Weeknight 20 Minute Mongolian Beef

Mongolian beef is a very thinly sliced steak that has been quickly seared and coated in a sweet sticky sauce that is most commonly served over steamed rice with a side of vegetables.  The quickness of this recipe makes it perfect for a weeknight!

Boy do I have a delicious, deep savory beef flavored dish for you tonite.  And it only takes 30 mintues to make!

Mongolian Beef is a delicious, classic Chinese(ish) recipe that is so super simple to make you can make it on a weeknight!

I say Chinese(ish) because Mongolian Beef really became popular at PF Changs.  It’s not really Chinese and it’s not Mongolian.  But whatever it is it’s not the healthiest entrée to order out.

Sorry to tell you all this, but according to CalorieKing, there are over 720 calories in Mongolian Beef and 2700 mg of sodium!

But not to worry!  Our Mongolian Beef recipe has very few ingredients, we’ve cut the calories down to 300 and the best part is it comes together in under 20 minutes.

I’m so not kidding!  There is no reason to order take out or grab a pizza when you can literally have dinner made in under 30 minutes.

HOW TO MAKE MONGOLIAN BEEF

1. The first thing you need is …. well beef.  Flank steak, flat iron steak or a thin sirloin would all work well.  I was lucky enough to find beef already sliced at the supermarket, but you can also ask the butcher to slice it for you.  They have those razor sharp knives and can get the beef really thin.

2. Toss the beef in some cornstarch and then sear in a little olive oil over very high heat.  Be sure not to overcook the steak, it takes mere minutes on each side.

3. Continue cooking the steak in batches being careful not to overcrowd the pan.  If there are too many pieces in the pan they can steam instead of sear.

4. Add the sauce ingredients to the pan and dinner is done!

I also wanted to address a question that I get asked a lot.  Can you can substitute flour for cornstarch?   And isn’t cornstarch a GMO?

And the answer is … it depends and yes.

You have to use about 3 times the amount of flour to equal the thickening power of cornstarch.  But more importantly, you need to burn off the raw taste of the flour.  So you can substitute the cornstarch but the end result will be different.

As far as the GMOs go  …. I have found an ORGANIC cornstarch that I now use regularly.  I can only find it on Amazon.  It does NOT contain any GMOs and it has to be one of the best cornstarches on the planet.  I didn’t realize that there was a difference in quality in cornstarch.  I thought they were all made the same.

But once I switched I very quickly realized HOW much of a difference there was in cornstarches.

This is the one I buy.

Weeknight Mongolian Beef & Shrimp Stir Fry

---

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

A healthier version of PF Changs Mongolian Beef recipe. On the table in 20 minutes! Beef sautéed in a savory, tangy, brown sauce and served over rice or noodles.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 lb. thinly sliced steak, flank or iron steak (not quite shaved, but as thin as possible)
• ¼ Cup Organic Corn Starch
• 1–2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 3–4 Cloves Minced Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Ginger Paste
• 1–2 Green Onions, sliced thin

FOR THE SAUCE:

• ⅓ Cup Tamari Sauce (or organic soy sauce)
• 2 Tbsp Water
• 3 Tbsp Brown Sugar

Cornstarch slurry:

• 1 Tbsp. Corn Starch
• 1 Tbsp Water

---

Instructions

1. Combine the Tamari (soy sauce), water and brown sugar in a small measuring cup or bowl.
2. Lay the beef out on a cutting board.  Make sure the pieces are close to the same size.  Sprinkle the meat with salt, pepper and garlic. 
3. Add ¼ cup cornstarch to a bowl or Ziploc bag.  Add the beef and toss ensuring all sides are lightly dusted.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. 
5. Place half the beef in the skillet and quickly sear the beef for approximately 2 minutes.  Turn the beef and cook another minute.   
6. Remove to a bowl or plate.
7. Repeat with remaining beef, adding oil. 
8. Take the pan off the heat and add a little oil.  Add the garlic and ginger.  The pan will be so hot at this point the garlic and ginger can easily burn.  
9. Place the pan back on the burner and add the sauce mixture.   
10. Add the cornstarch slurry.  
11. Return the beef to the pan and stir.
12. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS:
BROWN RICE and STEAMED VEGETABLES

LOOKING FOR MORE GREAT RECIPES?
Subscribe to our newsletter to get family friendly healthy recipes delivered to your inbox. You can also find us sharing more recipes on PINTEREST and FACEBOOK.

While many recipes all over the internet say they can be ready in 20 minutes, we all know the truth. THIS recipe, however, comes together very quickly and it truly makes the perfect weeknight dinner!