Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef is a simple dish that’s packed with flavor and requires very little effort. Tender flank steak cooks slowly in a simple sweet and savory sauce with hints of ginger and crushed red pepper.
Add in some broccoli, bell peppers, and mushrooms too, making it not only delicious but also a bit healthier. All you need is a your trusty slow cooker, and you're good to go.
Crockpot Mongolian beef is a popular and flavorful dish that delivers restaurant-quality taste right at the comfort of your own home. Using a slow cooker for this dish simplifies the cooking process and ensures that the beef gets tender.
If you love this recipe, you've got to try some of my other favorite slow cooker recipes or if you're looking for Dinner Recipes Using Beef Broth take a moment to check out my list of favorites. Mongolian beef was inspired by my Sha Cha Beef recipe! Both recipes go great with Spicy Sesame Noodles.
Why You Will Love Mongolian Beef in Slow Cooker
You won't believe how easy it is to create this restaurant-quality meal by just adding a few simple ingredients to a slow cooker and letting it do its magic.
- Restaurant-Quality Taste: You'll feel like you're dining out at your favorite Chinese restaurant!
- Versatility: Serve it over white rice, brown rice, or even noodles. Even pair it with your favorite steamed or stir-fried vegetables for a complete meal.
- Crowd-Pleaser: The flavors and tenderness of the beef will surely impress all your guests on any occasion and they’ll be begging you for the recipe.
Ingredients
Here are the basic ingredients you should already have or be able to get quickly from your local grocery store.
- Flank Steak: My top pick for this recipe as it cooks up great in the slow cooker. You can also use skirt steak, beef tenderloin, sirloin, chuck, round or stewing beef.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic for the best flavor.
- Soy Sauce: Adds saltiness and depth to this dish.
- Hoisin Sauce: This sweet and savory sauce adds more complex flavor and gives the sauce a slightly sticky texture.
- Brown Sugar: Adds a sweetness and balances out the saltiness from the soy sauce.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Use sriracha instead and adjust the spiciness according to your preference.
- Ginger: Use fresh, minced ginger for a fresh and zesty kick..
- Broth: Use beef broth for more intense beef flavor but you can also use vegetable broth in a pinch.
- Onion: Use your favorite white, yellow or red onion for flavor or for milder flavor use green onions or scallions instead.
- Starch: I find a bit of cornstarch works great to thicken the sauce. You can also use potato or tapioca starch instead.
- Dry Cooking Sherry: Adds a sweet and nutty flavor to food.
- Veggies: While the most common vegetables in Mongolian beef are carrots and onions we like to jazz it up by adding more veggies. You can use any combination of broccoli, snow peas, asparagus, mushrooms, and red bell pepper.
See the recipe card below for the full list and the exact quantities of each ingredient.
Substitutions and Variations
Don't have the correct ingredients on hand? Want something to change? Here are useful tips to make your crockpot Mongolian beef unique:
- Soy Sauce: A substitute for a gluten-free and slightly sweeter option is coconut aminos.
- Beef or Steak: Swap the beef and use chicken breasts or chicken thighs instead.
- Vegetarian: Replace the beef with tofu or tempeh.
- Garnish: Add some sesame seeds or thinly sliced green onions to sprinkle on top of the dish for a crunchy touch.
- Lower in Sodium: Choose low-sodium soy sauce and low-sodium beef broth to reduce the overall sodium content.
How to Make Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
Mongolian Beef in the Slow Cooker goes together in just a few easy steps. I promise it will be a joy to make and taste.
- Slice the steak into small thin strips across the grain for more tender results.
- Place the beef in a large resealable bag add the starch and toss to coat. Refrigerate the meat for at least 15 minutes.
PRO TIP: Slice your flank steak against the grain to achieve a tender, easy to chew result. Look for the lines in the meat, similar to the grain on a piece of wood, and slice across those lines rather than alongside them.
- Combine the soy sauce, beef broth, dry sherry, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper in a small bowl and mix together.
- Add the meat with any excess starch to the slow cooker and pour the soy mixture over the sliced beef. Stir everything together until all the ingredients are well coated in the sauce. Cook until the beef is almost fully cooked.
- Add the vegetables to the pot in the last 30 minutes to an hour of cooking.
- Stir them into the cooked beef until well mixed.
PRO TIP: If you want a thicker sauce you can turn your slow cooker up to high and add cornstarch slurry to the slow cooker to help thicken the sauce.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy this slow cooker Korean beef.
Storage
Make Ahead: Prep all the ingredients, marinate the beef, and make the sauce up to a day ahead of time. When you're ready to cook, simply add everything to your slow cooker. Preparing this recipe in advance not only saves time but also allows the flavors to meld together.
Refrigeration: After it's completely cooled down, transfer the leftovers to an airtight container. Store in your refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Freezing your leftovers is a convenient way to store leftovers for future meals. Transfer it after fully cooked to freezer-safe containers or resealable plastic bags. Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it out in the refrigerator overnight or use the defrost setting on your microwave.
Reheat: Place the leftovers in a saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally to ensure even heating for just a few minutes.
If the sauce has thickened, you can simply add a small amount of water or broth to achieve the desired consistency. Just be careful not to overcook the beef.
Serving Suggestions
When it comes to enjoying slow cooker Mongolian beef, pairing it with the right side dishes can elevate the flavors even more. Let's take a look at a couple of nice options for you to consider.
- This dish pairs well with white rice, brown rice, Jasmine or Basmati rice. It will taste even better with our Coconut Ginger Rice recipe.
- It's also great over all types of noodles. Check out our Asian Noodle Guide for even more ideas.
- Try them with some air fryer egg rolls or cream cheese wontons.
Tips
When preparing Mongolian beef in the slow cooker, follow these tips and tricks to ensure you get a tender, delicious, and flavorful dish that will beat even the best restaurant versions.
- Adjust the sauce thickness to your preference by using cornstarch or potato starch. You can add more starch to make the sauce thicker or reduce the amount for a thinner sauce.
- Balance the spicy and sweet flavors by adjusting the amount of soy sauce and brown sugar in the sauce before adding it to the slow cooker.
- Add vegetables like bell peppers, snow peas, or broccoli at the end of the cooking process to keep them crisp and colorful.
FAQ
Searing the beef before adding it to the slow cooker is optional. It can add a more complex flavor to the dish but it is not necessary.
Flank steak is the most commonly used cut due to its tenderness and ability to absorb flavors. You can still use other cuts of beef, such as skirt steak, sirloin, stew meat like round or chuck roast and enjoy the nice results.
More Slow Cooker Beef Recipes
Do you like slow cooker beef recipes? Here some recipes you may also like to try.
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
Equipment
- Measuring cup for cornstarch slurry
Ingredients
- 1 ½ - 2 pounds flank steak, tenderloin, sirloin, stewing beef, thinly sliced, ¼ - ½ inch thick, across the grain or diagonally any cut will do!
- 2 tblsp garlic, minced more or less to taste
- 2 tblsp ginger, minced more or less to taste
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup beef broth
- ¼ cup dry cooking sherry optional
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce optional
- 1 ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 green onion. thinly sliced
- ¼ cup cornstarch or potato starch
- 1 tblsp dried crushed red pepper flakes optional, more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- rice or noodles
Optional Vegetables
- 1 large peppers green, yellow or red, sliced
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 1 cup carrots sliced or grated
- 2 cups mushrooms sliced or quartered
- 1 ½ - 2 cups broccoli
- 1 ½ - 2 cups asparagus trimmed, and cut into bite sized pieces
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Spray slow cooker with cooking spray.
- Slice the steak or beef into small thin strips against the grain or diagonally, if possible.
- In a large resealable bag add the starch and sliced beef. Close the bag and shake until each piece is coated with starch. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or ready to use.
- In a medium sized bowl combine soy sauce, beef broth, dry sherry (if using), hoisin (if using), brown sugar, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Add meat and excess starch to slow cooker. Pour soy mixture over sliced beef. Stir until everything is well coated.
- Cook covered on high for 2-3 hours or on low 4-5 hours.
- Prepare the vegetables you are using and place inside slow cooker for last 30 minutes if cooking on high or one hour on low.
- Approximately 30 minutes before serving, if sauce needs to be thickened, turn your slow cooker up to high (if it is not already).
- Combine ¼ cup of starch and water in a cup and add it to the slow cooker. Stir until combined. This will help thicken up the sauce.
- Mixture should be cooked throughout and tender.
- Prepare rice or noodles according to package directions and serve with chopped green onions (if desired). Enjoy!
Notes
- Adjust the sauce thickness to your preference by using cornstarch or potato starch. You can add more starch to make the sauce thicker or reduce the amount for a thinner sauce.
- Balance the spicy and sweet flavors by adjusting the amount of soy sauce and brown sugar in the sauce before adding it to the slow cooker.
- Add vegetables like bell peppers, snow peas, or broccoli at the end of the cooking process to keep them crisp and colorful.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in May 2016. It has been updated with new images and content.
Janine M LeGrand
I am a bit confused on this recipe as the instructions refer to slicing "steak or beef" but I don't see either or these listed in the ingredients. Did the beef get left out accidentally?
Karin and Ken
Recently we had to copy all of our recipes over and well it appears mistakes were made! We cannot thank you enough for letting us know! Take care and all the best. Karin