Mongolian Beef

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Asian Inspired, Southern

Keyword easy-mongolian-beef, mongolian-beef-recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 613kcal

Coating:
1/2 cup corn starch divided use
1 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 - 2 lbs cubed sirloin steak (1/2 inch cubes or 1/4 inch slices)
Sauce:
1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
2-4 Tbsp cornstarch (Start with 2 Tbsp adjust using additional dissolved in cold water as needed to thicken further)
4 large cloves garlic minced, divided use
1-2 tsp finely minced fresh ginger (or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup vegetable oil
sesame seeds and green onions for garnishing
Cooked sticky rice for serving

Coating: In a large bowl or Ziploc bag mix together 1/4 cup cornstarch, granulated garlic and salt.
Add steak then seal and toss together. Open bag and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Sauce: In a medium bowl whisk together beef stock, brown sugar, soy sauce, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes. Mix until well combined and cornstarch has dissolved. Set aside.
Cook: Heat vegetable oil in a large deep skillet (12 inch skillet) or similar size saucepan (or wok) over medium high heat.
Remove steak from bowl and toss with reserved 1/4 cup cornstarch to coat then remove shaking off any excess cornstarch.
Add steak to oil in skillet in a single layer. Cook in batches, if needed. Brown steak on both sides, remove to a platter. (It doesn't have to be cooked through, sides should be crusted.)
Drain oil from skillet reserving 1 tablespoon, then turn heat to medium. Add reserved minced garlic cloves to pan cook for 1 minute or just until softened and fragrant scrape any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
Add sauce to pan, bring to a gentle boil then immediately lower the heat to medium-low.
Add steak back to pan and simmer in the sauce for 3-5 minutes, or just until the steak is cooked through and sauce has thickened. (See Cook's note)
Serve immediately over white rice garnished with sesame seeds and green onions.

Adjust the Sauce: You can adjust the thickness of the sauce, if desired. To do so, after adding the prepared sauce to the skillet test the thickness. To thicken further, dissolve 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in just enough cold water to dissolve and add to the sauce. You can repeat this process until the consistency is reached that suits your taste.
Thin the Sauce: Likewise, you can thin the sauce by adding additional beef stock or water.
Steak Substitution: Sirloin steak works great with this recipe, but flank steak is also a great option because they’re both tender. Be sure it is sliced very thin (about 1/4 inch thick) in order to cook evenly.
Protein Variation: You could adapt this recipe using chicken thighs or chicken breasts.
Sauce: You can also add a few tablespoons of hoisin sauce to the skillet to create a slightly different flavor.
Vegetables: You could also add sugar snap peas, carrots, broccoli or other vegetables to this dish.
Spice: Add more or less crushed red pepper flakes to get the level of heat that you like. It’s pretty mild with only ⅛ teaspoon and adding one teaspoon will bring more heat. Adjust to your personal taste.
Salt: Thee amount of salt and seasonings can be adjusted to your liking. Soy sauce will add sodium to the dish, so taste and adjust the amount, if you feel it needs more.
Serving Options: You can serve this over sticky rice or noodles.