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!

Mongolian Beef and vegetables over a bed of rice with a spoon and a napkin.

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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.

Mongolian beef and broccoli garnished with chives and sesame seeds

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.
  • VegetablesJulienne 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.
  • Saucethe 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.
Prepared ingredients with beef, vegetables and ramekins of sauce ingredients

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.
Step by step collage how to make Mongolian beef.

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:

  • Ricefluffy 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.
Leftover Mongolian Beef with vegetables smother in a sauce in a skillet with two spoons and a towel.

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

5 from 268 votes
Mongolian beef and vegetables over white rice
EASY Mongolian Beef recipe with the BEST sauce! Thinly sliced beef with vegetables in flavor-packed sauce ready in under 30 minutes!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 4 people

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

Substitutions: 
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

377kcal Calories32g Carbs26g Protein16g Fat5g Saturated Fat76mg Cholesterol816mg Sodium596mg Potassium2g Fiber20g Sugar3651IU Vitamin A42mg Vitamin C59mg Calcium3mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Mongolian Beef
Amount per Serving
Calories
377
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
16
g
25
%
Saturated Fat
 
5
g
31
%
Cholesterol
 
76
mg
25
%
Sodium
 
816
mg
35
%
Potassium
 
596
mg
17
%
Carbohydrates
 
32
g
11
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
20
g
22
%
Protein
 
26
g
52
%
Vitamin A
 
3651
IU
73
%
Vitamin C
 
42
mg
51
%
Calcium
 
59
mg
6
%
Iron
 
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
Keyword: mongolian beef, mongolian beef recipe, PF Changs Mongolian Beef
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $$
Calories: 377
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

More Easy Asian Recipes

5 from 268 votes (152 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Fatin Sabbagha
    May 24, 2020

    Can you please send a video for making this recipe because I would like to watch and cook?
    Thanks

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      May 25, 2020

      Hi Fatin, we don’t have a video tutorial yet for this recipe but hopefully we can create one in the future!

      Reply

  • Dawn
    May 24, 2020

    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.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 25, 2020

      Hi Dawn, I’m so glad you enjoyed that! Was your drying pan preheated? Overcrowding the pan could cause that also.

      Reply

  • Paulette
    May 22, 2020

    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.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 22, 2020

      You’re welcome Paulette! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!

      Reply

  • Tiffany
    May 21, 2020

    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!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 21, 2020

      That’s so great! Thank you for that wonderful review!

      Reply

  • cindy R Hoeffel
    May 21, 2020

    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

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 21, 2020

      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.

      Reply

  • Yana G.
    May 20, 2020

    This is absolutely delicious and such a simple and easy recipe. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or to impress guests 😀

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      May 21, 2020

      Love it! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us Yana.

      Reply

    • Linda
      June 13, 2020

      Hi Natasha, what can I use instead of sriracha please?

      Reply

      • Natasha
        June 13, 2020

        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.

        Reply

  • Alena
    May 20, 2020

    AMAZING DISH!!! Highly Recommend! perfect for leftovers! you know its good when you have it twice in one week

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 20, 2020

      That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!

      Reply

  • Irina
    May 18, 2020

    Thank you so much. I made it for dinner. It is so delicious.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 18, 2020

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply

  • Barbara
    May 17, 2020

    I can’t eat peppers, what could I substitute?

    Reply

  • Sally
    May 17, 2020

    In trying this recipe today. The sauce doesnt include cornstarch? The ones in the meat are enough to thicken it?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      May 17, 2020

      Hi Sally, there is cornstarch in the recipe under the beef section which thickens the sauce.

      Reply

  • Salvatore Cannizzo
    May 16, 2020

    And also you are very funny with all your movement while cooking.

    Reply

  • Renee
    May 15, 2020

    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!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 15, 2020

      Hi Renee, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.

      Reply

  • Lita
    May 15, 2020

    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!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 15, 2020

      I’m so glad you enjoyed that Lita! Thank you for that amazing review.

      Reply

  • Angie
    May 15, 2020

    Hi Natasha! I love all you food 😋 you’re amazing- thanks so much-

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      May 15, 2020

      Thank you for your great comments, Angie. I appreciate it!

      Reply

  • Xiomara Santos
    May 14, 2020

    I wish I could give this 10stars. This was AMAZING. I will definitely be making this Again!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 14, 2020

      That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!

      Reply

  • Elena
    May 13, 2020

    So so delicious! One for the books for sure! Better than any Asian place!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      May 14, 2020

      Awesome! Thanks for the compliment

      Reply

  • Karina
    May 12, 2020

    Hi, would you recommend this with chicken or lamb?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      May 12, 2020

      Hi Karina, I honestly haven’t tried this recipe using chicken or lamb to advise. You can try some of my Lamb Recipes.

      Reply

    • Yelena
      May 21, 2020

      I’ve tried this with chicken breast and it was delicious! Recommend!

      Reply

  • Chelsea
    May 12, 2020

    This is one of our favorite dinners! We’re obsessed! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 12, 2020

      Hi Chelsea, I’m so glad you enjoyed that!

      Reply

  • Natalie
    May 12, 2020

    Tender, juicy, & mouthwatering delicious!! This meal is hearty & a family favorite!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 12, 2020

      That’s so awesome! I’m so glad you found a family favorite on our blog!

      Reply

      • Mags
        May 17, 2020

        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.

        Reply

        • Natasha's Kitchen
          May 17, 2020

          Thanks for the feedback Mags. We’ll see what we can do about that, we appreciate the heads up!

          Reply

          • Michelle
            May 21, 2020

            May 21…Still waiting on what to do with the corn starch, would love to make this tonight, thanks!

          • Natasha
            May 21, 2020

            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.

  • wilhelmina
    May 12, 2020

    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!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      May 12, 2020

      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!

      Reply

      • Salvatore Cannizzo
        May 16, 2020

        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

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          May 16, 2020

          Thank you so much for sharing that with us Salvatore! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!

          Reply

          • Diane
            July 21, 2021

            Absolutely delicious. This is our go to cheat meal. 1000 times better than any take out restaurant near us.

          • Natashas Kitchen
            July 21, 2021

            Nothing beats a homemade restaurant quality meal! I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Diane!

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