Skip the takeout when you make this delicious Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef at home in your crock pot! This easy crockpot Mongolian Beef takes about 15 minutes of prep, and the slow cooker does the rest of the work for you. When cooked, you’ll have a flavorful dinner with tender pieces of beef simmered in a savory sauce that’s perfect to serve over rice or noodles. This crockpot meal is a family favorite that tastes just like takeout – but it’s healthier, budget friendly, and freezer friendly!
This post was originally published in 2022. It was updated in 2025 with new information.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Beef: Our favorite cut for this recipe is flank steak, but other cuts will work too! Flank Steak, Skirt Steak or Sirloin Steak, thinly sliced against the grain are the traditional cuts for this recipe. You can also make Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef with stew meat. We explain why Stew Meat works for this recipe below.
- Corn Starch: Helps thicken the sauce
- Garlic and Ginger: Fresh is best
- Soy Sauce: We recommend low sodium so the dish isn’t too salty and it’s slightly healthier. May swap out for coconut aminos for gluten-free
- Brown Sugar: Helps balance the salty soy sauce, and helps create a the glaze sauce
- Water
- Carrots (optional)
- Green onions and and sesame seeds for garnish
Best Cut of Beef for Mongolian Beef?
Flank steak is the traditional choice for Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef because it’s lean and flavorful. That said, you have many other options! As we’ve talked about before, there is tons of flavor in less expensive cuts of meat, and the trick is to match the cut of beef with the correct beef cooking method.
Alternative steak cuts we’ve used for this recipe are Skirt Steak or Sirloin Steak. You can also make Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef with Stew Meat or Chuck Roast.
With any of these cuts of beef, the key is to thinly slice the meat against the grain. The easiest way to do this is slightly freeze the meat before slicing it. This will make the meat much easier to cut and will make the slices more uniform.
Recipe Tips for Tender Beef and Thick Sauce
- Always slice beef thin and against the grain. The easiest way to do this is slightly freeze the meat before slicing it. This will make the meat much easier to cut and will make the slices more uniform.
- Is the sauce to thin? Add a cornstarch slurry near the end. Whisk 1 Tbsp cornstarch with 2 Tbsp water. Whisk until it’s smooth and lump free. Slowly add this mixture to the slow cooker and stir. Turn the slow cooker on HIGH and let cook, uncovered, for up to 10 minutes to thicken further.
- Is the sauce too salty? Add in extra water or you can balance with more sugar.
Substitutions
- Gluten Free: Use Coconut Aminos instead of Soy Sauce
- Low Sugar: Cut sugar in half or use a natural sweetener, like honey
- Low Sodium: Use low sodium Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos
- Keto/Paleo: Replace cornstarch with arrowroot or xantham gum, and use coconut aminos instead of Soy Sauce.
What to serve with Mongolian Beef?
We love to serve Mongolian Beef over steamed white or brown rice, or rice noodles. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
Why is it called Mongolian Beef?
Believe it or not, the name Mongolian Beef didn’t come from Mongolia. Mongolian beef was created in Taiwan, which is where the first Mongolian restaurants started opening up in the 1950s. They made the Mongolian style of food popular which is why the name is carried with dishes like this one.
FAQ
To thicken the sauce, whisk 1 Tbsp cornstarch with 2 Tbsp water. Whisk until it’s smooth and lump free. Slowly add this mixture to the slow cooker and stir. Turn the slow cooker on HIGH and let cook, uncovered, for up to 10 minutes to thicken further.
Yes! Cool completely and place in a freezer safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat on stovetop.
Cool and transfer to an airtight container. It can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. It’s great for meal prepping and leftovers.
Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb flank steak, hanger steak, skirt steak or stew meat thinly slice against the grain.
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1 cup shredded carrots (optional)
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Slice beef into 1/4-inch thick pieces. Slice against the grain. We highly suggest slightly freezing beef before slicing because it makes it much easier to cut thin slices.
- Place beef into a bowl with the cornstarch and toss to coat evenly.
- Place beef in slow cooker
- Add sesame oil, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, carrots (if desired), brown sugar and water in the slow cooker. Stir to coat the meat in the sauce.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or LOW for 4-5 hours.
- Garnish with green onions and sesame seed. Serve with cooked rice, if desired.
More Easy Slow Cooker Beef Recipes
- Slow Cooker Pepper Steak
- Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches
- Dr. Pepper Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- Slow Cooker Beef Bone Broth
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This recipe is incredibly easy and flavorful! The tips for slicing the beef and thickening the sauce are lifesavers. Definitely trying the coconut aminos for a gluten-free version.