This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.
Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef Recipe set it and forget it for a take-out–style dinner! Tender thin-sliced flank steak cooks in a delicious soy sauce and brown sugar mixture that blend together for the best dish the entire family will love.
We love getting Chinese take out but it really gets expensive for our family. Now, we make this instead and save a ton of money while enjoying a really great dinner. The flank steak is cooked with soy sauce, brown sugar and ginger and it taste better then what you would get at a Chinese restaurant.
The best part is the crock pot does all the work so that dinner time is a breeze. Crock Pot Mongolian Beef is so tasty and really satisfies that craving for Chinese food.
You can also make Instant Pot Mongolian Beef Recipe. It is just as good but ready in 20 minutes! Perfect for the nights you forgot to plan for dinner. If you love this recipe, see 35 Easy Shaved beef recipes for another easy meal.
Why is it Called Mongolian Beef?
This dish actually originated in Taiwan and the name refers to Mongolian BBQ, a style of food and not a place. This style of food is very popular in Taiwan and is where the first Mongolian restaurants starting opening up.
This type of beef is a Chinese-American dish and is very popular at Chinese restaurants. It is tenderized slices of meat that is simmered together in a sweet and savory sauce.
Ingredients
- Flank Steak – We generally use flank steak but you can try using round steak or skirt steak.
- Cornstarch – Helps to thicken the sauce
- Minced Garlic – Learn How to Mince Garlic Cloves
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce – If you are out, see Best Soy Sauce Substitute
- Brown Sugar – See The Best Brown Sugar Substitutes
- Carrots – Use shredded carrots
- Toppings – Green onions and sesame seeds or sesame oil, for garnish
Scroll to the recipe card for the full recipe.
How to Make Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
Step 1 – Cut the flank steak into thin strips across the grain so that you have a tender bite.
Step 2 – Place the flank steak in a large Ziplock bag with cornstarch.
Step 3 – Shake to coat the flank steak and then place the steak in the crock pot.
Step 4 – In a small bowl mix together the garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, carrots and other seasonings to the slow cooker.
Step 5 – Pour the soy sauce mixture into the crock pot.
Step 6 – Stir everything together and let the slow cooker do all the work. Cover and cook on high 2-3 hours or on low 4-5 hours until cooked throughout and tender. Cooking time will vary.
Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Flank Steak
- ⅓ cups cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons minced Garlic
- ¾ cups Soy Sauce
- ¾ cups Water
- ¾ cups Brown Sugar
- 1 cup shredded Carrots
- green onions and sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Slice flank steak into thin strips.
- In a ziplock bag add flank steak pieces and cornstarch. Shake to coat.
- Place in the slow cooker.
- Add minced garlic, soy sauce, water, brown sugar and carrots to slow cooker. Stir ingredients.
- Cook for high 2-3 hours or on low 4-5 hours until cooked throughout and tender.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Slicing Beef – Chill steak 20 minutes for cleaner, thinner cuts that cook evenly. Try to make them about the same size.
- Cornstarch First – Coating beef before cooking both tenderizes and naturally thickens the sauce.
- Control Sweetness – Dark brown sugar makes a richer glaze; use half the amount for a less sweet finish.
- Change Meat – If you do not prefer red meat, you can also make this with chicken instead. Follow the same process and slice the chicken breasts or thighs to make a
- Gluten Free – If you have a gluten allergy, coconut aminos can be used instead of the soy sauce in this recipe. Coconut Aminos still has that great soy sauce taste but is a gluten free product so you can still enjoy this great Mongolian beef recipe in the crock pot. You can also try some hoisin sauce.
- Spicy – If you prefer spicy dishes, you may also add ½ tsp of red pepper flakes to this beef dish to add some kick to this Mongolian beef recipe.
- Veggies – This recipe calls for shredded carrots and I love to use this vegetable grater to shred my carrots quickly. However, if you do not like carrots, you can use broccoli.
Nutrition Facts
What to Serve with Mongolian Beef
We love to serve Mongolian Beef over rice and garnish with the green onions and sesame seeds. Did you know that you can also cook rice in the slow cooker? I like to cook a ton of rice in my crock pot and then freeze rice for recipes like this one. This way I always have some cooked rice on hand for recipes that require it or for a quick side dish in not time at all.
To complete our meal, we like steamed broccoli in the microwave for a quick and easy side dish. It is so simple and really delicious with Mongolian Beef.
Have you roasted broccoli in the oven? It has become one of my favorite side dishes and the broccoli comes out perfectly! You might also like this amazing oven roasted parmesan asparagus recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make this recipe on the stovetop. You use the same ingredients you just cook it in a Wok or a iron skillet. Just start with some olive oil and add the flank steak and the remaining ingredients. Dinner will be done in about 30 minutes.
We love making a stir fry at our house! It is a great way to use up vegetables that you have leftover from the week and make a great meal. You may like this Mongolian Beef and Noodles.
We like using flank steak because it is lean and tender. But you can also make this recipe with sirloin or skirt steak.
If you do have leftovers, you can keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Yes, you can place in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge when ready to reheat.
Reheat the leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
More Crock Pot Beef Recipes
Easy Slow Cooker
Crockpot Beef Tips
Easy Slow Cooker
Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup Recipe
Easy Slow Cooker
3 Ingredient Crockpot Beef Teriyaki Recipe
Easy Slow Cooker
Crock Pot Beef Burgundy
We love to hear from you! If you make Crockpot Mongolian Beef Recipe, please leave us a comment or a star review.
Just wanted to say thanks! ?
You’re welcome Louisa!
We really liked it but I think I will reduce the sugar next time. I also added an extra cup of boiling water near the end to thin the sauce a bit
Oh my goodness! My family loves beef but I only eat it occasionally. This recipe was very easy to make and it was delicious! I went back for seconds!
My family LOVES this one!
This looks really good. My family likes a lot of sauce with dishes like this. Should I double the wet ingredients, or is there a lot of sauce when it’s cooked?
I would love to try this but dont have a slow cooker, I do have a pressure cooker, coukd I use this instead thankyou
Yes, I would cook on high pressure for 20 minutes with a quick release. Let me know how it turns out. Thank you.
Your article says something about ginger but I don’t see it as one of the ingredients.
Sorry about that. This was a typo. I did not use ginger in this recipe and I have updated the post. Thank you.