Mongolian Beef

4.51 from 131 votes
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Mongolian beef is one of the best Chinese recipes. This easy Mongolian beef recipe is better than Chinese takeout and PF Chang's. Homemade easy recipe that anyone can make at home!

Mongolian beef with scallions and Chinese brown sauce.
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Mongolian Beef Recipe

What is Mongolian Beef?

It is one of the best Chinese recipes ever; it’s also a popular Chinese beef dish at Chinese restaurants or takeouts. The popularity is second to broccoli beef. Other crowd favorites are ginger and scallion beef, Szechuan beef, and sesame beef.

Mongolian beef is delicious, with silky and tender beef in a rich and savory Chinese brown sauce.

My Mongolian beef recipe is very close to the taste of PF Chang’s Mongolian beef.

It’s savory, slightly sweet, with melt-in-your-mouth beef.

It’s also healthier, less greasy, with a Mongolian beef sauce that is so yummy with steamed white or brown rice.


Ingredients

Ingredients for Mongolian beef.
  • Beef tenderloin
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Scallion
  • Corn starch
  • Shaoxing wine
  • Sesame oil

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.


How To Make This Recipe

Cook the beef until half-cooked.

Step 1. Marinate the beef slices with the marinade ingredients for 30 minutes. Heat a wok with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and stir-fry the marinated beef until it is half-cooked. Dish out and set aside.

Cook the garlic, ginger and beef and stir fry with the sauce.

Step 2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the garlic and ginger until aromatic. Add the beef back into the wok, followed by the Sauce.

Tender and juicy Mongolian beef with scallions served on a plate.

Step 3. Continue to stir-fry until the beef slices are almost done, then add the scallions. Stir briefly. Dish out and serve immediately with steamed rice.


Cooking Tips For Home Cooks

Easy Mongolian beef with tender beef and scallions.

To make the best and authentic Mongolian beef, please follow the cooking tips and techniques below:

  • Make sure you cut the beef against the grain.
  • Marinate the beef with cornstarch to tenderize the meat.
  • The step above is called velveting in Chinese food. It makes the beef tender, juicy, moist and silky.
  • Stir fry the beef on high heat using a wok (preferred) or skillet.
  • The brown sauce shouldn’t be too sticky and gooey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where did Mongolian beef originate?

The name of the dish is misleading because it’s not a traditional Mongolian dish from Mongolia. The dish is named “Mongolian Beef” after the cooking style, rather than its origin. Mongolian Beef is actually a stir fry dish that originated in Taiwan.

What is Mongolian sauce made of?

Mongolian sauce is a savory sauce that consists of oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and ground white pepper. The sauce pairs extremely well with the beef and is easy to make!

Can I make it in an Instant Pot?

Yes, you can make the dish in an Instant Pot. Just use the Saute function to stir fry the beef and ingredients. Add the Mongolian beef sauce towards the end, thicken it up and it’s ready to serve.

Can I use crockpot or slow cooker for this recipe?

For authentic flavors, I don’t recommend crockpot or slow cooker to make this recipe. This is a Chinese stir fry beef dish. The beef shouldn’t be slow cooked in a slow cooker or crockpot.

How many calories per serving?

This recipe is only 396 calories per serving.

Authentic Mongolian beef recipe with Mongolian beef sauce.

What To Serve With This Recipe

Serve this dish with fried rice or chow mein. For a healthy Chinese meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on FacebookPinterest, and Instagram for new updates.


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4.51 from 131 votes

Mongolian Beef

Mongolian beef is one of the best Chinese recipes. This easy Mongolian beef recipe is better than Chinese takeout and PF Chang's. Homemade easy recipe that anyone can make at home!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 people
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Ingredients  

  • 12 oz. beef tenderloin, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 inch peeled ginger, thinly sliced
  • 2 stalks scallions, cut into 2-inch strips

Marinade:

  • 1 teaspoon corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or Shaoxing wine

Mongolian Beef Sauce:

  • 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
  • 3 dashes ground white pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon sugar or to taste
  • salt to taste

Instructions 

  • Marinate the beef slices with the marinade ingredients for 30 minutes. Heat a wok with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and stir-fry the marinated beef until it is half-cooked. Dish out and set aside.
  • Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the garlic and ginger until aromatic. Add the beef back into the wok, followed by the Sauce.
  • Continue to stir-fry until the beef slices are almost done, then add the scallions. Stir briefly. Dish out and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Video

Notes

  • Make sure you cut the beef against the grain.
  • Marinate the beef with cornstarch to tenderize the meat.
  • The step above is called velveting in Chinese food. It makes the beef tender, juicy, moist and silky.
  • Stir fry the beef on high heat using a wok (preferred) or skillet.
  • The brown sauce shouldn’t be too sticky and gooey.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 396kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g, Cholesterol: 72mg, Sodium: 533mg, Sugar: 3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Please rate and comment below!

About Rasa Malaysia

Bee is a recipe developer and best-selling cookbook author, sharing easy, quick, and delicious Asian and American recipes since 2006. With a strong following of almost 2 million fans online, her expertise has been featured in major publications, TV and radio programs, and live cooking demos throughout the United States and Asia.

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Recipe Rating





129 Comments

  1. John Lerno says:

    5 stars
    Mongolian Beef looks great gotta try this ๐Ÿ‘Œ ๐Ÿ‘ thanks again ๐Ÿ‘ ๐Ÿ˜€ ๐Ÿ˜‹

    1. Bee Yinn Low says:

      Awesome thanks for your sweet comment!

  2. John Lerno says:

    5 stars
    Thank you again. For such a beautiful dish. Looks delicious and I have to try this ๐Ÿ˜‹ ๐Ÿ˜ you always amazed me with your cooking ๐Ÿณ ๐Ÿ˜‹.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Thanks John!

  3. matthew smith says:

    can Mirin be used instead of Chinese rice wine I know Mirin is somewhat sweet

    1. Bee Yinn Low says:

      You can use mirin.