Enjoy Mongolian Beef in your slow cooker or Instant pot. Serve this Asian-inspired dish over rice or your favorite veggies for an easy meal.
If I told you that you could have restaurant-level Mongolian Beef on your table by throwing a few ingredients into your slow cooker and walking away, would you believe me?
What if I told you it’s 300 calories and only 8 WW points for a heaping cup serving? A serving of this same dish at P.F. Chang’s clocks in at 770 calories and 24 WW points? Kind of scary, right? This one is just around 260 calories per serving. We’ve cut the calories by over half!
It has been so hot and humid lately. So I’m trying to avoid using the oven or stove if humanly possible.
The funny thing is, I typically only think to use my slow cooker in the fall and winter months. I guess I just associate it with mostly soups and stews.
Slow cooker mongolian beef is so easy!
This recipe is a really nice change for me and helps keep me on track. And I inevitably reach a point in the week when I just want takeout. Usually after a long day at work. Or a hot day at the beach or park. My motivation just disappears.
Set it and forget it
I use my Instant Pot on the slow cooker setting because it has a timer and keep warm setting. You can find the one I use —> here.
So even though this only takes 4 1/2 hours to cook, I can pack everything into the slow cooker in the morning and come home to some fully cooked Chinese fakeout. Then all you need to do when you get home is turn the cooker back on high and throw in your green onions and any extra veggies for about ten minutes.
The ten minutes it takes for the veggies to cook is the perfect amount of time to cook an easy side. Cook up some rice or saute some riced cauliflower as a side dish. You’ll want something to soak up all that tasty sauce. Yum!
Make it your own
Feel free to swap in any veggies you like, or even half the recipe if 8 servings is too much for you. I’m only cooking for two, but I always feel like if I’m going to take out a big pot like a slow cooker, I might as well fill it and eat leftovers or freeze some for meal prep.
I’ve also heard from some folks that chicken can work in this recipe if you don’t eat beef. Just cut down the cook time by half, and you should be good to go!
I’d love to hear from you if you make this recipe! Leaving a starred review and comment below helps my blog grow. I’m always grateful when you can take the time to do that!
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*Recipe originally published July 18, 2018*
Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
Ingredients
- 2 lbs lean beef, trimmed of visible fat , like flank, round, london broil, or sirloin
- 2/3 cup soy sauce or tamari
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tbsps sriracha (it just adds depth of flavor, not spice)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
- 4-5 green onions sliced
- (optional) 4 cups chopped veggies, like green beans or broccoli
- (optional) salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Thinly slice beef against the grain.
- In the pot of your slow cooker, whisk together all remaining ingredients except shredded carrots, green onions, and any optional veggies you want to add in the end. Add beef and carrots to the sauce mixture and toss to coat.
- Cook on low for 4 1/2 hours. When done, add in green onions and any extra veggies. Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and cook on high for another 10 minutes, or just until veggies are al dente.
This looks great! Can’t wait to try it.
Thank you!
I made this last night and we loved it! It tastes exactly like takeout. Thanks for the great recipe!!!
Awesome!! You’re very welcome. 😊
Is it possible to cook this in the Instant Pot for quicker cooking? If so, can you advise how to modify your recipe? It looks so yummy. Thank you.
I’m sure it is! I haven’t tried it yet, but here’s how I would do it given what I’ve read online. Put all ingredients except cornstarch and 1/4 cup of the water in the Instant Pot, pressure cook for 15 minutes. Combine remaining 1/4 cup water and cornstarch in a small bowl. When pressure cook it done, natural release. Open and add in the cornstarch/water mixture and whatever veggies you want. Cook on Saute until sauce is thickened and veggies are cooked.
That’s by best guess! Let me know if you try it out. I’d love to add updated Instant Pot directions if it works.
I can confirm the instant pot directions Geri gave work. I made this last night and it was so unbelievably good. This one will definitely go into the recipe rotation!!
Thank you so much, Sam!
Have the points changed since MyWW came out? Wondering for green plan.
The points are still the same for all plans. 🙂
I’ve made this before & it’s amazing!! Right now I only have ground beef on hand, do you think that would work?
I think we talked on IG, right? Hope it came out okay!
Are frozen vegetables okay to use?
Thanks!
Made this for lunch today and it was delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
I made this with a 1 1/2 lb flank steak. This was so delicious. We went out for NY Chinese food within a week and we both said this recipe blew away what we actually ordered and ate that night out. Highly recommend making this.
Wow!! Thank you for the review—it made my day!
Geri!!! Girl….I’m starting to think you can do no wrong! This was MAGIC! So easy to put together and made the house smell so delicious. It was pure torture to wait till dinner to dig in but when I did….I knew immediately I was going back in for a 2nd serving!
You are SO kind. Thank you for taking the time to comment – it means a lot and I’m glad you enjoyed it! Hopefully you made enough for leftovers, haha. Can’t wait to see what you try next!
This dish is so delicious! My husband told me he really wanted to keep eating it but was full. I made it in an Instant Pot. How I did it: I mixed the sauce ingredients EXCEPT FOR THE CORNSTARCH in the insert, added the steak and carrots, stirring everything together well. I cooked on LOW PRESSURE for 2 minutes, released the pressure, added green beans and cooked for 0 minutes on LOW PRESSURE. Press the SAUTE button. Make a slurry with the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of cold water and add to the IP insert, stirring well as the sauce thickens.
I use low pressure as I had issues with getting a burn error on high pressure.
While this cooked, I made rice noodles on the stovetop according to package directions and stirred them into the IP after the sauce thickened.
Thank you Geri for such great recipes!
Hi Patty, thank you so much for sharing the tips and tricks for making it in an Instant Pot – especially keeping it on the low pressure setting. I’ll have to try it with rice noodles – sounds like a fabulous way to soak up all that lovely sauce 😀
Made this for dinner tonight with green beans and rice. So good and will definitely make it again! The sauce never thickened up though, it was still very watery. Maybe more cornstarch next time? Either way I will make it again. Yum!
Hi Michelle, so glad you enjoyed it! Does your slow cooker get really hot on high? The cornstarch has to reach a certain heat point before it starts to thicken. Each slow cooker is different, so you might need to turn it to high or remove some of the sauce and bring it to a simmer on the stove. Let me know if it helps!
Amazing recipe!! I omitted carrots and added mushrooms.. I love it!!
Thank you!! I shared your link on ww, hope you don’t mind
Thanks, Donna!! I’m honored that you shared the recipe. 🙂
Thus is a must make! My husband is the one who made it for us and it was SO delicious. My nine month old loved it too!!!!!
Wow this was super easy to make & very tasty. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
This turned out so good! 10/10!! 🙂
Thanks, Liz! So happy you enjoyed it 😀
Can I sun brown sugar with monkfruit golden?
I don’t see why not. I haven’t personally used that sweetener before so you might need to adjust the amount of sweetener accordingly. Let me know how it works though – I’m sure other people have the same question 🙂
Wow! Not sure why I’m surprised how good this is. My family loves all your recipes. Way better than takeout! Thx for a great meal.
Thank you, Andrea, for such a kind compliment. It always brightens my day to hear people enjoy my recipes 🙂
So, so yummy! Tender meat with just a tiny bit of spice, perfect. The whole family loved it!
Hi Marla, I’m so happy to hear you and the family loved it!
This recipe turned out fantastic! Made as written except the brown sugar. I used half actual brown sugar and half swerve brown sugar substitute. Flavor was incredible! Will make again and again!!!!!! Thank you for creating & sharing!!!!
You’re SO welcome! Glad you enjoyed it and were able to sub some brown sugar substitute to help fit your needs 🙂