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    Home > Blog > Quick & Easy > Mongolian Beef Recipe

    Mongolian Beef Recipe

    by Jenny Park · Published: Mar 8, 2022 · Modified: Jul 7, 2022

    Jump to Recipe
    The BEST Mongolian Beef Recipe you will ever taste! A quick, easy and ridiculously delicious stir fry dish of tender beef coated in a slightly sweet and savory sauce, Inspired by P.F. Changs Mongolian beef recipe. Serve it over steamed rice and a side of sautéed or steamed veggies for a complete meal everyone will love!
    Mongolian Beef on a platter over rice with a spoon in it.
    Mongolian beef in a skillet with green onions.
    Mongolian Beef on a platter with bowls next to it.
    Mongolian Beef recipe in a platter ready to be served.

    We’re so excited to share our Mongolian Beef Recipe with you all! The first time I had the dish was P.F. Changs Mongolian Beef and I immediately fell in love. The tender beef coated in a sweet and savory sauce was absolutely delicious! Our version is very similar in flavor and texture to their version in the best way! This Chinese takeout inspired dish also couldn’t be easier (and a bit healthier) to make at home and is one of our top, family loved recipes on our entire site!

    Our Mongolian beef is incredibly quick and easy to make. In fact, it can be made in under 30 minutes making it a perfect weeknight dinner! Serve it with a little steamed rice and broccoli and you have a quick, delicious and flavor packed complete meal! We love making a double batch so we have plenty of leftovers to enjoy the next day.

    What is Mongolian Beef?

    Mongolian beef is a popular stir-fry beef dish, made in a wok, served in Chinese restaurants. It was created in Taiwan, during the 1950’s, when Chinese BBQ was becoming a trendy cuisine. Its most notable trait is the tenderized slices of beef simmered together in a sweet and savory sauce.

    The name of the dish refers to Mongolian barbecue style of cooking, which is quick and over high heat. The dish itself isn’t actually associated with Mongolian cuisine.

    Ingredients for making our Mongolian Beef recipe laid out.

    How to Cook Our Mongolian Beef Recipe

    Process

    1. Slice steak into 1/4″ thick piece, against the grain and season with salt and pepper.
    2. Toss steak pieces in cornstarch until fully and evenly coated. Set aside.
    Slicing strip steak on a cutting board for Mongolian Beef.
    Tossing seasoned strip steak in cornstarch to make Mongolian Beef.
    1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add some oil. Sauté the ginger and garlic until fragrant.
    2. Add soy sauce, water and sugar and bring to a boil until sugar dissolves. Pour sauce into a measuring cup and set aside.
    Saute garlic and ginger in a skiller to start making the Mongolian Beef sauce.
    Cooking Mongolian beef sauce in a skillet.
    1. Place skillet back over heat and add more oil. Add steak and sear until evenly browned on both sides.
    2. Pour sauce back into skillet and stir together with meat. Allow sauce to thicken. Add green onion and continue to simmer until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
    3. Serve Mongolian beef over steamed rice. So easy!
    Cooking strip steak in a skillet to make Mongolian Beef.

    Tools You Will Need

    • cutting board
    • knife
    • mixing bowl
    • liquid measuring cup
    • dry measuring cups
    • measuring spoons
    • wooden spoons
    • skillet

    Make Ahead and Freezing Mongolian Beef

    Make Ahead in Components

    To make sauce ahead, cool sauce and pour into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To make steak ahead, slice steak and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.

    When ready to cook, toss beef in salt, pepper and cornstarch.  Sear coated steak in skillet as written in recipe. Warm the sauce in a saucepan for a few minutes before adding it to the seared meat. This will help to avoid the temperature dropping in the skillet, not allowing for quick and even cooking.

    Fully Make Ahead

    Make recipe as written and cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, pour entire mixture into a large skillet and simmer over medium-low heat until warmed through, about 5 to 6 minutes.

    Freezing

    To freeze, cool Mongolian beef completely before transferring into a freezer friendly container. Store in freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, transfer freezer bag to refrigerator and thaw overnight. Pour thawed mixture into a skillet and simmer over medium-low heat until sauce has thickened up and beef has just heated through.

    Variations for Our Mongolian Beef Stir Fry

    • Incorporate some veggies into the dish! We love adding some bite sized broccoli florets into the mix. Mongolian beef and broccoli is SO good! We also love throwing in a handful of spinach to the dish for added fiber or sliced red peppers for crunch!
    • Add some heat with some dried thai chiles, crushed red pepper flakes or a spoonful of chile sauce ( like sriracha or sambal).
    • Use chicken instead of beef! Yes, this recipe is called Mongolian beef, but subbing in chicken is such an easy and equally delicious substitute!
    • Make it vegetarian friendly by swapping the beef out for cubes of firm tofu. Gently press excess liquid from the tofu before cutting it into pieces and continue on with the recipe as written!
    Close up shot of Mongolian Beef over rice.

    Tips and Tricks for Mongolian Beef Success

    • Coating beef in cornstarch is important because it helps to tenderize the beef. It also helps to thicken the sauce, allowing it to fully coat the beef.
    • Flank steak (sliced against the grain) is most commonly used to make Mongolian beef, although any quick cooking beef works great. New York strip steaks are our cut of beef of choice, as flank steak isn’t always found at all grocery stores and New York strip steak generally is readily available Flank steak has also gotten quite expensive in the last 5 years or so and prices are now similar between cuts. Both flank steak and NY strip steaks work really well for this recipe and we recommending whichever you’re able to find and prefer.
    • Sear the sliced beef in batches to avoid overcrowding in the pan. This will allow the beef to sear properly and prevent the slices from steaming.

    Can This be Made in an Instant Pot or Slow Cooker?

    Yes, you can definitely make Instant Pot Mongolian Beef, but we really don’t think there’s a need to do so unless you don’t have access to a stovetop. Our recipe is so quick and easy that it will actually take longer setting up your instant pot, cooking it and waiting for the steam function to complete, then it will be just making on the stove in a pan!

    We do not recommend making this dish in a slow cooker. As we mentioned above, this recipe is too quick and easy to need extra equipment (that’s meant to make things easier). The texture of the beef can easily go from perfectly tender to mush or very dried out using an instant pot and we don’t think it’s worth the effort of using a slow cooker.

    What to Serve with Our Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe

    This dish is commonly served with a side steamed rice. We usually like to serve ours over a bed of steamed rice so some of the sauce absorbs into the rice. It’s so good! We also love serving this dish with garlic noodles, chow mein and a side of lightly roasted green beans.

    In the U.S. Mongolian beef is also commonly served over a bed of fried cellophane noodles, which adds a light, crisp texture to the overall dish. We opted out of the fried noodle version since frying the noodles would add an extra step and more clean-up in the end, but it is a delicious alternative!

    A platter of Mongolian BBQ beef on a bed of rice with sesame seeds and green onions.

    Other Delicious Asian Inspired Recipes You Will Love

    • Korean Beef Bulgogi
    • Sesame Chicken Recipe
    • Szechuan Beef
    • Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe

    Check out our Mongolian Beef Google Web Story.

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    A close up of Mongolian beef on white rice with a spoon.

    Mongolian Beef Recipe

    4.99 from 156 votes
    PRINT RECIPE Pin Recipe
    The BEST Mongolian Beef Recipe you will ever taste! A quick, easy and ridiculously delicious stir fry dish of tender beef coated in a slightly sweet and savory sauce, Inspired by P.F. Changs Mongolian beef recipe. Serve it over steamed rice and a side of sautéed or steamed veggies for a complete meal everyone will love!
    RECIPE BY Teri & Jenny
    Prep Time: 5 mins
    Cook Time: 10 mins
    Total Time: 15 mins
    Servings: 4

      INGREDIENTS  

    Mongolian beef

    • 2 New York Strip Steaks, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 pounds)
    • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
    • 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
    • 1/4 cup water
    • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
    • 2 green onions sliced into 1 inch pieces
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Garnish

    • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds optional

    Serving suggestion

    • steamed rice for serving

      INSTRUCTIONS  

    • Season sliced steak with salt and pepper. Toss steak in cornstarch until fully and evenly coated. Set aside.
    • Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute. Add soy sauce, water and sugar and bring to a boil until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.
    • Pour sauce into a liquid measuring cup and set aside.
    • Place skillet back over heat and add remaining oil. Add steak and sear until evenly browned on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
    • Pour sauce back into skillet and stir together with beef. Simmer and allow sauce to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes.
    • Toss in green onion and continue to cook for 1 more minute until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
    • Pour Mongolian beef over steamed rice and serve.

      NOTES  

    Tips and Tricks for Success
    • Coating the sliced beef in cornstarch is important because it helps to tenderize the beef. It also helps to thicken the sauce, allowing it to fully coat the beef.
    • Flank steak (sliced against the grain) is most commonly used to make Mongolian beef, although any quick cooking beef works great. We use New York strip steaks in our version, as flank steak isn’t always found at all grocery stores and New York strip steaks generally are. Both flank steak and NY strip steaks work really well for this recipe and we recommending whichever you’re able to find and prefer.
    • Sear the sliced beef in batches to avoid overcrowding in the pan. This will allow the beef to sear properly and prevent the slices from steaming.
    Calories: 444kcal Carbohydrates: 36g Protein: 24g Fat: 23g Saturated Fat: 13g Cholesterol: 69mg Sodium: 778mg Potassium: 403mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 27g Vitamin A: 77IU Vitamin C: 2mg Calcium: 48mg Iron: 3mg
    CUISINE: asian, Chinese
    KEYWORD: beef recipe, beef stir fry, best mongolian beef, quick and easy
    COURSE: dinner, main dish

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    March 8, 2022 / 70 Comments

    About Jenny Park

    Jenny Park is half of Spoon Fork Bacon. She is also a food stylist and recipe developer. One of her favorite foods is donuts. #sfbJENNY

    Previous Post: < Previous Post The BEST Pasta Recipes
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    Reader Interactions

    March 8, 2022 / 70 Comments

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    1. Sedick

      August 26, 2021 at 1:27 pm

      5 stars
      Very tasty, love the recipe

      Reply
    2. Chris David

      August 08, 2021 at 11:53 am

      5 stars
      I’ve shared this recipe all morning after making it last night! It is soooo good 🙂 it will be my go-to from now on! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        August 09, 2021 at 9:25 pm

        SO happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! It’s a favorite of ours for sure!

        Reply
    3. Bobby

      June 12, 2021 at 3:27 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent dish. Did make some additions. Added 1/2 cup sherry and 1/3 cup oyster sauce. Used low sodium soy sauce.

      Reply
    4. Kyle

      June 06, 2021 at 12:27 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is absolutely fantastic! Even my extremely picky eaters (my son & hubby) both absolutely loved it! I’ve made it twice now, once with beef & once with chicken & there are zero leftovers! The sauce is delicious with any protein!

      Reply
    5. Brianna

      May 05, 2021 at 11:51 am

      5 stars
      Partner commented, “This is hands down the best supper you have ever made!” Was super easy to make, didn’t take long at all, and was very tasty! Definitely going to be making this again!

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        May 06, 2021 at 7:58 am

        Yay! So happy to read this!

        Reply
    6. Andrea

      April 21, 2021 at 4:12 am

      5 stars
      I made this last night for dinner and it was everything you had mentioned – quick, easy, and delicious! Will definitely be making again! Thank you!

      Reply
    7. Erin

      April 16, 2021 at 7:44 pm

      5 stars
      So delicious! This will be on our regular rotation!

      Reply
    8. Sarah

      February 25, 2021 at 9:14 am

      Really good. Made it last night and my husband said it was better than any restaurant. I doubled the sauce (but only added a bit more brown sugar) and added extra garlic and ginger, and and would prob triple the green onion next time. One pro tip for easy slicing of meat is to freeze it for maybe an hour before slicing. Much easier to cut across the grain.

      Reply
      • Susan

        July 08, 2021 at 8:10 pm

        5 stars
        This was such a fast and easy recipe! Super tasty, will definitely be making more. I used about 2 tbsps honey instead of brown sugar and also used low sodium soy sauce and memmi.

        Reply
    9. Julie

      February 21, 2021 at 12:05 pm

      5 stars
      The dish turned out to be delicious ! And it’s easy and very quick too. Thank you ladies. Love your recipes!

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        February 22, 2021 at 11:25 am

        So happy to read this! Glad you enjoyed this recipe!

        Reply
    10. Maggie

      September 11, 2020 at 6:16 pm

      4 stars
      So good!!! Think next time I’ll cut the sugar in half. We added green beans and onions that had been sautéed with garlic and ginger, and didn’t add the sesame (forgot) or green onions (didn’t have). Will definitely make again.

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        September 12, 2020 at 10:49 am

        So glad you loved this recipe!

        Reply
    11. Lauren McCormick

      September 11, 2020 at 1:10 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for the fam last night and added in some broccoli. Winner!! Everyone loved! Thank you for the easy and delicious recipe :)

      Reply
    12. Janelle

      September 09, 2020 at 6:32 pm

      5 stars
      Super delicious, the fam loved it!

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        September 10, 2020 at 9:43 am

        So glad to hear that!

        Reply
    13. Bomb.com

      August 29, 2020 at 5:18 pm

      5 stars
      Just made this, its bomb.com…
      I made 3 times the amount of sauce so there was enough to use it on rice or the yakisoba noodles we used in place of the rice.
      I’ll be making this again, it was delicious and took only about 15 min to make it..

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        August 30, 2020 at 9:36 am

        Yes! So happy to hear you loved this. I love your idea of making more sauce to use on other things, so smart

        Reply
    14. Nicole

      August 26, 2020 at 7:50 pm

      5 stars
      Just made this and it was great! I would add a little less sugar and less ginger next time and I added broccoli and it turned out. I would definitely make again. Every recipe I try from you two is always so great and easy. Love the videos for the step by step visual learners.

      Reply
    15. Keri

      August 22, 2020 at 9:20 am

      5 stars
      This was so delicious and really easy to make! No need for me to order out anymore.

      Reply
    16. Christine

      August 11, 2020 at 9:05 pm

      5 stars
      This is crazy good!! First time making Mongolian beef at home and holy crap, so good!

      Reply
    17. Carol L

      June 22, 2020 at 10:56 am

      5 stars
      This is so good. My family loved it

      Reply
    18. Kendall Ryan

      June 11, 2020 at 6:08 pm

      5 stars
      OMG!!! Once you taste this you are gonna smack yourself for ever paying for this dish with Takeout because this ends up tasting better then any Takeout Mongolian beef! It’s absolutely to die for so thank you for sharing this with all of us! I made mine and family dinner was pushed back a bit because kids practice ran late, so ours sat for a bit and when I got home I was so excited because it looked exactly like it came from a Chinese restaurant! So now every time I make this I make it about a half hour before I plan to serve it because letting it sit for that short amount of time allows it to thicken and envelop each and every piece of meat and the sauce gets a thick Carmely almost like a bbq sauce On Ribs when it adheres and caramelizes on the meat surface. Ok enough said sorry but I’m so excited about this now lol! Family approved! Even by picky husband.

      Reply
      • Teri Lyn Fisher

        June 13, 2020 at 2:37 pm

        Thank you so much Kendall for your comment. We are so happy you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    19. Janis

      May 29, 2020 at 1:33 pm

      5 stars
      Found your blog last weekend- made 3 things so far and all have turned out great! We had NY strip in the freezer from buying a portion of a cow, and it was nice to be able to use the steak creatively. My whole family loved this and we’ll be making it again. Thank you! :-)

      Reply
      • Teri Lyn Fisher

        May 29, 2020 at 3:10 pm

        Yay! Janis, thats so nice to hear! :)

        Reply
    20. Dana L

      May 27, 2020 at 10:20 am

      5 stars
      My favorite. Love the flavors!

      Reply
    21. Shawn

      May 27, 2020 at 12:52 am

      5 stars
      I never rate recipes online, but this was too good not to comment on! What a great way to get a takeout fix during quarantine. Thank you for such a simple to prepare, delicious recipe with easy to source ingredients.

      Reply
      • Teri Lyn Fisher

        May 27, 2020 at 10:23 am

        Thank you Shawn!

        Reply
    22. Aubrey

      May 26, 2020 at 7:55 am

      5 stars
      I made this for dinner and it was a hit. Definitely will make this again.

      Reply
    23. Jordan

      May 22, 2020 at 8:38 am

      5 stars
      This is my family’s favorite quick and easy dinner. The flavors are on point!

      Reply
    24. Heather

      November 08, 2019 at 4:56 pm

      5 stars
      This was really yummy and easy too! Thanks for the super recipe!

      Reply
    25. SHAUNA WAGNER

      October 31, 2019 at 4:19 pm

      5 stars
      Made this tonight to thunderous applause!! Will definitely go into regular rotation. One note though; the photo with the recipe shows sesame seeds (I think) but there was no mention of them.

      Reply
    Newer Comments »

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