Mongolian Beef

Forget takeout! This homemade Mongolian Beef is easy to make for a quick weeknight dinner and tastes even better than your favorite restaurant. It features tender strips of beef and fragrant scallions coated in a sticky, sweet, and savory sauce. Serve over fluffy rice for the ultimate comfort meal!

One dish that G and I order all too frequently from our neighborhood Chinese restaurant is Mongolian beef. We just can’t get enough of this delightful medley of tender beef and fragrant scallions in a sweet-and-savory brown sauce!

Unfortunately for my tummy, we decided at the beginning of the year to eat out less and resolved to cook more of our restaurant favorites like shrimp fried rice at home. Fortunately for my tummy, the delectable flavors of Mongolian beef are easy enough to replicate. With less than 30 minutes of cook time and basic Asian pantry staples, this recipe is so simple to make yet so much better than takeout.

Mongolian Beef Ingredients

I like sirloin for quick cooking, but I’ve also used flank steak, inside skirt, and hanger steak with delicious success. Some tougher beef cuts, like top or bottom round and chuck roast, may benefit from the velveting technique to tenderize.

Garlic, onion, and ginger are the holy trinity of Chinese cooking and help build deep savory flavors during stir-frying. The sauce is made with Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar, and cornstarch for a luscious texture and a perfect blend of sweet and umami.

What’s Mongolian beef without a generous load of fragrant scallions? Toss in some sliced onions, too, for a sweeter flavor and extra crunch!

How to restaurant quality Mongolian Beef

Slice the beef thinly across the grain for a more tender chew and uniform thickness for even cooking.

One crucial component of a great Chinese stir-fry is velveting. This Chinese cooking technique of marinating meat in cornstarch and quickly blanching it in a bath of hot oil ensures the beef stays tender, silky, and smooth in texture during the high heat used in the stir-fry. So please, please, do not skip this step! Trust me, the extra work is worth it.

Whisk together your stir-fry sauce. Feel free to adjust the amounts according to taste. Also, note that the beef is velveted in cornstarch, which will help thicken the sauce.

Stir-fry the aromatics until fragrant, pour in the stir-fry and let it bubble up and thicken, then return the pan-fried beef, along with the green onions. Give everything a final toss and voila! Your Asian beef stir-fry is ready to enjoy.

How to serve and store

• Serve this Mongolian beef with steamed rice and chow mein or dragon noodles for an Asian fakeout takeout at home. Add some crab rangoons as a tasty starter or raspberry cream cheese wontons for a sweet finish to the meal!
• Transfer leftovers to a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
• Reheat in a pan over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water or beef broth to loosen the consistency if needed. Or warm up individual portions in the microwave at 1- to 2-minute intervals until completely heated, stirring well between intervals.

More beef recipes

Beef Roast in Foil

Caldo de Res (Mexican Beef Soup)

Authentic Mexican Carne Asada

Barbecue-Glazed Meatloaf

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @OnionRingsAndThings on Facebook and Instagram!

5 from 1 vote

Mongolian Beef

Enjoy your Chinese restaurant favorite at home without delivery! Mongolian Beef features a delectable medley of tender beef and fragrant scallions in a sweet-and-savory sauce. So simple to make, yet tastes so much better than take-out!

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Velveting: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 35 minutes mins

Author: Lalaine Manalo

Course: Main Entree

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4 Servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 pounds beef sirloin sliced thinly
• ▢ 1 egg white
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ▢ oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
• ▢ 1 thumb-size ginger peeled and minced
• ▢ 1 large onion peeled and sliced thinly
• ▢ 1 bunch green onions ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths

For the Stir-fry Sauce

• ▢ 1/2 cup water
• ▢ 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (I used Kikkoman)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine
• ▢ 1 tablespoon sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Instructions

• In a small bowl, combine egg white, cornstarch, Chinese cooking wine, and 1 tablespoon oil. Whisk together until smooth and frothy. Add beef and massage the marinade onto the meat. Marinate in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. In a colander, drain the beef.
• In a bowl, combine stir-fry sauce ingredients: water, soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, Chinese cooking wine and sugar. Stir until well blended. Add cornstarch and stir until dissolved and mixture is smooth. Set aside.
• In a wok over high heat, heat about 1/4 cup oil. Add beef in a single layer and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned. With a slotted spoon, remove meat and drain on paper towels.
• Remove excess oil except for about 1 tablespoon. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring regularly, for about 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add onions and cook, stirring regularly, for about 30 to 40 seconds or until half done.
• Stir stir-fry sauce to disperse cornstarch that may have settled on the bottom and add to wok. Cook, whisking regularly, until smooth and thickened. 
• Return beef to wok and add green onions. Continue to cook, tossing gently, for about 1 to 2 minutes or until meat is heated through. Serve hot.

Notes

Freeze the beef for a few minutes until slightly firm, making it easier to slice.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 427kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 52g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 125mg, Sodium: 1284mg, Potassium: 909mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 61IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 71mg, Iron: 5mg

“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”