Mongolian Beef (VIDEO)
This Mongolian Beef is a classic Chinese take out dish that is made of tender beef, aromatics, chilis, and scallions in a sweet and savory sauce. It's so much better than takeout when made at home!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb flank steak cut into 1/4" strips
- 2 tbsp neutral oil I used avocado oil
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
Sauce
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 4 tbsp neutral oil
- 6 green onions cut into 2" pieces
- 5-7 dried red chilis japones or chile de arbol work well; remove seeds to reduce spice level
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 3 cloves garlic minminced
Instructions
- Add the sliced steak into a bowl and marinate with neutral oil, light soy sauce, shaoxing wine, baking soda, white pepper, and cornstarch for 15 minutes.
- Combine light soy sauce, chicken stock, brown sugar, and constarch and mix until the sugar is dissolved.
- In a wok, heat the neutral oil neutral oil over high heat to 350°F. Add half of the beef and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and just cooked through, then remove the beef to a bowl. Bring the oil back to 350°F, and cook the rest of the beef the same way. Strain the beef from the oil and into the bowl.
- Remove leftover oil from the wok until 2 tbsp of oil remains. Over medium high heat, fry the garlic and ginger for 15-30 seconds then add the dried red chilis. Stir fry for another 15-30 seconds until the chilis are slightly toasted and fragrant.
- Add the premixed sauce and stir to combine until the sauce has thickened. Add back the beef and scallions, stir for another 1-2 minutes to coat evenly, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Slice Beef Against the Grain - Follow the lines (which is the muscle fibers) in the raw beef and cut against them. Slicing beef against the grain is an easy way to get tender meat - cutting the fibers of the muscle means they won't get tough when cooked.
Adjust the Spice to your Preference - The dried red chilis are not super spicy; however, if you want to reduce the heat, you can either use less chilis or remove the seeds from inside. For Mongolian Beef, I used 7 dried red chilis and the finished dish was a 6 out of 10 for spice; adjust accordingly based on your own spice tolerance.
Success is in the Prep! - Mongolian Beef is one of those dishes that comes together FAST once you start cooking. For this reason, it's crucial that you prepare your ingredients (beef and aromatics cut and portioned, sauce mixed, etc) BEFORE you begin cooking. I like to have all of my ingredients in individual bowls, near my cook station so I can easily grab when needed.
Cooking With a Wok - If it is your first time cooking with a wok, make sure to read my "How To Season a Wok" post. There is a video included that shows exactly how to season your brand new wok and how to maintain it so it lasts for years. If you cannot or do not want to use a wok, you can use a large pan, cast iron, or even a dutch oven.
Storage and Reheating - You can store Mongolian Beef in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I like reheat it in the air fryer in order to crisp up the beef. When reheating the beef in the air fryer, the sauce with further caramelize and infuse into the crispy batter! Air fry at 350°F for 6-8 minutes or until warmed through and crispy. Alternatively, reheat in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until warmed through. I don't recommend reheating Mongolian Beef (or any fried food) in the microwave unless you don't care about the texture and just want to heat it back up as quickly as possible.
Nutrition
Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 1325mg | Potassium: 547mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 181IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 3mg
