Chinese Crispy Beef recipe

For the Australians reading this, Mongolian Beef is similar to what we know as Szechuan Style Beef and Peking Beef. Thin slices of beef that is shallow fried so it’s super crispy then tossed in a sticky sauce.

Did you notice that I made it in a skillet instead of a wok? To tell you the truth, normally I make it in a wok but I wanted to try it in a skillet too so I could provide directions for that.

It’s easier made in a wok because you can shallow fry the beef in the wok. But if you don’t have a wok, I recommend frying the beef in a small saucepan instead because the beef is cooked with only 1/4 cup of oil. If you use a skillet, then the oil spreads too thinly and you won’t get the same crispiness. After the beef is cooked, finish the rest of the recipe in a skillet. Easy!

In the crispy / sticky stakes, I have to say that this is right up there with Buffalo Wings. That is to say, if someone put a plate of this and a plate of Buffalo Wings in front of me, I am not entirely sure which one I would go for.

– Nagi x

PS I got side tracked and forgot to mention that I tried a few recipes I found on a mission to get the closest match to the Mongolian Beef I had at a Chinese restaurant in LA, not PF Chang’s which I didn’t enjoy very much. A few were close, but didn’t nail it. This recipe is from a blog called Woks of Life which is run by a Chinese family who used to run a Chinese restaurant in America. It’s my “go to” source for American Chinese recipes. Every single recipe I have tried has been an absolute ripper. Honestly!

This Mongolian Beef is super crispy and coated in a sticky salty / sweet sauce - but not TOO sweet! It's absolutely divine and everyone I've made this for has raved about it. Don't be daunted by the ingredients list - there are a number of repeat ingredients! I jsut like to separate them into groups for ease of following the recipe.

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Recipe type: Stir Fry

Cuisine: American Chinese

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

Beef and Marinade

• 8oz / 250g beef steak (rump, scotch or flank), sliced into ⅕" / 3mm slices (Note 1)
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp cornstarch/cornflour
• 1 tsp vegetable oil

Sauce

• 1 tbsp cornstarch/cornflour
• 2 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• ¼ cup chicken broth
• 2 tbsp brown sugar

Crispy Beef

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup cornstarch/cornflour

Stir Fry

• ½ tsp ginger, finely minced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 scallions/shallots, cut into 1½" / 4cm pieces on the diagonal

Instructions

Beef and Marinade

1. Combine the Beef and Marinade ingredients in a bowl and marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

1. Mix the cornstarch and water together. Then add the remaining Sauce ingredients.

Crispy Beef and Stir Fry

1. Add ¼ cup cornstarch and use your fingers to lightly coat the beef.
2. Heat ¼ cup oil in a wok (Note 2) over medium high heat. Add ½ the beef and cook the first side for around 45 seconds or until golden and crisp. Then flip (I use an egg flip) and cook the other side for 30 - 45 seconds until golden and crisp. Remove onto a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining beef.
3. Discard the oil, leaving behind about 1 tablespoon in the wok.
4. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for about 15 seconds. Don't let it burn!
5. Add the Sauce into the wok. Bring it to a simmer and let it cook for about 1½ minutes or until it thickens into a glossy sticky sauce.
6. Add the beef and scallions, toss to coat and cook for a further 30 seconds.
7. Serve immediately with rice!

Notes

2. If you don't have a wok, do this part in a small saucepan. It won't work in a skillet because the surface area is too large so the oil spreads too thinly. After cooking the beef, transfer 2 tbsp of oil from the saucepan into a skillet to cook the sauce and beef.

For the purpose of sharing this recipe on my blog, I made it in a frypan (to make sure it worked cooking the beef in a saucepan). But usually I make this in my wok!

3. This recipe is slightly adapted from The Woks of Life. This blog is my "go to" trusted source for American Chinese recipes. It is run by a Chinese American family who used to own a restaurant - doesn't get anymore reliable than that!!