Ultimate Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef (Printable)
Tender beef slow-cooked in a rich, savory-sweet sauce with garlic, ginger, and soy for perfect results.
# What You Need:
→ Beef
01 - 2 lbs flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
→ Sauce
02 - 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
03 - 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
04 - 1/2 cup water
05 - 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
06 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
07 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
09 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
10 - 2 tablespoons sesame oil
→ To Finish
11 - 4 green onions, sliced
12 - 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
# Steps:
01 - Toss the sliced flank steak with cornstarch in a large bowl until evenly coated.
02 - Place the cornstarch-coated beef into the slow cooker.
03 - Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and sesame oil until smooth.
04 - Pour the sauce over the beef in the slow cooker and stir to coat evenly. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours until beef is tender and sauce has thickened.
05 - Stir in sliced green onions during the final 10 minutes of cooking.
06 - Serve hot, garnished with additional green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Pairs well with steamed rice or vegetables.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The sauce develops this incredible depth that only low and slow cooking can achieve, like a restaurant spent hours simmering it but actually you just dumped everything in and walked away
- That moment when you stir in the green onions at the end and the kitchen suddenly smells like your favorite takeout spot, except better and cheaper and yours
02 -
- The sauce will look thin and unimpressive for the first three hours, then suddenly thicken up beautifully in that last hour—have patience and dont be tempted to add more cornstarch
- Leftovers, if you somehow have any, actually taste better the next day when all those flavors have had even more time to become best friends
03 -
- Ask your butcher to slice the flank steak paper thin if you dont trust your knife skills—they have the equipment and usually dont mind
- Set your slow cooker to warm instead of off if youre running late, the beef will stay perfect for hours without drying out