Crockpot Mongolian Beef
My family loves Asian-inspired food. We dont have many takeout places close to where we live, so when I find an easy recipe (especially when it is made in the crock pot), I jump on it. I knew this recipe would be a hit even before I made it. It doesnt require any cooking on preparation day, just throw a few ingredients in a bag, and thats it! It smells sooooo good while its cooking, and looks like you spent all day slaving over the stove! By the time the steak was finished cooking, it was fall-apart tender. This Mongolian Beef has a sweet/salty taste, and both of my kids loved it! I served this over rice and cut up a couple of extra green onions to sprinkle on top.
My family loves Asian-inspired food. We dont have many takeout places close to where we live, so when I find an easy recipe (especially when it is made in the crock pot), I jump on it. I knew this recipe would be a hit even before I made it. It doesnt require any cooking on preparation day, just throw a few ingredients in a bag, and thats it! It smells sooooo good while its cooking, and looks like you spent all day slaving over the stove! By the time the steak was finished cooking, it was fall-apart tender. This Mongolian Beef has a sweet/salty taste, and both of my kids loved it! I served this over rice and cut up a couple of extra green onions to sprinkle on top.
- Carbohydrate 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (0g)
- Sodium 0 mg
- Sugar 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Calories 0 calories
Step-by-step
- Coat flank steak pieces in cornstarch.
- Add remainder of ingredients to crockpot and stir well to combine.
- Place flank steak into the crockpot and cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours.
- Serve over rice or noodles, if desired.
- Coat flank steak in cornstarch.
- Combine remaining ingredients and place in freezer bag.
- Add steak to bag.
- Label and freeze.
- To serve: Thaw.
- Cook in crockpot on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours.
Flank steak has a dense grain structure that requires careful handling to achieve a tender texture in a slow cooker. The ingredient list omits the crucial step of slicing the meat perpendicular to the grain, which shortens the muscle fibers and prevents the beef from chewing like leather after hours of simmering. Cutting the 1.5 pounds of steak into uniform strips ensures even heat penetration inside the ceramic insert.
Adapting this dish for lower sodium requirements or gluten sensitivities involves simple swaps. Regular soy sauce can be replaced with tamari at a strict one-to-one ratio to remove wheat while preserving the savory depth required to balance three-quarters of a cup of brown sugar. Coating the meat strips in cornstarch acts as a thickener that clings to the liquids as they reduce, creating a glossy sauce without requiring a separate stovetop reduction step at the end of the cooking cycle.
When cooking on high heat for two to three hours, check that the liquid reaches a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil, which can toughen the protein strands prematurely. Pair the finished beef with steamed jasmine rice or noodles to absorb the abundant sauce.
