Tender, juicy strips of stir-fried beef in a luxuriously flavorful sauce!Ā Few Chinese dishes are as irresistibly delicious as Mongolian Beef.Ā This Mongolian Beef recipe takes the flavor over the top, is quick and easy to make (ready to serve in 15-20 minutes!), and rivals your favorite Chinese takeout!
Mongolian Beef is one of the most popular Chinese takeout and restaurant dishes and is known and served throughout many areas of the world.
Neither the ingredients nor the method of cooking are actually Mongolian at all,Ā rather some claim this dish is a Chinese-American invention while others claim it was first invented in a Chinese restaurant in the UK.
Regardless of its origin, one thing is clear:Ā It’s fully deserving of its popularity because it’s absolutely delicious!Ā And now you can make it at home anytime the craving comes calling and this Mongolian Beef recipe is sure to be a slam dunk winner in your home!
Made with just a small handful of ingredients, this Mongolian Beef is simple, quick, and ready to serve within 15-20 minutes including prep!
An important element to making quick takeout style dishes like this is to have all your ingredients already laid out and ready to go.Ā Have your veggies and meat sliced and have your sauce ingredients combined.Ā Then the cooking part takes less than 10 minutes (less than 5 minutes if you’re using a high heat wok!).
How Do I Make Vegan or Vegetarian Mongolian Beef?
It’s simple!Ā Use a meatless beef substitute such as Yves Meatless Beef Strips, Butler’s Soy Curls or tofu.
If you’re using tofu we have a tutorial for making excellent crispy tofu that you can use as a beef substitute.Ā Check out our recipe for Baked Tofu. Ā Cut the tofu into 1/4 inch thick, 1 inch long strips to resemble beef and follow the instructions as outlined in that tutorial.
Can You Freeze Mongolian Beef?
You sure can!Ā Put it in an airtight freezer container or ziplock freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.Ā Then simply reheat in the microwave and serve with rice.
Mongolian Beef Recipe
Let’s get started!
Coat the beef strips with cornstarch.
Prepare the sauce by combining all ingredients, except for the garlic and ginger, in a bowl.
Heat the oil in a wok or heavy skillet and fry the beef until golden brown on both sides.
Remove the beef and discard all but about 2 teaspoons of the oil.
Fry the ginger and garlic in the skillet for 30 seconds.
Add the sauce mixture and simmer, constantly stirring, until it begins to thicken.
Return the beef to the wok along with the green onions and stir to coat.
Simmer for 1 minute so the green onions soften but remain crispy.
Serve immediately with steamed rice and/or crispy fried cellophane noodles.
Enjoy!
PIN ME!
For more delicious Chinese dishes be sure to try our:
- Orange Beef
- Sesame Chicken
- Beef and Broccoli
- General Tsoās Chicken
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Orange Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Wonton Soup
- Shanghai Noodles
- Mongolian Chicken
Mongolian Beef
Ingredients
- 1 pound flank steak or beef tenderloin cut into thin strips (this recipe also works great with chicken) (See note for vegan option)
- cornstarch for coating
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- For the Sauce:
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger , minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic , minced
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce (a critical ingredient)
- OR Best Homemade Hoisin Sauce , click link for recipe (highly recommended for the ULTIMATE flavor!)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup soy sauce (choose low sodium if preferred)
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 bunches green onions , cut into 2 inch pieces
Instructions
- Add some oil to a hot wok or heavy skillet. Lightly coat the beef strips in cornstarch and shake to remove excess. Stir-fry beef until caramelized on both sides. Remove the meat from the wok and set aside. Discard all but 2 teaspoons of the oil.
- To make sauce: Add the ginger and garlic to the wok and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add remaining sauce ingredients, except for the green onions. Let the sauce simmer for 2 minutes, until sauce begins to thicken.
- Return beef to the sauce and stir to coat. Add the green onions and stir again to coat. Simmer for 1 minute seconds. Serve immediately with steamed rice and/or crispy fried cellophane noodles.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet October 2013
Heather | Heather Likes Food says
The flavoring of this recipe looks delightful and tasty!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
It’s soooo good, Heather, and so easy and fast – always a winning combination! :)
heather @french press says
we love getting mongolian beef for take-out, now I am excited to try it at home. you actually make it sounds pretty fast and easy
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
It’s so easy and quick, Heather, you’re going to love this!
Marye says
This looks so delicious! I love Chinese food, this sounds like a great alternative to ordering!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Marye! It’s one of our favorites.
Robin says
Hi Kimberly, wow I searched the internet for a good recipe and yours looked like it might be close to my gentleman friends favorite restaurant. I tried it tonight and he normally has one helping of anything I make or anyone makes, not tonight, he had three helpings, in fact finished it off!!!! He said I could make this anytime! It was quick and easy and frying the meat with the cornstarch turned out great. I just wish I had more onions than I had.
Here’s to Paul venison would be wonderful but so would elk, love elk!
Just to say we’re in White Salmon and Goldendale, close to the Gorge, nice to kinda be neighbors!! Loved your recipe and it’s definitely a keeper!!! Whaaaahoooo
thanks, Robin
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Ditto the whaaaahooo, Robin, I’m thrilled to hear it was such a hit, thank you! I agree, this would be great with elk. I’m so happy you found my site and look forward to seeing you around, neighbor! :) Best, Kimberly
PAUL says
MAKE IT FRESHLY KILLED VENISON, SO TENDER!!!! GREAT WHEN YOU FIRST PART OUT YOUR DEER. USE THE ROAST SECTION. I THREW IN CARROTS AND BOKCHOY ALSO.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Paul! That is something I’m going to have to take your word for because I cannot imagine Mongolian beef made with deer! :) Thanks for the info and I’m thrilled you enjoyed it!
Nick says
Great recipe super easy and quick, best part is I made it with stuff I had on hand no extra trips to the store!
Well truthfully the best part is all three of my kids liked it!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Nick, that last part really is the best, isn’t it? :) Thanks so much for making this and for your feedback!
Kelvin says
Just discovered this blog this week and already in love with it. Cooked this recipe tonight and it went down very well!
I thought I had hoisin sauce at home, but I didn’t and couldn’t be bothered to go back to the shop so I used Teriyaki sauce instead. I had to balance it out with a bit more brown sugar though. No disrespect intended with the substitution, I usually keep a very well stocked and diverse pantry :P
Kelvin says
I forgot to ask, where is that reddish colour coming from in your pictures? Apart from the hoisin, which is brown anyway, I used all the same ingredients and the beef is just brown.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Kelvin, I think that’s strictly a lighting issue. If I’m remembering correctly I think I had to use artificial lights for this one since it was dark outside. Brown is perfectly acceptable :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Kelvin! We’re huge fans of this Mongolian Beef and I’m thrilled you enjoyed it – adding teriyaki sauce and extra brown sugar in a pinch was a good call.
Connie Creager says
Good flavor, I used flank steak and it was not tender enough for me, what could I have done to tenderize my meat?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Connie, you can use beef tenderloin instead or pound the beef first with a meat tenderizer.
Anonymous says
Thank you, we love this recipe, I will try this next time.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, let us know what you think!
Gayle Lambert says
Hi Kimberly, thank you so much for this wonderful recipe, Hubbie is not a lover of Mongolian Beef but when this was put in front of him his attitude changed, made it last night using lamb strips instead of beef and added 1/4 cup of oyster sauce as well, had friends over for dinner and the compliments came thick and fast, will be searching here in Australia to find suitable ingredients that I can substitute for many other of your recipes
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m thrilled to hear that, Gayle! So glad it was a hit with your husband and friends. Let me know if I can be of any help suggesting ingredient substitutions if you have a hard time finding anything there. Best, Kimberly
Howie Lambert says
I’ve tried, several times, to replicate my local chinese restaurant’s excellent mongloian beef sauce, but failed. I’m, now, going to try several internet MB recipes (including yours) and see if I can get any closer to my flavor goal. One thing’s for sure: Hoisin is definitely one of the flavors in their recipe…in fact, if I see a MB recipe without it, I quickly move on.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Howie! Well, I can’t promise this will taste exactly like the mongolian beef at that particular restaurant, but I can promise that it’s GOOD! Give it a try and let us know what you think!
Marie says
Hi. I’ve been looking into cooking this for my partner. He loves it and I want to surprise him with his favourite meal. I’m very impressed with the feedback on this page. I’ve decided to try this recipe but with others recipes ive seen they use brown sugar and oyster sauce instead of hoisins. What’s the difference? It’s my first time to try this so any tips would be greatly apriceted. Thanks in advance :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Marie! I’m sorry I’m just now getting back to you. We changed internet providers and it was down for several days. To answer your question, yes, you’ll find many variations out there and it simply comes down to personal preference and taste. Oyster sauce is made with fermented oysters and has an entirely different flavor than hoisin sauce, a very pleasant, mildly sweet sauce. Give this recipe a try and I’m confident you’ll love it!
sarah says
It is not mongolian beef, it is chinese food
that is true
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s right, Sarah. As I wrote in the first paragraph: “Though neither the ingredients nor the method of cooking is Mongolian in origin, the name is widely known and the dish is served throughout much of the Western world and in virtually every Chinese restaurant. Some claim this dish is Chinese-American, while others claim it was first invented in a Chinese restaurant in the UK.” So, it’s neither Mongolian nor authentic Chinese – but boy does it taste good! :)
Annabelle says
This is so delicious! Oh my gosh! Thank you for the recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Annabelle!
Saranee Mitra Sen says
I made this and it was a winner. I have shared this recipe with others too. One change that I have incorporated is that with the corn flour, I also add a little ground white pepper and Schezwan pepper, while preparing to coat the strips. Also instead of putting the corn flour in the sauce mix, I use it as a thickener once all the veggies (I used some bell peppers and cubed onions), chicken and sauce mix have been cooked together.
The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Saranee! Thanks so much for your feedback and I’m happy it was a hit! This Mongolian Beef is made the traditional/authentic way, without any “extras”, but the important thing is that you make it according to how you like it best. If I’m not in the mood to make side vegetables to go with the meal, I’ll occasionally add them to the Mongolian beef (broccoli works nicely, too) for a rounded meal. My whole family loves this recipe as well – in fact, I just made it again last week. Thanks again, Saranee!
Filomena says
Can one substitute flour for cornstarch? If not, any other substitute?
The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Filomena! There are several substitutes you can try: Arrowroot, Tapioca Starch, and Potato Starch. I wouldn’t recommend flour because it will give the sauce a milky appearance whereas starch doesn’t alter the color. I’ve heard that potato starch is quite difficult to work with – it can solidify very quickly when it’s hits the hot liquid. From what I’ve heard, arrowroot is one of the most common substitutes, particularly in Chinese cooking.