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.
Candace says
Can this recipe be doubled in the slow cooker?
Sara says
Yes that’s fine!
Mei Harris says
Made this last night for dinner and it was very good with minimum effort. I used a cheaper cut of meat, top round and cooked for 6-7 hours. I added some chili flakes. Will be making it again soon. Thank you.
Sara says
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
Kay Corey says
Can this be made with chicken instead?
Sara says
Yes that will work fine!
Audrey says
Can this be frozen after preparing? Thanks.
Sara says
I think that would work just fine!
Lynda says
Froze it and it was perfect when defrosted and reheated! Yum yum!
Saulai says
What kind of veggies can I add? How much? And do I have to alter the liquid?
Sara says
You could add carrots, mushrooms, zucchini or broccoli during the last hour or two of the cooking time. You do not need to alter the liquid!
Jean says
I added carrots, but didn’t like it as much. Didn’t think about mushrooms, but that sounds yummy!
James Cook says
Question please.
I used deer meat and it tastes great but the sauce is more like a thick gravy.
Is that due to to much cornstarch or that the deer meat doesn’t have any fat?? Thanks.
Sara says
Are you saying the sauce was too thick or too thin? I actually haven’t ever had deer meat so it’s hard for me to say!
Colleen says
I would think it’s because venison doesn’t have as much fat and is very dense with less juices. I was looking at it for venison and will thin this s sauce with a little water. Glad i read the comments!
Marc says
Brilliant. Took me a few minutes to convert cups into ‘rest of the world’ measurements, and might try adding a cinnamon stick next time, too. Mongolian Christmas flavours? Cheers, Marc PS served with Thai Jasmine sticky rice – which was perfect to soak up the unctuous sauce.
Sara says
So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
Sheri says
I just made this and it was tasty. I used 1 1/2 lbs of flank steak and the corn starch was too much. I’ll make it again with less corn starch and maybe a little less water because it was very saucy.
Sara says
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
Ronf says
After tossing the beef in cornstarch there will be some cornstarch left in the bowl.
Dies that get added to the pot also?
Sara says
I typically add it in!
Debbie says
I tried this recipe and my family loved it! Going to slip in some vegetables next time
Suzanne says
If I need to have this in the crockpot for more than the stated cooking time, would I just add more water so the liquid doesn’t all cook off and burn? Or would I just need to have someone turn it down to the “keep warm” setting until we’re ready?
Sara says
I’d just use the keep warm setting, there will be plenty of liquid in the pot!