This slow cooker Mongolian beef is flank steak cooked with garlic, ginger, brown sugar and soy sauce. This crock pot recipe tastes just like a meal you would get at a Chinese restaurant!
Make your own take out with this easy Mongolian beef recipe. This dinner is SO simple to put together and always gets rave reviews from family and friends.
Making meals like this slow cooker Mongolian beef, in the crock pot is one of my favorite things to do. Not only does it allow you to have a nice meal when you’re finished with your day but, it feels like you’re getting to skip all the cooking. It kind of feel like cheating because it makes dinner time that much simpler!
HOW DO YOU MAKE SLOW COOKER MONGOLIAN BEEF?
This Mongolian beef has the rich flavors of ginger, garlic, and brown sugar. It’s cooked slowly in the crock pot so every flavor has a chance to really sink in. When it’s almost ready to be served, the green onions get added to the pot and stirred in. The family is sure to love this one.
I highly suggest slightly freezing the flank steak before slicing it. It makes it much easier to slice if you do so. I prefer using the low sodium soy sauce because it keeps the dish a little healthier and you won’t have to worry about the finished dish being overly salty.
This crock pot Mongolian beef pairs well with steamed rice. I always serve it with a green vegetable on the side such as broccoli or asparagus. Of course, there are many other sides that would work as well, but I love the fresh counterpart of a lightly steamed veggie.
ARE THERE SUBSTITUTES FOR FLANK STEAK?
Yes, there are a few other options that will work for this crock pot Mongolian beef. Flank steak is my favorite option but you can also use skirt steak or even hanger steak if you can get your hands on it. You could also use thinly sliced sirloin steak if desired.
WHY IS IT CALLED MONGOLIAN BEEF?
Mongolian beef was created in Taiwan where dishes like this slow cooker Mongolian beef were popular. That area was where the first Mongolian restaurants started opening up. They made the Mongolian style of food popular which is why the name is carried with dishes like this one.
Looking for Mongolian beef but don’t have the time to wait for it to cook in a crock pot? Try my stove top version!
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that it doesn’t take a ton of work to have a delicious meal. I love this crock pot Mongolian beef because it’s easy, but comes out totally delicious and satisfying. Even my kids love this one!
MORE ASIAN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Pepper Steak Stir Fry
- Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
- Asian Cucumber Salad
- Cream Cheese Wontons
- Firecracker Chicken
Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds flank steak thinly sliced against the grain
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup green onions cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Instructions
- Place the flank steak in a bowl with the cornstarch and toss to coat evenly.
- Add the flank steak to the slow cooker.
- Place the sesame oil, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar and water in the slow cooker. Stir to coat the meat in the sauce.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or LOW for 4-5 hours.
- Stir in the green onions, then serve.
Reen says
June 25, 2019 at 7:38 amCan you use plain flour instead of cornflour? And just making sure you don’t seal/brown the meat before slow cooking?
Sara says
June 25, 2019 at 3:45 pmI’ve never made this with flour, only with corn starch so I can’t exactly say if it would work or not. You could omit the cornstarch, but the sauce will be thinner. I don’t brown the meat before cooking!
Sandra Friesen says
June 24, 2019 at 7:41 amWas wondering if one could substitute honey for brown sugar.
Sara says
June 24, 2019 at 10:41 amThat should be fine, the flavor may be a bit different because brown sugar has a more robust caramelized flavor.
Haylie says
June 15, 2019 at 3:57 pmVery good! I paired with white rice and brocolli. We will be making this one again!
Vincent Byield says
June 13, 2019 at 10:16 pmI didn’t have flank steak, so I used top round sirloin steak. Is that ok?
Sara says
June 13, 2019 at 10:32 pmYes that’s fine!
Kim says
June 12, 2019 at 4:19 pmWill the meat be alright to cut the night before? Didn’t know if it would dry it out or do something weird. I’m not a very good cook. Lol
Sara says
June 12, 2019 at 7:57 pmYes it should be fine but it may discolor a bit from being exposed to the air!
Kim Ziegler says
June 13, 2019 at 6:19 pmSo I prepped this the night before. Cooked it today and it was totally amazing. Thank you so much for sharing. I finally have a new dinner too add to our menu rotation! Thank you!
Robin Hoglund says
June 9, 2019 at 6:10 pmI would love to see an instant pot version!
Kim says
June 8, 2019 at 12:46 amWhat can you add to spice it up a tad? Red pepper flakes? How much???
Sara says
June 8, 2019 at 8:33 amYes add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon depending on how spicy you want it!
elaine says
June 6, 2019 at 12:31 pmoh my god really easy to prepare and was amazing my husband cannot stop telling me how good it was thank you xx
Janelle says
June 5, 2019 at 8:13 pmI am wanting to add fresh green beans and broccolini to the slow cooker to save separate cooking. Would I add these in at a later stage to keep them crisp?
Sara says
June 5, 2019 at 9:43 pmYes add during the last hour!
Zoe hyde says
June 3, 2019 at 4:11 pmIs the sesame oil crucial to the dish would you say I want to make this tomorrow but it’s the only ingredient I don’t have😞 Can I leave out or will it hugely effect flavour
Sara says
June 3, 2019 at 7:54 pmIt adds nice flavor but the beef should still be ok without it!
Jen Ruby says
June 3, 2019 at 5:28 amAm I able to use skirt steak instead of flank?
Sara says
June 3, 2019 at 7:58 pmThat should work fine!
Shannon says
June 2, 2019 at 3:28 pmI was wondering. You suggested that you can pair it with a green Vegetable . Could you just put whatever but I like (Broccoli ) in while cooking the flank steak ?
Sara says
June 2, 2019 at 9:16 pmYes that’s fine!
Nancy Kereluik says
May 31, 2019 at 2:33 pmOMG, I have made this several times and my husband and I LOVE this recipe. It’s so easy but so so YUMMY!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
Annie Andrews says
May 30, 2019 at 4:21 amSince I dont eat Beef. Can I substitute chicken instead.
Sara says
May 30, 2019 at 9:14 pmYes that works fine!
Dee says
May 29, 2019 at 9:50 amTo the person who isn’t a fan of sesame. I LOVE it and it is really the base undertone flavor of much Asian cuisine, so changing the oil is POSSIBLE but I wouldn’t recommend it. The only oil I would personally swap it with is peanut oil-but it’s pricy so I use it rarely. I don’t think I’ve ever had Mongolian beef WITH sesame seeds. I’m sure you can omit BUT again, not only are you ridding the seeds, but the oil and flavor it provides. I don’t think losing either would be the end of the world. I HATE onions so I omit them from a lot of recipes but I know the onion flavor does a lot for specific dishes. It’s tough but I won’t eat them so it’s worth it to me… happy crocking lol
Laura says
May 28, 2019 at 7:21 amCan ground Ginger be replaced instead of minced Ginger? If so,how much of the Ground Ginger would you recommend?
Sara says
May 28, 2019 at 9:20 amI’d use 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger!
Lisa says
March 29, 2019 at 12:35 pmIm not a fan of sesame seeds or the taste. However i have had mongolian beef from resturants and that was good. Can i cut the sesame flavor down by adding less???? Heard its strong.
Sara says
March 29, 2019 at 6:39 pmYou can add less or omit it entirely, it’s up to you!