This Easy Instant Pot Mongolian Beef recipe is full of all the flavors you love from your favorite Chinese restaurant. Tender beef smothered in a super tasty sauce that is ready in 30 minutes or less. Slow cooker and pressure cooker instructions included.
Mongolian Beef ranks high on my list of takeout favorites. My Family goes crazy for it! It is easy to make, flavorful, and what I refer to as a better-than-takeout, since It tastes as good as the one you love from your favorite Chinese restaurant, but it is made at home!
This Easy Instant Pot Mongolian Beef recipe is certainly not short on flavor! The combination of garlic and ginger with soy sauce, brown sugar, and spicy is an explosion of flavor. In my humble opinion, it’s pure comfort in a bowl, especially if I can eat it in my pajamas while watching Netflix.
Even though I can make this recipe on the stovetop, relatively in the same amount of time, I love using the Instant Pot because the meat turns out super tender.
Here’s how you can make Mongolian Beef at home, I promise you it is even better than takeout.
HOW DO YOU MAKE MONGOLIAN BEEF SAUCE?
Mongolian beef sauce is made with soy sauce, water, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and a touch of spicy, such as red pepper flakes, Sriracha, or cayenne pepper.
WHAT KIND OF BEEF IS USED FOR MONGOLIAN BEEF?
Flank steak and sirloin are my preference. You’ll need one and a half to two pounds, and you’ll want to slice them across the grain into three-inch-long pieces, about 1/4 inch thick.
I DON’T HAVE AN INSTANT POT; CAN I STILL MAKE THIS?
Yes! You definitely can.
- Coat the beef with cornstarch as instructed in the slow cooker version (step 1).
- Mix the sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons of canola oil to a large frying pan and heat on medium-high heat. Add the steak, shaking off any excess cornstarch, to the pan in a single layer and cook on each side for 1 minute. Make this in batches to avoid crowding the pan. When all the beef is done cooking, return it to the skillet. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add sauce and mix to combine. Let it simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
- Garnish green onion slices and sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately over rice or steamed vegetables.
WHAT SIDES DO I SERVE WITH MONGOLIAN BEEF?
I love to serve Mongolian beef over a bed of white rice and steamed broccoli or asparagus.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
STORE: Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
FREEZE: You can totally transform this into a freezer meal. Just cut meat into thin slices and put it into a freezer bag. Bag garlic and ginger in a smaller freezer bag. Bag sauce ingredients in another bag. Then put all components in a large freezer bag. On the day of preparation, cook as instructed in the recipe.
LOOKING FOR MORE DELICIOUS INSTANT POT ASIAN-INSPIRED RECIPES?
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Easy Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
Ingredients
- 1 ½ – 2 lb flank steak cut into thin strips (see notes)
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 3/4 cup soy sauce low sodium
- 1 cup water
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds to garnish (optional)
Instructions
Pressure Cooker:
- Add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes to the instant pot; mix to combine. Add the sliced beef, carrots, garlic, and ginger; mix until everything is well coated in the sauce.
- Secure the lid to the instant pot and turn the venting knob to sealing position. Select “pressure cook”, adjust the time to 10 minutes.
- When the time is over, let the pressure release on its own for 5 minutes. Then, carefully turn the vent to “Venting,” to release any extra pressure that might still be in there. Press “cancel”. Then remove the lid.
- In a small bowl mix cornstarch with ¼ cup water. Add the mixture to the beef; mix to combine.
- Turn the Instant Pot on and select “sauté” mode, adjust heat to normal. Let the beef simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
- Garnish green onion slices and sesame seeds, if desired. Serve immediately over rice or steamed vegetables.
Slow Cooker:
- Add sliced beef and cornstarch to a large resealable plastic bag. Close and shake to coat well.
- Add to the instant pot the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes; mix to combine. Add the coated beef, carrots, garlic and ginger; mix until everything is well coated in the sauce.
- Cover and make sure the turn the venting knob is set to the venting position. Cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or on LOW for about 4 hours, until steak is cooked and tender.
- Garnish green onion slices and sesame seeds, if desired. Serve immediately over rice or steamed vegetables.
- Coat the beef with cornstarch as instructed in the slow cooker version (step 1).
- Mix the sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons of canola oil to a large frying pan and heat on medium-high heat. Add the steak, shaking off any excess corn starch, to the pan in a single layer and cook on each side for 1 minute. Make this in batches to avoid crowding the pan. When all the beef is done cooking, return it to the skillet. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add sauce and mix to combine. Let it simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
- Garnish green onion slices and sesame seeds, if desired. Serve immediately over rice or steamed vegetables.
