Thin-sliced beef, dredged in cornstarch and quickly fried, then tossed in a glossy sweet-savory sauce of soy, brown sugar, garlic and ginger, finished with scallions. A Chinese-American restaurant staple despite the name's tenuous link to Mongolia.
Developed in American and Taiwanese Chinese restaurants in the late 20th century, the dish borrows its name from 'Mongolian barbecue' grill houses rather than any traditional Mongolian recipe. It became a fixture of P.F. Chang's-style menus across the United States.
The beef stays tender with a faintly crisp, sauce-soaked edge from the cornstarch coating. The sauce is thick and clingy, sweet up front with a deep soy saltiness behind it and a warm hit of garlic and ginger. Scallions add a fresh, mild bite against the richness.
The cornstarch dredge seals the thin beef so it cooks fast without drying, and gives the sauce a textured surface to grip. Brown sugar and soy reduce together into a syrupy glaze that coats each slice, while high heat keeps the meat just-cooked and the scallions bright.
Variations
Flank steak is the classic cut, but sirloin or skirt also work; some versions add dried red chiles for heat or a splash of hoisin for extra body. Restaurants often plate it over crispy fried rice noodles.
On the Palate
Where Mongolian Beef sits in the American-Chinese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
5 steps · 28 min active + 2 min waiting
- 110 min
Slice the flank steak thinly against the grain into bite-sized strips and toss thoroughly with cornstarch until evenly coated.
Watch outSlice against the grain or the beef will be chewy.
- 25 min
Make the sauce: combine soy sauce, brown sugar, water, minced garlic and ginger and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Watch outTaste and balance — it should be sweet but clearly soy-salty.
- 38 min
Heat oil in a wok over high heat and fry the beef in batches until the edges crisp and brown, about 2 minutes per batch, then remove.
Watch outDon't crowd the wok or the beef steams instead of crisping.
- 43 min
Pour off most of the oil, add the sauce to the wok and simmer until it thickens and turns glossy, about 2 minutes.
Watch outLet it reduce to a syrup before adding the beef back.
- 52 min
Return the beef to the wok, add the scallions and toss until everything is coated and the scallions just soften, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.
Watch outToss fast so the scallions stay green, not wilted.
