This Instant Pot Mongolian Beef is the easiest beef recipe on Corrie Cooks!
Just toss all the ingredients into the Instant Pot and wait for the magic to happen.
This recipe is perfect for beginners since there is no need for countless steps or complex cooking methods.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
As you can see, this recipe is designed for those of you who are trying your first recipe in the Instant Pot or are in a hurry. Once you have the correctly sliced beef, you just toss everything in the Instant Pot, select the right settings, and continue your work until the meal is ready.
Recipe Video
The easy way
If it's your first time, or if you are in a hurry, I would suggest you go with the simple version and just dump and go.
If you are going simple, just:
- Dump all the ingredients to the Instant Pot and stir.
- Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes.
- wait for a natural pressure release.
- Serve and enjoy.
The fancy way
If you have time and want to get a slightly better taste, go this way:
Gather all the necessary ingredients.
Press saute and add olive oil. Add minced garlic and chopped onions into the Instant Pot and saute for 3 minutes.
Add beef slices and saute for 3 more minutes.
Next, add soy sauce.
Add Hoisin sauce (the secret sauce of our recipe!)
Add brown sugar, ginger and water and stir well.
Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
When the cooking cycle ends, wait for a natural pressure release (or at least for 20 minutes).
Open the lid.
Next, add green onions and stir for 1 minute.
Take out the beef.
Add fresh Cilantro on top and serve.
How to serve
The best way of enjoying the Instant Pot Mongolian Beef is on top of jasmine rice or brown rice.
There are other options you can consider. For instance, it works extremely well with fried or steamed veggies such as broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, green beans, and more.
It also works with stir fry noodles or even fried rice.
Need more ideas? Check out What to Serve With Mongolian Beef for 21 delicious side dishes.
FAQ
What Cut of Beef to Use?
For this recipe, you have the freedom of choosing any type of beef you enjoy the most. I like to go with flank steak or top round beef, but you can use the one you have at the ready. Other options that work just as well are sirloin, skirt steak, chuck roast, or New York strip.
Feel free to diversify and try different options until you find your favorite.
How to cut the beef?
The cuts of beef above should be easy to cut in thin strips.
If you feel you can’t get the right slices, put the steak in the freezer for about 30 minutes to 1h. This will bring the meat together and will make it easier to slice.
Remember, always slice against the grain.
What does it Taste Like?
The best description I can provide is that it tastes like Chinese takeout, but better.
To give you more details, you should know that the result is sweet and flavorful, but not spicy (which some of us may expect from Asian foods). The garlic, soy sauce, ginger, and brown sugar create an exotic combination that can be off-putting for someone who is not into sweet beef, so make sure to check with your guests before serving it.
If you do like sweet dishes, check out this Instant Pot Beef And Broccoli (The most popular recipe on the blog!)
Anyway, I advise caution - this dish can be quite addictive! When you add some steamed rice to the mix, you may never want to give it up...
Can I replace the brown sugar?
I strongly recommend using dark brown sugar instead of any other kind of sugar.
Dark brown sugar has a higher concentration of molasses and this improves the overall flavor profile of this dish.
Can I Replace the Meat?
While it is called Mongolian Beef, you can make it into Mongolian chicken or pork if you’re not a fan of beef.
Still, it’s best to select meats that can be thinly sliced. The beauty and deliciousness of this dish stand in the way the meat is cooked and infused with the flavors in the sauce.
For step-by-step images and video guide, check out the Instant Pot Mongolian Chicken recipe.
What to do with the leftovers?
If there are any leftovers (which may never happen), store them in an airtight container, in the refrigerator.
It is safe to keep the leftovers for 3 days and you can reheat them in the microwave or a skillet.
Can I freeze the leftovers?
Sure. Feel free to keep it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Can I make it spicy?
If you want to make the recipe spicy, add half a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes to the mixture. If you don’t have this, sriracha sauce also does the trick, just make sure to taste it.
Beef Recipes
For more ideas, check out these Instant Pot Beef Recipes.
Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ lb top round beef sliced into thin strips
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger chopped
- ½ cup Hoisin sauce
- ½ cup green onion chopped
- cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Press "saute" and add olive oil.
- Add onion and garlic and saute the pot for 3 minutes.
- Add beef and saute for 3 more minutes.
- Add soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, brown sugar, ginger and water and stir well.
- Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- When cooking time is complete, wait for a natural release (Or for at least 20 minutes).
- Add green onion and stir for 1 minute.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
Bold and Beautiful Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
Tried this last night!! Only my second meal attempt in my new IP! It turned out fantastic (even my picky teenager liked it!)! Love the options you provided above, too, to customize to personal tastes! Thank you SO MUCH!!
Yes this this is one of my favorites as well!! Glad you like it ^_^
Excellent! I cut down the brown sugar to about 1/4 cup and used stew meat instead. Cooked for 30 min in instant pot. It was perfect. Great flavor.
Thanks 🙂
I know you commented a long time ago but I thought I try to reach out! I have stew meat also. Did you do 30 min and also naturally release or no?
Hi Corrie, what cut of beef do you use for the mongolian beef? Thanks!
Flank steak or top round beef is the best in my opinion.
Planning to make this tonight!! If you sear the beef first do you still cook it on high pressure for 10 min or less since its already slightly cooked?
I would still do 10 minutes 🙂
Just made this last night, it was fabulous! I added broccoli and carrots since we like veggies too, and also added red chili flakes for a touch of heat, super simple and oh so tasty! Definitely a keeper
I am making this tonight, it’s my third time. We love this recipe! Tonight I’m going to add fresh chili peppers, cayenne peppers, and broccoli from our garden. Sooooo goood
Thanks Lisa! Veggies from your own garden are the best ^_^
You can stop everything immediately.
Soooo glad you like it 🙂 Pepper flakes may be a great addition!
Super simple, super tasty! I did think the sauce would be a tad bit thicker over all easy dish that I will make again.
Maybe you can mix a little water and cornstarch. I do that to thicken sauces.
We love this! So yummy and easy. Just dump and go!
Hey Amy. I'm so happy you like it 🙂
I have tender beef tips in the freezer that I plan on using in this recipe. How much longer should I cook the meat as I am not using thin sliced beef?
Thanks!
Yum! I would try to slice the beef tips thinly, or if you want to leave them whole, maybe add 5 minutes to the cook time.
Just defrost them so they are still a block but softer. (still par frozen) Then cut the block in to slices.
But the sodium is outrageous! Anyway to lower it?
Pacific Islands Soy Sauce has only 250 mg. sodium per Tbsp. I further cut the amount in half and substituted half again with Worcestershire sauce light which is 130 mg sodium per Tbsp. Best of Thailand Soy Sauce has 270 mg sodium. Wok Mei Hoisin has 180 mg sodium per Tbsp., These are on Amazon.
This is still a lot but adding the crushed red pepper helps to keep it flavorful.
So you can reduce the amounts of salt some to fit your diet.
I also found salt free powdered Worcestershire on Amazon to reduce the sodium even more.
If you can add potassium, No Salt or Herb Ox will add back some flavor. ( I also like Oyster sauce and found one with 310 mg sodium. ) Good luck. I am a compulsive ingredient reader and I love my instant pot!
While I haven't tried this recipe yet, I have compared using this much soy sauce with other recipes for Mongolian Beef on Pinterest and plan to use this much when I make it. Hope you like it.