This 30-Minute Mongolian Beef is savory and sweet and so delicious!! With thinly cut steak, soy sauce, brown sugar, fresh garlic and ginger – 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, or the classic General Tso Chicken.
… PLUS my latest obsession and today’s recipe – this super easy, 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 Monogolian 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 those crispy cellophane noodles.
And personally I can’t get enough of this savory sweet combination with 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 for 30 seconds on each site (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 for 10-15 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 for 20-30 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?
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!
30-Minute Mongolian Beef
This 30-Minute Mongolian Beef is savory and sweet and so delicious!!
Ingredients
- 1½ pound 1-inch thick sirloin steak
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 4 tablespoon garlic, minced
- Red pepper flakes or chili oil
- 1/3 cup reduced sodium tamari sauce (for gluten-free), or soy sauce if you prefer
- ½ cup water
- 1/3 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 1/2 cup riceAmount Per Serving Calories 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!
Debra garcia says
This is a recipe that comes out really rely good lots of flavor. I omitted the chile since my grandkids don’t eat Chile in FOOD…..but ohhhhh they can handle those HOT CHEETOS..LOL Back to this i love it but next time I will chose a more tender cut..I used what I had. For sure I will make this again!!!
holly says
Yayyy! I love hearing that, Debra. Thanks so much!
mavee125 says
This Mongolian beef recipe is so good and flavorful! It’s really sweet and savory. The kids loved it, too! I used Coco Aminos – gluten-free (soy free) that I bought from Karman Foods as alternative for a healthier version. It was a bomb!
holly says
Hey there, I love the Coco Aminos as a sugar alternative. So glad you enjoyed this dish!
Samantha says
This recipe is one of my go-to favorites for flank steak! I do realize that every time I make it, I should’ve made more. This recipe feeds 2 people for 3 nights in my house. Sometimes o do coconut cilantro rice with it too. Love the use of corn starch, so that it’s always gluten free – when using tamari or coconut aminos.
Bryan says
Thank you for your comment Samantha…. so glad you love it! 🙂
Chris David says
DELICIOUS!! This is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. People who only eat one in my house ate two!! Thank you for this recipe. 🤩
Kim says
Fantastic recipe! Easy and tastes great! Thanks so much for sharing!
Bryan says
Thank you Kim! So glad you liked it!! 🙂 – H&B
Erin says
Would chicken work?
Bryan says
Hi Erin you would probably want to use chicken breasts and slice them before cooking. You will need to ensure that they reach 165F cook temp before moving on with the rest of the recipe… but yes chicken should work fine with these adjustments.
Claudia says
How much rice is with this serving?
Bryan says
Hi Claudia for the nutrition calcs we used 1/2 cup cooked white rice. Enjoy!!
Anna says
Hi can I substitute corn starch for potatoe starch ?
Bryan says
Hi Anna, generally corn and potato starch are interchangeable but they cook slightly differently. So you may not get as nice of a crisped edge when you cook the meat using potato starch. I’m curious to know how it turns out, please let us know!?!?! Thank you for your comment. 🙂
Jade says
Could i use sizzle steak for this recipe?
Bryan says
Hi Jade, yep that should work… depending on how thin your sizzle steak is, it may cook even faster so you might have to modify the cook time in step 3. Let us know how that works! 🙂 – H&B
karen kaplan says
Can you slice up stew meat instead of steak? It’s what I have in my freezer!
holly says
Hi Karen, you can use stew meat instead of steak. I would suggest slicing it really thin and laying it flat and pounding it out with a meat tenderizer or a heaver pan. This will make it more tender.
Lorinda McKinnon says
Looks fantastic. I’m looking forward to trying your recipe, and appreciate your easy instructions and clear prep photos.
holly says
Thanks so much, Lorinda! I’m excited for you to try it!
Carlos at Spoonabilities says
I really enjoyed reading your post. I will definitely make it very soon. Your instructions were easy to follow. This the only this that I order at P.F.Chang and now I can make it at home. Thank you,
holly says
Thanks so much, Carlos! I’m the same way – we’ll never have to go out to dinner for this dish again!
Kim says
Absolutely delicious. Quick and simple to make!!!!
I used a flat iron steak and gluten free soy sauce. This will be made often!!!!!
Bryan says
Hi Kim, so glad you’ve enjoyed it… I can’t get enough of this myself!
holly says
Thanks so great to hear, Kim! Thanks for the awesome review and the 5 stars!!