Mongolian Beef Recipe
This quick-and-easy recipe has tender slices of beef seared to perfection and smothered in a sweet-and-savory, slightly caramelized sauce. It’s so good that it’s guaranteed to become a family favorite.
Ingredients
Mongolian Beef Ingredients
- 325 grams flank steak
- 2 carrots
- 1 onion
- 1 green onion
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp rice powder or cornstarch
Mongolian Beef Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, minced
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
Prep the Beef
- If you have the time, place the beef in the freezer for around 20 to 30 minutes to make it easier cut thin slices. When it’s ready, take it out and let’s begin…
- Slice the beef in thin slices, cutting against the grain.
- Coat the beef slices 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. Note: 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 Veggies
- Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a wok or skillet. Saute the vegetables until tender and softened, 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. You want to sear the beef in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan. Let it sear at medium-high heat for at least a minute before turning the slices. Set aside on a plate and repeat with the other batch.
Add Everything Together
- 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. Turn off the heat and serve. Garnish with green onions, if you want.
Notes
Do you have to freeze the beef? Sticking the beef in the freezer for about half an hour makes it much easier to cut thin slices so if you have the time, do it for convenience sake.
But if you don't, that's fine, too. If you need to cut the beef a little thicker, it's absolutely okay. I’ve definitely done this before when short on time and it tastes just as good, especially if you're using a 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.
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.