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Slow cooker Mongolian beef is the ultimate homemade takeout-style dinner—rich, savory, and so easy to make. This dish features tender slices of beef simmered in a mouthwatering sauce made with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, beef broth, and a hint of sesame oil. Let your Crockpot do the heavy lifting while the flavors mingle into something truly irresistible. Serve it over rice or noodles for a hearty, satisfying meal that’ll have everyone coming back for seconds.
Tender, juicy beef, crisp onions and a thick, rich sauce with sweet, savory and spicy elements make up this delicious slow cooker Mongolian beef for a fantastic dinner.
You might also enjoy crispy ginger beef, kung pao beef, gochujang chicken stir fry, or Szechuan beef.
Why You’ll Love It
Straightforward to make: Like many other Crockpot recipes, you simply slice your meat and then add everything to the slow cooker and let the dish slowly cook to perfection. It’s such an easy recipe!
Amazing flavors: Mongolian beef offers sweet, spicy and savory flavors and, when making your own, you have full control over how much of each ingredient to add and how spicy (or not) you want it to come out.
A family favorite: You’ll get nothing but rave review when you dish up this flavorful classic.
Gluten-free and dairy-free: There’s no gluten or dairy in here.
Crockpot Mongolian Beef Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Beef: I like to use flank steak, a relatively economical cut of meat that tenderizes well when slow cooked.
Beef broth: You can use water instead.
Yellow onion: Add this at the beginning if you like it soft or at the end if you prefer crunch.
Green onions: To add a complementary onion flavor and pops of color in the finished dish.
Cornstarch: To thicken the Mongolian beef sauce.
Ginger and garlic: I prefer using fresh but you can use the prepared minced kind if preferred.
Brown sugar: For sweetness.
Soy sauce: Adds a salty, savory taste.
Sesame oil: For a rich, nutty flavor.
Red chilies: Optional, if you want to add some spice.
How to Make Mongolian Beef in a Crockpot
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Make the sauce: Whisk the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, broth, and black pepper together.
Fill your Crockpot: Add the steak strips to your slow cooker, sprinkle the cornstarch on top and add the sliced onion. Pour the sauce on top.
Cover and cook: Cook the Mongolian beef on high or low, until the meat is tender.
The finishing touches: Stir in green onions and red chilies if using. Serve hot, with sesame seeds as a garnish.
Substitutions and Variations
Flank steak: Other cuts of beef that would work include skirt steak, hanger steak, chuck steak, sirloin steak, or flat iron steak.
Gluten-free: The dish is already gluten-free, but do check the labels on your soy sauce and broth to make sure.
Red chilies: Omit them if you don’t want any spice or use more if you do. You can also add them at the start of the cooking time. Alternatively, substitute crushed red pepper flakes, chili garlic sauce, Sriracha or ground cayenne pepper.
Adjust the sweetness: Feel free to use less or more brown sugar in the dish. You could also add a splash of hoisin sauce for more sweetness.
Sugar-free version: Substitute your preferred artificial sweetener for the brown sugar. This one would be ideal.
Beef broth: You can use water instead, if you don’t have beef broth.
Low sodium: Use low sodium soy sauce or reduced sodium soy sauce, and use water instead of beef broth.
Soy sauce: Substitute coconut aminos instead if you prefer.
Add more vegetables: As the onions are the only vegetable in the dish, you might like to add fresh or frozen broccoli, thinly sliced bell peppers, oyster mushrooms or shredded carrots to the dish, or you could just serve a vegetable side dish with the Mongolian beef.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizer: Begin your meal with miso chicken soup.
Side dishes: Pair your slow cooker Mongolian beef with steamed rice, hibachi fried rice or jasmine rice. It also goes well with hibachi noodles. You could also serve turkey potstickers on the side.
Desserts: Finish off with a refreshing lemon ricotta cake.
How to Store Mongolian Beef
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 3 to 4 days.
Freeze: You can freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat: You can warm it back up in a pan on the stove or in the microwave.
Top Tips
Slice against the grain: Slice your beef across the grain, not with it, for the most tender result.
Cook it low and slow: If you have time, cooking for longer over a low heat is best, as it makes the flavors meld perfectly and the meat extra-tender. If you’re cooking it on high, check it often in case the sauce gets too thick or burns around the edges.
Onion doneness: If you prefer your yellow onion with a little “bite” add it halfway through the cooking time.
Toasted sesame seeds: I like to toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over a low-medium heat, shaking often, until fragrant and golden brown in places. This gives them a bolder flavor.
Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef FAQs
Yes, add the dried chilies at the beginning of the cooking time instead of afterwards.
Every Crockpot works slightly differently and this can happen. To fix it, transfer a ladle of the sauce into a small saucepan and reduce it over a medium heat on the stove, then return it to the Crockpot and stir. If it’s too thick, on the other hand, add extra broth.
Actually, no – it’s a 1950s Taiwanese dish that’s popular in American-Chinese restaurants! A Taiwanese comedian and restaurateur, originally from Beijing, called Wu Zhaonan, fled to Taiwan in the Chinese Civil War and opened his own street food stall. He called it “Mongolian barbecue” rather than “Beijing barbecue” because of political sensitivities, although he had no actual connection to Mongolia.
Easy Crockpot Mongolian Beef Recipe
Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
Equipment
- Slow Cooker 7-Quart
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds flank steak, in thin strips
- ½ Cup beef broth, or water
- ½ Teaspoon black pepper
- 6 green onions, in 2-inch pieces
- ¼ Cup cornstarch
- 1 yellow onion, large, sliced
- 3 to 5 Cloves garlic, freshly minced
- 1 Teaspoon ginger, freshly minced
- ¾ Cup soy sauce, low sodium
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil, toasted
- ⅓ Cup brown sugar
- 6 dried red chilies, optional
- sesame seeds, optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Add the sliced steak strips to your slow cooker and sprinkle cornstarch over them, stirring to coat.
- Add the sliced onions.
- Whisk the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, broth or water, and black pepper.
- Pour this mixture over the steak and onions in the Crockpot.
- Cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours on low or 6 to 8 hours on high, or until the beef is tender.
- Stir in the chilies (if using) and the green onions.
- Serve hot, garnished with sesame seeds.
Notes
Cook it low and slow: If you have time, cooking for longer over a low heat is best, as it makes the flavors meld perfectly and the meat extra-tender. If you’re cooking it on high, check it often in case the sauce gets too thick or burns around the edges.
Onion doneness: If you prefer your yellow onion with a little “bite” add it halfway through the cooking time.
Toasted sesame seeds: I like to toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over a low-medium heat, shaking often, until fragrant and golden brown in places. This gives them a bolder flavor.
Nutrition
Slow cooker Mongolian beef is a simple and satisfying dish with succulent beef strips, onions and a delicious sauce with sweet, spicy and savory elements. A restaurant favorite, Crockpot Mongolian beef is tasty served with rice or noodles on the side, and it’s the kind of delicious meal the whole family will enjoy.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
