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What is Mongolian Beef?
Mongolian Beef is a popular Chinese American dish with thinly sliced Beef in savory brown sauce and green onions. It’s easy to make at home and tastes better than takeout. In this blog post, I’ll show you how to make Mongolian Beef recipes easy, with tips for tender Beef, cutting Beef and what to serve with Mongolian Beef. I’ll also share some more take out favorites that you can make at home.
How to make Mongolian Beef Recipe Easy
To make Mongolian Beef recipe easy, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Beef: I recommend using flank steak or sirloin steak for this recipe. They are lean and tender cuts that work well for stir frying.
Cornstarch: This helps to coat Beef and create a crispy texture. It also thickens sauce and makes it glossy.
Oil: You’ll need some oil for frying Beef and sautéing garlic and ginger. I use vegetable oil, but you can also use peanut or sesame oil for more flavor.
Garlic and ginger: These are essential aromatics that add a lot of flavor to the dish. For convenience, you can use fresh or minced garlic and ginger or even garlic and ginger paste.
Soy sauce: This is base of the sauce and adds saltiness and umami. You can use regular or low sodium soy sauce, depending on your preference.
Brown sugar: This adds sweetness and balances saltiness of the soy sauce. You can use light or dark brown sugar, honey or maple syrup as alternatives.
Water: This helps to thin out sauce and adjust consistency. You can also use beef broth or chicken broth for more flavor.
Red pepper flakes: This adds some heat and spice to dish. You can adjust amount according to your taste or omit it if you don’t like spicy food.
Green onions: These add freshness and color to the dish. You can use white and green or just green parts for garnish.
How to Cook Our Mongolian Beef Recipe
To cook our Mongolian Beef recipe, you’ll need to follow these steps:
- Slice Beef thinly against grain. This means cutting perpendicular to direction of muscle fibers. This will ensure that meat is tender and easy to chew. You can also freeze the Beef slightly before slicing it to make it easier to cut.
- Toss Beef with cornstarch in a large zip lock bag or bowl. Make sure that each piece of meat is coated well with cornstarch. It will help to create crispy crust and fin in the juices.
- Heat some oil in a large skillet over high heat. Fry Beef in batches, shaking off any excess cornstarch, until browned and crisp on both sides. Transfer to plate and keep hot.
- Heat some more oil over medium high heat in the same skillet. Sauté garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 1 minute. Be careful not to burn them, as they will spin bitting.
- Add soy sauce, brown sugar, water and red pepper flakes to the skillet and boil. Simmer until slightly thickened of 2 minutes.
- Return Beef to the skillet and toss to coat with sauce. Cook until heated through on 1 minute.
- Sprinkle with green onions and serve warm.
Tools You Will Need
To make this recipe, you’ll need following tools:
- Sharp knife and cutting board for slicing Beef
- Large ziplock bag or bowl for tossing Beef with cornstarch
- Large skillet for frying Beef and making sauce
- Spatula or tongs for flipping and stirring
- Measuring cup and spoons for measuring ingredients
- Plate and paper towels for draining excess oil
Make Ahead and Freezing Mongolian Beef
- You can make this dish on the time and reheat it when ready to serve. Just store it in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days or in freezer for up to 3 months.
- To reheat it from the refrigerator, you can microwave it in a microwave safe dish until hot, stirring occasionally or heat it in a skillet over medium low heat until warmed.
- To reheat it from frozen, you can thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then follow the same steps as above. Or you can reheat it directly from frozen in a skillet over medium low heat, adding some water or broth to thin out sauce.
Variations Mongolian Beef recipe Stir Fry.
You can customize this dish according to your taste and preference by making some simple changes:
Add some vegetables: You can add some sliced carrots, broccoli florets, snow peas, bell peppers, mushrooms or any other vegetables you like to the skillet along with garlic and ginger and cook until crisp tender before adding sauce. This will add some color, texture and nutrition to the dish.
Use a different protein: Substitute the Beef with chicken, pork, shrimp, tofu or tempeh for other protein options. Adjust cooking time accordingly and ensure protein is cooked through before adding sauce.
Make it gluten free: You can use gluten free soy sauce or tamari instead of regular soy sauce and gluten free cornstarch instead of regular cornstarch. This will make dish suitable for people with gluten intolerance or celiac disease.
Make it vegan: You can use tofu or tempeh instead of Beef, maple syrup or agave nectar instead of brown sugar. This will make dish suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
Can be Made in an Instant Pot or Slow Cooker?
Yes, you can make this dish in an Instant Pot or a slow cooker, but you’ll need to make some adjustments to the recipe:
For the Instant Pot, you’ll need to slice Beef and toss it with cornstarch as usual, then add it to pot along with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, water and red pepper flakes. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, then do a quick release. Turn on sauté mode and simmer until sauce is thickened about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions and serve.
For the slow cooker, you’ll need to slice Beef and toss it with cornstarch as usual, then add it to crockpot along with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, water and red pepper flakes. Cooking on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. Transfer Beef and sauce to a skillet and simmer until thickened about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions and serve.
What kind of Beef is used for Mongolian Beef?
The Best Beef for Mongolian beef recipes is flank steak or sirloin steak. They are lean and tender cuts that work well for stir frying. You can also use other cuts of Beef suitable for stir frying, like skirt steak, top round steak or chuck steak.
Tips and Tricks for making perfect Mongolian Beef
These are some tips and tricks for making excellent Mongolian Beef:
Slice Beef thinly and evenly: This will ensure that meat cooks quickly and evenly and stays tender and juicy. You can also freeze the meat slightly before slicing it to make it easier to cut.
Coat Beef generously with cornstarch: This will help to create a crispy crust and seal in juices. It will also thicken sauce and make it glossy.
High heat: This will help sear Beef quickly and create a caramelized flavor. It will also prevent overcooking and drying out meat.
Adjust the seasoning: You can adjust amount of soy sauce, brown sugar, water and red pepper flakes according to your taste. You can also add some vinegar or lemon juice for some acidity, sesame oil or hoisin sauce for extra flavor.
Freeze Beef slightly before slicing: This makes cutting Beef thinly and neatly easier. Wrap Beef in plastic wrap and freeze it for about 15 minutes until firm but not frozen solid.
Coat Beef with cornstarch: This helps to tenderize Beef and create crispy coating when fried. It also thickens the sauce and prevents it from being watery. Toss Beef with some cornstarch in a zip lock bag or bowl before cooking.
Fry Beef in batches: This prevents overcrowding pan and lowers oil temperature. Fry Beef in small batches over high heat until golden and crisp, then transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
Make the sauce in advance: This saves time and makes it easier to adjust taste and consistency of gravy. Whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup, then set aside until ready.
Use a large skillet or wok: This gives you more room to stir fry ingredients and prevents them from steaming or sticking together. Use a heavy bottomed skillet or well seasoned wok that can withstand high heat.
Stir Fry over high heat: This creates a nice sear on the ingredients and locks in their flavor and juices. Ensure your skillet or wok is hot before adding the oil and ingredients. Stir. Fry quickly and constantly, moving ingredients around pan with spatula or wooden spoon.
Garnish with green onions: This adds some color and freshness to dish. Sprinkle some sliced green onions over Mongolian beef recipe before serving or serve them on the side for people to add as they like.
Mongolian Beef is best when prepared from scratch
Mongolian Beef recipe is best when prepared from scratch using fresh ingredients. It’s easy to make at home and tastes better than takeout. You can control quality of ingredients and customize flavor according to your preference. It’s also cheaper and healthier than ordering from a restaurant.
Tips & Tidbits for Mongolian Beef Recipe:
These are some tips & tidbits for Mongolian Beef recipes:
Serve it with rice: You can serve Mongolian Beef with white rice, brown rice, jasmine rice or basmati rice. Rice is a great accompaniment that absorbs sauce and complements flavor of the dish.
Serve it with noodles: You can also serve Mongolian Beef with noodles, like lo main noodles, chow main noodles, rice noodles or undo noodles. Noodles are another great option that adds texture and variety to the dish.
Serve it with salad: You can also serve Mongolian Beef recipes, like lettuce salad, cabbage salad, cucumber salad or carrot salad. Salad is a refreshing side dish that adds some crunch and freshness.
What’s the Best Beef for Mongolian Beef?
Best Beef for Mongolian beef recipes is a tender cut that can be sliced thinly and cooked quickly. Some examples are:
Flank steak: This is lean cut that comes from abdominal muscles of the cow. It has a beefy solid flavor and long grains make it easy to slice thinly. It can be challenging if overcooked, so cook it over high heat for a short time.
Sirloin steak: This is a versatile cut that comes from back of cow. It has good balance of fat and lean meat and mild flavor. It can be sliced thinly or cut into bite sized pieces for stir frying.
Skirt steak: This is thin cut that comes from diaphragm of a cow. It has rich flavor and coarse texture. It can be challenging if not cooked properly, so marinate it before cooking and slice it thinly across grain.
Other cuts: You can also use further tender cuts of Beef, like ribeye, strip steak, tenderloin or top round. Just slice them thinly and cook them quickly over high heat.
Can I Prep Mongolian Beef Stir Fry Ahead of Time?
Yes, you can prep some parts of the Mongolian Beef stir Fry ahead of time to make it easier and faster to cook later. These are some ways to do it:
Slice and coat beef: You can slice and coat Beef with cornstarch a day before. Store it in an airtight container or ziplock bag in refrigerator until ready to use.
Make the sauce: You can make sauce up to a week in advance. Store it in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator until ready to use. Shake or stir well before using.
Chop the garlic and ginger: You can chop garlic and ginger up to a day in advance. Store them in an airtight container or small jar in refrigerator until ready to use.
How to Reheat Mongolian Beef
You can reheat Mongolian beef recipes in the microwave, stovetop or oven. These are some methods to do it:
Microwave: Place Mongolian beef recipe in a microwave safe dish and cover with damp paper towel microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway, until heated through.
Stovetop: Place Mongolian beef recipes in a skillet over medium high heat and stir. Fry for about 5 minutes, adding some water or broth if needed, until heated through and crisp.
Oven: Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with foil. Spread Mongolian beef in an even layer on prepared baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway, until heated through and crisp.
Can you Freeze Mongolian Beef?
Yes, you can freeze Mongolian beef recipes for up to 3 months. These are some steps to do it:
- Let Mongolian Beef cool completely at room temperature.
- Transfer it to an airtight container or freezer safe Ziploc bag, leaving some space for expansion.
- Label and date container or bag, then freeze flat.
- To reheat, thaw overnight in refrigerator, then reheat using one of the methods above.
Ground Beef Tacos
Ground beef tacos are popular dish in many cuisines, especially Mexican and Tex Mex. They consist of cooked ground beef seasoned with spices, like cumin, chili powder, garlic and oregano, and served in a soft or hard tortilla shell. Ground beef tacos can be topped with various ingredients, like cheese, lettuce, tomato, salsa, sour cream and cilantro. Ground beef tacos are easy to prepare and can customized to suit different tastes and preferences.
FAQs
What goes well with Mongolian Beef?
Mongolian Beef goes well with rice, noodles or quinoa as a base. You can also serve it with steamed or stir fried vegetables, like broccoli, carrots, snow peas or bock choy.
How do I make Mongolian Beef spicy?
You can make Mongolian Beef spicy by adding more red pepper flakes or some fresh or dried chili peppers, like Thai bird’s eye chilies, serrano peppers or cayenne peppers.
Conclusion
Mongolian beef recipe is a delicious and easy dish you can make at home in less than 30 minutes. It has tender slices of Beef coated in a savory and sweet sauce, with crunchy green onions and sesame seeds for extra flavor and texture. You can serve it with rice, noodles or your favorite side dish. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal or special occasion.
Ingredients
Instructions
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