Instant Pot Mongolian Beef [VIDEO]

Name: Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1-1.5 pounds flank steak (sliced across the grain); 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 cup brown sugar (or 2/3 cups - I prefer the version with more sugar); 10 cloves garlic (minced); 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (minced); 1/2 cup lite soy sauce; 1 cup water; 1 tablespoon rice vinegar; 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 1/2 cup water; 1/4 cup green onions (chopped); 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

By Catalina Castravet

Updated: Aug 11, 2021

Published: Sep 11, 2019

4.95 from 69 reviews

Asian food recipes Beef Instant Pot Recipes Recipes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Instant Pot Mongolian Beef is a very easy and delicious meal you can make in just under 30 minutes. Made with tender beef in a sweet and savory Asian sauce. This recipe is better than the famous restaurant version you can find at PF Chang’s.

We love making easy and delicious Asian dishes in the Instant Pot such as our famous IP Orange Chicken, IP Mongolian Chicken, and IP Beef and Broccoli. These will quickly become your favorite recipes and you will find yourself making more Chinese food and relying less on Chinese restaurants. Pressure cooking takes less time and adds incredible flavor!

This is our favorite Asian meal and it will quickly become one of your favorite instant pot recipes to make at home over and over again. Actually, this tastes even better than the one you would order at an Asian restaurant.

If you love Chinese takeout, I highly recommend trying this delicious recipe that your entire family will love, also, it will be done quicker than your local restaurant can deliver it.

On top of that, you will be rewarded with delicious leftovers that you can enjoy the next day. Sweet and salty, balanced by lots of savory minced garlic and fresh ginger. This simple and full of flavor recipe, made with real ingredients, will win you over as it tastes like it has been slowly cooked for a long time.

Ingredients Needed:

Flank steak: London broil, skirt steak also work great in this recipe, make sure to slice it across the grain. You don’t have to get an expensive cut of meat for this easy pressure cooker recipe to work.
Corn starch: To coat the beef, it makes it crispier when sautéing it. As an alternative, use tapioca flour.
Extra virgin olive oil: Use sesame oil for extra flavor.
Dark brown sugar: A key ingredient in making the Mongolian sauce.
Fresh garlic
Fresh ginger
Lite soy sauce
A cup of Water
Rice vinegar
Red pepper flakes

How to Make Instant Pot Mongolian Beef recipe from scratch?

Coat the beef: First, in a large ziplock bag, toss the sliced meat with cornstarch before browning it. Ensure that the meat is evenly coated. Actually, this is known as velveting and creates the most tender meat.
Sear the meat: Next, add olive oil to the bottom of the pot, heat oil, and using the “saute function” of your pressure cooker, brown and sear the beef strips for a few minutes on each side. In conclusipon, do in batches, and repeat the step with the remaining oil and meat.
Add the rest of the ingredients and cook: Lastly, add the rest of the ingredients to the instant pot: minced garlic, minced ginger, low sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, water, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Then, close the lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. After that, do a 10-minute natural pressure release and finally do a quick release for the remaining pressure.
Optional* add the cornstarch slurry: Actually, this part is optional if you want a thicker consistency for the savory sauce. Simply, mix cornstarch with water in a small bowl until fully combined. After that, add the cornstarch mixture to the electric pressure cooker and cook for an additional 2 minutes on Sauté, stirring occasionally.
Serve: Best to serve warm over white rice. Top it with fresh green onions, and garnish with sesame seeds.

chopsticks holding a piece of Mongolian Beef

Make it in the crockpot:

This dish can also be made in your Crockpot or in the Instant Pot using the Slow Cooker function.
First, sear the meat and after that, add the browned meat to the Slow Cooker. Next add the rest of the ingredients, except for the cornstarch slurry.
After that, cover and cook on High for 3 hours or on Low for 6 hours.
Finally, make the cornstarch slurry, gently stir it in and cook on high for 20 more minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Variations:

Meat: Make this recipe with other cuts of meat, also try it with chicken or pork.
Stovetop version: Try to make Mongolian beef on the stove using this easy recipe. This is a copycat of PF Chang’s copycat recipe.
Slow Cooker version: As an alternative, next time make this recipe in the crockpot.
Add vegetables: Also, try adding to the pot with the rest of the ingredients, some bell peppers, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, or carrots.
Spicier: An an option, add some hot sauce or extra red pepper flakes to make this great meal spicier.
Gluten-free: Easily make this recipe gluten-free by using coconut aminos.

How to serve:

Serve the tender beef on top of fluffy white rice, brown rice, or any other grain that you prefer.
Try to serve this great meal with some soba noodles or rice vermicelli.
Also, give it a try with a simple salad on the side.
Optionally, for a healthier version, serve it with cauliflower rice.
As an alternative, add vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, or bok choy on the side.

Instant pot mongolian beef garnished with chopped green onions on a wooden spoon

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of beef is best to use?

Choose a type of beef that is quickly cooked such as flank steak or sirloin. This recipe usually calls for flank steak, which is thinly sliced to about 1/4 inch thick. However, you can also use a more expensive cut such as filet mignon. Avoid tougher beef like stewing meat.

How to store:

Cool: First, let the meal completely cool to room temperature.
Store: After that, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freeze: As an alternative, freeze this meal for later. First, make sure the meal is not warm. After that, add it to a freezer-safe airtight container or a freezer bag and freeze for 3 months.
Thaw: Finally, when ready to use it, transfer it from the freezer to the fridge and let it thaw overnight.
Reheat: Reheat it on the stove over medium heat, or microwave it.

More Instant Pot Recipes:

Cooking Tips:

Use quality meat. I always say this, but a good meat-centered meal starts with quality meat, preferably use organic beef for this meal.
Also, we recommend using a flank steak. In addition, it is easier to cut it into thin strips. I like to slice mine about 1/4 inch thick.
You can definitely cut the meat very thinly as it is served in restaurants. I personally prefer to cut it a little thicker, so don’t be afraid to experiment. Important to remember, when slicing your flank steak make sure to slice it against the grain.
As a rune, do not overcrowd the pan when browning the meat. You want to get a crisp texture, so do it in batches.
Traditionally, the beef in this recipe should be fried in lots of oil to make it very, very crispy, I decided to reduce the oil, sugar, and all the frying in this recipe to make it healthier.
Keep in mind that cornstarch is a key ingredient here, do not try to replace it with flour, the results will not be the same.
I used a LOT of garlic in this great recipe, we love garlic in our family and I think it works really well with the sweet and salty flavors. Feel free to use less if you are not a huge garlic fan.
A nice, fruity red wine such as Zinfandel or Syrah pairs nicely with the flavors in this beef dish.
If you’re looking for a white wine option, Riesling or Pinot Grigio are always great matches for bold, somewhat spicy dishes.