Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef

Inside of the slow cooker with the cooked beef in a wooden serving spoon.

Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef is sweet, savory, and incredibly easy to make in a crock pot. Tender slices of steak cook low and slow in a rich and savory sauce, that tastes so much better than any takeout! Perfect for busy days when you want dinner ready without standing over the stove. Serve it over rice and let the slow cooker do all the work.

Course Crock Pot, Dinner, Slow Cooker

Cuisine American, Chinese

Keyword slow cooker mongolian beef

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 6

Total Time 6 15

Servings

Calories 337kcal

Author Jessica - Together as Family

Ingredients

1½ - 2 pounds flank steak, skirt steak, or top sirloin steak (thinly sliced against the grain, see notes)
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce (I use full salted, not low-sodium)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 garlic cloves minced or pressed
1 tablespoon grated ginger or ginger paste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (see notes, I don't use this)
cooked white rice, green onions, white sesame seeds for serving

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, add the thinly sliced steak, shredded carrots, and cornstarch. Mix until well combined and all the beef and carrots are coated in cornstarch.
1½ - 2 pounds flank steak, skirt steak, or top sirloin steak, 1 cup shredded carrots, 1/4 cup cornstarch
Inside the slow cooker, whisk together the water, light brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, pepper, and garlic powder until combined.
3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 4 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon grated ginger or ginger paste, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Stir the cornstarch coated beef and carrots into the sauce inside the slow cooker until combined.
Cover and cook on LOW heat for 5-6 hours.
Serve over cooked white rice, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, and some extra sauce from the slow cooker. Enjoy!

Notes

Pop the steak into the freezer for 15-20 minutes to make it much easier to cut into thin slices. Use a serrated knife when thinly slicing steak.
Use the shredded carrots that come ready-to-use in the produce section. They are thicker and bigger which means they hold up better to the long cook time.
An alternative for the flank or skirt steak, with marbling and that same grainy structure, is a hanger steak or flat iron steak. These cuts of meat have more marbling in them so if you prefer a more tender cut of meat, with less fat marbling and one that is more budget-friendly, then other options would include top sirloin steak, tri-tip steak, or thin-cut top round steak. I prefer using the top sirloin steak that I thinly slice myself.
To cut meat against the grain, you first need to identify the long, parallel muscle fibers (which are the grain). Then slice perpendicular, so opposite the position and direction of the grain, across it. This technique shortens the fibers which prevents tough, chewy meat. If you are using a more grainy piece of steak (such as flank or skirt steak, then you will need to do this. Leaner more tender cuts, such as top sirloin, don't have a huge marbling grain on them (possibly just a small one).
You can use fresh ginger that has been peeled and then grated on the fine side of a grater, or you can use the prepared, ready-to-use ginger paste that you can find in the refrigerated section of produce.
I use full salt soy sauce in this recipe + the water called for. If you are using lower-sodium soy sauce you may want to add additional salt to the recipe (as there is no additional salt called for) or you could substitute beef broth or stock in place of the water.
I don't use the red pepper flakes as my family find them too spicy. I did use 1/4 teaspoon one time and my kids wouldn't touch it! So only use them if you want spice in the dish.

Nutrition