Easy, Inexpensive Recipe: Mongolian Beef for Under $10!
I have thought multiple times about tackling Mongolian beef in my kitchen, but I never, ever thought I’d be able to do it. I finally worked up the confidence as my nearest PF Chang’s restaurant is over 30 minutes away and on a weeknight that’s just not feasible. And, the menu price… well that’s not always in the budget. So I whipped up my own version of this very popular restaurant favorite and let me tell ‘ya. I’m glad I got the guts to do it because this recipe is SO easy. And, for my family of four, the recipe cost me about $10 to make. And a little boost to my ego if I do say so myself. 😉 I think you can do it, too. Items I used for this recipe:
Recipe for Mongolian Beef
Make the sauce first. Pour 2 teaspoons of oil into a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Add minced garlic and ginger stirring with a whisk. Add the soy sauce and water. Dissolve the brown sugar into the liquid and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes. The sauce will still be fairly runny when it’s done boiling, that’s ok. Remove it from the heat.
Slice the flank steak in 1/4 inch slices at a 45 degree angle against the grain into bite size pieces. (I had my butcher do this – easy peasy! My butcher is awesome.) Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a thin layer of dusting to the steak. Let that sit for about 10 minutes.
As the beef sits, heat one cup of oil in your pan. If you don’t have a wok (I don’t as you can see from the pictures) use a little more oil. I used about a cup and a half – just enough to almost cover the meat. The beef will begin to brown on the edges. That’s good. Stir the meat around a bit and after a couple minutes remove the beef from the oil with a slotted spoon into a bowl lined with paper towels and pour the oil out into a bowl or something that it won’t melt.
Put the pan back over medium heat and put meat back in, browning for a minute or so. Add the sauce to this pan and the green onions. Serve over rice.Enjoy.
What is Mongolian Beef?
Mongolian beef is a dish usually served in Chinese-American restaurants consisting of sliced beef, typically a flank or flat-iron steak, and stir-fried with vegetables (usually green onions) in a savory brown sauce, usually made with soy sauce, and chili peppers.
Easy, Inexpensive Recipe: Mongolian Beef
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4 servings
Author Kate
Ingredients
- Mongolian Beef Ingredients:
- 2tvegetable oil
- 1/2t.minced ginger
- 1Tchopped garlic
- 1/2cuplow sodium soy sauce
- 1/2cupwater
- 3/4cupdark brown sugar
- 1cvegetable oil
- 1poundflankor flat iron steak
- 1/4ccorn starch
- 2large green onions
Instructions
Pour 2 teaspoons of oil into a medium saucepan over medium/low heat.
Add minced garlic and ginger stirring with a whisk.
Add the soy sauce and water.
Dissolve the brown sugar into the liquid and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes.
The sauce will still be fairly runny when it's done boiling, that's ok.
Remove it from the heat.
Slice the flank steak in 1/4 inch slices at a 45 degree angle against the grain into bite size pieces. (I had my butcher do this - easy peasy! My butcher is awesome.)
Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a thin layer of dusting to the steak.
Let that sit for about 10 minutes.
As the beef sits, heat one cup of oil in your pan.
If you don't have a wok (I don't as you can see from the pictures) use a little more oil.
I used about a cup and a half - just enough to almost cover the meat.
The beef will begin to brown on the edges. That's good.
Stir the meat around a bit and after a couple minutes remove the beef from the oil with a slotted spoon into a bowl lined with paper towels and pour the oil out into a bowl or something that it won't melt.
Put the pan back over med heat and put meat back in, browning for a minute or so.
Add the sauce to this pan and the green onions.
Serve over rice. Enjoy!
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FAQs
Our recipe for Mongolian beef sauce includes oyster sauce, soy sauce, tamari soy sauce (as a replacement for dark soy sauce), chili sauce, sugar, and cooking wine. Check the ingredient list to see precise amounts. Don't forget that you can scale the recipe up and down!
What is the difference between Mongolian beef and Chinese beef? ›
Szechuan beef vs Mongolian beef, what's the difference? Szechuan beef has a sweet and spicy flavor, and Mongolian beef has a mild taste. Szechuan beef hails from the Sichuan Province in southwestern China.
What can I substitute for flank steak in Mongolian? ›
The best meat to use instead of flank steak is skirt steak, flat iron steak, flap (sirloin tip) steak, tri-tip steak, and hanger steak (in that order). Each has its differences, but all do well being marinated and cooked over high heat, like flank steak.
Why is Mongolian beef so tender? ›
This is the KEY ingredient to super tender beef. Baking soda is commonly used in Chinese cooking to tenderize beef. If you're curious about the science behind it – baking soda neutralizes acid and raises the pH level, which causes the meat to become more alkaline.
What is the secret ingredient in stir fry beef? ›
Velvet the beef: The velveting technique involves tenderizing, marinating, and a quick searing of the meat. To tenderize: Sprinkle with baking soda (the secret Chinese meat tenderizer). To marinate (a quick marinade): Add basic beef marinade and mix to coat evenly. Let marinate for 15 minutes or up to overnight.
What is a substitute for cornstarch in Mongolian beef? ›
It gives the Mongolian beef its signature glossy, thick sauce. If you can't find cornstarch, use flour instead, but it may not provide the same clear, glossy finish. Soy sauce: This gives the dish its savory, umami flavor.
Why is Chinese takeout beef so tender? ›
The secret is tenderising the meat. It's called velveting beef. Your cheerful local Chinese restaurant is using economical stewing beef to make stir fries with ultra tender strips of beef by tenderising it!
What ethnicity is Mongolian beef? ›
Despite its name, the dish has nothing to do with Mongolian cuisine. Mongolian beef is among the meat dishes developed in Taiwan where Mongolian barbecue restaurants first appeared. Thus, none of the ingredients or the preparation methods are drawn from traditional Mongolian cuisine but rather from Chinese cuisine.
What is similar to Mongolian beef? ›
If you are like me, you probably asked yourself what's the difference between Szechuan Beef vs Mongolian Beef because these two dishes look very similar. The main difference is in flavor and the use of peppercorns. Szechuan Beef has a sweet and spicy flavor with added chili peppers and Szechuan peppercorns.
Why is flank steak so expensive? ›
Flank steak is generally one of the most affordable cuts of beef you can find. Yet it tends to come at a slightly higher price than the Skirt steak. This is largely because the Skirt cut is a little more tender, and therefore easier to cook with different methods.
Deep and flavorful, our Mongolian Style BBQ Sauce can attribute its flavor profile to smoked black pepper, sweet molasses, soy sauce and garlic making this sauce versatile for marinades and as a finishing sauce.
Is there another name for Mongolian beef? ›
Stir-Fried Spicy Beef (Previously: Mongolian Beef)
Sliced beef marinated in soy and then stir-fried with peppers and onions.
Do you need to rinse baking soda off meat? ›
Just as you would with dry brining, rinse your meat until it's (mostly) free of all the baking soda.
How do Chinese get their beef so soft? ›
In Chinese cooking, proteins like beef, pork or chicken are velveted first before stir-frying them. There are several ways to velvet, but at its most basic level, it involves marinating meat with at least one ingredient that will make it alkaline. This is what tenderizes the meat, especially cheaper, tougher cuts.
Does Mongolian beef contain oyster sauce? ›
Place the steak in a shallow bowl and add the water, vegetable, and cornstarch mixture. Massage all the ingredients into the meat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 12 hours. For the sauce: Combine the oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch, vinegar, garlic and half the ginger in a small bowl and set aside.
What is Mongolian beef supposed to taste like? ›
When done just right, it's perfectly sweet and savory, slightly spicy, and loaded with lots of delicious aromatics such as ginger, garlic, green onions and even a few dried red chilis, all combined to bring a nice pop of deep, fragrant flavor.
What is Mongolian BBQ sauce made of? ›
In a large saucepan, combine 1/2 cup tamari, sugar, vinegar, oil, sake and 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil. Add ketchup, coriander, ground ginger and chili. Simmer for 10 minutes.
What's the difference between teriyaki beef and Mongolian beef? ›
Mongolian Beef: Mongolian beef is usually stir-fried, with thinly sliced beef quickly cooked in a hot pan or wok. The beef is typically seared until browned and then combined with the sauce and onions [3]. Beef Teriyaki: Beef teriyaki can be prepared by grilling, broiling, or pan-frying the beef.
