This slow cooker Mongolian beef is sirloin beef cubes flavored with ginger, garlic, and paprika then cooked in a tomato, soy, and brown sugar gravy. Today, I make this in a slow cooker but you can also make this on the stovetop.
I am a big fan of slow cooking but I have never owned a slow cooker or crock-pot until recently. Well, I use to do all the slow cooking on the stovetop. The only difference really is that on the stovetop you have to keep an eye so the meat and gravy ain't sticking to the bottom but in a slow cooker you can forget about it for hours and nothing can go wrong. I do like that security - don't you?
Honestly, the credit for me getting the slow cooker goes to my blogger friend Arlene Braun Mobley of Flour on my Face. She is the queen of slow cooker recipes and I have been drooling over them for a long time now like this Easy Crock Pot Pepper Steak every time I told her I want to make this - she'd say - Veena, you must get a slow cooker/Crockpot - it will make your life easier.
Guess what? It does make my life so much easier - especially on days when I'm so busy with my cake orders.
Why make this recipe
- A very simple and easy recipe that's also very versatile and adaptable. You probably have eaten Mongolian beef from some Chinese take away which usually is made with a similar sauce but cooked with strips of flank steak in a wok to make a quick stir fry.
- This recipe takes that same sauce to the next level of comfort food. Here we season the beef and cook it in a slow cooker with the same sweet ginger-based soy sauce and cook it long and slow until the meat is fork-tender. The result is pure comfort food. We also used a similar sauce when we made our Mongolian sweet and sour meatballs
- Serve it with a bowl of steamed rice or buttered noodles. In the video, I have shown you this recipe using a slow cooker but below I have also given you the recipe for stovetop Mongolian beef.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Beef - slow cooking works best with sirloin, chuck roast or flank steak kinda cuts. These can endure long slow cooking without drying out. If you ask the butcher he usually will be able to help you with what he has best available for you.
- Sweet Paprika - if you can handle the heat, try hot paprika and take this to a whole new level. Hot paprika does go so well with the sweetness from the sugar.
- Stock - I always have chicken stock on hand but chicken, vegetable, or beef stock work too
- Brown Sugar - Light brown sugar works best for this recipe. I do not recommend dark brown because the flavor from the molasses might be too intense. The soy sauce combines well with brown sugar giving a deep unique flavor when combined with the beef juices.
- Dried herbs - Personally, I do like adding some kind of herbs to my meat dishes I think it adds so much more. But you can omit the dry herbs as well
Mongolian beef recipe
- Season beef - Cut beef into large bite-size pieces. Place in a bowl or zip lock bag (for easy clean up). Season with salt, pepper, and dust with flour.
Pro tip - Generously coat the beef pieces with flour but dust off excess.
- Sear beef - Add 2 tablespoon oil to a skillet on high heat. Add the beef cubes and sear on medium-high heat for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside - keep warm
Pro tip - the flour will make the pieces stick to the pan but as it sears it will release from the pan.
- Saute - To the same skillet - add another tablespoon of oil and saute the onions, ginger, and garlic. Set aside.
Slow cooker
- Into the bowl of the slow cooker/crockpot combine the beef, onion mixture, and marinade. Cover the pot and cook until tender. I cooked it on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Pro tip - you can also cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.
Stovetop
- Use a Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot. and follow the steps above - sear, saute and combine. Then, cover and cook on low heat for 2 to 3 hours.
Pressure cook
- Instant pot -
- Use the instant pot on saute mode to sear and saute the meat and veggies.
- Add the marinade and bring it to a boil.
- Then, turn the saute mode off and pressure cook on high for 35 to 40 minutes. Use manual release and open the pot.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Stovetop Pressure cooker -
- Use the stovetop pressure cooker and follow the steps above.
- Cover the cooker and cook on medium heat for 35 to 40 minutes.
If stored properly this slow-cooked beef will last in the fridge for 3 to 4 in the refrigerator.
chuck roast, round steak, blade steak, topside, silverside, and shin stake, are best for slow cooking. They take a while to become tender but they can endure slow cooking, stewing, and roasting and absorb flavors very well.
You can use chicken thighs instead of beef but the cooking time will be much shorter as the chicken cooks faster. It will take about 2 hours on low heat on the stovetop while in the slow cooker, you can cook it on high for 3 hours.
Steamed rice or noodles are very popularly served with Mongolian beef but try a side of potatoes like mashed potatoes, lemon rosemary roast potatoes, lemon dill potatoes, potato wedges. Rice pilafs and pilaus are perfect with slow-cooked meats such as quick vegetable pilaf or fragrant rice with fruit and nuts. If you looking for a low-carb alternative try cauliflower rice.
You may also like
- Slow Cooker Veal Shanks
- Slow Cooker Shredded Beef
- or Slow Cooker Lamb
- Slow Cooker Beer Braised Beef Stew
- Best Slow Cooker Beef Goulash Recipe
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Printable Recipe
Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
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Video
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (1 kg) Beef (Sirloin / chuck roast / flank steak)
- 3 tablespoon Flour (or cornstarch)
- 2 tablespoon (30 ml) Cooking oil
- 1 Onion (about ½ cup chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Garlic (minced or grated)
- 1 tablespoon Ginger (grated or minced)
Sauce/Marinade
- 1½ cups (360 ml) Stock (beef /chicken/veg or water )
- ½ cup (100 g) Brown sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml) Soy Sauce
- 4 tablespoon Tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Dried herbs (optional, ½ teaspoon dried parsley +½ teaspoon dried thyme)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
- Season beef - Cut beef into large bite-size pieces. Place in a bowl or zip lock bag (for easy clean up). Season with salt, pepper, and dust with flour. Pro tip - Generously coat the beef pieces with flour but dust off excess.2 lbs Beef, 3 tablespoon Flour
- Sear beef - Add 2 tablespoon oil to a skillet on high heat. Add the beef cubes and sear on medium-high heat for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside - keep warmPro tip - the flour will make the pieces stick to the pan but as it sears it will release from the pan.2 tablespoon Cooking oil
- Saute - To the same skillet - add another tablespoon of oil and saute the onions, ginger, and garlic. Set aside.1 Onion, 1 tablespoon Garlic, 1 tablespoon Ginger
Slow cooker
- Into the bowl of the slow cooker combine the beef, onion mixture, and marinade. Cover the pot and cook until tender. I cooked on low for 6 to 8 hours. Pro tip - you can also cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.1½ cups Stock , ½ cup Brown sugar, ½ cup Soy Sauce, 4 tablespoon Tomato paste, 1 teaspoon Dried herbs, ½ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Black pepper
Stovetop
- Use a Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot. and follow the steps as above - sear, saute and combine. Then, cover and cook on low heat for 2 to 3 hours.
Pressure cook
- Instant pot - Use the instant pot on saute mode to sear and saute the meat and veggies. Add the marinade and bring it to a boil. Then, turn the saute mode off and pressure cook on high for 35 to 40 minutes. Use manual release and open the pot. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Stovetop Pressure cooker - Use the stovetop pressure cooker and follow the steps above. Cover the cooker and cook on medium heat for 35 to 40 minutes.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Bob
I’m making the recipe today in a slow cooker. The house smells delicious! Some minor corrections to the recipe. Paprika is missing from the ingredients list. And Beer is listed as one of the images but not mentioned elsewhere. Also, it would be helpful to and a step in the instructions for making the marinade. I just dumped everything into the slow cooker. Can’t wait to get home from work and enjoy a yummy dinner! 🙂
Veena Azmanov
Hey Bob, Thanks. I'm sure you will enjoy this dinner. I have not used paprika in the recipe. There is also no beer in the images just beef stock. As you can see in the images and videos.
Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl.
Sear the meat and saute the veggies.
Then, combine everything in the slow cooker and set the slow cooker on.
Enjoy!