Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef (Print Version)

Tender beef simmered in rich, savory-sweet sauce with garlic, ginger, and soy, finished to silky perfection.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef

01 - 2 pounds flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain

→ Sauce

02 - 3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
03 - 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
04 - 1/2 cup water
05 - 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
06 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
07 - 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
08 - 5 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

→ Thickener

11 - 1/4 cup cornstarch

→ Vegetables & Garnish

12 - 5 green onions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
13 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
14 - Steamed white or brown rice, for serving

# How to Make It:

01 - Toss the sliced flank steak with cornstarch in a large bowl until evenly coated. Shake off any excess cornstarch before adding to the slow cooker.
02 - Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes in a separate bowl until sugar dissolves completely.
03 - Place the cornstarch-coated beef in the slow cooker. Pour the prepared sauce over the beef and toss gently to coat evenly. Scatter the white parts of the green onions on top.
04 - Cover and cook on low setting for 4 hours, or until beef reaches fork-tender consistency and sauce has slightly thickened.
05 - Stir in the sliced green onion tops and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Serve immediately over steamed rice, garnished with toasted sesame seeds and extra green onions if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce develops this deep restaurant quality flavor that tastes like it simmered all day even though prep takes 15 minutes
  • Beef comes impossibly tender without any fancy techniques or constant watching
  • Leftovers somehow taste even better the next day if they last that long
02 -
  • Resist the urge to peek too often, every time you lift the lid you add 15 minutes to the cooking time
  • If the sauce looks too thick after cooking, stir in a splash of water to loosen it up
  • The cornstarch coating might look clumpy at first but it will dissolve into the sauce beautifully
03 -
  • Partially freezing the flank steak for 30 minutes makes it so much easier to slice thinly
  • Toasted sesame seeds make a huge difference, toast raw seeds in a dry pan for 2 minutes until fragrant

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