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.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- 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.
Video
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.
Shaunte says
I found this months ago and have made it least every other week since. It’s almost fool-proof as written and everyone loves it.
Corey D Cottrell says
Outstanding! Pairs nice with Jasmine rice. Will save this recipe.
Oriana says
Thank you, great recipe. Easy and simple to make!!!
Everyone enjoyed and said it was delicious.
I added yellow onion & mushrooms.
Definitely a keeper and will make it again.
Anja Michaelis says
Thank you for this recipe! It is so delicious and easy to make. Definitely a keeper for my recipe collection
Iryna says
great recipe! thank you! simple and tasty, and something different <3
Tricia C says
Sounds and looks amazing. My family does not consume any added refined sugars. Wondering if making it without the sugar would still produce amazingness! Has anyone tried it without the sugar? 😁
Gunther says
Without sugar wouldn’t be very good… As you mentioned refined sugar specifically, organic molasses might substitute alright?
Charlene DeVei says
I wanted my very first slow cooker recipe to be something fantastic…..and this Mongolian Beef recipe was EXACTLY that! Wow! Deeeeelish beyond belief….my husband loved it! The combination of ingredients..perfection. Even tastier the next day.
Mary says
How could this be converted to Instant Pot?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested that, so I can’t say for certain.
Kind Head says
Taste great.
Could I add green beans in the crock pot next time?
Should I add them in the begging or towards the end?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes you can, and I would add them towards the end so they don’t turn to mush 🙂
Natalie says
This turned out PERFECT! I can’t say enough good things about this recipe, it tasted just like Panda Express or Leanne Chin! My whole family devoured it I’ll definitely need to make a double batch next time! Best part, it was so east to make I almost felt bad for taking all the praise I got from making this! DINNER WIN!!!
JOVIANGEL says
WE ENJOYED THIS! EASY AND TASTY!
Danny C. says
Excellent recipe. I ran short of 1/4 cup of soy sauce so I substituted with 1/4 cup of Heinz 57 Sauce to complete. It came out fantastic. The kids all went for a second serving.
Cheers,
Daniel
Karol says
Super easy to make and incredibly tasty!!!
Clifton Britt says
I have made this 3 times, once for my in laws. They loved it. The only thing extra I had to do was add a little beef broth towards the end because it cooked down too much. One of my favorite dishes!
Hector Squiabro says
I love it! I was delicious and easy. My only criticism though is you should add more ginger. I also added a small yellow onion and subbed Taco Bell Diablo sauce for the sriracha. 🙂
Chris says
If I am going to put it in the slow cooker early in the morning and leave it all day, would it be better to not preslice it?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested it that way, but I think if you’re going to cook it longer than the 4 hours on low, I’d leave the meat whole. It probably won’t slice after cooking though, it’ll be easier to shred it.
Maribel says
I cooked it for my family today and my husband loved it. It was very delicious the only thing I would do the next time is using more beef it was not enough. I was thinking to add more meat and cook again with the sauce I’m not sure if that would work.
The Chunky Chef says
I think that would work just fine.
Jill Moffat says
Just the most tasty slow cooker meal ever! Have made this loads when friends are coming over & its been a hit with everyone. You do literally just throw all the ingredients in & let the slow cooker do its magic.
Shannyn says
I don’t usually take the time to write a review but I have made this so many times that I feel obligated to return the favor. Not too many recipes that I find online become a staple on my menu but this one does. My family is difficult to feed… I have a 16 year old son and a 13 year old daughter and a slightly picky 45 year old husband. This recipe is one of the few that everyone can agree on. I typically have my husband stop to pick up plain lo mein from the Chianese place on his way home instead of white rice. This satisfies everyone’s itch for chianese food for awhile too. Which can get expensive.. I love that it’s a crockpot meal too. I have my kids add the prepared meat to the crockpot which I have already added the sauce mixture to and turn it on at 1pm so that dinner is ready for 5 o’clock!
Teri says
This sounds delicious. Can I halve the recipe?
The Chunky Chef says
Absolutely!
Ashley the food snob says
This is delicious. A big hit with the WHOLE family. Second time making it tonight, first time put it over saffron rice, gonna try it over buttery cauliflower rice tonight. I also add extra carrots and add snow peas. But the recipe is just fine as is. Highly recommended.