Mongolian Beef (Easy 30-Minute Takeout-Style Dinner)

Crispy-edged strips of beef, coated in a sticky, sweet and savory soy-garlic sauce and tossed with fresh green onions. Mongolian beef is a takeout favorite, and it takes about 30 minutes to make at home with a handful of simple ingredients. Spoon it over hot rice and you have dinner that tastes like your favorite restaurant, with fewer dollars spent.

The secret to restaurant-style Mongolian beef is a light cornstarch coating. It makes the thin beef crisp at the edges, and it helps the sauce cling to every piece. This recipe walks through each step with photos, so you can get crispy, tender beef the first time.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Takeout flavor at home. Sweet, savory, garlicky and just a little sticky, exactly like the restaurant version.
• Crispy and tender. A cornstarch coating gives the thin beef crisp edges while the inside stays juicy.
• Ready in 30 minutes. Everything cooks in one skillet or wok.
• Simple ingredients. Flank steak, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and green onions.
• Easy to adapt. Swap in chicken, add vegetables, make it spicy, or use an air fryer.

What Is Mongolian Beef?

Mongolian beef is a Chinese-American stir-fry of thinly sliced beef in a glossy, sweet soy-based sauce, usually served over rice or noodles. Despite the name, it isn’t a traditional Mongolian dish. It’s a restaurant-style recipe, and the “Mongolian” refers to the stir-fry style rather than the cuisine. The beef is lightly coated in cornstarch and quickly fried, which gives it its signature crisp edges, then it’s tossed in the sauce with plenty of green onions.

What Does It Taste Like?

Rich, savory and a little sweet. The sauce is built from soy sauce and brown sugar, brightened with garlic and fresh ginger, so it’s sticky and glossy without being spicy. The beef is tender inside with crisp, caramelized edges, and the green onions add a fresh, mild bite. It’s an easy dish for kids and adults alike.

Mongolian Beef vs. Chinese Pepper Steak

The two are easy to mix up, but they’re different dishes. Mongolian beef has crisp, cornstarch-coated beef in a sweeter, thicker brown sugar sauce, with green onions as the main vegetable. Chinese pepper steak has softer, quickly seared beef with onions and bell peppers in a savory, peppery sauce.

Just a handful of pantry staples and one cut of beef.

Ingredients

For the Beef

• 1½ lbs flank steak, sliced thin against the grain
• ⅓ cup cornstarch
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• About 1 cup neutral oil, for frying (a ¼-inch layer in a 12-inch skillet)

For the Sauce

• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water (optional, for a thicker sauce)

To Finish

• 4 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• Cooked white rice, for serving

Ingredient notes

• Steak: Flank steak is best. Sirloin or flat iron also work, as long as you slice them thin against the grain.
• Soy sauce: Use low-sodium. Regular soy sauce makes the sauce very salty once it reduces.
• Gluten-free: Use tamari or a gluten-free soy sauce.

Instructions

1. Slice the steak. Freeze the steak for about 15 minutes to firm it up. Find the lines of the muscle grain, then cut across them into strips about ¼ inch thick. This keeps the beef tender.

Slice across the grain lines for tender beef.

1. Coat in cornstarch. Toss the beef with the salt and the ⅓ cup cornstarch until every piece is lightly coated. Shake off any extra and set the strips on a wire rack or a parchment-lined plate.

A light, even coating is all you need.

1. Mix the sauce. In a bowl, stir together the soy sauce, water and brown sugar until the sugar mostly dissolves. Set it next to the stove.
2. Fry the beef. Heat about 1 cup of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F, or until a piece of beef sizzles right away. Fry the beef in 2 or 3 batches for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until browned and crisp. Don’t crowd the pan. Move each batch to a wire rack. Be careful with the hot oil and keep water away from the pan.

Fry in batches so the oil stays hot and the beef crisps.

1. Make the sauce in the pan. Carefully pour off the frying oil into a heatproof container, leaving just a thin film in the pan. Add the 1 tbsp fresh oil, garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the sauce mixture and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens slightly. For a thicker, stickier sauce, stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer 30 seconds more.
2. Toss it together. Add the crispy beef and the green onions to the sauce. Toss for 30 to 60 seconds, just until the beef is coated and the green onions are slightly wilted. Don’t cook it longer or the beef will soften.

Toss just until the sauce coats everything, then serve.

1. Serve. Spoon the Mongolian beef over hot rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve right away while the beef is crisp.

Spoon it over rice so the sauce soaks right in.

Tips for Crispy, Tender Beef

• Slice thin and against the grain. It’s the biggest factor in tender beef.
• Don’t skip the cornstarch. It creates the crisp edges and helps the sauce stick.
• Use hot oil. At 350°F the coating crisps quickly without soaking up the oil.
• Fry in batches. Crowding the pan drops the oil temperature and the beef turns soft.
• Drain on a rack. A wire rack keeps the bottom of the beef crisp.
• Have the sauce ready. The beef should go into the sauce as soon as it’s fried, so it stays crisp.
• Serve right away. The sauce softens the coating the longer it sits.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The most common problem is soft beef instead of crisp. It usually happens when the pan is crowded, the oil isn’t hot enough, or the beef sits in the sauce too long. The second is a too-salty sauce, which comes from using regular soy sauce instead of low-sodium. The third is slicing with the grain, which leaves the beef chewy no matter how well you fry it. Keep the oil hot, fry in batches and toss the beef in the sauce only at the end, and you’ll avoid nearly every issue.

How to Slice Flank Steak Thin

Flank steak has long muscle fibers that run the length of the cut. Look closely and you’ll see the lines. Cut across them, at a right angle, so each strip has short fibers that are easy to chew. If the lines change direction partway across the steak, cut the steak in half first and slice each piece separately. A short stay in the freezer firms up the meat so a sharp knife glides through, and holding the knife at a slight angle gives you wider, thinner strips that crisp up nicely.

Make It a Meal-Prep Dinner

Mongolian beef is easy to get ahead on. Slice the beef and keep it covered in the fridge for up to a day. Mix the sauce ingredients and store them in a jar, and cut the green onions. When it’s time to cook, the coating, frying and tossing take about 15 minutes. For lunches, pack the beef and rice in separate containers and warm the beef in a hot skillet so some of the crispness returns.

Variations to Try

• Mongolian chicken: Use thin strips of chicken breast or thighs and fry until they reach 165°F.
• Spicy: Add ½ tsp red pepper flakes with the garlic and ginger, or finish with chili crisp.
• Add vegetables: Stir-fry broccoli, snap peas or sliced bell pepper before making the sauce, then add them back with the beef.
• Lighter version: Instead of shallow frying, pan-sear the coated beef in 2 tbsp oil for 1 to 2 minutes per side. It’s less crispy but uses less oil.
• Air fryer: Spray the coated beef with oil and air fry at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping once, then toss it in the sauce.
• Gluten-free: Swap the soy sauce for tamari.

What to Serve With It

Steamed white rice is the classic partner, and jasmine rice is good at soaking up the sauce. Fried rice, lo mein or plain noodles also work well. For a lighter plate, serve it with steamed broccoli, a simple cucumber salad or over cauliflower rice. Add a few sesame seeds and extra green onions on top.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Reheat: Warm the beef in a skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or in a 400°F oven or air fryer for about 5 minutes, to bring back some of the crispness. The microwave works but softens the coating.

Freeze: You can freeze it for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container. The coating will be softer after thawing. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

Frequently Asked Questions