Ultimate Mongolian Beef Stir Fry Recipe: Tender Beef, Rich Sauce & Easy Weeknight Meal
Prepare to elevate your weeknight dinner game with this sensational Mongolian Beef Stir Fry recipe! Featuring succulent beef marinated overnight in a rich, savory soy marinade, then quickly stir-fried with fragrant ginger, pungent garlic, and fresh scallions, this dish promises an explosion of flavor in every bite. It’s a remarkably easy recipe that brings the authentic taste of your favorite Asian takeout right into your kitchen.
What is Mongolian Beef?
Despite its name, Mongolian Beef is not actually from Mongolia. It’s a popular dish created in Chinese-American restaurants, known for its distinct sweet and savory flavor profile and incredibly tender beef. Typically, thinly sliced beef is stir-fried quickly with ginger, garlic, and scallions in a dark, rich sauce often based on soy sauce and sugar. It’s a favorite for its quick preparation and satisfying taste, making it a staple on many restaurant menus and a perfect candidate for a delicious homemade meal.
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Mongolian Beef Recipe
This recipe stands out for several reasons, guaranteeing a dish that will become a regular in your rotation. The key to its exceptional flavor and texture lies in the overnight marinade. This isn’t just about adding flavor; it’s also a crucial step for tenderizing the beef, ensuring it melts in your mouth with every bite. The cornstarch in the marinade plays a dual role, contributing to the tenderness and creating a beautifully thick sauce when stir-fried.
Furthermore, this Mongolian Beef Stir Fry is incredibly quick to cook, making it ideal for busy weeknights. After the marinating is done, the actual cooking time is minimal – just about 15 minutes! You get to control the quality of ingredients and adjust the flavors to your preference, often resulting in a dish that tastes even better and is healthier than what you might get from takeout.
Key Ingredients for a Flavorful Mongolian Beef
The success of this dish hinges on a few simple yet powerful ingredients:
- Boneless Sirloin Steak: Sirloin is an excellent choice for stir-frying due to its balance of tenderness and flavor. It’s lean but still has enough marbling to stay juicy. Cutting it into thin, uniform ½-inch strips ensures even cooking and maximum absorption of the marinade. Other good options include flank steak or skirt steak. Always slice against the grain for maximum tenderness.
- Soy Sauce: The backbone of our marinade and sauce. A good quality soy sauce is essential. You can use regular or low-sodium depending on your preference. For a gluten-free option, tamari works perfectly.
- Fresh Ginger and Garlic: These aromatic powerhouses provide a pungent, warming depth to the dish. Freshly chopped ginger and minced garlic make a significant difference compared to pre-packaged versions. Don’t skimp on them!
- Scallions (Green Onions): They add a mild oniony flavor and a vibrant green color, providing a fresh counterpoint to the rich beef. They are typically added towards the end of the cooking process to maintain their crispness and flavor.
- Cornstarch: In the marinade, cornstarch helps to tenderize the beef and create a protective coating, preventing it from drying out during stir-frying. In the sauce, it acts as a thickening agent, giving the Mongolian beef its characteristic glossy, coating sauce.
- Sugar and Salt: Balancing the savory notes of soy sauce and the aromatics, sugar and salt contribute to the signature sweet and savory profile of Mongolian beef.
- Vegetable Oil: Essential for high-heat stir-frying. Neutral oils like vegetable, canola, or grapeseed oil are perfect as they won’t overpower the other flavors.
The Power of Overnight Marination
While some stir-fries call for a quick 30-minute marinade, this Mongolian Beef recipe truly shines with an overnight soak. Marinating the beef for 10 hours or more allows the flavors of the soy sauce, cornstarch, salt, sugar, and pepper to penetrate deeply into the meat. This prolonged exposure not only infuses the beef with incredible taste but also significantly tenderizes it. The cornstarch, in particular, creates a velvety texture that is highly desirable in stir-fries, ensuring that your beef is unbelievably tender and juicy. This simple overnight step is the secret to achieving restaurant-quality Mongolian Beef at home.
Tips for Perfect Stir-Frying
Stir-frying is a quick cooking method, and a few tips can help you achieve professional results:
- High Heat is Key: Ensure your skillet or wok is screaming hot before adding any ingredients. This creates a beautiful sear on the beef and cooks it quickly without stewing.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: Cook the beef in batches if necessary. Overcrowding lowers the pan’s temperature, leading to steamed rather than stir-fried beef. You want a nice brown crust.
- Prep Everything Ahead (Mise en Place): Stir-frying moves fast, so have all your ingredients measured, chopped, and ready to go before you start cooking. This includes your ginger, garlic, and scallions.
- Keep Stirring: As the name suggests, constant stirring ensures even cooking and prevents sticking or burning.
Recipe
Mongolian Beef Stir Fry
Add to Shopping ListGo to Shopping List
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. boneless sirloin steak, sliced into ½–inch strips
- 6 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 scallions
- 1 tsp. fresh ginger, peeled & finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 recipe marinade, see below
Marinade:
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- dash of pepper
Instructions
Marinate Beef
-
Trim any excess fat from the boneless sirloin steak and slice it evenly into ½-inch strips. Place the prepared beef strips in a shallow baking dish or a large resealable bag. In a separate mixing bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients: vegetable oil, cornstarch, salt, sugar, soy sauce, and a dash of pepper. Whisk until well combined. Pour this marinade mixture over the beef, ensuring all strips are thoroughly coated. Cover the dish or seal the bag and refrigerate overnight (for at least 10 hours) to allow the flavors to meld and the beef to tenderize.
Cook Beef
-
While the marinated beef is coming to room temperature (about 15-20 minutes out of the fridge), prepare your scallions. Cut the scallions into small, roughly ½-inch pieces. You can separate the white and green parts if you prefer, adding the white parts earlier for more flavor.
-
Heat 6 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until it just begins to smoke. Carefully add the finely chopped fresh ginger, minced garlic, and the marinated beef strips (do not overcrowd; cook in batches if necessary). Stir-fry vigorously for 3-5 minutes, or until the beef is beautifully browned on all sides and cooked through.
-
Once the beef is browned, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce to the pan. Continue to stir-fry, ensuring the beef is completely coated in the rich, glossy sauce. The cornstarch from the marinade will help thicken the sauce to perfection.
-
Finally, toss in the chopped scallions and stir-fry for just 1 minute more. This quick cook time allows the scallions to soften slightly while retaining a fresh crunch. Serve your delicious homemade Mongolian Beef immediately with fluffy white rice or classic lo mein noodles for a complete and satisfying meal.
Nutrition per serving
Share
Pin
Perfect Pairings for Your Mongolian Beef Stir Fry
This flavorful Mongolian Beef is wonderfully versatile and pairs beautifully with a variety of sides to create a complete and satisfying meal. Here are some of our top recommendations:
- Rice: Classic steamed white rice or brown rice provides a perfect neutral base to soak up all the delicious sauce.
- Lo Mein Noodles: For a heartier meal, serve it over stir-fried lo mein noodles.
- Steamed or Roasted Vegetables:
- Green Beans: Lightly steamed or stir-fried with a touch of garlic.
- Sugar Snap Peas: Add a sweet crunch when quickly blanched or stir-fried.
- Broccoli: Steamed or roasted broccoli florets offer a healthy and complementary green.
- Asparagus: A quick stir-fry of asparagus spears adds an elegant touch.
- Bell Peppers & Onions: Sautéed with the beef, or separately as a colorful side.
- Soups: A light appetizer like Egg Drop Soup can be a great starter.
- Appetizers: Spring rolls or egg rolls make excellent accompaniments, adding a crispy texture.
Variations and Customizations
Feel free to get creative with your Mongolian Beef!
- Vegetables: While this recipe keeps it simple with scallions, you can easily add other stir-fry friendly vegetables like sliced carrots, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, or mushrooms during the last few minutes of cooking.
- Spice Level: For a spicy kick, add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the ginger and garlic, or drizzle with sriracha before serving.
- Protein: Not a beef fan? This marinade also works well with thinly sliced chicken breast or pork tenderloin. Adjust cooking times accordingly.
Storage and Reheating
Leftover Mongolian Beef can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, gently warm it in a skillet over medium heat, adding a splash of water or broth if the sauce has thickened too much. You can also microwave it, but the skillet method helps maintain the beef’s tender texture.
Conclusion
This Mongolian Beef Stir Fry recipe is a true testament to how simple ingredients, when prepared with a little patience (for the marinade!), can yield incredibly rich and satisfying results. It’s the perfect harmony of sweet and savory, with perfectly tender beef that will impress everyone at your dinner table. Give it a try, and enjoy a fantastic homemade meal that rivals your favorite takeout!
Pin this recipe:
