Ultimate Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef (Print version)
Tender beef slow-cooked in a rich, savory-sweet sauce with garlic, ginger, and soy for melt-in-your-mouth perfection.
# Ingredient List:
→ Beef
01 - 2 pounds flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
→ Sauce
02 - 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
03 - 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
04 - 1/2 cup water
05 - 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
06 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
07 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
09 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
10 - 2 tablespoons sesame oil
→ To Finish
11 - 4 green onions, sliced
12 - 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
# How To Make It:
01 - Place sliced flank steak in a large bowl and toss with cornstarch until evenly coated on all sides.
02 - Transfer the cornstarch-coated beef to the slow cooker insert.
03 - Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and sesame oil in a separate bowl until smooth and sugar is dissolved.
04 - Pour sauce mixture over the beef in the slow cooker. Stir gently to coat beef evenly. Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours until beef is fork-tender and sauce has thickened.
05 - Stir in sliced green onions during the final 10 minutes of cooking time to soften slightly while retaining bright color.
06 - Serve hot over steamed rice, garnished with additional green onions and toasted sesame seeds.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The beef becomes impossibly tender, practically falling apart when you look at it, while still holding onto that perfect chewy texture we all crave from takeout.
- The sauce develops this incredible depth that only happens when low and slow cooking gives the flavors time to really marry and intensify.
02 -
- Slicing the beef against the grain is absolutely critical—cut with the grain and you'll end up with tough, stringy meat instead of tender bites that melt in your mouth.
- The sauce might look thin when you first pour it in, but trust the process—that cornstarch will work its magic and thicken everything beautifully over those four hours.
03 -
- Partially freezing the beef for 30 minutes makes it so much easier to slice thinly and evenly—try it once and you'll never go back to wrestling with room-temperature meat.
- Don't skip the toasted sesame seeds—they might seem optional, but that tiny crunch and nutty flavor contrast is what elevates this from good to absolutely unforgettable.