Ultimate Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef (Printable)

Tender beef in rich savory-sweet sauce with garlic, ginger, and soy. Easy slow cooker preparation for delicious Asian-inspired dinner.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Beef

01 - 2 pounds flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain

→ Sauce

02 - 3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
03 - 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
04 - 1/2 cup water
05 - 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
06 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
07 - 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
08 - 5 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

→ Thickener

11 - 1/4 cup cornstarch

→ Vegetables & Garnish

12 - 5 green onions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
13 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
14 - Steamed white or brown rice, for serving

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, toss the sliced flank steak with cornstarch until all pieces are evenly coated. Shake off any excess.
02 - Add the cornstarch-coated beef to the slow cooker.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes until well combined.
04 - Pour the sauce over the beef in the slow cooker and toss gently to coat evenly.
05 - Scatter the white parts of the green onions over the top of the beef and sauce mixture.
06 - Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or until the beef is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.
07 - Stir in the sliced green onion tops and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
08 - Serve hot over steamed rice, garnished with toasted sesame seeds and extra green onions if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The beef becomes impossibly tender without standing over a stove
  • That sauce hits every perfect note sweet, savory, and deeply satisfying
02 -
  • Cutting against the grain matters more than almost anything else for texture
  • The sauce will look thin at first but thickens beautifully as it cooks
03 -
  • Partially freeze the steak for 20 minutes to get paper thin slices easily
  • Make a double batch of sauce and freeze half for next time