Mongolian Ground Beef combines cooked ground beef, green onions, and a simple stir-fry sauce to deliver a tasty dinner that the whole family will love! Mongolian beef is a staple at American Chinese restaurants, and today we're simplifying the dish so you can enjoy it in the comfort of your own home in about 20 minutes or less.
BROWN BEEF: Heat a skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil and swirl to coat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the ground beef to the center of the pan. Let it cook for 30 seconds without disturbing. Then, use a wooden spoon to break the meat into crumbles and cook until it's cooked through, about 6-9 minutes. Drain off most of the fat if there is an excess. Meanwhile, thinly slice the green onions, separating the green part from the root.
AROMATICS: Reduce heat to medium-high. Add remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil, white parts of green onions, garlic and ginger. Saute until fragrant-- about 1-2 minutes.
SAUCE: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and chicken stock until completely smooth. Add in mirin, brown sugar (start with less -- you can always add more -- we usually do 1 tablespoon), soy sauce, and red pepper flakes if using (we use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon). Whisk until smooth.
FINISH: Pour sauce and green parts of green onions on top of the beef. Cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid has thickened and is nicely coating the beef. Garnish with sesame seeds if desired. If desired, serve over rice (See Note 3), enjoy immediately!
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Notes
Note 1: To make prep seriously quick and easy, we use Dorot garlic and ginger cubes (6 of each which is the equivalent of 2 tablespoons). Alternatively you can use pre-minced garlic and ginger paste here.Note 2: Mirin is typically found in the oil and vinegar aisle or in the condiment aisle. It's usually near soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, etc. You can use rice wine vinegar (also called rice vinegar) in a pinch, but you may need a touch more sugar.Note 3: Here's the quickest/easiest way to get perfect basmati rice (must use basmati for this to work!)
Fill a large pot with water and set it to boil.
Once the water is at a rolling boil, salt the water and add in rice.
Cook without reducing the heat, for 6 minutes (taste test to ensure it is tender) and then drain and fluff with a fork. Easy!