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 LOVE Mongolian Beef at Chinese restaurants. Many are very different in taste, content and presentation. I have to admit I was a bit leery this would live up to the description. It WAS AWESOME, truly. This is a KEEPER recipe. The first time I make a recipe, I usually follow it precisely. The only thing I did was double the recipe. I had 2 flank steaks. I didn’t have real ginger but I had a ginger paste in a tube and used that. It was fine….
What I would do differently next time? Because i doubled it, I might use a little less than double the cornstarch.
I sliced the meat against the grain as instructed but the flank steak I had was wide and the pieces of meat were long strips. So next time, before slicing it against the grain, I’ll make one long cut with the grain cutting down the length to cut it in half then cut the two halves against the grain so the pieces are smaller.
Thank you for this recipe.
The leftovers were even better the next day.
Had a large piece of flank steak that I had bought at a bargain price, but had no idea what I was going to use it for! Despite cooking meals virtually every night for the last 50 yrs of marriage, I am ashamed to say this was my first purchase of flank.
Your recipe was quick, easy and absolutely delicious. I served it with steamed cauli, carrots, peas and Basmati rice and it turned that flank steak into a meal to be proud of. Thank you for sharing this. The aroma that filled the kitchen when it was cooking was mouth watering!
This was delicious. I altered it a bit only because I know what my family likes and what they don’t like, and what they “expect” whenever I attempt to cook anything “Asian” or Chinese take-out-ish. I followed your proportions (for 6 servings), tips and directions to the fullest extent I could, but I used Tamari instead of Light Soy Sauce and Splenda Brown Sugar Blend instead of “regular” Brown Sugar. I also added 1.5 Tbls. of Hoisin Sauce and made Red Pepper (Cayenne) Flakes and Sriacha available at the Dinner table for anyone who wanted a bit more “heat”. Beyond that, I used both 1/2 Vidalia Onion (sliced) and Green Onions (Scallions; I only used the green parts, though — if only because they were really fresh and especially green; so pretty) and I also tossed 4 Carrots (washed, peeled and halved) into the pot right from the beginning. I steamed fresh Broccoli separately and added it my Crockpot 20 minutes before I shut it off. I cooked this on Low for 3.5 hours and served it over Jasmine Rice. Doing it this way comfortably served 6 adults, 1 child and a “tween”. Not a grain of Rice was left-over.
I’m making it now and I added crushed red pepper flakes for a little spice! Can’t wait to see how it turns out!
The only thing I can say is thankyou. I followed the recipe exactly and there were no leftovers. Everyone loved it
Better than Chinese take out! Followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect! The flavors were so subtle and “married” so well. My family was amazed by dinner tonight! I served it with broccoli and topped the dish with sesame seeds!
question: can I add broccoli the last 10 mins of cooking? And if I do,should I increase sauce amount?
I’d add it during the last 45 minutes to an hour, you don’t need to change the sauce amount.
So my boyfriend likes a lot of sauce to meals that are served over rice so his rice can be covered in it too..does this make a decent amount of sauce? Or could I double the sauce?
It makes a good amount of sauce but it’s fine to double it!
This was absolutely delicious, and so easy.
Does the time change if I have more meat
It should stay the same!
I did not have sesame oil so I use regular canola oil is that OK And I put sesame seeds in the oil
I haven’t tried it this way but I think it should be ok!
Actually, sesame oil is a seasoning. It is WELL worth searching for this product. There is no substitute and it makes a HUGE difference. Just don’t use too much. Hope you find some!
amazing recipe! Simple yet delicious. Better than take out
I don’t have sesame oil.. will olive oil work?
I would omit it then!
Can you use flour instead of corn starch? No corn starch in the stores 🙁
I’d just omit the cornstarch, I’m not sure that flour would have the same effect!
I’m substituting chicken for beef
It’s in the crock pot now and smells wonderful
Never thought to use chicken. I love it with the beef but I am sure chicken will work. Did you use boneless breasts, if so did you slice them across the grain thinly.
Can I substitute cornstarch with Xanthan Gum? There is literally no cornstarch anywhere because of quarantine.
I think you could but you’d need to use less. You can also just omit the cornstarch, the dish will taste the same but the sauce will be a little thinner.
I just bought corn starch at Dollar General literally 2 hours ago.
If I use stew meat do you think the cooking time will need to be changed?
Stew meat would be low for 6-8 hours!
How would you go about adding broccoli to the recipe?
Add during the last 90 minutes!
Don’t wait a single second longer before making this Mongolian Beef crockpot recipe! I didn’t change a single thing! It’s incredible! My husband and kids are the entire crockpot full! So good!
Love this recipe!!! So easy and so delicious!! Thank you!!!
This tastes unbelievably good! My 8 year old twins wolfed it down. I added a bit more water when the sauce became a bit too thick, also a red pepper for more veg and colour. A keeper of a recipe.
I only have regular soy sauce should I only put in 1/4
1/4 to 1/3 cup is fine!
I have more meat so should I use more of the ingredients?? I don’t want to mess it up!!
You can adjust the number of servings and the ingredient amounts will automatically recalculate!
Loved it!!! So easy to make, total prep 15 minutes