Easy Mongolian Beef

5 from 4 votes

Skip the takeout and make this easy Mongolian Beef at home! Tender strips of beef are coated in a sweet and savory sauce with garlic, ginger, and soy, then served over fluffy rice for a quick and flavorful dinner the whole family will love.

Prep Time25

Cook Time5

Total Time30

Calories: 314

Course: Main Course

Servings:

Author: Neli Howard

Ingredients

For The Mongolian Beef

1 lb flank steak or sirloin steak, thinly sliced against the grain
¼ cup cornstarch
2 Tablespoon coconut oil
4 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
3 scallions thinly sliced on a diagonal

For The Stir Fry Sauce

¼ cup Tamari soy sauce
¼ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar or honey
¼ cup water
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar or Shaoxing wine or dry cooking sherry

US - Metric

Instructions

Marinate the beef: Place the sliced beef in a bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch, then toss until the beef is evenly coated. Let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, and rice vinegar. Set aside.
Cook the beef: Heat the peanut oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and stir-fry just until the pieces are browned on the outside (they don’t need to be cooked through yet).
Add aromatics & sauce: Stir in the ginger and garlic, cooking for just 2–3 seconds until fragrant. Pour the sauce into the pan and stir well to coat all the beef. Let it simmer briefly so the flavors come together.
Finish with scallions: Turn off the heat and add the scallions. Give everything one final stir to warm the scallions without overcooking them.
Serve: Transfer to a serving plate and enjoy hot with steamed rice or noodles.

Video

Notes

Slice the beef thinly against the grain – This is the secret to tender beef in every bite. I always take my time here because it makes such a big difference in the final dish.
Chill the steak before slicing – If you pop the meat in the freezer for 15–20 minutes, it firms up just enough to slice paper-thin. It’s a little trick I use often for stir-fries.
Don’t skip the marinade – The cornstarch lightly coats the beef, giving it that velvety restaurant-style texture. It may seem like a small step, but it’s worth it.
Use high heat – Stir-fries come together quickly, and a hot pan gives the beef that nice sear while keeping it juicy. I like to let the pan heat up fully before adding the meat.
Cook in batches if needed – Crowding the pan makes the beef steam instead of sear. Smaller batches keep the meat tender and flavorful.
Have everything prepped before you start – Once you begin cooking, things move fast! I always mix up the sauce and chop the aromatics first so I can just toss them in at the right time.

Nutrition

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