Mongolian beef stir fry is a great all in one dinner that even my pickiest eaters love!

Mongolian Beef Stir Fry is the perfect weeknight dinner. It combines flank steak with vegetables and is served over rice creating a perfectly balanced meal. The sauce for this dish is full of flavor leaving everyone in love with this recipe!

Mongolian Beef Stir Fry Ingredients:

2 lbs flank steak
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 carrots peeled and julienned
1/2 red pepper sliced into thin strips
1/2 head of broccoli (cut florets into bite sized pieces)
1 cup vegetable oil (for browning the steak)

For the sauce:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ginger minced
2 cloves garlic minced
3/4 cup brown sugar packed
1 cup water
1 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water

How to make Mongolian Beef Stir Fry:

See the ‘how to’ photos below for step by step of how to cook the steak.

For the beef:
1. Slice the flank steak against the grain into thin slices (about 1/4 inch thick.) Start near the top and cut down sideways for wider pieces of flank steak.
2. Pour the cornstarch into a bowl and lightly dredge the steak on both sides. Let the steak sit for 10-15 minutes to soak up the cornstarch.
3. Start to fry the beef in the oil. Only cooking a few pieces at a time as to not over brown the beef, or lower the temp of the oil. Remove the browned beef to a plate lined with paper towels. Drain the excess oil out of the pan to a heat proof container to discard.
4. At the very end, add the steamed vegetables, cooked beef and sauce all together.

To Make the Sauce:

1. Lightly sauté ginger and garlic in oil over medium-low heat.
2. Without letting the garlic burn, add soy sauce, water, and brown sugar. Let the brown sugar dissolve.
3. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for a few more minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.
4. Turn the heat off while you brown the beef and steam the vegetables.

What makes Mongolian beef so tender?

Soaking the beef in cornstarch helps to create that fall apart tenderness. In this recipe you let your beef sit in cornstarch for 10-15 minutes to achieve this tenderness.

What is the difference between Mongolian beef and Szechuan beef?

Overall, Mongolian beef is a lot more mild compared to Szechuan beef. Szechuan can be more spicy or sweet. The mild flavor of Mongolian beef is one reason everyone enjoys it-especially kids!

What is the best beef cut for a Chinese stir fry?

In this recipe we use flank steak which brings a great flavor when fried in the oil. Some other options to consider are:

Ribeye
Sirloin
Tri-tip

What to serve with Mongolian Beef Stir Fry:

This dish is best served over rice, but here are a few more sides that will pair well:

Our delicious Thai Spring Rolls (these are great to make ahead and freeze)
Crunchy Ramen Cabbage Salad
Fresh fruit! (preferably fresh cut pineapple)

Mongolian Beef Stir Fry

Tender flank steak cooked with mixed vegetables in a delicious sweet and salty sauce. Serve it over steamed rice.

Author Kami | NoBiggie.net

Ingredients

2 lbs flank steak
½ cup cornstarch
1 cup water
½ head of broccoli florets only cut into bite sized pieces
2 carrots peeled and julienned
½ red pepper sliced into thin strips
1 cup vegetable oil for browning the beef

FOR THE SAUCE

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ginger minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
3/4 cup brown sugar packed
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions

Steam the carrots, pepper and broccoli for 5 minutes. Set aside.
Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add ginger and garlic. Sauté lightly, then add the soy sauce and water to prevent the garlic from burning. Add the brown sugar and let it dissolve. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for a few minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. Turn off the heat.
Slice the flank steak against the grain into thin slices (about 1/4 inch thick.) Start near the top and cut down sideways for wider pieces of beef. Pour the cornstarch into a bowl and lightly dredge the beef on both sides. Let the beef sit for 10-15 minutes to soak up the cornstarch.
As the beef sits, heat 1 cup oil in a skillet until hot. Add the beef, a little at a time to the oil and cook until the beef browns. Stir while cooking so that the beef cooks evenly. When the beef has browned, remove the beef from the skillet to a plate lined with paper towels and let it drain. When you are done cooking all the beef, drain off the oil to a heat proof container to discard.
Add the sauce to the skillet. Bring the sauce to a boil. If you desire a thicker sauce you can thicken with about 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 3 tablespoons water
Add the beef into the pan with the sauce. Add the carrots, red pepper and broccoli back into the pan and cook for about 2 more minutes tossing it in the sauce until coated. Serve warm with steamed rice.