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 Mongolian beef!
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.
I made it today and the family loved it, but it congealed! What did I do wrong? How do I fix that for next time since the kids are asking for this meal again!
You could add extra liquid, like 1-2 tablespoons of water.
I had thinly sliced sirloin my grocery store sells for steak sandwiches. In the past, I’ve marinated the meat in similar flavors and cooked more like stir fry.
I found this recipe and it will be my go-to from now on. The beef was tender and SO much more flavorful. So easy to pull together (granted my meat was already sliced) and cooks while I work. I served with rice and green beans.
I am gf and only have access to gf (full salt) soy sauce, how should I adjust recipe to account for using full salt soy sauce? Thank you
I’d use 1/3 cup!
I have a question. What sides do you serve eith this?
Thank you
Steamed rice and a vegetable such as broccoli or green beans!
Is there an alternative to cornstarch?
Unfortunately there’s not a great substitute in this recipe.
Potato starch would work well too.
Hi Sara. What would you recommend adding to give it a little spiciness?
You could add some sriracha or crushed red pepper flakes!
Mongolian fire oil…Iusually split the sesame oil in half and add half the mongolian fire oil to brin heat
Hello, could i use my strip steak?
That should be fine!
Hi! I’m about to make this recipe for my family today. Do you use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar? Thanks in advance!
I use light brown sugar!
I have some stew meat. Do you think this recipe will work with stew meat? If so, how long should I cook it in the crockpot? Thanks.
I’d slice it thinly and add an extra hour to the cooking time!
Can you use rump steak in this recipe.
That should be fine!
I need a these slow cooker recipes
The Mongolian beef was the first recipe on your site that I tried. The whole family loved it. I had two pounds of flank so made one and a half of the sauce (except for the soya sauce) It was perfect. Took a total of three hours on low and came out soooo tender.
I want to double the recipe and use 3 pounds of meat. Should I double all the ingredients in sauce? What do you recommend?
Can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Thanks Sarah!
You can double everything except the soy sauce. I’d use 1.5 times the amount of soy sauce!
Thanks Sara! Sorry about spelling your name incorrectly the first time. I really appreciate your quick response.
Just made this recipe and it came out great!
Just a small Q: how would you adapt this for using chicken or pork instead of beef?
You could use thinly sliced chicken breast or pork tenderloin and cook for one hour less!
How do I adapt this recipe to cook in an instant pot?
Unfortunately I do not have an instant pot version of this recipe!
Will this work with a skirt steak?
That should be fine!
Can you use Chuck steak instead of flank steak to have a chunkier dish?
Yes but it will take longer to cook!
I used a skirt steak and sliced it against the grain, which was my mistake because it fell apart into tiny little chunks after 4 hrs on low. Tasted awesome though, and I’m looking forward to trying it again with a sliced flank steak as was written in the recipe lol, thank you!
I threw in a radial cut onion, red pepper flakes and some Sriracha. Doubled the garlic and ginger. I also cooked a bunch of Shitake mushrooms in butter and white wine and threw those in at the end. I served with steam broccoli and rice. Y’all it was GREAT!
I am excited to find a recipe for pineapple chicken. I am going to make it over the weekend.
I use a London Broil. Works great! Tastes and smells Awesome