Beef steaks are yum but when wrapped in the sticky sauce to make Spicy Mongolian Beef, they are best. This dish has so much flavor and lovely dark color and comes together in less than 30 minutes.
Mongolian beef is American-Chinese stir-fried beef tossed in a dark savory sauce. The sauce is basically made of ginger, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, and any hot sauce. The dish is usually served over boiled or fried rice.
Of course, like most chefs, you can put your twist on it by adding Worcestershire sauce, and dark brown sugar for the extra dark sauce. Or adjust the spice level by switching hot sauce or changing cooking oil and play around with vinegar choices.
I’ve kept the recipe super simple by using limited and easily available sauces for ease. I use this sauce to make Mongolian meatballs as well.
This is one of my go-to fried beef recipe as it is quick, easy to make like my Chinese Beef chili dry, and taste delicious. Select the right kind of meat and you’ll love this with plain or garlic rice.
Jump to:
Why does this recipe taste so good?
- Velveting: The technique that is used to make beef soft and juicy for Mongolian is called velveting. In this technique, you cover the beef with starch and fry it on high flame to lock the juices in the meat.
- Remember, we are coating for velveting and not crusting so do not over-coating flour and dust off any excess flour.
- Hoison Sauce: Another key ingredient that makes that recipe stand our it hoisin sauce. This ingredient is dark and thick which gives both load of umami flavor and rich color to the recipe. Brown sugar also helps get that restaurant-like rich color.
Ingredients
The ingredients of beef chili dry are Beef, ginger, garlic, green onions, chili, vinegar, pepper, brown sugar, soy sauce, oil, chicken stock, hoisin sauce, and cornflour. I discussing only ingredients for which I want to suggest substitutes.
- Beef Slices: Keep the beef slices thin and cut across the grains for soft beef.
- Chicken stock: Use homemade chicken stock or any low-sodium chicken stock. If making chicken stock with chicken bullion use just ¼ cube.
- Hoison sauce: This ingredient is optional but recommended for best taste. It also gives that dark signature Mongolian beef color. If skipping hoisin sauce or using homemade hoisin sauce, pair it with dark soy sauce to compensate for the color.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar has a more subtle taste compared to regular white sugar and it adds to the color. You can replace this with jaggery as well.
- Dried Red chili: I used button red chilies, you can use any of your favorite dry red chilies.
- Chili flakes: this is the spicy factor in the recipe. Adjust if as needed, you can also switch it with sambel olek or hot sauce.
- Ginger and garlic
- Cornflour
What cut of beef is used?
The right cut of beef is the key to juicy Mongolian beef. I used tenderloin (also known as under-cut) because is it soft and flavourful. Other cuts that can be used are sirloin steak and flank steak.
All these cuts have a short cooking time which makes them perfect for the quick frying process of Mongolian beef. Do not use stewing or pot roast beef (pasanday) or chuck cut for this recipe as they are tough cuts and won't give the same result. Or here’s the right way to do it.
How to use economical cuts for stir-frying?
You need to slice beef and tenderize beef slices with baking soda. Use ¾ teaspoon baking for every 250 grams of meat. Just sprinkle baking soda on the meat and toss it.
Then let it rest for 30-40 minutes. After that wash the meat thoroughly. Then you can proceed with the recipe. Read more at Recipetineats.com.
How to cut beef?
To cut the meat into thin strips, first cut meat across the grain and then further cut it into thin strips. When you see meat, there are lines in it. These lines are called grain.
Cutting across grain means cutting perpendicular to those lines. Cutting across the grain makes the meat less chewy.
How do you make it?
This beef is super quick and easy to make. It makes a perfect weekend night dinner. The recipe tastes better than takeaway if you use tenderloin cut for making Mongolian beef.
Tenderloin tastes far better than flank or any other cheaper cut. Moreover freshly cooked beef right in the comfort of your home, makes it even more delicious.
- Whatever beef cut you choose, flank steak, sirloin, or tenderloin (also called under-cut) cut it across the grains. Wipe off any water with a kitchen towel. Add cornflour and soy sauce to the beef strips and mix well. Marinate for 10 minutes.
- Mix all the chicken stock, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cornflour, and chilli flakes in a bowl in a bowl to make the sauce. Set aside.
- Dredge meat slices in cornflour to coat lightly for a crisp coating.
- Heat the oil in a wok. Shallow fry in beef hot oil on high heat with constant stirring for even cooking. Look for a nice golden color of beef but do not over-cook and dry it too much. Fry in batches.
- Spread fried meat strips on a kitchen towel to absorb excess oil. Don't not overcrowd the slices.
- For Mongolian sauce, fry ginger, garlic, and dried chili in little oil for 1 minute until sizzling hot.
- Now add the prepared sauce and mix well.
- Cook until the sauce turns translucent and shines. Add the fried beef and green onions and mix well and simmer for a minute.
Delicious Mongolian beef to be served with fried rice or plain rice. YUM!
What to serve along?
Spicy Mongolian beef is best paired with rice. You can choose from plain rice, garlic rice, and Veg Fried rice
Few veggie sides that pair well. You can simply sauté these veggies in the same pan after removing spicy Mongolian beef. Then serve it on the side.
- Brocolli
- Bell pepper ( any color)
- Carrots
- Onions
Expert Tips
- Fresh tastes best, fried beef immediately tossed in the sauce tastes best.
- Do not over-fry it. It can get dry.
- Hoison sauce, chicken stock, and soy sauce are laden with salt. Try to use low sodium ingredients and do not add any salt to the recipe.
Recipe FAQs
If you scale this recipe to 2 X. Just be sure to stir fry beef in batches. While you can make the sauce in advance. Mix beef in the sauce just before serving.
You can store Mongolian beef in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze it for 2 months.
Yes, you can make Mongolian sauce ahead and store it in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Hoisin sauce is made from soybean paste and is easily available in most stores. If you can’t find it, try this homemade hoisin sauce recipe that is made with peanut butter. If you do not have hoisin sauce, you can use fish sauce or oyster sauce too.
Hungry For more recipes? Check these!
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📖 Recipe
Spicy Mongolian Beef
Ingredients
For Beef
- 500 grams (1.1 pounds) beef , tenderloin or sirloin or flank steak
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon cornflour, divided
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Oil, to fry
For Mongolian sauce
- ¼ cup chicken stock, low sodium, or water
- 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce , or tamari for gluten-free
- ½ tablespoon red chili flakes , or to taste
- ¼ cup brown sugar, loosely packed
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
Assemble
- 1 tablespoon oil, preferably sesame oil
- ½ tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 6-8 dried red chili
- 1 large stalk green onions, sliced (green parts only)
Instructions
For Fried Beef
- Cut beef steak into thin strips by cutting across the grain on meat. Transfer to a mixing bowl and pat dry with a kitchen towel, if moist.
- Add cornflour and soy sauce to the beef strip and mix. Marinate for 10 minutes.
- Dredge meat slices in cornflour to coat lightly for a crisp coating.
- Heat the oil in a wok. Add ⅓ of beef strips and shallow fry in beef on high heat with constant stirring for even cooking. Add ⅓ of beef strips and fry for 1-2 minutes on medium heat until crisp. Look for a nice golden color of beef but do not over-cook and dry it too much.
- Similarly, fry all the strips in 2-3 batches without crowding the pan. Spread meat strips on the kitchen towel to absorb excess oil and set aside.
For Mongolian Sauce
- Mix all the chicken stock, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cornflour, and chili flakes in a bowl in a bowl to make the sauce. Set aside.
- Fry ginger, garlic, and dried chili in little oil for 1 minute until sizzling hot. Now add the prepared sauce and mix well. Cook until the sauce turns translucent and shines. Add the fried beef and green onions and mix well.
- Simmer for 1 minute and served with rice.
Notes
- Beef Slices: Keep the beef slices thin and cut across the grains for soft beef.
- Chicken stock: Use homemade chicken stock or any low-sodium chicken stock. If making chicken stock with chicken bullion use just ¼ cube.
- Hoison sauce: This ingredient is optional but recommended for best taste. It also gives that dark signature Mongolian beef color. If skipping this ingredient or using homemade hoisin sauce, pair it with dark soy sauce to compensate for the color.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar has a more subtle taste compared to regular white sugar and it adds to the color. You can replace this with jaggery as well.
- Dried Red chili: I used button red chilies, you can use any of your favorite dry red chilies.
- Chili flakes: this is the spicy factor in the recipe. Adjust if as needed, you can also switch it with sambel olek or hot sauce.
- Veggie option: You may add a few scallions, carrots, broccoli, or colored bell peppers.
- Sodium: Hoison sauce, chicken stock, and soy sauce are laden with salt. Try to use low sodium ingredients and do not add any salt to the recipe.
Cindy says
Made it a few times and love it.
Mariam Sodawater says
OMG Cindy! Thank you so much for feedback, it is very valuable and motivating. I love this recipe too.
Stephanie says
Just to clarify:
No, cornstarch and corn flour are not the same thing and should not be used interchangeably in recipes:
Cornstarch:
A gluten-free flour that's mainly made of starch and used to thicken soups, sauces, stews, and gravies. It has a neutral flavor and a fine texture similar to baking powder. Cornstarch is often mixed with a cold liquid before adding it to a hot dish to prevent lumps.
Corn flour:
A gluten-free flour that's less refined than cornstarch and contains more protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It has a sweet, nutty, grassy flavor and a texture similar to whole wheat flour. Corn flour is often used in breads, pancakes, biscuits, waffles, and pastries. It can also be used as a substitute for wheat flour, but the result may be denser and crumblier.
Mariam Sodawater says
Hi Stepanie, Thanks for sharing the information. The conrflour that I get in my region matches the description of your cornstarch. That's why I mentioned they can be used interchangeably. I'm sure your description will be helpful for the readers.
Manal says
This was amazing! Thank you for the recipe 🙏
Mariam Sodawater says
Hi Manal, thanks for the feedback. This recipe is also a family favourite.