Toss those takeout menus and whip up a top-rated recipe for 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 homemade take on takeout, instead of waiting for the delivery guy. Welcome to the DIY party, 30-Minute Mongolian Beef!
The key to mastering classic Chinese food 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, which are the classic elements of all quality recipes for Mongolian Beef.
Craving takeout 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!
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Ingredients
- 1/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 lbs flank steak
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3 scallions sliced into 1-inch pieces (green parts only)
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and ginger 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 it 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.
- Line a plate with paper towels.
- Place a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add ⅓ cup vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the beef to the pan and sauté until it is seared on all sides but barely cooked in the center, about 2 minutes. Remove the steak from the skillet with a slotted spoon and transfer it onto a paper towel-lined plate. Pour any excess oil out of the skillet.
- Place the skillet 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, until the sauce has thickened to the consistency of syrup, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sliced scallions and stir to combine. Serve.
Kelly's Notes:
- This recipe will serve two to four people, depending on your preferred serving size. It can also be easily doubled.
- The key to cooking with cornstarch is that it must come to a boil in order to work as a thickener and give the sauce the perfect syrupy consistency.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition
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Recipe inspired by Food.com.
Recipe was tasty and so moreish! I only wish that I didn’t put in as much sugar as the recipe said, it turned out a bit too sweet for my liking. Will definitely make again but with less sugar.
Thanks for your feedback, Rebecca. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Cooked this for the first time tonight and wish I’d doubled the recipe. It was delicious and hubby was most disappointed there wasn’t enough for seconds!
I’m thrilled you and your husband enjoyed the recipe, Rachel!
I love your recipes they are easy to do and delicious.
I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying Just a Taste, Judy Lee!
My boyfriend had been wanting Mongolian Beef for a couple of weeks and I came across this recipe and decided to make it, it was quick and simple and hard to stop eating. It was absolutely amazing and I will definitely be making it again. We added some crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce just to spice it up a bit and it was so delicious! Wish I could upload the picture I took of the plates when it was finished! It’s so glossy and smells Devine even before you taste it!
Woohoo! I’m so thrilled you and your boyfriend enjoyed the recipe, Amanda! :)
This was good but I urge any future cooks to heed the warning on multiple comments. This is SO sweet, to the point of too sweet even if you like sweet sauces. It makes my super sweet energy drink taste bitter. I will be making this again but next time I’ll be cutting the sugar down by at least half. (Also probably reducing the amount of sauce. Even letting it thicken a lot there was just too much.) Other than that it’s very good and potentially cheap depending what meat you find. Was able to make a super filling meal pared with rice that lasted 2 days which is nice.
Thanks for your note, David. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Definitely easy and tasty
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Debi!
Oh my lord.. this was amazing. I didn’t read the comments till just now. So I didn’t have brown sugar only raw to use. Also I only had 1/3 cup so it wasn’t as sweet but was mouth watering. Will have this regularly.
Woohoo! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Lisa!
So easy, cheap and delicious
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Priscilla!
This recipe is fantastic! the only thing I changed was I added some red chili sauce to give it a little more tang.
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Linda!
Easy and delicious
Kids love it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Added a lil red ppr flakes and sautéed onions. Yum!!!!! I plated it and forgot to take the pic. Lol
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Diana!
I’m from England so what can I use instead flank steak?
Thanks x
Hi Laura – Sirloin or any quick-cooking beef works great!
Made this for dinner last night….so easy following the recipe to make this awesome beef. Serve it with rice. Will be making this again and again….Thank you so much.
Thanks so much, Diane!