Gotta love instant pot Asian recipes! This instant pot Mongolian beef is made with flank steak & is ready in 20 minutes. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal
Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
Happy 2017 everybody! I am starting off the year by featuring Instant Pot Recipes. This delicious melt-in-your-mouth tender Mongolian Beef is so easy to make that will definitely become part of your weekly rotation. I used flank steak infused with a sweet and savory sauce.
Forget about PF Chang’s when you can make the same recipe at home without frying the beef and is ready in 20 minutes or less. No weird chemicals or fillers, just ingredients that you already have in your pantry.
I decided to make this recipe because it’s my husbands favorite, every time we go to PF Chang’s he orders it. Making restaurant meals at home is much healthier because you can always control the type of ingredients you are putting in and use less oil, sugars, etc.
Serve it with a side of broccoli and rice. I added some shredded carrots to add a pop of color, sweetness, and texture. If you’re not a fan, you can definitely omit it.
I am addicted to my Instant Pot and love the fact that it makes super flavorful foods in no time. Pressure cooking breaks down meat and injects it so much taste. Which is kind of the opposite of a slow cooker, who sometimes “waters down” flavors after cooking for so long.
My first instant pot recipe was with flank steak as well. That day I went with Venezuelan Shredded Beef. It’s very different from this dish but equally delicious. It just goes to show how versatile and ingredient can be.
I hope you can try this delicious Instant Pot Mongolian Beef at home. If you do, please upload a pic on Instagram and tag me @Livingsweetmoments or use the hashtag #LivingSweet. I promise to repost it.
Gotta love instant pot Asian recipes! This instant pot Mongolian beef is made with flank steak & is ready in 20 minutes. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal
- 1 1/2 lbs Flank steak
- 3/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 carrot shredded
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 green onion sliced (garnish)
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
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Slice flank steak into strips
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In a bowl, combine soy sauce, water, oil, sugar, ginger, and garlic
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Pour sauce in the instant pot
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Add beef strips and shredded carrot. Mix until the beef is coated in the sauce
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Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes (8 minutes MANUAL)
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After 8 minutes, let the Mongolian beef cool inside the pot for 10 minutes before releasing the pressure (10 Min Natural Pressure Release, NPR)
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In a small bowl, combine the water and the cornstarch until there are no lumps
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Turn the SAUTE button on your Instant Pot and pour in the cornstarch mixture. Let the sauce boil until it thickens. 1-2 minutes
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Pour the beef into a platter and garnish with green onions. Enjoy!
Other Instant Pot Recipes to try:
Asian Sesame Instant Pot Chicken
Wonderful ! I made a couple changes the second go round. Used London broil sliced thin on the bias, spiced it up with siracha and black pepper. Also a tablespoon of ketchup. Increased cool time to 10 minutes.
Yumm Kayla! Those are some delicious suggestions! Thanks for sharing!
Try hanger steak. It is excellent for anything stew or stewish. It has way more flavor than flank, is somewhat cheaper, and doesn’t have that stringy texture flank steak can have when cooked.
This basic recipe is very useful. You can make it German, Hungarian, Ita;ian, et al, simply by changing the sauce ingredients.
Very useful.
Thanks.
This was so yummy love it
Thank you Polly! Glad you liked it!
Great recipe. Maybe you didn’t mean it like it came off, but I felt hurt when you said “without any weird ingredients”. I felt like that statement, saying the authentic ingredients of my Chinese heritage are “weird” make me abnormal. It may seem minor. I found this website and felt like I was all of a sudden an outsider.
Oh my goodness, Justin. That was not my intention at all. I deeply apologize for offending you. I’ve always respected and admired the Chinese culture.
That phrase will be re-written to reflect clearer my intention.
Hi Tiffany,
I am Chinese as well and although I am late to this post I’d like to let you know that I most certainly GOT what you meant by the “weird” ingredients part. All of the stuff they put in at the majority of fast food restaurants. Thank you again for the recipe! xoxo
Hi Amber! Thanks so much for your comment. Have a great one!
Really? Can we get over ourselves and stop being so offended by everything? This isn’t China! The ingredients you’re used to are different than most Americans choose to cook with. Good luck finding any situation, workplace, friend group or any walk in life in which everyone shares the same viewpoint or taste as you. You can’t live much of a life if you walk around being “offended” by even the most casual of remarks. Relax!!
Yeah.
Justin should get a life.
The only negative comments on recipe threads should be that your entire family died from eating this.
If you don’t care for it, don’t make it. Or, if your Mother didn’t educate you on etiquette, just say it sucks (which this recipe does NOT, in my opinion)).
For God’s sake, does everything have to be political?
Eat, Drink and be Merry, for tomorrow……(look it up, Justin)
Right on!
Relax Justin, I interpreted ‘weird’ as those ingredients which are chemical based and not natural as would be from one’s own kitchen
That’s how I interpreted “weird.” Chemical, not natural ingredients.
I use Chinese ingredients a lot, I have a whole fridge shelf dedicated to different Asian sauces and ingredients. 🙂 yummmmm
Ok, I’m not a good cook, I don’t even like cooking exactly, but I’m LOVING my IP and this recipe helped to grow said love. Mine turned out way too salty. I used a dark mushroom soy sauce, perhaps that’s why? However, my husband and I loved it!!! Next time I may try just 1/4 c. soy to 1/2 c. water. Even as salty as it was it was SO delicious. Thanks so very much for the recipe. I can’t wait to try your other IP recipes. ❤️
Hi Victoria! I’m glad you liked the recipe . Mushroom soy sauce is way saltier than regular soy sauce, next time use a little less or just substitute for soy sauce. Enjoy your IP!
IMHO, always use low sodium soy sauce, which is readily available.
We have too much salt in our diet. It has been bred into us by preservation methods from antiquity.
But once you have beaten the salt monster down, everything tastes too salty.
I am not a scold on the subject, as different people have different sodium needs, but since everything we eat which was not made with our own hands has too much salt, Even low sodium soy sauce tastes like all salt. They even sell low sodium spam. It still tastes like pure salt to me.
I hope this helps.
Thanks for your comment John. I always buy low-sodium as well.
Because my husband has severe high blood pressure and we carefully watch sodium, I opted for coconut aminos (I like the Coconut Secrets brand) which is much lower in sodium. In fact it is low enough that I added a smidgeon of coarse salt to the dish along with a some freshly ground black pepper. Because we do less sodium, I tend to increase other seasonings – ginger and garlic in this case. And I reduced the brown sugar ever so slightly because I was reducing the sodium and thought it might be too sweet. It was delicious. I used 3/4 cup coconut aminos, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons ginger, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and a generous sprinkle of pepper.
Thank you for your excellent base recipe. I hope my suggestions are helpful to others who need to watch either sodium or sugars.
Thanks for the tips Trish! will definitely try it with coconut aminos!
Very tasty. I would definitely cut the brown sugar down to 1/4 C. and next time I would like to try adding toasted sesame seeds for serving. This time I used 2 shredded carrots (good) and only 2 Tbsp flour (forgot that I was supposed to use cornstarch). I did the pressure cook for 10 min (as opposed to 8) as was suggested and I agree. Will make again
Glad you liked it K. The sesame seeds at the end is a very nice idea. I’ll definitely try it with my next batch
Delicious! I added chopped onions to it, and would suggest using more steak for the amount of liquid at the end. So good that my husband asked me if I could make it for a potluck at his work later! For freezing, would I add all ingredients except for cornstarch and water, and add more time to cook?
Glad you liked it Amanda!
When you freeze, you actually do not need to add time to the cooking. It’ll just take longer for the IP to come to pressure. A tip is to throw your frozen beef and sauce in the ip and press the sautee for 4-5 minutes, then cover and select high pressure.
I don’t usually buy beef, but I found myself at Costco with a big package of flank steak the other day. I came across this recipe and tried it last night. We absolutely loved it! My daughter “mmmmmmm”ed the whole time! I haven’t thrown many veggies into my IP concoctions so far, but my carrots in this one kind of just disappeared right into the liquid. Is this normal? I added some broccoli and that was still somewhat distinguishable at the end. 🙂
Hi Lauren!
Glad you liked it! The carrots may disappear a bit but add flavor to the sauce. Next time, you can cut them a bit bigger if you’d like so they don’t dissolve. Have a great day!
Thanks so much!
You’re welcome 🙂
Thank you for the recipe – I have frozen skirt steak – do you know how I would adjust the cooking directions to be able to go straight into the IP from frozen ? #IPnewbie
Hi Stephanie! You don’t need to adjust the time at all. It’ll just take longer for ip to come to pressure. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the recipe. We made it tonight for dinner. It came out way too salty and I only used half a cup of soy sauce. I think if I only use a quarter cup soy sauce and increase the water, it will work better for us. I made a few other changes to make it low carb. I skipped the brown sugar and used a quarter cup of Swerve (erythritol) and subbed arrowroot for the corn starch.
Hi Ashley! Thanks for your feedback! I am sorry it was too salty for you. Great suggestions on how to make it low carb. I have some swerve in my pantry and I’ll give it a try! Have a great day!
the same for us , it was way too salty from the soy sauce , 1/4 c maybe and more water everything else turned out good .
Thanks for your feedback Steven!
Thanks for the recipe. I used to velvet the meat, boil for 1 minute, then rest, then stir fry. This recipe did away with all that. I used arrowroot as I was out of cornstarch. Also added some crushed red pepper and crushed garlic. It was fab tender and great. I am an experienced cook but novice IP user. Appreciate your recipe!
Glad you liked it, Kimberly! Loved the ideas of adding crushed red pepper and garlic.
This will be my first IP attempt. Do you mean to let the meat rest for 10 minutes THEN do a 10 minute NPR? Or is the resting time actually the NPR “time”?
resting is a NPR Judith. So cook the beef for 8 minutes on high pressure and let it cool in the pot for 10 minutes (natural pressure release) before opening the valve. Good luck!
Great recipe! I had marinated a flank steak overnight in a marinade similar to the mixture you suggested for this dish, Mine used 1/4 cup of honey instead of brown sugar. I use low salt soy sauce to manage the saltiness. We had intended to grill outside or broil in the oven. With temps in the 90s outside and not wanting to heat up the house, I found your recipe, sliced up the steak with an onion, and cooked as directed in the Instant Pot. Wow! So tender and tasty! My husband, quite the chef himself, was very impressed. Definitely a recipe to be repeated. Thanks !
Thanks for your feedback Teri! I’m glad you liked it. Using honey instead of sugar it’s a great suggestion.
If I am using 2 lb. of meat, do I need to increase the cooking time?
Hi Patty! No need to increase the time, it’ll just take longer for the IP to come to pressure
Just made this tonight as I received my IP from amazon today. This was very delicious and the meat was so tender. I won’t need to spend all that money on Chinese food anymore :-). Thanks for the recipe.
So glad you liked Brian! Thanks for your feedback!
It was really strong… we used Top Sirloin steak. Overall good, but wheew.. strong.
Hi Corey! thank you so much for your feedback. I am sorry the flavor came through as too strong. Will definitely consider in future recipes. Happy Sunday!
Thanks for the recipe 🙂 I tried this today. The kids loved it! I found it a bit too sweet so I’ll put less sugar next time. The meat was really tender and just right.
Hi Ruba! Glad your kids loved it. And yes, if you find it too sweet reduce the sugar a bit and it’ll be just right. You can also add some Sriracha if you like the spice.
Amazing recipe. My family just loves it. We will have this dish on our regular menu!
Thanks for your feedback Vickie! so glad you and your family liked it!
I made this last night exactly as the recipe was written. It. was fantastic! I saved the leftover sauce to put on noodles tonight. This is a keeper! I am wondering if Tamari or Liquid aminos would work n place of the say sauce?
That’s great Joanie! thanks so much for your feedback!
hello —
i have 2 questions:
1. We use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce b/c my son is gluten and soy sensitive. Would this be about the same amount?
2. My IP requires 3c of liquid, but this recipe calls for 1 c liquid. Would I have to triple your recipe or can i add water/broth?
Thanks so much!
Hi Ellie,
answers to your questions:
1) YES
2) You can, but it will alter the taste of the sauce. I would triple the recipe. You may freeze the extra sauce for later use.
What size of Instant Pot do you have?
I just got my Instant Pot and this was the first recipe I tried. I was very disappointed as my meat turned out tough. I used flank steak and even sliced it on the bias as this is how I normally make Mongolian Beef in a wok. It was also a little too salty with too much sauce. I can make the necessary adjustments for the saltiness and too much sauce, but I don’t know about the toughness. Should it be pressure cooked a little longer than the recommended 8 minutes? Not sure if I would make this again.
Hi Pam! I am so sorry you didn’t like the recipe. Meat usually is super tender at 8 minutes, maybe your cut was a bit thicker than mine. Just pop in there again for 2-3 more minutes and I’m sure it will become tender.
For the saltiness, dilute the sauce in a bit of water.
Loved it! This was the first meal I made in my Instant Pot. Thanks!
Yay! glad you liked it Anita! the IP is truly wonderful
I love finding recipes that I have all the ingredients for already! I’m making this after church today, and serving with carrot spiral noodles I found at Trader Joes. They’re so delicious and sweet on their own that paired with this recipe, they’ll boarder amazing!
Yum Laura!! love the carrot spiral noodle idea as a pairing! thanks for sharing!
Hi Tiffany
I would love to make rice at the same time. Can you tellme how to do it.
I can’t wait to make this.
Thanks,
Sherrie
Hi Sherrie! I wouldn’t make them at the same time since you run the risk of the rice being overcooked
For rice accompaniment I suggest Uncle Ben’s microwavable rice in a pouch. Ninety seconds and the rice is done….and easy to time with the finish time for the IP meal.
Great suggestion Sylvia! thanks for the tip
I read through the comments before checking. If I double the recipe, the cook time will remain the same? Just checking because I have been wanting to make Mongolian Beef and am new to IP.
exactly Joyce! the time will remain the same.
This is my first IP recipe I have attempted to make and it was a success! So delicious. My husband said it is one of the best dishes I’ve ever made. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
That’s awesome Jennifer! Thanks for your feedback!
Hi. I have made this recipe a few times now, and I absolutely love it! Thank you! My question is, if I double the meat, should I double the other ingredients, specifically the liquids? Also, would the time then change?
Hi Denise! so glad you liked the dish!
Tiffany, should I increase the liquids, other ingredients, and cook time, if I double the meat? 🙂
No Denise! The time stays the same. The ingredients doubled.
Thank you!!
you’re welcome! let me know how it comes out
We really enjoyed this and the meat was incredibly tender. We used the pre-cut stir fry meat from the store. Next time I will cut down on the sugar and add closer to 3 cloves of garlic. ❤️
Glad you enjoyed Kristina! thanks for leaving your feedback
If I cook this pot in pot using 2 steamer containers (they are solid but have vent holes in the tops and sick easiiy) can I cook rice at the same time?
Stack not sick easily..damn auto correct!
lol
I’ve never done PIP 😀 I’m afraid to over/under cook the rice
I made this, with some alterations, for dinner tonight. It got raves from the family and I was requested double the recipe next time so it could be used for lunches.the next day. I live with my daughter, son in aw and 13 year old grand daughter. I do much of the cooking as I’m retired.
Prep time took me about 15 minutes.
I added a tsp of Chili-Garlic Siracha Sauce. I love the flavor this imparted. as did my family.
I quartered a double handful of baby carrots for the veggie dish. Cooked with the meat, the carrot swere tender and had a piquqant spiciness that everyone enjoyed.. Since I usually just seem veggies in the IP, cooking them in the sauce was different. I’m going to try this with Indian food.
I found slicing the flank steak while still partially frozen allows me to make thinner slices.I marinated the flank steak for 2 hours in the soy sauce base mixture.as I’d forgotten the family had a 7PM appointment.
I was out of cornstarch so I left the sauce as is. It’s flavorful over rice. No one but me knew it should be thicker.
I cooked pot-in-pot with 2 steamer containers (from Amazon) – a rice.blend from Simply Balanced containing brown rice, rye, bulgur, wheat, red quinoa and wild rice.in the bottom steamer container following package directions for water/rice ratio and the meat and carrots in the top steamer container., stacked in the IP main cooking kettle. I had to cook it a bit longer than this recipe called for due to the rice blend, but the meat was fork tender and not overcooked.. I decided to use the rice blend because we’ve been eating a lot of white and brown rice with Indian food the past couple of weeks. The rice blend is nutty tasting and has lots of fiber. I think I got it at Whole Foods (aka Whole Check).
I’m glad I added the chili garlic sauce and wish I’d had sesame seeds on hand to toast and use on top, but still the family loved this dish.
Thanks so much for your recipe. Decided to join the mailing list!
I bought my IP because I love Indian food and I purchased an Indian Cookbook too..been making Indian food for a couple of weeks, trying out spices and recipes. This dish was a nice alternative. I’m going to try French Onion Soup tomorrow and Orange Chicken Sunday.
The IP has renewed my interest in exotic cooking and makes clean ups easy. What a great invention it is..
This was my first pot in pot use. I ended up putting about a cup of water in the IP main pot because I didn’t know if I could just place the secondary containers directly into the IP pot. In any case it worked out fine and I’d probably do the same thing again..
Doing this i only had the 2 stainless steel containers to clean up afterward..
Wow Ele! thanks for your comment. I haven’t tried the PIP yet! By the way Sriracha on that recipe must taste amazing. Have a great weekend
I read down to the dramatic “Chinese ingredient” comments that Tiffany for some reason didn’t remove (I’m guessing because they make her look better, although they don’t, while belittling the potential follower). Great job, I’ll be sure to spread the word to not visit your posts. Have a nice day.
Dear Nancy. I am here to answer questions about food and recipes, not to humiliate my readers (if that’s what you’re implying). I don’t erase comments simply because everybody is entitled to their own opinion, if that’s offends you, then I apologize. Have a great Memorial Weekend.
I made this tonight; flavour was fantastic and my family loved it. I think it may be a bit over cooked though as it was more like a stew. Should I reduce cooking time or pressure release time when I make it next?
Cook it less next time Keri! Thanks for your feedback