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 fpr 3rd time cooked on high 2 hours was perfect all the time. First time was 2.5 lbs so took little longer the other 2 was 1.5 and after 2 hours was perfect on high!
Made this tonight, left it on low in the crockpot for 4 1/2 hours, 4 hours would have been plenty. My husband said it was delicious and it was, just the sauce was a little strong, not sure if it was too sweet or too salty, but all in all was very good. Will make it again. Served it with with quinoa, broccolini and stir fry vegetables. Sticky white rice would have been good but quinoas is delicious and so much healthier.
So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
After 6 hours on low, the meat was very tender but almost disintegrating. And to answer the person who asked if it could be made with chicken, I tried it and did not like either the texture or the flavour – stick to beef and the taste is wonderful.
If I cook on low for 6 1/2 hours will the meat get too mushy.
I want to make this recipe, it doesn’t say to brown the meat before placing in crock pot, wouldn’t it be better if it was browned first?
I don’t brown it first. If you’d like to brown it you can!
I didn’t brown it first and it was perfect!
Sometimes when I double a receipe, it seems to be too much for my 6 quart cook pot? Can I double this recipe and only use one crock pot? Do I need to leave in longer if I double the receipe? Thanks for your help.
I think it should be fine to fit in one 6 quart crock pot!
I doubled the recipe. Pretty strong sesame smell. Is that normal? Also used light brown sugar on hand so it looks a lighter. Will it cook down?
It sounds like you did just fine, the sauce will thicken as it cooks from the cornstarch on the meat!
Hi I live in Australia and have tried buying flank steak but it doesn’t exist here. What could I use instead?
Skirt steak, hanger steak or sirloin will also work!
I’m watching my sodium, do you think I could use a 1/4c sodium soy sauce instead? Would I need to make up the difference with water? My first batch is in the cooker as I write this but I already thinking ahead! I usually make recipes as written the first time round.🙃
I think you should be just find using 1/4 cup without any added water! The meat will also release liquid as it cooks.
Can this recipe be doubled in the slow cooker?
Yes that’s fine!
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.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
Can this be made with chicken instead?
Yes that will work fine!
Can this be frozen after preparing? Thanks.
I think that would work just fine!
Froze it and it was perfect when defrosted and reheated! Yum yum!
What kind of veggies can I add? How much? And do I have to alter the liquid?
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!
I added carrots, but didn’t like it as much. Didn’t think about mushrooms, but that sounds yummy!
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.
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!
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!
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.
So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
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.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
After tossing the beef in cornstarch there will be some cornstarch left in the bowl.
Dies that get added to the pot also?
I typically add it in!
I tried this recipe and my family loved it! Going to slip in some vegetables next time
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?
I’d just use the keep warm setting, there will be plenty of liquid in the pot!