Mongolian Beef: One of Our Most Popular Recipes! - The Woks of Life (2024)

Our Mongolian Beef recipe became one of the most popular Woks of Life recipes after we first published it in July 2015, and for good reason!

The Origins of Mongolian Beef

But first. What exactly are the origins of Mongolian Beef? Because it’s definitely not Mongolian…

In fact, in Mongolia, more often than not, home cooks simply boil meat and dip it in sauces. Not exactly a stir-fry.

Everything is served with Bai Jiu, a stiff, white lightning liquor made of sorghum (usually 90 proof or higher!) very popular in China.

(A friend of mine who visits his Mongolian in-laws almost always ends up drunk and horizontal on the couch after the traditional welcome-home dinner!)

As for the true origins of Mongolian beef, my theory is that someone just forgot to add the orange toa wok full ofOrange Beef, and added more sugar instead. Hence, the Mongolian Beef recipe was born. (But, as Judy and the girls would say, that’s just my crazy theory/the ramblings of anold coot!)

Anyway, chalk it up to Chinese-American menu planners and marketers who dubbed the dish “Mongolian Beef.”

It’s a close cousin to “Singapore Noodles,” a dish that many actual Singaporeans scratch their heads over––most likely born in the stainless steel kitchen of a Chinese takeout joint!

The Woks of Life Mongolian Beef Recipe

Now that we have that clear, it doesn’t take a genius to know that despite their somewhat misleading names, these Westernized Asian dishes can be GOOD!

P.F. Chang’s version of this dish is probably the most well-known, but, personally, I think their dish is way too sweet, and it’s definitely too sweet for Judy (which is saying something, since she comes from Shanghai, where sweet-savory dishes are often the main event).

In fact, when Judy found out I was going to make a Mongolian beef recipe, the exclamations were strong and immediate: “Too sweet! Too oily! No good! You’re crazy!”

So, I adjusted.

  • Cut the sugar–wayyy down.
  • Reduce the amount of oil used–wayyy down.

And after the photographs were taken, the Mongolian beef on the plate disappeared before all of our eyes once the rice was served. Amidst the feeding frenzy were these comments, muffled by mouthfuls:

  • Sarah: “Holy crap, that’s tasty!”
  • Kaitlin: “Daaang, gimme more of that rice!”
  • Judy: “WOW. That is SO good!”
  • My humble remark: “Ok, you guys were hungry.”
Mongolian Beef: One of Our Most Popular Recipes! - The Woks of Life (1)

If you would rather have some chicken, then check out our popular Mongolian Chicken recipe!

Note:

This recipe was originally published in 2015. We have since updated it with high-res photos, metric measurements, nutrition information, an instructional VIDEO, and minor adjustments to the recipe for both clarity and convenience. (e.g. the original recipe was for 8 ounces of beef; we have increased it to 1 pound.) Enjoy!

Mongolian Beef Recipe: Instructions

Combine the sliced beef with the marinade ingredients (the neutral oil, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, cornstarch, water, and baking soda. Marinate for 1 hour. The beef should still be quite moist after it has marinated. If it looks too dry, add a tablespoon of water to it.

In a small bowl, mix the sauce. Dissolve the brown sugar in the hot water or stock, then stir in the light and dark soy sauces.

Next, dredge the marinated beef slices in the cornstarch until thoroughly coated.

Mongolian Beef: One of Our Most Popular Recipes! - The Woks of Life (2)

Heat 2/3 cup neutral oil in a wok over high heat. Just before the oil starts to smoke, spread the flank steak pieces evenly in the wok, and sear for 1 minute on each side, until you have a crispy coating. Turn off the heat and transfer the beef to a plate.

Mongolian Beef: One of Our Most Popular Recipes! - The Woks of Life (3)
Mongolian Beef: One of Our Most Popular Recipes! - The Woks of Life (4)

Drain the oil from the wok (save it for other cooking), leaving 1 tablespoon behind. Turn the heat to medium-high. Add the ginger and dried chili peppers, if using. If you want the dish spicier, break 1-2 chilies in half.

Mongolian Beef: One of Our Most Popular Recipes! - The Woks of Life (5)

After about 15 seconds, add the garlic and white parts of the scallions. Stir for another 15 seconds and add the premixed sauce.

Mongolian Beef: One of Our Most Popular Recipes! - The Woks of Life (6)

Let the sauce simmer for about 2 minutes, and slowly stir in the cornstarch slurry mixture. Cook until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Add the beef and green parts of the scallions, and toss everything together for another 30 seconds. The scallions should just be wilted, and there should be almost no liquid, as the sauce should be clinging to the beef.

Mongolian Beef: One of Our Most Popular Recipes! - The Woks of Life (7)

If you still have sauce, increase the heat slightly and stir until thickened.

Plate and serve with hot steamed rice!

Mongolian Beef: One of Our Most Popular Recipes! - The Woks of Life (8)
Mongolian Beef: One of Our Most Popular Recipes! - The Woks of Life (9)

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4.90 from 407 votes

Mongolian Beef

This Mongolian Beef Recipe is a crispy homemade version that's less sweet and more flavorful than restaurant versions you're probably used to. It's one of our top recipes for a reason!

by: Bill

Course:Beef recipes

Cuisine:Chinese

Mongolian Beef: One of Our Most Popular Recipes! - The Woks of Life (10)

serves: 4

Prep: 35 minutes minutes

Cook: 10 minutes minutes

Total: 45 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

For marinating the beef:

  • 1 pound flank steak (sliced against the grain into 1/4-inch/6mm thick slices)
  • 2 teaspoons neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
  • 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine (or dry cooking sherry, optional)
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

For the sauce:

  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup hot water (or hot low sodium chicken or beef stock)
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (optional)

For coating and searing the beef:

  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 2/3 cup neutral oil

For the rest of the dish:

  • 1 teaspoon ginger (minced)
  • 8 dried red chili peppers (optional)
  • 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
  • 4 scallions (white and green parts separated, cut on the diagonal into 2-inch/5cm pieces)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (mixed with 2 tablespoons/30ml water to make a slurry)

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Combine the sliced beef with the marinade ingredients (the neutral oil, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, cornstarch, water, and baking soda. Marinate for 1 hour. The beef should still be quite moist after it has marinated. If it looks too dry, add a tablespoon of water to it.

  • In a small bowl, mix the sauce. Dissolve the brown sugar in the hot water or stock, then stir in the light and dark soy sauces.

  • Next, dredge the marinated beef slices in the cornstarch until thoroughly coated.

  • Heat 2/3 cup neutral oil in a wok over high heat. Just before the oil starts to smoke, spread the flank steak pieces evenly in the wok, and sear for 1 minute on each side, until you have a crispy coating. Turn off the heat and transfer the beef to a plate.

  • Drain the oil from the wok (save it for other cooking), leaving 1 tablespoon behind. Turn the heat to medium-high. Add the ginger and dried chili peppers, if using. If you want the dish spicier, break 1-2 chilies in half. After about 15 seconds, add the garlic and white parts of the scallions. Stir for another 15 seconds and add the premixed sauce.

  • Let the sauce simmer for about 2 minutes, and slowly stir in the cornstarch slurry mixture. Cook until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.

  • Add the beef and green parts of the scallions, and toss everything together for another 30 seconds. The scallions should just be wilted, and there should be almost no liquid, as the sauce should be clinging to the beef. If you still have sauce, increase the heat slightly and stir until thickened. Plate and serve with steamed rice!

nutrition facts

Calories: 383kcal (19%) Carbohydrates: 31g (10%) Protein: 26g (52%) Fat: 16g (25%) Saturated Fat: 3g (15%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g Monounsaturated Fat: 9g Trans Fat: 0.04g Cholesterol: 68mg (23%) Sodium: 960mg (40%) Potassium: 504mg (14%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 14g (16%) Vitamin A: 385IU (8%) Vitamin C: 3mg (4%) Calcium: 53mg (5%) Iron: 3mg (17%)

nutritional info disclaimer

TheWoksofLife.com is written and produced for informational purposes only. While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, we are not certified nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Various online calculators also provide different results, depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.

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Mongolian Beef: One of Our Most Popular Recipes! - The Woks of Life (2024)

FAQs

Where does Mongolian Beef come from? ›

Mongolian beef is a dish from Taiwan consisting of sliced beef, typically flank steak, usually made with onions. The beef is commonly paired with scallions or mixed vegetables and is often not spicy. The dish is often served over steamed rice, or in the US, over crispy fried cellophane noodles.

What is Mongolian Beef sauce made of? ›

Whisk the Mongolian Beef Sauce ingredients together consisting of soy sauce, water, brown sugar, Asian sweet chili sauce, rice wine, hoisin, pepper, sriracha and cornstarch. Stir Fry Beef. Heat 1-2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil a large skillet over high heat until very hot and sizzling.

Is Mongolian Beef popular? ›

It became common to call this style of meaty stir fry "Mongolian," and eventually, Mongolian beef has become a famous dish in America, too.

What goes with Mongolian Beef? ›

We also love serving this dish with garlic noodles, chow mein and a side of lightly roasted green beans. In the U.S. Mongolian beef is also commonly served over a bed of fried cellophane noodles, which adds a light, crisp texture to the overall dish.

What is another name for Mongolian beef? ›

Stir-Fried Spicy Beef (Previously: Mongolian Beef)

Sliced beef marinated in soy and then stir-fried with peppers and onions.

What's the difference between beef and Mongolian beef? ›

Both dishes consist of beef stir-fried in a flavorful sauce. Mongolian Beef can be described as having a savory soy-based sauce with scallions as its main aromatic.

Why is Mongolian food so good? ›

For instance, meat from the Gobi region has a distinct taste with hints of wild garlic, while meat from the steppe areas is known for its rich wild onion flavor.” These nuances are important as many Mongolian dishes contain just three basic elements: meat, wheat and salt. Spices and sauces don't play a big part.

What is the secret ingredient in stir fry beef? ›

I like to add dark soy sauce to darken the stir fry a bit, if you can't find it, regular soy sauce will work! Baking soda is the secret ingredient to melt in your mouth beef! It also works on chicken or pork.

What does Mongolian Beef taste like? ›

The beef is tender and crispy (not oily!) and coated in a sauce that is just the right amount of sweet and salty. You won't ever order Mongolian Beef at restaurants again once you see how much better it tastes made at home!

What country has the nicest beef? ›

Australia and Argentina produce the finest beef in the world. It's all grass fed too, feeding grain to cattle is just a weird American thing. Brazil is up there too, and the UK and Ireland produce good beef as well.

What is the most famous beef in the world? ›

Kobe Beef. Arguably the most well-known brand of wagyu known outside of Japan, Kobe Beef refers to cows raised under stringent conditions at specialised livestock farms in Hyogo Prefecture . The cattle are fed specially selected rice and corn.

Why do Mongolians eat so much meat? ›

Most Mongolians eat a diet that's heavy in meat and dairy. That's because as a culture of nomadic herders, they eat what's at hand – and that's whatever their herd supplies. Mongolians have eaten this way for centuries. Mutton (sheep), goat, and beef are their main source of meat and are often refer to red foods.

What cut of beef is Mongolian Beef made from? ›

The most important ingredient for this Mongolian beef recipe is the sirloin steak. You'll also need cornflour, salt, black pepper, soy sauce, vegetable oil, brown muscovado sugar, water, ginger, garlic, and spring onions (scallions).

What wine to pair with Mongolian Beef? ›

Key pairing considerations for Mongolian Beef include balancing its sweet, savory, and slightly spicy profile. Recommended wines are Rioja, Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon, California Zinfandel, and Chambolle-Musigny.

Can you reheat Mongolian Beef? ›

Reheating 101: Mongolian Beef. To retain the crispiness and chew of the meat without drying it out, put the meat on a baking sheet and slowly heat it in the oven (20 minutes on 250). If you like it juicier, pour some beef broth on it before putting it in the oven.

What country is Mongolian food from? ›

Due to geographic proximity and deep historic ties with China and Russia, Mongolian cuisine is also influenced by Chinese and Russian cuisine. Mongolia is one of few Asian countries where rice is not a main staple food. Instead, Mongolian people prefer to eat lamb as their staple food rather than rice.

Where did Mongolian cattle originate? ›

History. Menggu niu is the Chinese name for Mongolian cattle. As early as 60,000 years ago, ox bones were discovered along with human remains at Wushen Banner (county), Yikezhao District, China.

Why Mongolian meat is good? ›

Instead, Mongolian meat contains a higher amount of essentials metals such as iron and zinc. Moreover, it is rich in protein. Mongolians sort the meats into hot, warm and cool types.

Why is Mongolian BBQ called Mongolian? ›

In the province of Mongolia, the mighty Khan's troops would camp on the banks of the great River Khan-Balik. The Mongols would prepare slivers meat by slicing them with their razor-sharp swords. They would then cook their food by searing it on their shields that was heated over their campfires.

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