BETTER THAN TAKEOUT - Mongolian Beef Recipe

Mongolian Beef is a Chinese dish that most Chinese people don’t even know about. According to my research, originally, this dish was invented in the USA and it is a well known American Chinese food. I got a lot of requests for this. In this video, I will share some of my tips that will take this dish to another level.

🥢 RECIPE - Note: The product links below are affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you purchase an item on a linked website within 24 hours.

**Ingredient list**
- 14 ounces of beef (cut into 5mm thick)
- 1/3 tsp of salt
- 1/2 tsp of black pepper
- 1/4 cup of cornstarch (just enough to coat the beef)
- egg white from 1.5 large egg
- 1 tbsp of minced ginger
- 1.5 tbsp of minced garlic
- a bunch of spring onion (use the white part to stir fry and reserve the green part to add at the end)
- enough oil to fry the beef

**For the sauce**
- 2 tsp of cornstarch
- 3 tbsp of brown sugar
- 2/3 cup of water

- My first tip for you is to slice the beef into 5 mm thick. Personally, I think this is the perfect thickness. I don’t recommend slicing it thinner than this because it will dry out quickly during the frying.

- Normally I will season it with some Chinese cooking wine. But I am in Cuenca Ecuador now. I couldn’t find Chinese cooking wine in this whole city so I found out that same amount of beer works just fine. I thought this will be a good substitution for Chinese cooking wine. Do not use the dark beer. It will turn out a bit of bitter at the end. After that, I will add some salt and black pepper. If you get a cheap cut which might be tough, you can add 1/4 tsp of baking soda. It will help tenderize the beef. But if you get a nice cut, it is not necessary.

- Let the beef sit for 30 minutes. We will coat the beef with some cornstarch. Give it a little mix to make sure the cornstarch is distributed so it won’t clump up later. Then we will add 1 and a half of egg white. Mix it again. After you make sure that every piece is coated nicely, you still want to keep massaging it for another 5 minutes to give it enough time to tenderize the meat. So this is my second tips. Cornstarch and egg white is a very common technique in Chinese cuisine. It gives a lot of moisture to the beef and creates a starchy layer to lock the juiciness inside the meat. So the beef will turn out super tender and juicy. Try it and you will be surprised.

- Heat up 2 cups of frying oil to 370 degrees Fahrenheit. The most important thing is to get the oil to the high temperature so the beef will have a nice outside layer.

- I usually put the beef as close as possible to the oil and then drop it in. In this way, the oil won’t splash everywhere. Add your beef piece by piece otherwise, they will clump up together. Make sure you fry them in batches because it overflows easily.

- The oil is very hot so it will just take 1 or 2 minutes. Don’t fry it too long because you don’t want to overcook your beef. What we are looking for is the slightly golden color on the edge of the beef. I use a sieve to get rid of the excess oil.

- Before we start the stir-frying process, let’s quickly make the sauce(2 tsp of cornstarch, 1 tbsp of oyster sauce, 3 tbsp of soy sauce, 3 tbsp of brown sugar, 2/3 cup of water, 1 tsp of dark soy sauce). Set the sauce aside, we will use it soon.

- Heat up the pan. Add about 1.5 tbsp of cooking oil, 1 tbsp of minced ginger, 1.5 tbsp of minced garlic, and some white part of the spring onion. I like to use the white part for stir-frying because they don’t get soggy and I also reserved the green part to add at the end. Stir this until fragrant. Pour in the sauce. Stir it until it thickens up. Add the beef back into the pan. Mix everything together. Once you see the beef is coated with that shiny, thick, flavorful sauce, you can add some spring onion. Give it a final stir then take it out and serve it with white rice.

[braggarmybrat]

Thank you. My brother is dying and I am a chef who wants to make his last days peaceful and good. I know this is one thing that he wants to have. I usually do French cuisine so I appreciate this fast tutorial to make his last days happy.

[bushyfpv]

Oh my Mandy, I made this last night as my first ever attempt at Chinese cooking. I think it was the best thing I have ever made!!! It is so exciting how everything comes together in the end. I have never had any Chinese food from a restaurant taste this good either. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[lisahinton]

You're really good at explaining technique. And I made this three months ago when our weather was still cool but forgot to come tell you how wonderful it is. (There is no way I am deep-frying anything right now! I am enjoying lots of salads and sandwiches during these 118-degree days!) The recipe is spot-on, and tastes similar to my favorite Chinese takeout restaurant back in Los Angeles (now I am in Phoenix, Arizona - yuck). In fact, I would say your recipe is even better than that restaurant's version. So thank you, dear one. You are a gem!

[schizencephalymama]

I just wanted to say, I have made this recipe 4 times now and every time it turns out great. It has become a household favorite and everyone looks forward to our Chinese takeout night lol. I have actually made over a dozen of your recipes (traditional and non-traditional) and ALL of them have turned out superb. Thank you for sharing and I always look forward to your videos!

[anneperry]

This lady is so clear with instructions and knowledgeable, just brilliant!!!

[ilovefabricandflowers]

I have just subscribed within the first minute of this video. REason, there is no music. Thank you, I can hear your voice clearly and concisely.

[tesssmith]

You are who I've been looking for for 20 years! Someone who explains the recipes concisely and simply. And with an amazingly sweet voice. I've been wanting to make my 20 year plus Chinese recipes more authentic, like take-out and have always had a problem with the beef not being tender enough. So, THANK YOU SO MUCH for the method of tenderizing the meat. Most enlightening! 🍝👍👍👍

[tonyaustin]

This looks really good, I like the way she puts all of the ingredients & instructions below. The best how to cook on youtube.

[margaretmojica]

I tried this.  I did not use the beer.  I did everything else.  For the first time I made Chinese restaurant  style beef and it tasted GOOD.  I am so happy!  Thanks for thee recipe.

[sowhat]

The way she explains the procedures is so clear and precise and easy to follow...thank you

[terrencewhitehouse]

OMG, I’ve I’ve just made the Mongolian beef recipe, I followed your guidance to the T, it tasted fantastic!! you make these video instructions so easy to follow, you make me a half decent cook into a really good cook, thank you and please please keep it going.

[Crazysummerdays]

My friend and I made this recipe today and it was amazing. We added green chilli and red chilli sauce, the taste of the sweetness and spicy was there. Thank you so much 🙂

[etherdog]

Mandy, I like your focus on technique because you can apply it to many different things. I have been using your instruction to make many more "off the cuff" dishes based on what I have on hand, and my wife loves it! You do great work, and I appreciate you very much!

[jerrera]

When I lived in Taiwan many years ago you could easily find Mongolian beef on the menu. Mongolian bar-b-que restaurants were very popular in Taipei. The chefs worked behind a large circular convex stove top. You grabbed a plate and chose the meat, vegetables, and sauces They cooked the meat and what ever sauces you liked, and when they were done you would have made your way around the circle, picked up your dish and made it to your table to enjoy. My favorite was venison in soy ginger sauce. I am eager to try this recipe and hope it brings back many fond memories. It sounds delicious .

[cristinarocha]

It's 2020, this recipe has made this year awesome, my family loved it, they for sure said it was at a fancy restaurant level. Thank you so much for your patience and the time you invested explaining this recipe.

[ShaunaMarieSings]

I made this last night...along with your recipes for 'Kung Pao Chicken' and 'Singapore Noodles' (but I used Italian 'capellini' pasta instead)...and everything turned out amazingly!!! My husband said it was way better than our local Chinese take-away! Thank you so much for your wonderful channel...💗💗💗

[SoupedUpRecipes]

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[luisgonzalez]

You're GREAT" at cooking and sharing your knowledge, , , thanks.

[hamnakhan]

You have the simplest Asian cuisine recipes with available Ingredients for someone not living in Asia or East Asia. This helps me a lot since I get overwhelmed with other channels listing so many things

[LorenaUSA]

She is so adorable!! Simple recipe! Love it!!! 🥰