Mongolian Ground Beef Recipe
A quick and easy mongolian ground beef recipe featuring a glossy, savory-sweet sauce built from soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger, ready in about 20 minutes
Equipment
- Large skillet or wok
- whisk
- small bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes optional
- 2 green onions sliced, for garnish
- Sesame seeds for garnish
- Cooked rice or noodles for serving
Instructions
Brown the Beef
- Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add the ground beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until fully browned, then drain any excess grease from the pan.
- Add the minced garlic and grated ginger to the beef, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned.
Make and Thicken the Sauce
- Pour in the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and red pepper flakes if using, stirring to combine with the beef. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, letting it bubble for 2-3 minutes so the sugar fully dissolves and the flavors start to meld together.
- Give the cornstarch slurry a quick stir to recombine it, then pour it into the skillet while stirring constantly. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce thickens noticeably and coats the beef in a glossy, clingy layer.
Finish and Serve
- Remove the skillet from heat once the sauce has reached your desired thickness, keeping in mind it will continue to thicken slightly as it cools.
- Serve the mongolian ground beef over rice or tossed with noodles, garnished with sliced green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Notes
- Draining the excess grease from the ground beef before adding the sauce ingredients helps keep the finished dish from tasting greasy or overly heavy.
- Stirring the cornstarch slurry again right before adding it to the pan is important, since cornstarch settles quickly and can clump if it's not fully recombined with the water first.
- Letting the sauce simmer briefly before adding the slurry helps the brown sugar dissolve completely, giving you a smoother, more consistent sauce overall.
- This dish comes together quickly, so it helps to have your rice or noodles already cooked and ready to go before you start the sauce, since everything moves fast once the cornstarch goes in.
- Leftovers reheat well in a skillet over low heat, though the sauce may thicken further once chilled, so a small splash of water when reheating helps loosen it back up