are good for getting that nice crust on the beef as well as to help thicken the sauce. So which should you use? The easy answer is to go with what you have. If you have both, here’s a side-by-side comparison of what you can expect. I test seared slices of sirloin for roughly two minutes on each side…

As you can see, rice flour gets a more even, delicate crust. Which is why it’s my personal go-to.

What goes in Mongolian beef Sauce?

The Mongolian beef sauce is as easy to make as it is delicious. To make this sweet and savory sauce, you’ll need soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, minced ginger, minced garlic, brown sugar, and a little bit of water.

That’s it. You probably already have all of those – except the Shaoxing. If you’ll be making more Asian – specifically Chinese – recipes, I really recommend you get some Shaoxing wine. It’s aromatic, sweet, dry, briny and it adds a depth and complexity that’s hard to replicate. It is the key to getting that authentic flavor that you’re used to eating at restaurants

But if you don’t have it right now, that’s okay, you can substitute with a dry sherry or a rice wine.

What Vegetables to use?

At restaurants, Mongolian beef is typically stir-fried with green onions. But I like to stir-fry it with loads of veggies. That’s the beauty of making your favorite foods at home – you can add whatever you like. And I like to compensate for our Mongolian beef addiction with lots of vegetables.

The wonderful thing about Mongolian beef is that it is so very versatile. It plays nicely with pretty much any veggies you add to it. Here’s a list of vegetables you can use:

• Onions or shallots
• Green onions
• Carrots
• Garlic slices
• Bell peppers
• Green beans
• Broccoli

How you prepare them is entirely up to you. As is whether you want to use any at all. You’re the boss of your kitchen! Slice them, dice them, julienne them – whatever your preference.

The only thing you need to be mindful of is cooking times. Carrots take longer to cook than, say, garlic or green onions. So just keep in mind when you’ll be adding each vegetable in.

The rest is about preference. Want your onions or shallows tender and near-caramelized? Feel free to add them in before you cook the beef. Want them crisp? Do them afterwards.

Tips for Success

Freeze the beef. To get that perfect combination of tender-and-juicy thin strips of beef, you’ll want to do thin slices, which is much easier to cut when the beef is slightly frozen. Try to stick the beef in the freezer for about 20 to 30 minutes before slicing it up.

It is a step you can skip, especially if you don’t mind cutting the beef a little thicker. I’ve definitely done this before when short on time and it tastes just as good – but I’d recommend you do it with a more tender cut like tenderloin or top sirloin.

Cut against the grain. Flank steak, aka bavette, has a lot of interconnecting muscle fibers. By cutting thin slices through these (against the grain), you essentially do the work of breaking them down so that your jaws don’t have to.

Use a HOT wok or pan. You want to give the wok time to get HOT before you sear the beef. This is especially important if you’re not cooking any vegetables ahead of the beef. If you’ve already had the wok fired up to saute veggies, it’s already well-heated and ready for the beef. But if you haven’t, give it around 2 to 3 minutes to get warmed up before adding the beef.

Brown in batches. Tossing lots of beef together can result in lowering the heat in the pan (less sizzle and sear) and meat juices pooling together to “stew” the beef rather than searing it. So do it in batches – adding only as much as you can for a single layer at a time. 

Sear, don’t overcook. To get that perfect crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside kind of beef, you want to give it a good sear for about a minute on each side. Don’t overcook it. 

How to Make Mongolian Beef

Before we start, I do recommend that you stick the beef in the freezer for around 20 to 30 minutes to make it easier to slice thinly. When it’s ready, take it out and let’s begin…

Slice the Beef

Slice the beef in thin slices, cutting against the grain.

When finished cutting, coat the beef in the rice flour or cornstarch. Set aside.

Make the Sauce

Mix together soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, minced ginger, minced garlic, brown sugar, in a bowl. Don’t add water yet – we’ll be using about 1/4 cup water to clear out the sugar that will pool at the bottom of this bowl.

Add sliced green onions if you want them slightly cooked (will be adding to the beef to cook alongside the sauce). Or add them later if you prefer them crisp.

Cook the Vegetables

Cook the vegetables – saute until tender and softened. That takes around 4 to 5 minutes for carrots and onions. Remove from pan. Set aside.

Sear the Beef (in Batches)

Heat about a tablespoon of oil in the wok and add about half the beef in one layer. Searing the beef in batches gives the pieces a chance to sear rather than boil in their juices.

Let it sear at medium-high for at least a minute before turning the slices. Set aside on a plate and repeat with the other batch.

When the beef is cooked, add the already cooked beef, vegetables and the sauce into the wok. Most likely, there will be sugar left at the bottom of the sauce bowl so use about 1/4 cup water to swirl and toss it all into the wok.

Simmer and Serve

Let it all simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes to give the sugar a chance to caramelize and the sauce to thicken.

What to Serve with Mongolian Beef?

Such an easy, delicious dish and so many ways to enjoy it, like with…

Rice!

Whether it’s Korean or Japanese short-grain or long-grain like Jasmine or basmati – it’s all delicious served with Mongolian beef.

noodles

Mongolian beef pairs as well with noodles as it does with rice. And pretty much every type of noodle works well – this is a versatile dish!

Rice noodles are a delicious, gluten-free option. Ramen noodles, egg noodles, udon noodles, glass noodles, vermicelli noodles, and wonton noodles are great as well!

If you want to get fancy, you can even serve them with deep-fried rice vermicelli noodles.

Stick it in lettuce

Maybe it’s the Korean in me, but I love wrapping pieces of beef in lettuce as a food delivery method. Mongolian beef is perfect to do this with. You can even skip the rice for a low-carb option.

Just grab a slice or two of Mongolian beef, put it in a lettuce leaf, wrap and eat.

Put it in a sandwich

Every meat dish is an opportunity to make a banh mi, if you ask me. Mongolian beef is never served this way at restaurants but that’s the beauty of making food at home – you decide what you want.

And Mongolian beef is lovely stuffed inside a baguette.