Description

This 30-Minute Mongolian Beef recipe is a quick and delicious dish featuring tender flank steak coated in a crispy cornstarch crust, simmered in a savory and sweet soy-based sauce with garlic and ginger. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, it pairs beautifully with rice or noodles for a satisfying meal.

Ingredients

Scale

Beef and Coating

1 lb flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
1/4 cup cornstarch

Sauce and Seasonings

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Garnish and Serving

4 green onions, chopped (for garnish)
Cooked rice or noodles (for serving)

Instructions

Coat the Beef: In a mixing bowl, toss the thinly sliced flank steak with the cornstarch until each piece is well coated. This helps create a crispy texture once cooked.
Brown the Beef: Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the beef in a single layer. Cook for 2-3 minutes until browned, flipping halfway through to ensure even cooking. Remove the beef from the skillet and set aside.
Sauté Aromatics: In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Prepare the Sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and red pepper flakes if using. Pour this mixture into the skillet and bring it to a simmer, allowing the flavors to meld.
Combine Beef and Sauce: Return the browned beef to the skillet and stir well to coat the meat evenly in the sauce. Let it cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken slightly and glaze the beef.
Finish and Garnish: Remove the skillet from heat and sprinkle with chopped green onions for a fresh, flavorful garnish.
Serve: Serve the Mongolian beef hot over cooked rice or noodles to complete the meal.

Notes

For extra heat, increase the red pepper flakes according to your preference.
To tenderize the flank steak further, marinate it briefly in a mixture of soy sauce and a bit of baking soda for 15 minutes before cooking, then rinse and dry before coating with cornstarch.
The dish can be made gluten-free by using tamari instead of regular soy sauce.
If you prefer a thicker sauce, add a slurry of cornstarch and water at the end and cook until it thickens to your liking.
Leftover Mongolian beef keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheats nicely.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Main Course
Method: Stir-frying
Cuisine: Chinese

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 350 kcal
Sugar: 15 g
Sodium: 900 mg
Fat: 12 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 35 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 28 g
Cholesterol: 70 mg

Keywords: Mongolian beef, quick beef stir-fry, easy dinner recipe, Asian beef recipe, 30-minute meals