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This is a mainstay dish in Asian restaurants all over the world, especially in the United States. The beef is melt-in-your-mouth tender and the sauce is a touch of savory, a touch of sweet, and a touch of heat. And it all comes together in about 20 minutes, once you've got everything prepped and ready to go!
How To Make Mongolian Beef
Mongolian beef is actually quite simple to prepare.
All of the ingredients can usually be found in the Asian section of most well-stocked supermarkets.
Tenderizing The Beef
The traditional protein for this dish is beef flank steak. It's tender and perfect for a quick stir-fry.
If you can't get your hands on flank steak, then opt for skirt steak or use a strip steak, such as New York or Kansas City Strip. For easy slicing, place the meat in the freezer for 15 minutes and then slice.
EXPERT TIP: Corn starch and baking soda are very common in Asian cooking, especially Chinese cuisine. The cornstarch actually helps to soften the texture of the meat even more and then acts as a thickener once you add the sauce. Cut the meat against the grain, place it in a large baggie, and then add cornstarch, baking soda, vegetable oil, and water. Seal and massage with your hands. Let rest in the fridge for 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
Now, it's time to fire up your wok or a large sturdy skillet.
We add ¼ cup of vegetable oil and crank the heat up to high.
Toss in the minced garlic for just a few seconds, and then add the cut beef. Stir until the beef is just almost no longer pink. Then, toss in the cut veggies. Stir for about 2 minutes.
Classic Mongolian Beef Sauce
You may be asking, what is Mongolian beef? It originated in Taiwan, and not Mongolia, but is most popular in Chinese restaurants around the world.
It really comes down to the tender beef and vegetables, and that sweet and tangy sauce.
EXPERT TIP: Almost all of the ingredients for the sauce can be found in the Asian section of most well-stocked supermarkets. If you can't find them, you can purchase oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and Thai sweet sauce online. Any type of chili sauce can be used, however, check the NOTES for spicy levels for different types of chili sauce.
Add all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and whisk until fully combined.
Once the meat and vegetables have had a few minutes to cook and become even more tender, it's time to add the sauce.
EXPERT TIP: As with most Asian cooking, it's really important to have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go. Stir-frying is a very fast process and once you start, you won't have time to stop what you are doing and dice a pepper or make the sauce.
Add the sauce to the meat and veggie mixture and stir constantly until just slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
When To Serve Mongolian Beef
This dish is so amazingly delicious, that we make it for an easy weeknight meal, but we also serve it to guests for a spectacular dinner party.
Place the beef mixture on a platter and let guests serve themselves.
We recommend serving the beef mixture over steamed rice or cellophane noodles.
So delicious.
This is one of our favorite Asian-inspired dishes of all time.
You will not believe how tender the beef is and how flavorful the sauce is.
If you are looking for an authentic Mongolian beef recipe, look no further!
Ready to make Mongolian Beef at home that will rival your favorite take-out place? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Mongolian Beef
Mongolian Beef is a classic dish from Asian menus around the world. This recipe gives you the tips and tricks to make the authentic dish in the comfort of your own kitchen. So yummy!