Kitchen Recipe Collection
Mongolian Beef
A popular Chinese-American stir-fry. Tender, crispy slices of beef flank steak coated in a sticky, sweet, and savory dark soy and brown sugar glaze, mixed with scallions.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- easy
- Cuisine
- Chinese-American
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 500g flank steak, sliced thinly against the grain
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (for shallow frying)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, minced
- 6 stalks scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
Equipment
- Wok
- Small saucepan
- Slotted spoon
Instructions
- 1
Coat the Beef
Place the thinly sliced beef in a ziplock bag or bowl with the cornstarch. Toss vigorously until every piece is completely dry and coated. Leave it for 10 minutes so the starch adheres.
- 2
Prepare Sauce
In a small saucepan, heat 1 tsp of oil. Sauté the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds.
- 3
Simmer Glaze
Add the soy sauce, water, and brown sugar to the saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Set aside.
- 4
Heat Oil
Heat the 1/2 cup of vegetable oil in a wok over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- 5
Fry the Beef
Shake excess cornstarch off the beef. Fry the beef in batches to avoid crowding. Cook for 2-3 minutes per batch until the edges are crispy and dark.
- 6
Drain Beef
Remove the beef with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
- 7
Drain Oil
Carefully pour out all the oil from the wok. Wipe the wok clean with a paper towel.
- 8
Add Sauce to Wok
Pour the simmered sweet soy sauce glaze back into the clean wok over medium heat.
- 9
Return Beef
Toss the crispy beef into the bubbling sauce.
- 10
Add Scallions
Add the green scallion pieces immediately after the beef.
- 11
Toss
Toss everything together for exactly 1 minute. The cornstarch on the beef will instantly thicken the sauce into a sticky glaze.
- 12
Serve
Serve immediately over steamed white rice.
Cooking Tips
- Cutting the flank steak against the grain is absolutely essential, otherwise it will be too chewy.
- Do not skip coating the beef heavily in cornstarch; this provides the crispy texture and naturally thickens the sauce.
Variations
- Add Broccoli: You can add blanched broccoli florets at the end to make Beef and Broccoli.
Nutrition Estimate
420 calories · 28g protein · 32g carbs · 20g fat · 1g fiber per serving
