30-Minute Mongolian Beef
Thin slices of flank steak, minced fresh garlic and ginger, dark brown sugar and soy sauce. Toss it all together and 30 minutes later you’ll be chowing down on a DIY take out takeout, instead of waiting for the delivery guy.
The key to mastering classic Chinese food flavor at home is a technique known as velveting, which is essentially an egg white, cornstarch and sherry marinade that preserves the moisture of the meat. This recipe includes an abridged version of velveting that still delivers tender slices of steak bathed in a rich reduction of soy sauce and brown sugar.
Craving Chinese but not a fan of beef? Go the sweet and spicy route with my Crackerjack Shrimp or kick back with Crispy Baked Orange Chicken Wings. And don’t forget the Homemade Fortune Cookies for dessert! Speaking of something sweet …
The KitchenAid giveaway is still open for entries, so swing by Monday’s post to leave a comment for your chance to win a 5-quart stand mixer in the color of your choice!
Mongolian Beef
Yield: 2 servings
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Ingredients:
Vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 (1-pound) flank steak
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 scallions (green parts only), sliced into 1-inch piecesDirections:
Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a small saucepot over medium-low heat. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and water, stirring to combine.
Stir in the brown sugar and increase the heat to medium. Bring the sauce to a boil for 3 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.
Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4-inch pieces, then toss it with the cornstarch. Place the coated pieces of steak in a sieve and shake off any excess cornstarch. Allow the steak to sit 10 for minutes.
Place a large sauté pan or wok over medium-high heat and add 1/2 cup vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the beef to the pan and sauté for 2 minutes until it is seared on all sides but barely cooked in the center. Remove the steak from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer it onto a paper towel-lined plate. Pour any excess oil out of the wok.
Place the sauté pan back over medium heat. Add the prepared sauce to the hot pan (it should come to a boil almost immediately), then add the reserved steak and cook at a boil, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add the sliced scallions, stirring to combine.
Transfer steak and scallions with a slotted spoon to a plate and serve.
Kelly's Notes:
This recipe can be easily doubled to serve 4.
The key to cooking with cornstarch is that it must come to a boil in order to serve its purpose as a thickener.
Recipe inspired by Food.com.
Noma — October 3, 2012 @ 3:45 am
Looks delicious, Kelly! It has all my favorite ingredients in it…YUMMY!
Jenny @ BAKE — October 3, 2012 @ 5:16 am
this looks amazing! what a brilliant dinner!
Julie @ Table for Two — October 3, 2012 @ 10:01 am
this looks so flipping amazing!! i’m making this asap!
Carrie @ Kiss My Whisk — October 3, 2012 @ 10:53 am
This looks amazing. Love adding 30 minute dinner options to my rotation, I’ll be making this very soon!
Meagan @ A Zesty Bite — October 3, 2012 @ 11:59 am
30 minutes!!!! Why wouldn’t anyone make this! It takes that long for chinese delivery.
Cassie — October 3, 2012 @ 12:14 pm
Stunning! I love takeout at home. And only 30 minutes? I am in!
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. — October 3, 2012 @ 12:24 pm
omg looks awesome!
elizabeth @ chronic venture — October 3, 2012 @ 1:17 pm
yum this looks great! and so quick and simple!
Rachel @ Bakerita — October 3, 2012 @ 1:18 pm
Mongolian beef is my favorite, and we don’t have any good Chinese anywhere near me anyways! I’ll definitely be making this for my family ASAP.
Meghan — October 3, 2012 @ 1:19 pm
Quick, simple, and full of flavor! Can’t wait to try this!
30-Minute Mongolian Beef « I Love My Big Gay Son — October 3, 2012 @ 2:54 pm
[...] Post: http://www.justataste.com/2012/10/pf-changs-mongolian-beef-recipe/ Share this:FacebookTwitterStumbleUponRedditPinterestTumblrLinkedInEmailLike this:LikeBe the first [...]
Natasha@Bite and Sip — October 3, 2012 @ 4:07 pm
I love eating Asian food. This meat and a bowl of rice=perfect dinner!
Good point about boiling cornstarch. I now that now, but a few years ago I had a runny sauce just because i didn’t know that small but important secret.
30-minute mongolian beef. | Cooking Pics — October 3, 2012 @ 9:42 pm
[...] 30-minute mongolian beef. /* [...]
Michelle — October 4, 2012 @ 3:14 am
Delicious!
Joanne @ Fifteen Spatulas — October 4, 2012 @ 11:12 pm
Oh my goodness, this looks insanely delicious Kelly! I am definitely trying this, and getting my hands on some flank steak the next time I’m at the store. Hope you’re well!
Things I like Thursday | Crazy Jamie's Blog — October 5, 2012 @ 12:51 am
[...] MMM I should make this sometime next week. Normy would LOVE IT! 30-Minute Mongolian Beef [...]
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes — October 5, 2012 @ 2:25 am
Totally trying this one out!
Natalie — October 7, 2012 @ 7:29 pm
I just saw this today, and HAD to make it! And I’m glad I did, this is so delicious! Thanks for sharing an awesome, simple recipe. This college student is eating very well tonight
Shae — October 8, 2012 @ 11:33 am
YUM!! Will be making this very soon!! I love when you post things like this.. I wouldn’t have even known where to start… xoxo
Patricia — October 8, 2012 @ 7:53 pm
The flavors were spot on, this is definitely a keeper.
Lori — October 15, 2012 @ 10:28 am
This looks so good I can’t wait to try it. I think I will shop for the ingredients today because I can’t wait to make it. Thanks so much for sharing this. I will be back to tell you how good it was!
Deb — October 15, 2012 @ 8:31 pm
this was a BIG winner with my teenage sons! For some reason my meat really stuck to the wok – I guess I didn’t put in enough oil? ( I did scrimp a little ). It was extremely flavorful and delivered in the visual category too. I will add more garlic and ginger next time. Definitely going ino the school nite rotation!! Thanks for sharing!
Kelly Senyei replied: — October 15th, 2012 @ 10:14 pm
Awesome! Yes, perhaps just add a bit more oil (although I understand the desire to go light).
Foodiewife — October 15, 2012 @ 10:10 pm
O-M-G. I made this, tonight. Yes, it was very quick to make. My family loved it! Next time (and there will be a next time), I think I’m going to add some red pepper flakes to the sauce. We like a little “kick” to our Mongolian Beef. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Kelly Senyei replied: — October 15th, 2012 @ 10:13 pm
So glad you enjoyed it, and I love the addition of the red pepper flakes!
Tasty Tuesday - Family-friendly Recipes for Working Moms — October 16, 2012 @ 2:12 pm
[...] recipe is another Pinterest find. This Quick Mongolian Beef from justataste.com not only was easy to make, it was a hit with my kids, who loved eating the sauce [...]
New Recipes!! | Eat, Sip, Swirl — October 19, 2012 @ 12:07 am
[...] http://www.justataste.com/2012/10/pf-changs-mongolian-beef-recipe/ [...]
A.Martin — October 19, 2012 @ 6:56 pm
Can I use ground ginger? I have all of the ingredients except for the fresh ginger, and I didn’t want to run to the store.
Kelly Senyei replied: — October 19th, 2012 @ 7:22 pm
Yes! While it won’t have the exact same taste, you can substitute 1/8 teaspoon dry ginger for every 1 tablespoon fresh. Enjoy!
» Mongolian Beef The Best Things In Food and Life — October 20, 2012 @ 3:52 pm
[...] at how easy this was to make. And how delicious. I found the original recipe from Pinterest on Just a Taste Blog and then adapted it with some simple changes. I think the next time I make it, I’ll add in [...]
Rosanna — October 23, 2012 @ 12:08 pm
I love Mongolain Beef. I will have to try this soon
Jessica — October 23, 2012 @ 9:04 pm
My husband and I just tried this recipe tonight and it turned out awesome! There was a little extra sauce in the wok that we’re going to save and probably make some Mongolian shrimp later this week. Great recipe, and very easy!
Kelly Senyei replied: — October 26th, 2012 @ 3:05 pm
So glad you enjoyed it! And Mongolian Shrimp sounds fantastic!
Pam Daniels — October 28, 2012 @ 8:46 pm
Fantastic! I made this tonight for dinner, it was a hit with everyone. I used London Broil that I sliced very thin because that is what I had…next time I will try flank steak.
Mongolian Beef | sel et sucre — October 29, 2012 @ 7:04 am
[...] Beef (adapted from Just a Taste) Yield: 4 – 6 [...]
Jessica @ Portuguese GIrl Cooks — November 1, 2012 @ 9:06 am
This looks great! I’m thinking this is tonights dinner.
Kristen O'Guin — November 12, 2012 @ 8:27 pm
I just made this for my family to night with jasmine rice loved it
Lauren Gumer — November 27, 2012 @ 12:35 am
Made this tonight! There isn’t even any left over! Added 2 tsp hoisin sauce. Was delicious!
Tania — December 3, 2012 @ 8:35 pm
Holy cow, this was good. All of my kids ate this up. Thank you!
Tom — December 7, 2012 @ 1:54 pm
This is sooooooo good!!! I wish I would have doubled the recipe!!>>>>>>THANK YOU!!!
Kathy — December 9, 2012 @ 7:45 am
I made this last night and it was outstanding! One of the few recipes that claim to be under 30 mins and actually is.
What’s for supper? // Mangolian beef recipe | stuff cyn loves — December 13, 2012 @ 2:02 pm
[...] I usually cook 1 to 2 asian dishes a week and this week I tried this Mangolian beef recipe from justataste. It reminded me a lot of spare-ribs but it was much quicker to make and it didn’t cost much. [...]
Julia — December 21, 2012 @ 2:43 pm
This looks fabulous, and I can’t wait to try it out, but I was wondering if you had any suggestions on incorporating more vegetables, maybe broccoli & onion? Should I just throw them in to cook with the beef? Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks so much for publishing this!
Kristi @ Cherry Jasmine — January 2, 2013 @ 10:32 pm
Kelly – this looks FABULOUS. Makes me want to reach into that picture and take a bite! Love it!
Brittney Carlton — January 3, 2013 @ 7:09 pm
I tried this tonight and it was AWESOME!!! So good and flavorful. My husband ate until his stomach hurt. Will definitely make this again!
Take-Out, Fake-Out: Mongolian Beef » Table for Two — January 7, 2013 @ 6:00 am
[...] Source: inspired by Food.com via Just a Taste [...]
Erin Berk — January 10, 2013 @ 6:33 pm
made this tonight exactly per the recipe and it turned out amazing, no leftovers here!
Lindsay @ VeganYumminess — January 11, 2013 @ 11:11 am
Kelly, I just made a vegan version of this, and it turned out fabulously! I used soy curls, and made a few little changes, but it was delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Mongolian Soy Curls | Vegan Yumminess — January 12, 2013 @ 10:53 pm
[...] and paid a visit to Kelly Senyei’s blog Just A Taste, where I found this amazing recipe for 30-Minute Mongolian Beef. Course, I don’t eat beef, but I do love soy curls, and they were perfect for this [...]
Just a Taste » Chicken Roulades with Tapenade and Prosciutto — January 13, 2013 @ 4:25 pm
[...] Smoky Chipotle BBQ chips (ahem, my guilty food pleasure). And on those nights, I turn to either 30-Minute Mongolian Beef or these Chicken Roulades with Tapenade and Prosciutto. I shared the basic technique for roulades [...]
Traci — January 14, 2013 @ 7:13 pm
Made this for dinner tonight and even my picky boyfriend thinks it’s delicious. I substituted 1/4 ground ginger for the fresh, and used venison instead of beef (because we have a lot of it
. Still… YUM! And quick & easy too, what more could you ask for?
Nichole — January 14, 2013 @ 7:32 pm
I just made this and THANK-YOU for sharing this recipe! WOW! It was the best, easiest recipe I have ever tried! My new fav dish!
Debbie — January 22, 2013 @ 3:32 pm
I just made this tonight for dinner and It is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to sweet.
Gina2you — January 22, 2013 @ 8:38 pm
Made this tonight for dinner-even my super picky 11 year old loved it! Definitely a keeper.
1.27.13 meal plan « This Is Living — January 28, 2013 @ 8:21 pm
[...] is one of our new favorites, as it meets our Pei Wei cravings. Mongolian Beef. I way cut down on the amount of oil the recipe calls for (to, like, 2 tbsp max) and add 8 oz of [...]
jules — February 2, 2013 @ 1:54 pm
this looks amazing. that photo is so inviting…YUM
Michelle — February 11, 2013 @ 8:25 pm
I just made this for dinner tonight, and it was delicious! Next time I’m going to add some broccoli as well… we are already looking forward to it!
Thanks so much for the recipe.
Courteney — February 13, 2013 @ 2:41 pm
I am making this tonight, I am adding some broccoli, onions and snap peas and putting it over a bed of noodles. Can’t wait! Also, I mass homemade egg rolls as an app.
30 Minute Mongolian Beef | Totally Love It — February 16, 2013 @ 12:13 am
[...] hook with the Mongolian Beef from P.F. Chang’s and with this 30 Minute Mongolian Beef from Just a Taste I can make that delicious dish at home. The steak, garlic and ginger…. oh I am in Heaven. [...]
Angie — March 2, 2013 @ 11:24 pm
We have made this twice this week and my family LOVES this, it is so, so yummy, this is better than any take-out restaurant!!! Thank you for such an amazing recipe!!
Faten — March 11, 2013 @ 8:05 am
What can I use to substitute the sherry? I’m Muslim so I don’t use alchohol in my cooking
Kelly Senyei replied: — March 11th, 2013 @ 8:14 am
Hi Faten, There isn’t any sherry in the recipe.
Valerie @ From Valerie's Kitchen — March 11, 2013 @ 10:47 pm
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I doubled it and it worked perfectly. I roasted some asparagus and tossed it on top and served with Jasmine rice. Totally YUM! Thanks Kelly
Torii — March 20, 2013 @ 7:48 pm
I made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing! I used “beef for stir fry” instead of flank steak – a little thinner cut and smaller bite size. Such a versatile dish – add julienne sliced green onion (not just the green part), broccoli, sugar snap peas, etc. Numm!
Michelle Arbon — March 21, 2013 @ 8:30 pm
I made this tonight for my hubby – he swears it’s the best Chinese food he’s EVER had, better than take-out. I’m a vegetarian but I poured some of the extra sauce over broccoli and it was amazing!
Food experiment Saturday: Friday Night Special | food. marketing. peter cooke — March 23, 2013 @ 11:33 am
[...] Here’s the link to the Mongolian Beef recipe we used: http://www.justataste.com/2012/10/pf-changs-mongolian-beef-recipe/ [...]
Kaitlin — March 26, 2013 @ 10:32 pm
I made this tonight and it was awesome!! I only had light brown sugar and powdered minced ginger and no green onions and it still turned out amazing. I added broccoli and sliced carrots to add some veggies and through them in for the last boil to soften them a bit without getting soggy. My super picky two year old who HATES meat AND veggies ate every last bite, that’s how good it was! Definitely a keeper.
Amy — March 27, 2013 @ 2:46 pm
Excellent! I added Siracha hot sauce for an added kick.
Bev — April 6, 2013 @ 8:28 pm
This is a delicious recipe. I have made it twice now and my husband thought it was very tasty and ate his serving which is unusual as he is a very small eater. I will be making it often and I also like to use the leftovers heated up and rolled up in a wrap.
Cheap Cookware & Delicious Recipes » Quick Mongolian Recipes — April 9, 2013 @ 1:04 pm
[...] Just a Taste » 30-Minute Mongolian Beef [...]
Brooke — April 18, 2013 @ 3:52 pm
What do u recommend to use to make thia mongolian beef have a little spicyness to it?
Kelly Senyei replied: — April 18th, 2013 @ 3:55 pm
I’d add crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce for a little kick of heat. Enjoy!
Michelle — April 25, 2013 @ 11:31 pm
I made this tonight and it had great flavor. The cornstarch sort of melted off in the skillet and created some muck in my sauce. I ended up straining the leftover sauce. I don’t think my oil was hot enough to really sear the cornstarch on the beef. Also, any tips on when to use stainless steel versus a nonstick skillet? Thanks for the great recipes!
30-Minute Mongolian Beef | Scrumptious Cyn — April 29, 2013 @ 6:10 pm
[...] found this delicious recipe over at Just a Taste through Pinterest. Do yourself a favor and check out their other awesome [...]
Ashleigh — May 2, 2013 @ 9:49 pm
This is beyond amazing! So delicious. We add broccoli and eat it over rice. It is very comparable to Pei Wei’s ginger broccoli and beef!
StuckAtHomeMom.com | The 25+ Most Popular Pinnable Pins – Right Now #pinterest #popular — May 7, 2013 @ 12:24 am
[...] justataste.com via Flynn on [...]