Ultimate Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef (Printable)
Tender beef cooked low and slow in a rich savory sauce flavored with garlic and ginger.
# What You Need:
→ Beef
01 - 2 pounds flank steak, thinly sliced across the grain
→ Sauce
02 - 3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
03 - 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
04 - 1/2 cup water
05 - 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
06 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
07 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
09 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
→ Slurry
10 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
11 - 1/4 cup cold water
→ Garnish
12 - 4 green onions, sliced
13 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
# How To Cook:
01 - Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves completely.
02 - Place sliced flank steak in a large zip-top bag, add cornstarch, seal, and shake vigorously to coat all pieces evenly with a light dusting.
03 - Transfer cornstarch-coated beef to the slow cooker insert. Pour prepared sauce over the beef and toss gently to distribute evenly.
04 - Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours until beef becomes fork-tender and sauce develops deep caramelized flavors.
05 - During the final 30 minutes of cooking, stir together cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl until smooth. Pour slurry into slow cooker and mix thoroughly to thicken sauce.
06 - Serve hot over steamed rice, generously sprinkled with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce develops incredible depth over hours, transforming simple flank steak into something that tastes like you spent all day at the stove
- Cornstarch coating creates that restaurant-style texture on the beef while keeping it incredibly tender
- Set it and forget it simplicity means you can come home to an impressive dinner with minimal effort
02 -
- Cutting flank steak across the grain is non-negotiable. I learned this the hard way when my first attempt was like chewing on leather. Find those muscle fibers and slice perpendicular to them for melt-in-your-mouth results.
- The slurry must be whisked until completely smooth before adding. Any lumps will turn into gelatinous blobs in your sauce, which is not the texture were going for here.
03 -
- Pat the beef dry before slicing. Moisture prevents the cornstarch from adhering properly, which means less coating power and a thinner final sauce.
- Use freshly grated ginger. The jarred stuff has an off flavor that becomes pronounced after hours of slow cooking.