Mongolian Beef

This is a better than take-out Mongolian Beef Recipe. How to make Chinese Mongolian Beef at home. This Mongolian Beef has tender and crispy slices of beef with a sticky, savory, sweet and spicy sauce topped with fresh veggies.

Schezwan Beef Recipe

I love to think back to our newly married days. We were living in an apartment, both attending college full-time and trying to squeeze in as many hours at work as possible. Our schedule was jam-packed and we were poor college students.

My husband drove an old, passed down, beat up Volkswagon wagon! We were trying to keep our heads above water.  I would look forward to the weekends so much because that meant date night.  We would save up our money for that super special night!

If it was my husband’s choice, it would always be P.F. Chang’s since he has a love affair with Asian food. Remember I said we were poor college students? P.F. Chang’s was like eating at a ridiculously nice, fancy restaurant to us.  We would split his favorite beef dish and we were so happy!

I love those days because we had to appreciate the little things in life. Now as a mother, I am constantly trying to teach my kids to appreciate those things, look for the positive, never take anything for granted and to always feel blessed.

Mongolian Beef Ingredients:

A crispy, sweet, and salty Mongolian Beef is way better than Chinese take-out and is made with simple ingredients.

The Mongolian Beef is paired with a sauce made with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar,  and red chili flakes. You have it all in this sauce — sweet, salty and spicy! The beef is tossed into the sauce and then placed on a bed of white rice. It is garnished with freshly sliced green onions and shredded matchstick carrots for freshness and crunch.

You may use other types of cuts of beef in this Mongolian Beef recipe but I found the flank steak works the best to stay tender and flavorful when frying.

• Flank Steak or Sirloin Steak (thinly sliced against the grain)
• Cornstarch
• Salt
• Oil
• Garlic
• Fresh Ginger 
• Soy Sauce
• Brown Sugar 
• Water
• Red Chili Flakes
• GARNISH:
• Green Onions 
• Shredded Carrots

Since my husband is an Asian food aficionado, I am determined to make at home Asian dishes that taste as if we are sitting in a fine Asian restaurant.

One of my most popular recipes on Modern Honey is my Orange Chicken Recipe. It consistently receives 5-star reviews!

This Mongolian Beef could be straight out of a restaurant! The key is using thinly sliced flank steak, cut against the grain to ensure that it is tender.  The beef is coated with cornstarch which gives it a nice coating when quickly pan-fried in oil.  The quick fry allows the beef to get a crust on the outside that helps to stand up to the sweet, salty, and spicy Mongolian beef sauce.

How to make Easy Mongolian Beef:

This makes such crispy and tender beef and it is easier than you think to make better than take-out PF Chang’s Schezwan Beef.

• Cut beef into thin pieces, against the grain. Place cornstarch and salt in a bowl. Coat and cover the beef with cornstarch mixture. Repeat to ensure it is completely coated.
• Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat (approximately 350 degrees).
• Cook for 2-4 minutes or until beef starts to get a little crispy on the edges. Repeat. Remove beef and let it rest.
• Remove most of the oil, leaving some behind. Saute garlic and ginger for 1-2 minutes. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and red chili flakes. Bring to a boil and let boil for 4-5 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10-12 minutes or until it is thickened. Stir in beef and coat with sauce.
• Garnish with green onions and shredded carrots, if so desired. Serve with white rice.

Better than Take-Out Recipes:

Chinese Orange Chicken

Chinese Lemon Chicken

Sticky Pineapple Chicken

Asian Sticky Chicken

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5 from 13 votes

Mongolian Beef

By: Melissa Stadler, Modern Honey

A spicy sweet Mongolian Beef that is better than take-out!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Equipment

• 12 inch cast iron skillet

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 1/2 lbs. Flank Steak (thinly sliced against the grain)
• ▢ 3/4 cup Cornstarch
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 1/4 – 1/3 cup Oil
• ▢ 4 Garlic Cloves (minced)
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger (or 1 t ginger powder)
• ▢ 3/4 cup Soy Sauce (or tamari)
• ▢ 1 – 1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
• ▢ 1 cup Water
• ▢ 1 to 2 teaspoons Red Chili Flakes

Garnish:

• ▢ Green Onions cut on the diagonal
• ▢ Shredded Carrots

Instructions 

• Cut beef into thin pieces, against the grain.
• Place cornstarch and salt in a bowl. Coat and cover the beef with cornstarch mixture. Repeat to ensure it is completely coated.
• Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat (approximately 350 degrees).
• Cook for 2-4 minutes or until beef starts to get a little crispy on the edges. Repeat.
• Remove beef and let it rest.
• Remove most of the oil, leaving some behind. Saute garlic and ginger for 1-2 minutes. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and red chili flakes. Bring to a boil and let boil for 4-5 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10-12 minutes or until it is thickened. Stir in beef and coat with sauce.
• Garnish with green onions and shredded carrots, if so desired.
• Serve with white rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 481kcal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 43g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 113mg, Sodium: 2122mg, Potassium: 772mg, Sugar: 36g, Vitamin C: 0.7mg, Calcium: 80mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Asian

Servings: 6

Calories: 481

Keyword: mongolian beef

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Happy Cooking, my friends!