Mongolian Beef Recipe {Video} - Butter Your Biscuit (2024)

Published: by Wendie · 8 Comments

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Mongolian Beef is a super simple stir fry made with thin slices of tender beef, simmered in a sticky sauce,and comes together in under 30 minutes!

Mongolian Beef Recipe {Video} - Butter Your Biscuit (1)

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Next time you're craving Mongolian Beef skip the take-out and make this from the comfort of your home! This is a close copycat of the PF Chang's Mongolian beef and uses simple ingredients a popular dish the entire family will love!

Why this recipe works

Mongolian beef is one of my favorite Chinese takeout options. Tender strips of beef, saturated in a delicious sauce! Savory and slightly sweet, I serve this stir-fry recipe over white rice or pasta withRoasted Broccoli.

Ingredients needed

Mongolian Beef Recipe {Video} - Butter Your Biscuit (2)

Notes

  • Steak:Flank steak, skirt steak, filet, or sirloin steak
  • Corn starch:
  • Soy sauce:Low sodium soy sauce
  • Brown sugar:Either dark or light.
  • Ginger:I prefer fresh ginger but ground ginger will work in a pinch.
  • Garlic:Fresh minced garlic is best.
  • Green onions:Garnish with sliced green onions or fresh parsley.
  • Red pepper flakes:

How to make this recipe

Mongolian Beef Recipe {Video} - Butter Your Biscuit (3)
  • Step 1:In a small bowl add the sauce ingredients
  • Step 2:Slice the meat into thin slices against the grain.
Mongolian Beef Recipe {Video} - Butter Your Biscuit (4)
  • Step 3:Sprinkle with cornstarch over the meat and toss beef until coated.
  • Step 4:Heat a cast iron skillet or wok on high heat add the olive oil, and 1/4 of the sliced beef and sear in the hot pan for 2-3 minutes until crispy. Remove to a plate and finish cooking the rest.
Mongolian Beef Recipe {Video} - Butter Your Biscuit (5)
  • Step 5:Add the sauce mixture into the hot skillet and let come to a simmer, reduce the heat to low.
  • Step 6:Add in the cooked steak and toss until coated, serve over rice or pasta.
Mongolian Beef Recipe {Video} - Butter Your Biscuit (6)

Recipe tips

  • Cut the meat into thin slices against the grain.
  • You can use a regular, but I love to use acast iron wokorcast iron skillet. It gets super hot and creates the best caramelization on the meat.
  • Cook the beef in smaller batches you don't want to overcrowd the wok/ skillet.
Mongolian Beef Recipe {Video} - Butter Your Biscuit (7)

Recipe Faq's

What's the difference between Mongolian beef and kung pao beef?

Both are beef stir fry recipes that require thinly sliced beef. Mongolian beef has a sweeter sticky sauce, and Kung Pao has bell peppers, onions and peanuts.

Is Skirt Steak and Flank Steak the Same Thing?

Both are long odd looking cuts of meat. They both work but they aren't the same. Flank steak tends to be leaner and can be a little tougher. Both skirt and flank steak takes well to marinades and have great flavor. I personally prefer skirt steak as it has a bit more fat and cooks super fast over high heat.

How Do I Cut Thin Sliced of Meat Against The Grain?

Look for the long fibers in the meat you want to cut across those fibers for the most tender meat. It helps to put the meat in the freezer for about 30 minutes to firm it up enough to be able to cut thin strips without it being too soft.If your using a more tender cut of beef like filet no need to cut it against the grain.

More Stir Frye Recipes

  • Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir Fry
  • Sweet Chili Shrimp Stir Fry
  • Beef Stir Fry
  • Shrimp with Hot Garlic Sauce

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Mongolian Beef Recipe {Video} - Butter Your Biscuit (12)

Mongolian Beef

Wendie

Mongolian Beef is a super simple stir fry made with thin slices of tender beef, simmered in a sticky sauce,and comes together in under 30 minutes!

4.75 from 78 votes

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Entrees

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 6

Calories 520 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak sliced against the grain into thin bite-sized pieces
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
  • 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
  • 2 green onions sliced

Instructions

  • In a small bowl whisk soy sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper until combined.

  • Slice the steak thinly against the grain into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Toss the sliced flank steak and the cornstarch until evenly coated, and set aside.

  • Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large cast iron skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once it's nice and hot add 1/4 of the beef and cook until browned and slightly crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Remove the meat and set aside. Add more oil if needed and repeat until all the meat is cooked.

  • Add the sauce to the pan, simmer until thickened about 2-3 minutes, then add the beef back in and toss until coated.

  • Serve with rice and top with green onions.

Video

Notes

Flank steak also works for this recipe, just make sure to cut in thin strips against the grain. Filet, or sirloin steak will also work.

Cook the beef in smaller batches you don't want to overcrowd the wok/ skillet.

Nutrition

Serving: 6ServingsCalories: 520kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 34gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 835mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15g

Keyword mongolian beef, Stirfry

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mongolian Beef Recipe {Video} - Butter Your Biscuit (13)Wendie

    Hmmm being that there isn't any addition salt in this recipe if 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce is to salty try adding more water.

  2. Mongolian Beef Recipe {Video} - Butter Your Biscuit (14)Gina

    Mongolian Beef Recipe {Video} - Butter Your Biscuit (15)
    Made this for dinner tonight & it was good, but even with using low sodium soy sauce, it was still pretty salty.

  3. Mongolian Beef Recipe {Video} - Butter Your Biscuit (16)Wendie

    Yes light brown sugar will work and ground ginger works in a pinch but I always recommend fresh.

  4. Mongolian Beef Recipe {Video} - Butter Your Biscuit (17)Faith

    Ca you use light brown sugar instead and ground ginger instead of fresh?

  5. Mongolian Beef Recipe {Video} - Butter Your Biscuit (18)Wendie

    I have never used round steak but I think it will work. Make sure you cut it really thin against the grain and don't cook it to long.

  6. Mongolian Beef Recipe {Video} - Butter Your Biscuit (19)Ali

    Can round steak be used for this recipe?

  7. Mongolian Beef Recipe {Video} - Butter Your Biscuit (20)Wendie

    Yay Mandy! So happy everybody loves it 🙂

  8. Mongolian Beef Recipe {Video} - Butter Your Biscuit (21)Mandy

    I’m back making this for the fourth time now, it is an absolute winner in our house!

Leave a Reply

Mongolian Beef Recipe {Video} - Butter Your Biscuit (2024)

FAQs

Why is Mongolian beef chewy? ›

Like many stir fry dishes, it is important to thinly slice the meat, which means stir-frying will obviously overcook the meat, which in turn will make it tough and chewy.

How do you soften beef for stir fry? ›

How to tenderise beef – easily!
  1. Sprinkle 3/4 tsp baking soda (bi-carbonate soda) on 250g / 8oz sliced economical beef cuts.
  2. Toss with fingers, leave for 30 minutes.
  3. Rinse, pat off excess water.
  4. Proceed with stir fry recipe. It can be marinated with wet or dry seasonings, or cooked plain.
Feb 23, 2019

What is the secret ingredient in stir-fry beef? ›

But this beef is nothing short of crazy tender and flavorful from one simple step of coating your beef in a little soy and cornstarch before stir frying. Here's how it works: soy sauce: the salt in the soy sauce helps break down the proteins for a more tender texture and infuses the steak with flavor.

Is cornstarch or baking soda better for tenderizing meat? ›

both cornstarch and baking soda tenderizes the meat. it does have a slightly different texture since baking soda is causing a chemical reaction. it changes the taste of the chicken so cornstarch is better if you are sensative to taste.

What spice softens beef? ›

Ginger: Ginger contains an enzyme called zingibain that can help to tenderize meat. Garlic: Garlic contains a natural compound called allicin, which can help to break down meat fibers. Rosemary: Rosemary contains a natural acid called rosmarinic acid, which can help to break down meat fibers.

What do Chinese restaurants use to tenderize beef? ›

There are two popular velveting techniques in Chinese cooking: the baking soda method and the cornstarch method. Before making your favorite Chinese stir-fry, learn how to velvet thinly sliced beef with baking soda to ensure tender, juicy meat. 1. Cut the meat.

What does baking soda do to meat? ›

Baking soda. Here's where it gets science-y: The baking soda raises the pH on the outside of the meat as it marinates, in a process known as velveting (which can also be done with a cornstarch slurry). This makes it so the proteins have a harder time bonding to each other when it's time to cook the meat.

What is Mongolian beef sauce made of? ›

The beef is then shallow-fried in a wok or skillet until crispy, and tossed in a flavorful brown sauce made with soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and scallions. Served over steamed rice, the dish is a huge family-pleaser and every bit as good as the Mongolian beef served at your favorite Chinese restaurant.

Do you have 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.

What is the best steak for stir-fry? ›

What Cut of Beef Is Best For Beef Stir-Fry? Flank steaks are the most popular choice for making a stir-fry. However, you can also use sirloin steak, skirt steak, Denver steak, or even beef chuck. Beef chuck steak is the most economical choice, but it does require some extra trimming.

How much baking soda to tenderize meat? ›

Or, for an even easier option, you can use water and baking soda to tenderize meat this way. Before your next stir-fry, sizzling platter of fajitas, or skillet dinner, follow these steps to velvet sliced meat. For every 12 ounces of meat, use 1 teaspoon of baking soda and ½ cup of water.

Why does my beef taste chewy? ›

When exposed to too much heat, the fat within the muscles gets rendered out completely, ridding the steak of the moisture that makes it tender. On the other hand, if that fat doesn't have enough time to break down, the resulting steak will be as tough as it would be if it were adequately cooked.

Why is my beef chewy after cooking? ›

If the meat is overcooked it can become chewy although dry. For naturally tender cuts like beef should be cut at 225 degree F. C. Meat should be cut against the grain of the meat .

What does it mean when beef is too chewy? ›

You Undercooked The Steak

If removed from the heat too soon, the connective tissue will remain intact. The steak may appear juicier when rare, but can have a chewy, sinewy texture. It's especially important not to undercook tougher cuts that have more connective tissue.

How did the Chinese get their beef so tender? ›

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. “People go for either egg white or baking soda as they are both alkaline ingredients.

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