Sweet and Spicy Mongolian Beef

🕒 Prep: 15 min
🔥 Cook: 10 min
🍽 Serves: 4
★★★★★
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This Sweet and Spicy Mongolian Beef is a quick and satisfying dish that brings restaurant-quality flavors to your home kitchen. It's the perfect balance of savory, sweet, and spicy, making it a delight for your taste buds. Plus, it’s surprisingly easy to whip up on a busy weeknight!

Sweet and Spicy Mongolian Beef

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Ingredients for Sweet and Spicy Mongolian Beef

Ingredients for Sweet and Spicy Mongolian Beef

Flank steak is the star of the show, offering a lean and flavorful cut that soaks up all the delicious sauce. Coating it in cornstarch not only helps thicken the sauce but also gives the beef a wonderful crispy texture when cooked.

Vegetable oil provides a neutral base for frying without overpowering the dish. The soy sauce adds umami depth, while the brown sugar introduces sweetness that perfectly balances the heat from the red pepper flakes.

The aromatic ginger and garlic are essential for that classic Mongolian beef flavor. Sliced red bell pepper adds a fresh crunch and a pop of color, while green onions offer a mild oniony finish. Finally, a drizzle of sesame oil rounds out the dish with its toasty aroma.

Why This Sweet and Spicy Mongolian Beef Works

Cornstarch on the sliced flank steak does more than just coat it. As the meat sits, the starch clings to the surface and forms a light, dry layer. In the hot oil, that layer browns fast and turns a little crisp, while the inside of the beef stays tender. The cornstarch also soaks up some of the beef juices, so those juices do not run all over the pan and get lost.

After the beef comes out, the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes go into the same skillet. As this heats up, the sugar melts and the liquid starts to thicken. Bits left from the beef mix into the sauce. When the browned beef goes back into the pan, that cornstarch coating grabs onto the hot sauce and makes it cling to every slice.

While the bell pepper cooks for a couple of minutes, it softens slightly but still stays a bit crisp. Right at the end, the sesame oil and green onions spread over the hot beef, so their taste settles on the surface instead of cooking away.

Sweet and Spicy Mongolian Beef Tips & Tricks

  • Cut the beef while it’s partially frozen to make thin slicing easier.
  • Adjust the red pepper flakes to your spice preference; a little goes a long way.
  • Make sure the skillet is hot before adding the beef to achieve that perfect sear.
  • Feel free to substitute flank steak with sirloin or skirt steak if needed.

Mistakes To Avoid

Cutting the flank steak with the grain instead of against it makes the strips tough and chewy. The fibers stay long and don’t break down as they cook, so even with a good sauce the meat feels stringy and hard to bite through.

Letting the steak sit in cornstarch for a long time or packing on a thick layer causes a gummy coating. In the pan this coating doesn’t crisp, it clumps and slides off, and the sauce later turns pasty instead of glossy.

Crowding the pan while browning the beef leads to steaming instead of searing. The meat releases liquid, the surface stays pale and soft, and the sauce later has extra water so it doesn’t cling well to the beef.

Boiling the sauce too hard or too long makes it very thick and sticky before the beef goes back in. Once the meat and peppers are added, the sauce can turn into a heavy glaze that overcoats everything and can burn on the bottom of the pan.

Equipment Used:

Skillet, Mixing Bowl, Knife

Ingredients

  1. 1 lb flank steak
  2. 1/4 cup cornstarch
  3. 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  4. 1/4 cup soy sauce
  5. 1/4 cup water
  6. 1/2 cup brown sugar
  7. 1 tbsp grated ginger
  8. 1 tbsp minced garlic
  9. 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  10. 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  11. 1 tbsp sesame oil
  12. 1 red bell pepper (sliced)

Step-by-step Instructions

  1. 1. Thinly slice the flank steak against the grain and coat evenly with cornstarch. Let sit for 10 minutes.
  2. 2. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steak in batches, cooking each side for 2 minutes or until browned. Remove and set aside.
  3. 3. In the same skillet, add soy sauce, water, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 3 minutes until sauce thickens.
  4. 4. Return the beef to the skillet, add bell pepper slices, and stir to coat with sauce. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
  5. 5. Drizzle sesame oil and toss with green onions before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this dish ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare the sauce and slice the beef ahead of time. However, cook the beef fresh for the best texture.
What if I don’t have fresh ginger?
No worries! Substitute with 1 teaspoon of ground ginger instead.
Is there a way to make it less spicy?
Simply reduce or omit the red pepper flakes to lessen the heat.

Serving Ideas for Sweet and Spicy Mongolian Beef

Serve this Sweet and Spicy Mongolian Beef over a bed of steamed jasmine rice or alongside some fluffy quinoa for a heartier meal. Pair it with a simple side of steamed broccoli or snap peas to add more greens to your plate. A light cucumber salad can also complement the dish's bold flavors beautifully.

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This recipe is for informational purposes only. Always follow proper food safety practices, cook foods to safe internal temperatures, and store leftovers appropriately. Results may vary.