Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef (Printable)

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

# What goes in:

→ 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 and 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

# Directions:

01 - Place the sliced flank steak in a large bowl and toss with cornstarch until all pieces are evenly coated. Shake off any excess cornstarch before proceeding.
02 - Transfer the cornstarch-coated beef to the slow cooker insert, spreading it in an even layer.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes until the sugar is completely dissolved.
04 - Pour the sauce mixture over the beef in the slow cooker. Gently toss to coat all the beef pieces evenly with the sauce.
05 - Scatter the white parts of the green onions over the top of the beef and sauce mixture.
06 - Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.
07 - Stir in the sliced green onion tops and cook for an additional 10 minutes to soften the onions slightly.
08 - Serve the Mongolian beef hot over steamed rice, garnished with toasted sesame seeds and additional green onions if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce strikes that perfect balance between savory and sweet, developing restaurant-style depth without any fancy techniques
  • Four hours of hands-off cooking turns an affordable cut of beef into something that tastes like you spent all day at the stove
  • Everything cooks in one vessel, meaning minimal cleanup and maximum flavor concentration
02 -
  • Resist the urge to peek during the first 3 hours, every time you lift that lid you add 20 minutes to the cooking time
  • The sauce will look thin at first but thickens beautifully as the cornstarch breaks down and the beef releases its natural gelatin
  • Most slow cookers run hot, so check at 3.5 hours if your appliance tends to cook faster than the recipe suggests
03 -
  • If your sauce looks too thick at the end, stir in hot water one tablespoon at a time until it reaches coating consistency
  • Freezing the beef for 30 minutes makes paper-thin slices effortless, even with a basic kitchen knife

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