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.
Can I use short rib instead of flank steak?
That should be fine!
This was a fail proof recipe and easy to modify and add any kind of veggies! Follow the recipe exactly and add steamed veggies at the very end!
Can this be cooked in a pressur cooker?
I think it would work but I’ve never tried it!
Loved this recipe, I added some carrots and broccoli to it too. Delicious 😊
Can I sear the beef ifirst?
Yes that’s fine!
Trying this out now. When I added the water, oil, ginger, etc mixture to the beef, it seems to wash the corn starch off of the meat and became part of the sauce. Is that ok?
Yes that’s fine!
What gives you the deep brown color without searing your meat. I never seem to get really browned results in the slow cooker without searing prior or broiling get afterwords. I will have to try this recipie,because this is my favorite takeout.
In this case it’s the dark sauce that gives you dark colored meat!
I could not find toasted sesame oil, just sesame oil. Will that work?
It should work fine!
Made for dinner tonight, excellent……hubby went for seconds which is always a good sign. My grocery does not sell flank steak so I used stir-fry beef, not sure what the cut is but was perfect. Recipe is definitely a keeper.
Omg I absolutely love this recipe!!! I made it tonight for meal prep. I even shared it! TY!
Big hit! Delish and easy.
I don’t have ginger – any suggestions?
You can omit it if you need to.
Is the nutrition information for the whole recipe or per serving?
Per serving.
Looks great, I just tossed mine in the crockpot. Do you have any suggestions for adding some spice? Red pepper flake or cayenne? What do you suggest?
I’d use crushed red pepper flakes, srirache, or chili garlic sauce!
What can i substitute for the toasted sesame oil?
You can omit it, although it adds great flavor!
Google “sesame oil” (without quotes). It’s available from internet retailers…
I was thinking I might want some heat with it. What would a little chili flakes of hot chili oil do for it?
That would be a great addition!
Can garlic and ginger paste be used instead of minced garlic and ginger.
Yes that’s fine!
need to try this
Is this recipe gluten free? I am preparing this for a small dinner party and have a lady with celiac.
You’d need to use a gluten free soy sauce such as tamari to make the recipe celiac friendly. All the other ingredients are gluten free!
It is rare for my 9, 12, and 15 year olds to all say they love something. This was that something! They all loved it. Especially my son who exclaimed how delicious it was when he took the first bite. Next time I will pair with steamed broccoli. I swear it tastes better than Chinese restaurant beef and broccoli! Thanks so much for this simple, yummy inexpensive recipe!!!!
Would the same cooking directions be goof using an Instant Pot?
Are you talking about the slow cooker function in an Instant Pot?