Easy Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef Recipe (2024)

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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:

Easy Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef Recipe (5)

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Easy Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef Recipe (6)

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

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

Chef Tips

  1. 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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Easy Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef Recipe (7)

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Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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  1. Elizabeth says

    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

  2. Melanie Rowley says

    I love this recipe, but can I change the beef to lamb? Many thanks

    Reply

    • The Chunky Chef says

      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

  3. Mary says

    I don’t have flank steak can you substitute for skirt steak?

    Reply

  4. Anne MacDougall says

    Loved this!! So easy and has lots of flavor. My family loved it!!

    Reply

  5. Renee says

    Always a hit! Delicious and easy to put together.

    Reply

    • Maralee says

      Could you cook this on low for 8 hours?

      Reply

      • The Chunky Chef says

        I’ve never cooked it longer than the recipe specifies, so I’m not sure how well it’ll hold up.

        Reply

  6. Amanda Quill says

    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

      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

  7. ginger says

    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

  8. Jason says

    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

      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

  9. Sandra says

    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

      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

  10. Samantha E says

    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

      Yes, when doubling a recipe you have to double every ingredient, otherwise all the proportions and flavor profiles will be off.

      Reply

  11. Pam says

    We would have loved this, but way to sweet for us. I absolutely will make again, but cut brown sugar down.

    Reply

  12. Sue says

    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

  13. hjdubs says

    This is absolutely one of my faves. Easy to make and my family devours. My only suggestion is to double.

    Reply

  14. Niamh says

    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

      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

        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

          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

  15. Linda says

    Looks delicious! Am making a shopping list to make it for friends.

    Reply

    • Sarah says

      Made it for dinner tonight! Tastes great!!

      Reply

Older Comments

Easy Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How much liquid for slow cooked beef? ›

This keeps your beef joint from touching the bottom of the slow cooker and cooking too quickly. A beef joint in a crock-pot also needs about a ½ cup of liquid – beef broth is usually an excellent choice – to keep it tender and flavorful as it cooks.

Do you slow cook beef on high or low? ›

Simply add the meat to your slow cooker with aromatics, stock and sauces and cook either on High for 4-5 hours or on Low for 5-8 hours.

Why is my slow cooked beef so tough? ›

Add Just Enough Liquid

If you want the dish to be saucy, or you're making a beef stew, add enough liquid to come about 1/3 of the way up on the meats in the slow cooker. This allows your meat to braise, not boil. Boiling creates tough meat!

Does taking the lid off a slow cooker thicken the sauce? ›

Take the lid off

Place the cooker on a high setting, and open the lid for 30-45 minutes to let excess moisture cook off. The liquid will reduce, leaving you with a thick and delicious gravy or sauce. (Tip: This trick can also be applied for thickening stews, or when you've accidentally added too much liquid.)

Should beef be covered in liquid in slow cooker? ›

Water or liquid is necessary to create steam. 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.

Is 4 hours on high the same as 8 hours on low in a slow cooker? ›

The difference between "High" and "Low" on slow cookers seems to differ with every brand and model. One thing that is consistent, though, is that food takes seven to eight hours to reach a simmer point (around 210°) on low; versus three to four hours on high.

Can I put raw beef straight into a slow cooker? ›

Yes, you most certainly can cook raw meat in the slow cooker! You put it in “cold”, with whatever liquid your recipe calls for, turn it on either “low” or “high” depending on your recipe (I usually start it on “high” for a couple hours, then turn it to “low”), and in 6–7–8 hours, it's now COOKED meat!

Does beef get more tender the longer you cook it in a slow cooker? ›

Why slow cook? One of the greatest things about slow cooking beef is that it guarantees juicy tenderness. You can use tougher cuts of beef, which are naturally more robust as they come from well-used muscles on the animal, and still find they'll be transformed into juicy morsels that will literally fall off your fork.

Can I overcook beef in a slow cooker? ›

Yes you can. Using a slowcooker can still kill all the moisture in the meat if left too long. To avoid this it is best to monitor what you are making or add some extra moisture (like stock or sauce) to help buffer this.

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.

How to stop beef from being chewy in a slow cooker? ›

To avoid your beef getting overcooked and becoming tough and chewy in the slow cooker, make sure you use the right cut of meat for low & slow cooking, and make sure you have a slow cooker that doesn't run too hot and bring the meat to a boil.

Why is my slow cooked beef not falling apart? ›

Beef may be tough in the slow cooker if you haven't added enough liquid, or haven't cooked it for long enough,” Kristen Carli, M.S., R.D., owner of Camelback Nutrition & Wellness, tells SELF. “For cuts of meat, the fattier cuts are often the ones that get juicy and tender.

What cannot be cooked in a slow cooker? ›

10 Foods You Should Never Make in a Slow Cooker
  1. Raw Meat.
  2. Seafood.
  3. Pasta.
  4. Rice.
  5. Delicate Vegetables.
  6. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts.
  7. Dairy.
  8. Wine and Other Liquor.
Jan 19, 2024

Why put foil under the lid of a slow cooker? ›

The heat bounces off from the lid and allows your food to cook faster. Also, you will not lose any of the steam that usually evaporates.

Can I leave food in a slow cooker overnight off? ›

It is not recommended to keep food warm in a slow cooker overnight by turning it off and not opening it until the next morning. Doing so could create an environment that allows bacteria to grow, which can make the food unsafe to eat.

How much liquid is too much in slow cooker? ›

Reduce liquid when using a slow cooker

Half to two-thirds full is ideal – certainly no more than three-quarters.

How much water is needed to make a pound of beef? ›

Beef. It takes approximately 1,847 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef — that's enough water to fill 39 bathtubs all the way to the top.

How much water do I need for an ounce of beef? ›

How is it calculated? It depends on the type of food. Take beef, for example. It's the most water-hungry food product -- in the U.S., on average, it takes 106.3 gallons of water to produce 1 ounce of beef.

Should brisket be submerged in a slow cooker? ›

Place the seasoned beef brisket into the slow cooker, making sure it is submerged in the liquid mixture. Add a little extra salt to taste, if desired. Cover the slow cooker, and cook on low heat setting for approximately 8-10 hours, or until the beef brisket is tender and easily pulls apart.

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