Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef

Deliciously tender and perfectly seasoned, this slow cooker Mongolian Beef is a fork-tender steak cooked with garlic, ginger, savory sauce, and red chilli peppers is an amazing dump-and-go family dinner!

An absolutely delicious meal you would get for takeaway from a Chinese restaurant, now made easy and cheap in the comfort of your home.

My best tip for making flavorful and tender Mongolian beef in a slow cooker is to add corn starch to the meat and let it slow cook for 6 to 8 hours. This way, you don’t need to sear the meat first, and you get a nice meal without any hands-on cooking time.

I have dozens of slow cooker recipes, but if I have to choose my favorites, it will be these Crack Chicken sliders, Sweet and Sour meatballs, and warm and sweet crockpot Peach Cobbler.

Why Is It Called Mongolian Beef?

Mongolian Beef is a popular dish in Chinese restaurants, but it doesn’t actually come from Mongolia.

The name is more of a marketing move used to suggest exotic Asian flavors and the style of cooking. The dish was first made in Taiwan by new Mongolian restaurant’ owners to cater to local tastes by using ingredients like soy sauce, garlic, and ginger, which are very common in Chinese cooking.

The Mongolian Beef recipe originally was made with sliced beef, usually flank steak or sirloin, cooked quickly over high heat. The beef was cooked in a savory sauce made from soy sauce, sugar, and other seasonings, giving it a sweet and salty flavor.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It is guaranteed to become one of the family’s favorite dinners, packed with protein and bold flavors!
• It is delicious, but what’s best – affordable, as we can use leaner cuts of meat. Perfect for dinner tonight.
• If you do meal prep, this is a good recipe to add to your weekly plan. You can freeze beef and some cooked rice for months!
• Healthier than any takeout, and you know exactly what ingredients went into the meal. It is one of our favorite slow cooker meals.

Ingredients Notes

For exact quantities, see the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

• Flank steak, sliced into thin strips. It is a lean cut of meat, but slow cooking will make it soft and juicy.
• Cornstarch will help us make the beef tender without pre-cooking it. Even a leaner cut!
• Aromatics: onion, garlic cloves, and fresh ginger are classic ingredients in Chinese stir fry and give so much flavor and aroma.
• Toasted sesame oil or regular olive oil.
• Low-sodium soy sauce keeps it healthy and doesn’t overpower the whole dish with saltiness. I don’t add any extra salt at all!
• Brown sugar. You can use light or dark brown sugar. It tenderizes meat, adds caramel sweetness, and thickens the sauce, too.
• Water (or broth) is a base for the sauce. Water is fine if you don’t have beef broth or stock.
• Black pepper
• Green onions add flavor, color, and you can save a few for garnish, too.
• Dried red chili peppers (optional, for spice)
• Sesame seeds (optional, for garnish). Can use black or white, doesn’t matter.

Kitchen Equipment

• 7-qt crock pot
• Mixing bowl
• Large skillet if you want to sear the meat first.
• Air-tight container for leftovers (or a freezer bag)

How To Make Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef

1: Coat Beef In Cornstarch

1. Prepare the cooker by spraying the insert with cooking oil to prevent sticking.
2. Add the sliced steak strips and corn starch to the cooker – toss to coat.
3. Top the coated flank steak with the sliced onions.

2: Prepare The Sauce

Whisk the minced garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and black pepper together in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the meat and onions.

3: Slow Cook And Serve

1. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours (or on high for 3-4 hours). The beef should be cooked through and tender.
2. Stir in the green onions and dried chilis.
3. Garnish with sesame seeds before serving.

Serving Ideas

Serve Mongolian beef over steamed rice or noodles for a complete meal. You can also pair it with:

• Roasted broccoli
• Green beans
• Asparagus
• Stir-fry vegetables
• Egg rolls
• Brown rice

Storage

Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

You can also store leftovers in a freezer for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes until hot all the way through. Make some extra rice to serve again.

To reheat on the stove, add a splash of water or broth to thin the sauce.

Substitutions & Variations

• Meat. Mongolian beef recipe can be made with sirloin steak, skirt steak, flat iron steak, or chuck. Be sure to slice against the grain and cut into thin strips no more than ½-inch thick. Do not use stew meat.
• For more kick, add the dried chili peppers at the start of cooking so the flavors meld together. OR try using ground cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, chili crisp oil, chili garlic sauce, or even sriracha sauce.
• More veggies. Add mushrooms, red bell peppers, shredded carrots, and other vegetables your family loves.
• Add apricot jam or a bit of honey for more sweetness.
• Soy sauce can be substituted with coconut aminos(gluten-free) or tamari.
• Add Hoisin sauce or Oyster sauce for more sweet and savory, umami flavors. They add lots of depth to the whole dish.
• Add a bit of red wine vinegar to tenderize meat even further and add a little acidity. Meat cooked or marinated in just the right amount of vinegar tastes fantastic.
• Try this with green peppers, chili flakes, hot sauce for a little heat, or low sodium soy sauce.

**No time to slow cook? Load all the ingredients in an instant pot and cook on manual for 10 minutes.

If you love this slow cooker dinner recipe, you’re going to love these other slow cooker meals too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Asian Dishes You’ll Love

Kung Pao Chicken

Panda Express Chow Mein – Copycat Recipe

Beef with Black Bean Sauce

Steak Fried Rice

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