Mongolian Beef

Mongolian Beef is extremely easy to make in just 30 minutes. Crispy, sweet, and garlicky with all the beautiful flavours you love.

Mongolian Beef is a Taiwanese dish that originated where Mongolian BBQ cuisine was popular. In Chinese American restaurants, it consists of thinly sliced beef, usually flank steak, that is wok-seared with green onions in a sweet and savory sauce made with soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. It is usually not spicy, and it can be paired with other vegetables and served over white rice.

Mongolian Beef is very flavorful and takes just 30 minutes to make from start to finish including all the slicing of the meat! It also uses basic pantry ingredients, so you don’t need to worry about running to the store today for oyster sauce or hoisin sauce. Everything in this recipe is available in every grocery store, so it makes the perfect weeknight dinner!

Ingredients

• Flank Steak: Flank works well for this recipe because it has a long grain, and it’s versatile,  inexpensive, and flavourful. 
• Dark Brown Sugar: The addition of molasses to the dark brown sugar adds to the depth of flavor in this dish. Yes, you can use light brown sugar in place of dark brown, and yes you will notice the taste difference. So if possible please use dark brown sugar. If you are in a pinch and you only have light brown don’t worry you will still have a very tasty meal. Just promise me the next time you make it you will use dark brown sugar, the flavor difference is noticeable.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic adds a lot of aromatic flavor to Chinese cuisine, and complements the sweetness of the Mongolian beef sauce.
• Ginger: Freshly grated ginger gives a slight kick to the recipe to balance the sweetness. If you don’t have fresh ginger, you can substitute ½ teaspoon of ginger powder, and add it with the soy sauce.
• Soy Sauce: Always use low-sodium soy sauce in Asian dishes, as it allows you to control the amount of salt. You can always add a little more to your taste.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch acts as a thickener when the sauce comes together at the end of this recipe. By coating the beef slices with it, the cornstarch will cook with the meat and add a crispy coating as well.

• 1 pound flank steak
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup lite soy sauce, low sodium
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 4 stalks scallions, green parts only, cut into 2-inch pieces

Instructions

• Slice the flank steak against the grain the long way 25mm thick pieces and add it to a Ziploc bag with cornstarch.
• Press the steak around in the bag making sure each piece is fully coated with cornstarch and leave it to sit.
• Add canola oil to a large frying pan and heat on medium-high heat.
• Sear the flank steak pieces in batches on each side to avoid overcrowding the pan and creating steam.
• When the steak is done cooking remove it from the pan.
• Add ginger and garlic to the pan and sauté for 10-15 seconds.
• Pour the soy sauce, water, and dark brown sugar into the pan and let it come to a boil.
• Add the steak back in and let the sauce thicken for 20-30 seconds.
• If you find the sauce isn’t thickening enough, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir to dissolve the cornstarch and add it to the pan.
• Add the green onions, stir to combine everything, and cook for a final 20-30 seconds.

Nutrition