The easiest way you can make a Mongolian beef recipe! The beef gets meltingly tender in the slow cooker and the sauce becomes incredibly silky, with great spicy/sweet flavors!
All of the amazing spicy/sweet flavors of Mongolian beef, but in an incredibly easy slow cooker meal with just 10 minutes of prep. This is the Mongolian beef recipe for the busiest of people!
Who here loves Chinese take-out style meals? *raises hand frantically* I love all the bold flavors, great sauces, and how quickly things cook! One thing I don’t like though, is how hectic it can be to cook take-out style meals at home. The nature of a stir fry is that things cook really quickly, which means you have to have every component in the recipe ready to go… and things can STILL get stressful right?
The main thing I love so much about this Mongolian beef recipe is that unlike some slow cooker meals, it’s made entirely in the slow cooker, with no extra steps to take. No browning the meat, no broiling… just adding all the ingredients, turning on the slow cooker and walking away. Simply amazing.
And this meal is certainly not short on flavor! The garlic and ginger bring plenty of classic Mongolian beef flavor, and combined with sweet/heat combination of brown sugar and Sriracha sauce… it’s a powerhouse of amazing flavors!
WHAT SPICES ARE USED IN MONGOLIAN BEEF
Typically Mongolian beef is made with soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic. I like mine to be a little sweet and spicy, so I add some Sriracha to it as well.
WHAT KIND OF BEEF DO YOU USE IN MONGOLIAN BEEF?
Most recipes, including both this slow cooker version and my classic recipe, use flank steak. I’ve also heard of people using sirloin steak as well.
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR MAKING THIS SLOW COOKER MONGOLIAN BEEF RECIPE:
- Slice your flank steak against the grain. As you’re looking at the beef, you’ll see lines, like the grain on a piece of wood. You want to slice it across those lines, not alongside them. Doing this ensures an incredibly tender piece of beef.
- The carrots are optional, but add a great texture!
- Add the Sriracha to your tastes. I like this recipe to have a little heat to balance out the sweetness.
- To make this a complete meal, add some steamed broccoli and rice!
My original classic Mongolian beef recipe has done so well, with so many of you emailing with rave reviews, so I knew I didn’t want to deviate from those flavors. To adapt the sauce to work well in a slow cooker I added some extra soy sauce and water. Also, since there’s no marinating with this recipe, I added some extra ginger and Sriracha to boost the flavors.
HELPFUL TOOLS:
- 4 quart slow cooker – My absolute favorite slow cooker!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs thinly sliced flank steak (1/4 inch thick)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 - 2 tsp Sriracha sauce (can substitute with red pepper flakes or cayenne instead - in whatever amount you prefer)
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 4-6 green onions, thinly sliced
- sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Add sliced flank steak and cornstarch to a large resealable plastic bag. Close and shake to coat well. This can be done in a large mixing bowl as well, but I find it's less messy to do in a bag.
- To the bottom of slow cooker, add vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, water, soy sauce, brown sugar and Sriracha sauce. Stir to combine.
- Add in coated flank steak and carrots and stir again until everything is coated in the sauce.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or on LOW for about 4 hours, until steak is cooked and tender.
- Serve over white rice and garnished with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
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Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Rea says
I love the look and sound of this, I just wish the ingredients were also in metric, the cup thing is just so alien to me
The Chunky Chef says
I’m in the US, as are the majority of my readers, which is why I write my recipes the way I do. Thankfully there are free converters available online 🙂
Mary Pierce says
Beef broth as a substitute for water is a good option
Gail says
I tweeked this recipe for my husband. It’s our favorite, go-to mongolian beef recipe, as I usually have everything I need on hand. Plus, this is GREAT with fatty cuts of pork, and a winner with chicken or turkey thighs submerged in the wet ingredients. I printed this recipe out 2 years ago, and still follow it 🙂 [usually use 2 lbs of cheap beef, cooked in a 5 qt crockpot, add extra fluid near the end if necessary] [also buy frozen carrot coins, and slice them up, and add them and frozen peas 20 minutes before service <3 ]
Carol says
Can I cook this in an instant pot? If so, for how long? Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not tested this recipe in an Instant Pot. So while I’m sure it could be cooked in one, I can’t speak to the specifics with any certainty. If you do some experimenting and test using your Instant Pot, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Karen says
Love the taste, but it was fire hot and I love super hot. However, too hot for most guests. I used cayenne same amount. I am not understanding why it is so salty? Used low sodium soy sauce. I tested this to serve for guests this weekend. Will cut the spice in half or more and proceed with another batch this weekend. Happy to find your recipes!
Kathy K says
Delicious and easy! I will definitely make this again!
Irene Croston says
Any reason why this could not be made the day before? Heat up the next day and serve over fresh cooked rice?
The Chunky Chef says
You can make it ahead if you’d like.
Tally G says
All I can say is AMAZING!!
Regina says
Second time making your recipe. So yummy
AnnN says
Will definitely cook again
MonteN says
Amazing flavor! This dish is part of our regular rotation these days. I’ve added broccoli, water chestnuts, onions,and even mushrooms (we love shrooms). All were great. Every time I open lid, it’s like I just got home with takeout from my favorite Chinese restaurant.
Matt says
I was a little skeptic of this recipe, having recently tried another similar recipe but without the fresh ginger. However I made a few tweaks to this one and I was very pleased. Firstly I used thin sliced London broil, and I mixed the beef with the corn starch together in crockpot at beginning. Second, I used chicken broth instead of water. Third, I let the finished dish in ‘warm mode’ in crockpot for 30 minutes after 4 hours of slow cooking. The sauce came out silky, and I served this over brown rice with the sesame seeds. It was excellent.
Bobbi Gavit says
Top notch…..this recipe made me a hero!!!!