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Mongolian Beef

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From The Woks of Life cookbook, this crispy Mongolian beef is every bit as good as the version served at your favorite Chinese restaurant.

Mongolian beef in a wok.

Mongolian beef is a popular Chinese-American restaurant dish that consists of tender, crispy beef in a savory-sweet brown sauce. This version comes from The Woks of Life, written by Bill, Judy, Kaitlin, and Sarah Leung, the family behind the popular Woks of Life blog. I’m a big fan of the cookbook and the blog, both of which are excellent resources for anyone interested in learning more about Chinese cooking.

To prepare the dish, thinly sliced flank steak is first “velveted” or tenderized by marinating it in a mixture that includes baking soda, before being coated in cornstarch. The beef is then shallow-fried in a wok or skillet until crispy, and tossed in a flavorful brown sauce made with soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and scallions. Served over steamed rice, the dish is a huge family-pleaser and every bit as good as the Mongolian beef served at your favorite Chinese restaurant.

Cover of the book \"The Woks of Life.\"

What You’ll Need To Make Mongolian Beef

mongolian beef ingredients
  • Soy sauce: Two kinds are called for: regular and dark soy sauce. Dark soy sauce is saltier, sweeter, and a bit thicker than regular soy sauce. It used to flavor dishes and also darken the color of sauces, and you only need a small amount. You can find it at Asian markets or online. If you don’t have any, you can simply omit it but your dish will be lighter in color. Alternatively, you can make a substitute by combining 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon molasses, and 1/8 teaspoon sugar.
  • Cornstarch: Used for thickening, dredging, and binding in Chinese cooking. As a thickener, cornstarch needs to be dissolved in water before adding it to simmering liquid. It makes more robust, glistening, visually appealing sauces. Cornstarch also works well in batters and crispy coatings, and helps seal in juices of meat before cooking, resulting in tender meat.
  • Shaoxing wine: A type of Chinese rice wine that helps give Chinese food its distinctive flavor. Dry sherry can be substituted.
  • Dried whole red chili peppers: A common ingredient in Chinese cooking, these peppers are made by drying fresh red chili peppers until they become hard and brittle. You can usually find them in the produce section at the supermarket.
  • Baking soda: Used in Chinese cooking as a meat tenderizer. When mixed with water, baking soda creates an alkaline solution that can break down the tough fibers in meat, making it more tender. The process of using baking soda to tenderize meat is known as “velveting.”
  • Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step-by-Step Instructions

Slice the flank steak against the grain into ¼-inch-thick slices.

sliced flank steak on cutting board

In a medium bowl, combine the Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry), soy sauce, cornstarch, water, and baking soda.

flank steak marinade

Add the beef and stir until evenly coated.

slices of flank steak marinating in bowl

In a small bowl, dissolve the brown sugar in the hot water. Mix in the regular soy sauce and dark soy sauce.

sauce for mongolian beef

Slice the scallions and mince the garlic and ginger.

minced garlic and ginger, and sliced scallions on cutting board

In a medium bowl, dredge the marinated beef slices in the ½ cup cornstarch until thoroughly coated.

dredging beef in cornstarch

Heat the oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat until just before the oil starts to smoke. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, spread the beef slices evenly in the wok or skillet and shallow-fry them undisturbed for 1 minute on each side to achieve a crusty coating. Transfer the beef to a plate and turn off the heat.

shallow frying beef in wok

Drain most of the oil from the pan, reserving 1 tablespoon. Wipe the pan with a paper towel, then add the reserved tablespoon of oil. Over medium-high heat, add the ginger and whole dried chilies (if using).

cooking ginger and red peppers

After 15 seconds, add the garlic and the scallion whites. Stir-fry for another 15 seconds.

cooking ginger, red peppers, garlic, and white scallions

Add the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes.

simmering sauce for Mongolian beef in wok

Combine the cornstarch with the water to make a slurry, then slowly stir it into the pan.

thickened Mongolian beef sauce

Add the beef and the green parts of the scallions.

adding the beef and green scallions to the wok

Toss everything together for 30 seconds, until the scallions are wilted and there is almost no standing sauce. Serve.

Mongolian beef in a wok.

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Mongolian Beef

From The Woks of Life cookbook, this crispy Mongolian beef is every bit as good as the version served at your favorite Chinese restaurant.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 45 Minutes, plus 1 hour to marinate

Ingredients

For Marinating the Beef

  • 1 pound beef flank steak, sliced against the grain into ¼-inch-thick slices
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable (or neutral) oil
  • 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
  • 1 teaspoon regular soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda

For the Sauce

  • ¼ cup (packed) light brown sugar
  • ¾ cup hot water
  • ¼ cup regular soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (see note)

For Coating and Searing the Beef

  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • ⅔ cup vegetable (or neutral) oil

For the Rest of the Dish

  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
  • 8 dried red chilies (optional)
  • 3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 4 scallions, white and green parts separated and cut on an angle into 2-inch pieces
  • 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

Marinate the Beef

  1. In a medium bowl, combine the beef with the oil, Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry), regular soy sauce, cornstarch, water, and baking soda. Marinate for 1 hour.

Make the Sauce

  1. In a small bowl, dissolve the brown sugar in the hot water. Mix in the regular soy sauce and dark soy sauce.

Coat and Sear the Beef

  1. In a medium bowl, dredge the marinated beef slices in the ½ cup cornstarch until thoroughly coated.
  2. Heat the oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat until just before it starts to smoke. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, spread the beef slices evenly in the pan and shallow-fry them undisturbed for 1 minute on each side to achieve a crusty coating. Transfer the beef to a plate and turn off the heat.

Assemble the Dish

  1. Drain most of the oil from the pan, reserving 1 tablespoon. Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel, then add the reserved tablespoon of oil. Over medium-high heat, add the ginger and whole dried chilies (if using—if you’d like the dish spicier, break 1 or 2 chilies in half). After 15 seconds, add the garlic and the scallion whites. Stir-fry for another 15 seconds. Add the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with the water to make a slurry, then slowly stir it into the pan.
  3. Add the beef and the green parts of the scallions. Toss everything together for 30 seconds, until the scallions are wilted and there is almost no standing sauce. Serve.
  4. Note: Dark soy sauce is saltier, sweeter, and a bit thicker than regular soy sauce. It is used to flavor dishes and also darken the color of sauces, and you only need one to two teaspoons. Dark soy sauce is available at Asian markets or online. If you don’t have any, you can simply omit it. However, your dish will be lighter in color. If you want your dish to look like the photograph, don’t leave it out. (Alternatively, you can make a substitute by combining 2 teaspoons soy sauce, ½ teaspoon molasses, and ⅛ teaspoon sugar.)

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (4 servings)
  • Calories: 760
  • Fat: 60 g
  • Saturated fat: 10 g
  • Carbohydrates: 31 g
  • Sugar: 9 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 25 g
  • Sodium: 1,149 mg
  • Cholesterol: 70 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • Whenever I need a new recipe the first place I look is Once upon a Chef. People think I can cook.
    First made this recipe about 2 years ago and my wife is constantly asking for it. Need I say more?

    • — Rich on October 23, 2023
    • Reply
  • Outstanding!!!! Our local favorite Chinese restaurant recently closed and every substitute place that we have tried has been a huge disappointment. Thank goodness for Master Chef Jenn! I can’t believe I was able to recreate a dish better than our favorite restaurant! Amazing flavors and easy to follow recipe. Every person in my family ate it, even my pickiest 2 eaters. Beyond 5 stars!!!! The kids said they can’t wait until I make this dish again! I omitted the chilis and used filet mignon instead of flank steak.

    • — Tara on July 2, 2023
    • Reply
    • I can’t take credit for this one – all props go to the Woks of Life – but so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

      • — Jenn on July 3, 2023
      • Reply
  • Hi Jenn,

    Can you provide a link to your wok? I don’t have one and want one!

    • — Chad on April 22, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Chad, This is the one I have. Hope that helps!

      • — Jenn on April 24, 2023
      • Reply
  • Made this last night and it was delicious! It tasted like a dish from an upscale Chinese restaurant, much better than our local takeout joints. It was a bit more time consuming than I expected, and generated a lot of dishes to clean. Overall, I think I prefer the Korean Bulgogi recipe, especially the skewer version from the cookbook. That is one of my all time favorite OUAC recipes! I think it’s simpler/quicker to make and satisfies the same hankerings as this recipe (and might be even more delicious). But I love exploring Asian recipes in the kitchen, so thanks for this one and the intro to Woks of Life!

    • — Katie R. on April 20, 2023
    • Reply
  • Just finished eating this and the whole house is saying “we better have this again” Had to change a couple of things. Didn’t have Sherry so I used Rice Wine and I used a New York steak and added bell peppers and white onion. Thank you for this great recipe.

    • — Bart on April 4, 2023
    • Reply
  • I’ve had great success with the recipes on your site, and I’m about to try this one. I have a question about the corn starch slurry that is added to the wok after the sauce. The text says to make the slurry with water, but the ingredients in the recipe call for oil. I’ve never made a corn starch slurry with oil–which is it?
    Thanks!

    • — BW on March 15, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi BW, It is definitely water; I think you’re looking at another section of the ingredients list that also calls for cornstarch.

      • — Jenn on March 15, 2023
      • Reply
  • How much heat do the chilies add to this recipe? I’m a bit nervous about using them and finding they make it too spicy.

    • — Holly on February 9, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Holly, They are quite hot but they don’t add too much heat to the sauce unless you cut them in half.

      • — Jenn on February 9, 2023
      • Reply
      • Thank you, Jenn! I used them (did not cut in half) and they were not too hot at all. For anyone who is nervous about using them, I would say to go ahead, this was not a spicy recipe. They just add a tiny bit of heat. Overall, this is a fantastic recipe. One of the best Asian dishes I have ever made. I served it with white rice and steamed broccoli, and it was excellent.

        • — Holly on February 10, 2023
        • Reply
  • My husband and I loved this — the meat was SO tender and flavorful!! Don’t let the long list of ingredients intimidate you — if you look at the ingredient list, most of them are used more than once (like in both the marinade and the sauce). This will definitely be in rotation in our house — thanks Jenn!

    • — Clara on February 3, 2023
    • Reply
  • Outstanding! Came together quickly and the beef was very tender. Love the sauce. Husband had seconds so that’s a good sign for any recipe.

    • — Joanna on February 2, 2023
    • Reply
  • Delicious!!! My family loved it, very flavourful and not too difficult to make. This one is now in our rotation of favourite recipes.

    • — Danielle on February 2, 2023
    • Reply
  • WHAT. This was insanely delicious. It looks/tastes like I legit got Chinese takeout for dinner. I couldn’t find dark soy sauce so did the sub with the molasses. Thank you, new family favorite right here.

    • — Kt on February 2, 2023
    • Reply
  • Another user asked about sherry, I don’t cook with booze either so I used a tsp of rice vinegar instead for the tang.
    Another user asked about meat cuts, I used venison strap. I think you could use almost any tough cut. This recipe is SO FORGIVING. The velveting technique can turn the cheapest cut of meat into gourmet huh!
    Thanks a bunch. Verrry tasty!

    • — Tami on February 1, 2023
    • Reply
  • I made this for dinner last night. It was out of this world delicious. I skipped out on the dark soy sauce and it was totally fine. The good thing about this recipe too is that I had almost all ingredients in my kitchen except for the flank steak so this was a perfectly inexpensive dinner!

    • — Cristin on February 1, 2023
    • Reply
  • This was excellent, and the molasses substitution for dark soy sauce worked well. Will definitely make again. Thanks for this great recipe!

    • — Chris D. on January 30, 2023
    • Reply
  • Absolutely delish. Will definitely be repeating. I am on a sodium restriction so I substituted liquid coconut aminos but I couldn’t tell at all. Paired it with gai lan from The Woks of Life and everyone at it all up. Thanks!!

    • — Leah on January 30, 2023
    • Reply
  • Jen, I am going to make this in the next day or two and I’m positive like all of your recipes, this will be delicious! I was curious, if you don’t mind me asking, looking to get a wok and was wondering about the one you are using in the pictures. If you are pleased with it, do you mind sharing what wok you are using?

    As always, thanks for sharing your fabulous recipes!

    • — Eva on January 30, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Eva, so glad you like the recipes! This is the wok I have — I don’t use it a ton, but I like it. Hope you enjoy the beef!

      • — Jenn on February 2, 2023
      • Reply
  • This was delicious! I used a boneless rib eye steak I had in the freezer- not the best cut, but it still tasted amazing.
    Thanks for another winner.

    • — Janet on January 30, 2023
    • Reply
  • Made this recipe tonight and it was fabulous! Thank you, Jenn, for the many great recipes you share.

    • — Kelly on January 29, 2023
    • Reply
  • I’m still chewing my last bite and had to comment. This was awesome! I read the directions numerous times because I know flank steak could turn into shoe leather……when I was done this needed only a fork to cut into. Thank you for this, flank steak no longer intimidates me.

    • — Gia on January 29, 2023
    • Reply
  • This was the worst recipe I have made in a long time. Followed the recipe exactly. Beef was slimy and chewy. Ginger/garlic tastes were neglishable. So sad, because it sounded yummy.

    • — Kate on January 29, 2023
    • Reply
  • This was fantastic! I took a trip to our local Chinese grocery store to buy the dark soy sauce and the Shaoxing wine. Will definitely be making this again! This recipe inspired me to buy the Woks of Life cookbook too!

    • — Julie on January 27, 2023
    • Reply
  • It is difficult to get flank steak here, what cut could I use instead? Cannot wait to try as I have just bought a wok!

    • — Angi Gee on January 27, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Angi, Can you get flat iron steak? That would be a good option. You could also use sirloin.

      • — Jenn on January 27, 2023
      • Reply
      • Hi Jen, thank so much for your very quick response. I will use sirloin.

        • — Angi on January 28, 2023
        • Reply
  • I don’t cook with wine, what can substitute for it? Thanks

    • — Pamela Byington on January 27, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Pamela, In this case, I would just omit it.

      • — Jenn on January 30, 2023
      • Reply
  • This was absolutely fantastic! Made a trip to my local Chinese grocery store today for the cooking wine and dark soy sauce. Ordered their cookbook too. Thank you for sharing!

    • — Julie on January 26, 2023
    • Reply
  • Hello would this work with fillet tails – presume so?
    Thanks

    • — Gill on January 26, 2023
    • Reply
    • Yep it should 🙂

      • — Jenn on January 30, 2023
      • Reply
  • Think you could sub hoisin sauce for the dark soy sauce?

    • — Dani on January 26, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Dani, I don’t think hoisin sauce will give you the same effect. I would make the molasses substitute instead. Sorry!

      • — Jenn on January 30, 2023
      • Reply
  • Can arrowroot be substituted for the cornstarch since I have a corn allergy?

    • — Megan on January 26, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Megan, To be honest I’m not sure how arrowroot will work with Chinese cooking. I would ask the folks over at The Woks of Life – I’m sure they will have a better answer than I would.

      • — Jenn on January 30, 2023
      • Reply

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