Easy Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef Recipe (2024)

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4.53

2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 03/25/2018

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The easiest way you can make a Mongolian beef recipe! The beef gets meltingly tender in the slow cooker and the sauce becomes incredibly silky, with great spicy/sweet flavors!

All of the amazing spicy/sweet flavors of Mongolian beef, but in an incredibly easy slow cooker meal with just 10 minutes of prep. This is the Mongolian beef recipe for the busiest of people!

Who here loves Chinese take-out style meals? *raises hand frantically* I love all the bold flavors, great sauces, and how quickly things cook! One thing I don’t like though, is how hectic it can be to cook take-out style meals at home. The nature of a stir fry is that things cook really quickly, which means you have to have every component in the recipe ready to go… and things can STILL get stressful right?

The main thing I love so much about this Mongolian beef recipe is that unlike some slow cooker meals, it’s made entirely in the slow cooker, with no extra steps to take. No browning the meat, no broiling… just adding all the ingredients, turning on the slow cooker and walking away. Simply amazing.

And this meal is certainly not short on flavor! The garlic and ginger bring plenty of classic Mongolian beef flavor, and combined with sweet/heat combination of brown sugar and Sriracha sauce… it’s a powerhouse of amazing flavors!

WHAT SPICES ARE USED IN MONGOLIAN BEEF

Typically Mongolian beef is made with soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic. I like mine to be a little sweet and spicy, so I add some Sriracha to it as well.

WHAT KIND OF BEEF DO YOU USE IN MONGOLIAN BEEF?

Most recipes, including both this slow cooker version and my classic recipe, use flank steak. I’ve also heard of people using sirloin steak as well.

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR MAKING THIS SLOW COOKER MONGOLIAN BEEF RECIPE:

Slice your flank steak against the grain. As you’re looking at the beef, you’ll see lines, like the grain on a piece of wood. You want to slice it across those lines, not alongside them. Doing this ensures an incredibly tender piece of beef.
The carrots are optional, but add a great texture!
Add the Sriracha to your tastes. I like this recipe to have a little heat to balance out the sweetness.
To make this a complete meal, add some steamed broccoli and rice!

My original classic Mongolian beef recipe has done so well, with so many of you emailing with rave reviews, so I knew I didn’t want to deviate from those flavors. To adapt the sauce to work well in a slow cooker I added some extra soy sauce and water. Also, since there’s no marinating with this recipe, I added some extra ginger and Sriracha to boost the flavors.

HELPFUL TOOLS:

4 quart slow cooker – My absolute favorite slow cooker!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

Easy Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef Recipe

4.53 from 161 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Calories: 330

Servings: 6 servings

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The easiest way you can make a Mongolian beef recipe! The beef gets meltingly tender in the slow cooker and the sauce becomes incredibly silky, with great spicy/sweet flavors!

Ingredients

▢ 1 1/2 lbs thinly sliced flank steak (1/4 inch thick)
▢ 1/4 cup cornstarch
▢ 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
▢ 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
▢ 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
▢ 3/4 cup water
▢ 3/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
▢ 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
▢ 1 - 2 tsp Sriracha sauce (can substitute with red pepper flakes or cayenne instead - in whatever amount you prefer)
▢ 1 cup shredded carrots
▢ 4-6 green onions, thinly sliced
▢ sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions

Add sliced flank steak and cornstarch to a large resealable plastic bag. Close and shake to coat well. This can be done in a large mixing bowl as well, but I find it's less messy to do in a bag.
To the bottom of slow cooker, add vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, water, soy sauce, brown sugar and Sriracha sauce. Stir to combine.
Add in coated flank steak and carrots and stir again until everything is coated in the sauce.
See Also
Roasted Salmon Glazed With Brown Sugar and Mustard Recipe Peppercorn Sauce (without Brandy) for Steak Recipe | Life's Ambrosia Oven Baked Mustard Salmon Fillets | Slimming Eats Recipe Best Pad Thai Recipe with Peanut Sauce
Cover and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or on LOW for about 4 hours, until steak is cooked and tender.
Serve over white rice and garnished with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

Slice your flank steak against the grain. As you’re looking at the beef, you’ll see lines, like the grain on a piece of wood. You want to slice it across those lines, not alongside them. Doing this ensures an incredibly tender piece of beef.

Recipe originally seen on The Slow Roasted Italian

Video

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Reader Interactions

Elizabeth says
Posted on 1/30 at 6:54 pm
Very easy recipe. I used frozen steak and increased the time of cooking. > have adjusted the spice to what I can tolerate and it was delicious. I also served with sprouts which added some good flavor.
Reply
Melanie Rowley says
Posted on 9/6 at 10:18 pm
I love this recipe, but can I change the beef to lamb? Many thanks
Reply
- The Chunky Chef says
  Posted on 9/7 at 8:30 pm
  I haven’t tested this recipe using lamb, so I can’t say for certain whether any changes would need to be made. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
  Reply
Mary says
Posted on 7/19 at 11:23 am
I don’t have flank steak can you substitute for skirt steak?
See Also
Air Fryer Cajun Butter Steak Bites with Mushrooms | Swanky Recipes
Reply
- The Chunky Chef says
  Posted on 7/22 at 8:41 pm
  Yes, that should work well 🙂
  Reply
Anne MacDougall says
Posted on 5/23 at 1:36 pm
Loved this!! So easy and has lots of flavor. My family loved it!!
Reply
Renee says
Posted on 5/7 at 9:06 am
Always a hit! Delicious and easy to put together.
Reply
Amanda Quill says
Posted on 4/19 at 2:49 pm
Loved it but found it a bit too sweet so will just use a little less brown sugar next time.
Any desert idea to go with this please?
Nothing too heavy!
Reply
- The Chunky Chef says
  Posted on 4/19 at 9:06 pm
  Glad you enjoyed! Desserts are a personal thing, so feel free to peruse my dessert recipe index and see what sounds good and light to you 🙂 https://www.thechunkychef.com/dessert/
  Reply
ginger says
Posted on 2/6 at 6:06 pm
This was amazing! I put the ingredients in the crockpot at lunchtime. Set to low, phenomenal fork-tender beef with great flavors for dinner. Thanks for posting!
Reply
Jason says
Posted on 2/2 at 3:46 pm
I used this recipe as a base recipe and added frozen stir fry veggies, baby corn, water chestnuts, and doubled up on the sauce. We made a couple crockpots for a school concession stand for my daughters volleyball team and it was gone quick! The second time we made it for concessions we had to hide some for the refs. Really good meal!
Reply
- Erica says
  Posted on 6/25 at 5:20 pm
  I love your idea of adding frozen stir fry veggies and water chestnuts to the mix. Did you put the veggies in right away or did you thaw them and put them in for the last hour or so of cooking? Thanks!
  Reply
Sandra says
Posted on 1/23 at 11:21 am
I am a bit disappointed that my question was ignored and disappeared (it was a nice simple question )
well succes The Chunky Chef
Reply
- The Chunky Chef says
  Posted on 1/23 at 1:07 pm
  My apologies Sandra, I didn’t see any previous comment from you? I get about 75 comments per day, and it’s just me running this website, so it may very well have just fallen through the cracks. I’m happy to answer any question you have, either here, or via email (amanda @ thechunkychef.com)
  Reply
Samantha E says
Posted on 1/15 at 8:11 pm
If I needed to double this recipe to feed more people can you tell me if I would have to double everything including the ginger and garlic etc or would that be too much?
Reply
- The Chunky Chef says
  Posted on 1/16 at 8:36 pm
  Yes, when doubling a recipe you have to double every ingredient, otherwise all the proportions and flavor profiles will be off.
  Reply
Pam says
Posted on 1/12 at 2:00 am
We would have loved this, but way to sweet for us. I absolutely will make again, but cut brown sugar down.
Reply
Sue says
Posted on 12/15 at 1:48 pm
3 fussy men to feed…swapped the beef for quorn steak strips, added red pepper strips and mangetout, cut my carrots into thin strips, only used 1 tsp of Sriracha sauce…turned out amazing, so tasty, 4 clean plates, definitely be doing again thank you
Reply
hjdubs says
Posted on 12/7 at 9:44 am
This is absolutely one of my faves. Easy to make and my family devours. My only suggestion is to double.
Reply
Niamh says
Posted on 11/29 at 10:56 am
Hi, my beef tends to be a little tough . I think I’m following recipe correctly and cooking it on high for 2 hours . What can I do to solve ?
Reply
- The Chunky Chef says
  Posted on 11/29 at 9:33 pm
  You could try cooking on low, and make sure you’re slicing the flank steak against the grain as mentioned in the post 🙂
  Reply
  - Stacy says
    Posted on 3/14 at 7:03 pm
    You should mention that tip in the recipe. Many folks don’t realize that. I am making this ASAP. Sounds delicious 😋
    Reply
    - The Chunky Chef says
      Posted on 3/14 at 8:10 pm
      Typically I don’t mention all the extra tips and information in the recipe, since then all that will print when people print the recipe, and I get quite a bit of flack about it. But since it’s just one tip, I’ve gone ahead and added it to the “chef tips” section of the recipe.
      Reply
Linda says
Posted on 11/22 at 11:39 am
Looks delicious! Am making a shopping list to make it for friends.
Reply
- Sarah says
  Posted on 12/8 at 4:52 pm
  Made it for dinner tonight! Tastes great!!
  Reply

Older Comments

Easy Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do I have to brown beef before putting in slow cooker? ›

"Browning, or caramelizing, meat before putting it into a slow cooker isn't 100 percent necessary, but it is well worth the effort for the most flavorful and full-bodied end result," he says. "The caramelized surface of the meat will lend rich flavor and color to the finished dish."

Keep Reading ›

Can I put raw beef in slow cooker? ›

Can you put meat straight into a slow cooker? Meat can be added directly unseared and not browned.

Discover More ›

Why is Mongolian beef so tender? ›

This is the KEY ingredient to super tender beef. Baking soda is commonly used in Chinese cooking to tenderize beef. If you're curious about the science behind it – baking soda neutralizes acid and raises the pH level, which causes the meat to become more alkaline.

Find Out More ›

Does cooking beef in a slow cooker make it tender? ›

Your meat will be juicier and more tender

The longer cooking time and the low heat complement each other perfectly. As a result, even though the meat is cooked for far longer, it doesn't dry out because the temperature is low. As a result, this is the best way to retain all the natural juices of the meat.

Read The Full Story ›

What happens if you don't sear meat before slow-cooking? ›

The meat will cook just fine without searing. (And any surface bacteria will die during cooking anyway.) But I really believe that the depth and complexity of flavor we gain in this searing step is well-worth the extra effort.

Read On ›

Do you have to seal beef before putting in slow cooker? ›

While searing meat before slow cooking can enhance flavors by developing a caramelized crust, it's not strictly necessary. If you skip searing, the meat may lack some depth of flavor, but it will still cook and become tender in the slow cooker.

Get More Info Here ›

Do you cover beef with liquid in slow cooker? ›

When cooking meat or poultry, the water or liquid level should cover the ingredients to ensure effective heat transfer throughout the crock. Some manufacturers of slow cookers recommend adding liquid to fill the stoneware 1/2 to 3/4 full.

What is the difference between Mongolian beef and Chinese beef? ›

Szechuan beef vs Mongolian beef, what's the difference? Szechuan beef has a sweet and spicy flavor, and Mongolian beef has a mild taste. Szechuan beef hails from the Sichuan Province in southwestern China. Its main ingredients are chili peppers, garlic, and Szechuan peppercorn.

Discover More ›

Why does my beef go tough in a slow cooker? ›

“If you're cooking meat, you'll know it's done when it is fork-tender, meaning you can cut into it easily with just a fork,” she says. When meat is overcooked, it will be “tough and dry,” while overcooked vegetables will be mushy.

How long does it take for beef to get tender in slow cooker? ›

Heat on high for 4 hrs or low for 6 hrs until the beef is cooked and tender. Remove from the liquor, cover and leave to rest for 30 mins. Meanwhile, make the gravy. Strain the cooking liquor through a colander over a large bowl or jug, then pour back into the slow cooker.

Find Out More ›

Why are my potatoes still hard after cooking in the crockpot? ›

Insufficient Liquid: If there wasn't enough liquid in the crockpot, it could have caused uneven cooking. Potatoes need to be fully submerged in liquid to cook evenly. Old Potatoes: Very old or stored potatoes can become starchy and may not soften as well during cooking. It's best to use fresh, firm potatoes.

Learn More ›

What happens if you don't brown meat before cooking? ›

“If you leave any parts not browned, you are leaving flavor behind." Wondering about seasoning? Stockton suggests seasoning your meat one day (or at least 10 hours) ahead of time, then letting it sit uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator.

Read On ›

Do you have to brown beef first? ›

Browning it causes the Maillard reaction, which should make it tastier. But if you don't, it doesn't matter. Maybe it will have a little less flavour, but I've never noticed it. I happily make stews without browning the meat first and they're still nice.

View Details ›

Do you have to brown meat first for beef stew? ›

Follow this tip: No, if, ands, or buts, you've got to sear the meat! Don't just brown it. Set the cubes of beef in a hot pan and let them cook for a few minutes until the bottom has a dark crust, then repeat that process for the other sides of the meat. It's timely, but you'll be rewarded with an extra flavorful stew.

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