This Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef recipe is full of juicy beef, garlic, ginger and a big dash of YUM. In just a little over 4 hours in the slow cooker, you will have an authentic (and healthier) Chinese beef dish ready to serve for dinner!
Mongolian Beef is one of those classic Chinese dinners you order on a late Friday night when you are in the mood for takeout- and with good reason.
I mean what’s not to love about crispy, juicy beef covered in a delicious sweet sauce served with a side of piping hot white rice? Nothing! Well, that is, until the MSG kicks in or your mouth is super dry from all the sodium.
Those two reasons alone are what inspired me to research and come up with this amazing Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef recipe I could make at home.
Trust me, once you try this version, you won’t ever order the take out version again!
Frequently Asked Questions About Mongolian Beef
Before I share my Chinese Mongolian beef recipe, here are a few questions I have gotten from our readers that I wanted to share:
What Kind Of Protein Can I Use To Make This Recipe?
For this recipe, I prefer to use a chuck roast or flank steak because it really soaks up most of the flavors quickly and it doesn’t come out chewy as other cuts of beef do.
If you are wanting to make a vegan or vegetarian version of this dish, you can replace the beef with some tofu as your protein. You will want to make sure to buy extra-firm so that the tofu doesn’t completely fall apart while it’s cooking. You may also need to adjust the cooking time.
What Kinds Of Vegetables Can I Add In With The Beef?
Typically, you will find Mongolian Beef is served with some chopped scallions sprinkled over the top. I personally love to add some steamed broccoli or carrots to add in some of those healthy veggies. You can also add in some green snowpeas or chopped bell peppers (preferably the red ones) to give the meal some texture.
How Can I Make Mongolian Beef Gluten-Free?
If you are allergic to gluten or are living a gluten-free lifestyle, then you can substitute soy sauce with tamari. It’s made in the same way as soy sauce (from soybeans) except it doesn’t have any of the wheat.
If you want to try something else, here’s a list of more alternatives for soy sauce.
Also, make sure you double-check some of the other ingredients such as the hoisin sauce since most of the time it is made with regular soy sauce!
Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
Now it’s time to start cooking! Here is the list of ingredients to make this yummy recipe in the slow cooker.
- Chuck roast
- Sweet onion
- Olive oil
- Minced garlic
- Soy sauce (or Tamari)
- Water
- Brown sugar
- Minced ginger
- Hoisin sauce
- Green onions
- Cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water)
- Sesame seeds
How To Make Mongolian Beef Sauce And Marinade
One of the most important components (if not, the most important) of this dish is the sauce. This will make or break this dish!
Lucky for you- I have the perfect recipe.
Add in the olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, water, brown sugar, ginger, and hoisin sauce in a large bowl. Using a whisk, mix the sauce until the brown sugar as completely disintegrated.
Add in the thickly chopped onions and cubed meat to your sauce/marinade. Gently stir everything together to make sure it is evenly coat.
Cover the bowl with some plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least 4 hours to allow it to marinate; however, 24 hours works best!
How To Make This Recipe For Mongolian Beef
After your meat and veggies have marinated, place the ingredients into the slow cooker and cook for 4 to 4 ½ hours on HIGH or 7 – 8 hours on LOW.
During the last 8-10 minutes, add in the chopped green onion stalks and stir with the meat to cook until the green onions have wilted just a little bit.
Remove the meat and onions from the liquid in the slow cooker. Drain the liquid into a small pot on the stove on medium heat. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry until the sauce starts to bubble and thicken which will take just a few minutes.
Once it’s done, serve this Mongolian Beef over rice (optional), add some of the sauce, and garnish with sesame seeds.
Cooking Tips
- Instead of cutting your own chuck roast, you can use stew meat or pre-sliced steak fajita meat.
- If you don’t have fresh ginger, you can replace it with ¾ teaspoon of dried powdered ginger. Of course, if you love ginger, then you can always add more of either fresh or powdered ginger.
- If you want more of a sesame flavor profile from your beef, you can add 1 teaspoon of sesame seed oil.
What To Serve With This Chinese Dish
Although this Chinese beef dish is absolutely delicious on its own, here are some recipe ideas to serve alongside it to make this Mongolian Beef dish complete:
- White or Brown Rice
- Veggie Lo-Mein
- Rice Noodles
- Oriental Salad
If you are looking for a more low-carb option, serve this dish with a side of steamed or stir fry veggies. If you are really craving something like rice, you should consider making some homemade cauliflower rice!
More Slow Cooker Recipes
If you loved this Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef, check out some of our best recipes from The Slow Cooking Club:
Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
This slow cooker Mongolian beef is the perfect way to make your favorite Chinese take out recipe right at home! Tender, marinated chunks of beef are coated in a flavorful sauce that will have you craving more.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds chuck roast, cut into 1/2” cubes
- 1 sweet onion, thickly chopped
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
- 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
- 1 cup cut green onions, stalks only
- cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water)
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, for garnishment
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, water, brown sugar, ginger, and hoisin sauce. Mix well.
- Add onions and meat to your sauce. Gently stir to evenly coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours to allow to marinate; however, 24 hours works best.
- Place ingredients into the slow cooker, and cook for 4 – 4 ½ hours on high, or 7 – 8 hours on low. Before serving, add in green onion stalks and stir. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until the green onions have wilted a little.
- Remove meat and onions from the liquid of slow cooker. Drain liquid into a small pot on the stove on medium heat. Whisk in cornstarch slurry until sauce starts to bubble and thicken. This will take just a few minutes.
- Once done, serve over rice, add sauce, and garnish with sesame seeds.
Notes
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