Mongolian Beef is a simple slow cooker recipe that combines sliced flank steak and chopped carrots with a homemade sauce for a delicious meal. – Jump to Recipe
I’ve made this recipe several times and have been told my multiple people that it’s amazeballs. Considering I’d have to agree, it’s about time I share it on here!
My slow cooker has been getting a lot more use lately, and I’m all about it. Last week I posted my Taco Soup recipe, and this week I’m happy to share some more slow cooking magic. One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it uses few ingredients. So it’s easy to throw together.
Flank steak is an ingredient I’ve started to utilize and appreciate a lot more lately. It’s a cut of meat that can be a bit tough, but when cut thinly against the grain, it can be surprisingly tender (as long as you don’t overcook it, which I have done before). If you don’t want to shell out for flank steak, I’ve read that top round, skirt, or hangar steak are all pretty similar and can typically be substituted.
The other main ingredients in this are carrots (which I like to chop at a slight angle when I’m feeling fancy), brown sugar (that I usually use minimally, but it’s a necessary part of the sauce), and garlic (always garlic).
After 2-4 hours in a crock pot, dinner is ready, and everything is coated in the tasty, sweet sauce.
The first time I made this, I couldn’t think of what to pair with it. I used shredded carrots, which got lost in the mixture, and served it on rice. Since then, I’ve much preferred it with bigger carrot pieces, and served with steamed broccoli on rice. By keeping the broccoli separate, it won’t fall apart in the sauce if it cooks too fast, and its vibrant color makes the dish a lot prettier.
So in my opinion, the winning combo is: Mongolian beef served with broccoli on rice.
Mongolian Beef in the Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs flank (or skirt) steak, sliced thinly against the grain
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped carrots
Instructions
- In a resealable bag or large bowl with a lid, add the flank steak strips and cornstarch. Shake to coat.
- Add the remaining ingredients into the slow cooker and stir. Add the flank steak strips and stir again.
- Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
- Serve on rice with steamed broccoli.
Adapted from The Recipe Critic.
Usually when I make this, I do a double batch and turn one into a freezer meal to either keep for us for later or give to my sister/BIL (teachers with small children = minimal free time). I’m excited to have a solid recipe like this in our rotation, because I know it won’t disappoint. It’s definitely one of our go-to dinner ideas lately!
