Mongolian Beef

Take a break from takeout with this mouthwatering Mongolian Beef recipe.

Mongolian beef continues to conquer global taste buds, but it wasn’t something literal Mongol warriors ate on their expeditions. This sweet and savory meal has more to do with Taiwanese cuisine than classic Mongolian cooking. In the 1950s, restaurants in Taiwan tried to drum up business by evoking the allure of exotic Mongolian barbeque — and it worked! 

Despite the confusion over its name, there’s no question Mongolian beef has become a saucy staple on takeout menus. With its tender slices of meat and sweet soy sauce glaze, it’s easy to see why people get swept away to another world while eating this dish. 

Even though it’s so convenient to call a local restaurant for delivery, it’s extremely simple to recreate Mongolian beef magic in your kitchen. In fact, I bet you already have most of the ingredients you need to get started mixing this sauce. 

See how easy it is to make tender and juicy Mongolian beef for a weeknight dinner. You’ll be amazed at how quickly this celebrated stir-fry comes together.

Is Mongolian Beef Healthy?

Mongolian beef isn’t bursting with nutrients like a broccoli cranberry salad, but it isn’t the most unhealthy meal on earth. For example, the onion and garlic add antioxidants to this meal, and the flank steak is a good source of protein. However, there are a lot of ingredients that nobody could spin as healthy — especially the brown sugar and sodium-filled soy sauce.

Although I used low-sodium soy sauce in this recipe, you might want to consider substituting liquid aminos if you want a low-carb option. As for the sugar, there are plenty of keto-approved alternatives nowadays, like erythritol or monk fruit. It’s also easy to add some more veggies like bell peppers, broccoli, or snow peas to give your Mongolian beef a vitamin boost.

How do you make Mongolian beef tender?

If you start with flank steak, you’re already in a good position to make melt-in-your-mouth Mongolian beef. Unlike cuts such as skirt or sirloin, flank steak is a naturally lean section that makes it more likely to get nice and tender in your hot pan. 

However, just because you have flank steak doesn’t mean you can rely on your meat to work its magic. There are a few tenderizing techniques you can put into place to make this meat less chewy. For starters, if you take the time to cut the flank steak against the grain of its muscle fibers, you’ll set up your steak for a terrific tender bite.

Another secret strategy for softening flank steak is sprinkling baking soda before cooking. Plenty of restaurants use this baking soda hack to raise the pH of their meat, making Mongolian beef extra tender. Generally, chefs use about ½ – 1 teaspoon of baking soda per pound of beef and marinate for about 15 minutes.

Even if you follow the above tips, you must know how to cook your steak for the best tenderness. Avoid overcrowding the pan so the temperature stays super hot and you sear every piece of meat rather than steaming and overcooking your steak. 

INGREDIENTS

1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup water

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 green onions, sliced

INSTRUCTIONS

Prep

Toss beef with cornstarch.

Cook

Sear beef, then simmer with sauce.

Serve

Garnish with green onions.

Devour!

Serving Suggestions

The classic way to serve Mongolian beef is over a bed of steamed rice, but you don’t have to use white rice if that’s not your style. For example, it’s easy to use brown rice to get some extra fiber or forgo the carbs entirely with this DIY Cauliflower Rice. Heck, you could even use quinoa instead of rice to lend a fluffy texture, plus an extra dose of protein. 

You could also add some veggies to your Mongolian beef or as a side serving. As I mentioned earlier, a few veggies that work great with this dish include broccoli, snow peas, and bell peppers. If you can’t be bothered steaming or roasting your veggies, toss some green beans in the instant pot for a great garlicky pairing.

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