30-Minute Mongolian Beef

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, Mongolian Chicken, or the classic General Tso Chicken.  

... PLUS my latest obsession and today’s recipe – this super easy, 30-Minute Mongolian Beef! 

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 Mongolian 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 in lettuce wraps with those crispy cellophane noodles.

And personally, I can’t get enough of this savory sweet combination of 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.

1. The steaks were about 1½  inches thick.  I cut them into ¼ inch slices.

2. Then I laid the slices flat, covered them with plastic wrap and used a meat pounder to flatten them.

3. 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). 

4. 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.

5. Next, I added canola oil to a large frying pan and allowed the pan to heat up over medium-high heat.
6. Then I added the steak to the pan in a single layer and cooked for 30 seconds on each side (1 minute total). 

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. I stirred in the tamari/soy sauce, water and brown sugar, and brought the mixture to a boil.

10. Next, I folded the steak back into the pan and let the sauce thicken for 20-30 seconds.

11. 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?

So, 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!