This Homemade Mongolian Beef recipe is a quick and easy 30-minute recipe that the whole family will love. The caramelized tender beef and saucy vegetables are delicious with the sweet and savory garlic and ginger sauce. Serve this over rice, quinoa, or noodles, and dinner is made!

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Mongolian Beef
We love recreating our favorite takeout recipes, such as Chow Mein and Chicken Fried Rice. This Chinese restaurant-inspired Mongolian Beef is so EASY to make and tastes just as amazing as P.F. Chang’s Mongolian beef bowl. Thinly sliced beef seared until crispy with carrots, bell peppers, and green onions in a sweet and spicy sauce that adds so much flavor to the beef.

Ingredients for Mongolian Beef Stir Fry
- Beef – When sliced into thin strips, flank steak is ideal for a tender stir-fry that won’t become tough and chewy. You can substitute top sirloin, skirt steak, flat iron steak, top round, or even rib-eye steak with great results. Cut the beef against the grain.
- Vegetables – Julienne the carrot and red bell pepper, and slice the green onions or scallions into longer pieces which is nice for a stir fry. Authentic Mongolian Beef is made with just the green onion so if you want to skip the veggies, you can but we love the flavor and texture they add.
- Cornstarch – adds a slightly crisp layer to the outside of the beef, tenderizes the beef, and also helps to thicken up and stabilize the sauce.
- Sauce – the homemade savory-sweet stir fry sauce combines warm aromatic flavors of ginger and garlic with the sweetness of brown sugar and is balanced by savory soy sauce and a hint of spice from sriracha. If you like it spicier, you can also add red pepper flakes.

Natasha’s Tip for Thinly Slicing Beef
If you freeze the beef for 30 minutes, it’s easier to achieve even and thin slices. Also, slicing against the grain helps break down the muscle fibers, preventing the beef from becoming too chewy.
How to Make Mongolian Beef
This recipe comes together quickly and is best when served fresh. Whenever you are making a stir fry over high heat, it cooks fast so make sure all of the ingredients are measured and prepped before starting the recipe.
- Coat the Beef – Add cornstarch to the beef slices and toss to coat completely.
- Make the Sauce – In a bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
- Sautee Vegetables – Add oil and butter to a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, saute the vegetables to your desired doneness, stirring frequently. Remove from the skillet and cover to keep warm.
- Cook Meat – Add more oil and cook the beef in a single layer until it’s crispy and has a good sear (don’t overcook the meat). TIP: Don’t overcrowd the pan, if needed, cook in batches. Add the vegetables back to the beef.
- Add Sauce – Pour in the sauce and add the green onion, turn the heat down to medium. Cook until the sauce thickens. TIP: If you prefer a spicier sauce, add additional Sriracha to taste. If the sauce is too salty or too thick, add a splash of water. If it’s too thin, simmer a bit longer or add a cornstarch slurry.

Wok vs. Skillet
Traditionally, a wok is used for stir-frying because it’s meant for high-heat cooking, and the shape makes it easy to toss ingredients for even cooking. I have found that a heavy-bottomed skillet can handle the recipe just fine, so use what you have on hand. The key is to use a pan that is suitable for high-heat cooking, retains heat well to give a good sear, and is large enough that you aren’t crowding the pan (overcrowding causes food to steam cook rather than sear).
What to Serve with Mongolian Beef?
Since this dish is so flavorful and saucy, pair it with simple sides:
- Rice – fluffy white rice, brown rice or even fried rice
- Steamed Vegetables such as broccoli, bok choy, snow peas, or mix of vegetables
- Quinoa – a great alternative to rice
- Spring Rolls or Egg Rolls
- Noodles – such as lo mein, udon, or soba noodles
Storing and Reheating Mongolian Beef
- Storing Leftovers – The Mongolian Beef is great for meal prep because it will keep well refrigerated for up to three days. This is also a great recipe to use as meal prep and keep in individual portions to take to work and reheat for lunch.
- Reheating – It’s always best to reheat using the same method a recipe was cooked so reheat on the stovetop or use the microwave if you’re on the go.

Once you give this homemade version of the Classic P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef a try, it will be on repeat for dinner.
Mongolian Beef

Ingredients
Mongolian Beef Ingredients
- 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil, divided*
- 1 lb flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain*
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 1/3 cup green onions, thickly sliced (from 4 stems)
- 1 tsp sesame seeds, optional garnish
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, (packed)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce, *
- 1 tsp Sriracha, or added to taste
Instructions
- Place beef slices in a bowl, add cornstarch and stir to completely coat.
- In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the sauce and stir until well combined, set aside.
- In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 Tbsp oil with 1 Tbsp butter over medium/high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the carrot and peppers and stir fry until crisp-tender or to your desired tenderness, stirring frequently. Remove the vegetables to a separate plate.
- Increase to high heat and add 1 Tbsp oil. Once hot, add the beef and sear for about 2 minutes per side to create a crispy coating. Add more oil if the skillet seems dry. Do not crowd the pan and cook the beef in batches if needed.
- Add the vegetables back into the skillet with the green onion. Add the sauce and stir to combine. Turn heat to medium/low and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Garnish with sesame seeds if desired and serve.
Notes
Beef – You can also use top sirloin, skirt steak, flat iron steak, top round, or even rib eye steak. Cut the beef into thin slices across the grain. If you freeze the steak for 30 minutes, it will be easier to thinly slice.
Oil – use an oil with a high smoke point such as peanut oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, or extra light olive oil
Soy Sauce – Use Tamari Sauce for gluten-free Mongolian Beef. If using regular soy sauce, add it to taste since it has more salt.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Easy Asian Recipes
- Chicken Stir Fry
- Egg Roll in a Bowl
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Ground Beef Stir Fry
- California Roll Bowls
- Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
Can you please send a video for making this recipe because I would like to watch and cook?
Thanks
Hi Fatin, we don’t have a video tutorial yet for this recipe but hopefully we can create one in the future!
I’m making this again today it’s so delicious, the whole family loved it. Last time I made this and when I coated the steak with the corn flour it went quite mushy when I was frying it, what am I doing wrong? It still ended up really tasty though and we loved it.
Hi Dawn, I’m so glad you enjoyed that! Was your drying pan preheated? Overcrowding the pan could cause that also.
Loved this recipe. Easy to make and the flavours were delicious.just the right amount of sauce and the meat was very tender. Will be making again for sure. Thank you for this recipe.
You’re welcome Paulette! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Love it! I made this tonight with homemade crab rangoon and a box fried rice and it was perfect! My husband went back for seconds!
That’s so great! Thank you for that wonderful review!
My husband made Mongolian beef. After 50 years he has taken up cooking. Only your recipes tho. This recipe is my new favorite meal for sure. We left out the hot stuff because we can’t take the heat. lol. We loved it so much. Also I am not getting my facebook recipes anymore. Please put me back on. Thank you
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe Cindy! Make sure you have our channel alerts set to on! The more you visit a site the more it will in your thread with the new Facebook algorithm.
This is absolutely delicious and such a simple and easy recipe. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or to impress guests 😀
Love it! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us Yana.
Hi Natasha, what can I use instead of sriracha please?
Hi Linda, you could leave out the sriracha if you prefer no heat. I had a reader write in saying they left it out recently and loved it.
AMAZING DISH!!! Highly Recommend! perfect for leftovers! you know its good when you have it twice in one week
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Thank you so much. I made it for dinner. It is so delicious.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I can’t eat peppers, what could I substitute?
Hi Barbara, you can leave them out and the recipe will still work.
In trying this recipe today. The sauce doesnt include cornstarch? The ones in the meat are enough to thicken it?
Hi Sally, there is cornstarch in the recipe under the beef section which thickens the sauce.
And also you are very funny with all your movement while cooking.
Hi Natasha! This looks incredible and happens to be my favorite entree at our local Asian cuisine.
Can I use skirt steak instead of flank for this recipe?
Thank you!
Hi Renee, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Excellent recipe. We thoroughly enjoyed it. The only thing I’ll be doing differently is add less brown sugar- maybe just a tablespoon. I found it a little bit sweet. And definitely more sriracha!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Lita! Thank you for that amazing review.
Hi Natasha! I love all you food 😋 you’re amazing- thanks so much-
Thank you for your great comments, Angie. I appreciate it!
I wish I could give this 10stars. This was AMAZING. I will definitely be making this Again!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
So so delicious! One for the books for sure! Better than any Asian place!
Awesome! Thanks for the compliment
Hi, would you recommend this with chicken or lamb?
Hi Karina, I honestly haven’t tried this recipe using chicken or lamb to advise. You can try some of my Lamb Recipes.
I’ve tried this with chicken breast and it was delicious! Recommend!
This is one of our favorite dinners! We’re obsessed! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Chelsea, I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
Tender, juicy, & mouthwatering delicious!! This meal is hearty & a family favorite!
That’s so awesome! I’m so glad you found a family favorite on our blog!
This was delicious!! Just want to make a note, the actual recipe doesn’t include what to do with the cornstarch. I scrolled up and looked in the previous comments. But for someone wanting to print the recipe, it’s left out.
Thanks for the feedback Mags. We’ll see what we can do about that, we appreciate the heads up!
May 21…Still waiting on what to do with the corn starch, would love to make this tonight, thanks!
HI Michelle, I apologize I didn’t realize that step was not in the recipe card. We had it above but missed it in the printable. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. Step 1: Place beef slices in a bowl, add cornstarch and stir to completely coat.
Delicious! This was even better than my local take out place. So easy and I really like having control of what goes in the food I feed my family!
Oh I’m so so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing that with me. It makes my day that your family loved this Mongolian Beef!
There is not a stir-fry or any other recipe of yours that has not truned out nothing but the best.
Thank you
Sal Cannizzo
Thank you so much for sharing that with us Salvatore! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Absolutely delicious. This is our go to cheat meal. 1000 times better than any take out restaurant near us.
Nothing beats a homemade restaurant quality meal! I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Diane!