Ultimate Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef (Printable)

Tender beef strips slow-cooked in savory-sweet sauce with garlic, ginger, and soy for melt-in-your-mouth perfection.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef

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

→ Sauce

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

→ To Finish

11 - 4 green onions, sliced
12 - 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

# Directions:

01 - Place sliced flank steak in a large bowl and toss with cornstarch until evenly coated, ensuring each piece is covered for proper thickening.
02 - Transfer the cornstarch-coated beef to the slow cooker, spreading it in an even layer.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, hoisin sauce, minced garlic, grated ginger, red pepper flakes if using, and sesame oil until completely smooth and combined.
04 - Pour the sauce mixture over the beef in the slow cooker. Stir thoroughly to coat all beef pieces evenly with the sauce.
05 - Cover and cook on low setting for 4 hours, or until beef is fork-tender and sauce has thickened to a glossy consistency.
06 - Stir in sliced green onions during the final 10 minutes of cooking time to maintain their vibrant color and slight crunch.
07 - Serve hot over steamed jasmine rice, garnished with additional green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Pairs excellently with steamed broccoli or snow peas.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The slow cooker transforms inexpensive flank steak into buttery tender strips that practically melt in your mouth
  • You get that authentic takeout flavor without any deep frying or complicated techniques
  • The sauce develops such incredible depth over four hours that everyone will swear you slaved over a hot stove all day
02 -
  • Cutting against the grain means slicing perpendicular to those long muscle fibers—look for the lines running down the meat and cut across them
  • The sauce will look thin when you first pour it, but cornstarch from the beef and slow cooking will thicken it into that perfect glossy consistency
  • Don't lift the lid too often—every peek adds about 15 minutes to cooking time and lets precious moisture escape
03 -
  • Pat the beef dry before tossing with cornstarch for better adhesion and more even coating
  • Use a sharp knife and take your time slicing thin pieces—thick slices stay tough even after hours of cooking

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