Mongolian Beef and Broccoli is thin-sliced flank steak marinated in soy sauce and cornstarch, dredged and fried until crispy, then tossed with broccoli and scallions in a glossy sauce of hoisin, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and ginger. Served over jasmine rice, it feeds 4. The cooking takes about 15 minutes, plus an hour for the beef to marinate.
How to make it: Marinate the steak strips in oil, soy sauce and cornstarch for an hour. Dredge them in more cornstarch and fry them in batches until crispy. In the same skillet, cook garlic and ginger, add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar and hoisin and simmer until thick. Steam the broccoli in the sauce under a lid, then toss the beef and scallions back in.
Why You’ll Love It
- Crispy beef: the cornstarch dredge fries up with a light crust that grabs the sauce.
- Sweet-savory sauce: hoisin, soy sauce and brown sugar with fresh garlic and ginger.
- One skillet: beef, sauce and broccoli all cook in the same pan.
- Fast once it’s marinated: about 15 minutes at the stove.
Ingredient Notes
Flank steak: 1 pound, sliced against the grain into 1/4-inch strips. Skirt steak works too. A thicker steak like sirloin should be pounded thin before slicing.
Oil: 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of cooking oil: 1 tablespoon for the marinade, the rest for frying.
Soy sauce: 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons of low-sodium soy sauce: 2 teaspoons for the marinade, the rest for the sauce. Use tamari to make it gluten free.
Cornstarch: 5 tablespoons: 2 in the marinade and 3 for dredging.
Sauce: 3 cloves of garlic, 2 teaspoons of fresh ginger, 1/3 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce.
Vegetables and garnish: 1 head of broccoli cut into florets, 2 scallions cut into 1-inch pieces, sesame seeds and cooked jasmine rice.
Ingredients
- 1 pound flank steak, cut into 1/4-inch strips
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cooking oil, divided
- 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
- 2 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
- Cooked jasmine rice, for serving
How to Make Mongolian Beef and Broccoli
1. Marinate the steak. In a plastic zipper bag, combine the flank steak strips with 1 tablespoon of the oil, 2 teaspoons of the soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch. Seal the bag and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
2. Fry the beef. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining oil. Dredge the beef through the remaining cornstarch, shaking off any excess. Sauté the beef in batches, about 2 minutes per side, until crispy and cooked through (145°F on a food thermometer). Move the beef to a paper towel-lined plate.
3. Make the sauce. Add the garlic and ginger to the skillet and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in the remaining soy sauce, the water, brown sugar and hoisin sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it thicken, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the broccoli. Stir in the broccoli, cover the skillet, and cook until the broccoli is tender, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the scallions and beef. Add the scallions and return the beef to the skillet. Stir until the beef is completely coated in the sauce.
6. Serve. Serve over jasmine rice, garnished with sesame seeds.
Mongolian Beef vs. Beef and Broccoli
The two dishes are close cousins: both are sliced steak stir-fried in a soy-based sauce with garlic and ginger. The difference is the sauce and the vegetable each one is built around.
| Mongolian beef | Beef and broccoli | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it’s from | Taiwan; a staple of American Chinese restaurants | An American Chinese dish |
| The sauce | A brown sauce of hoisin and soy, sweetened with brown sugar | Oyster sauce and/or soy sauce, sometimes sweetened with sugar or honey |
| Vegetables | Usually onions or scallions; broccoli is a common addition | Broccoli florets, always |
| The beef | Sliced flank steak | Sliced steak, often tenderized with cornstarch |
| Served with | Steamed rice, or crispy fried cellophane noodles | Steamed rice |
Mongolian beef and broccoli is the Mongolian-style hoisin, soy and brown sugar sauce with broccoli cooked right in it. Despite the name, the dish has nothing to do with Mongolian cooking.
How to Keep the Beef Tender and Crispy
- Slice against the grain. Cut across the lines of the muscle into 1/4-inch strips.
- Give it the full hour. The marinade needs about an hour; 30 minutes works with a little less flavor, and it can go up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
- Cornstarch twice. Once in the marinade and once as a dredge. The coating helps hold in moisture and gives the crispy edge.
- Fry in batches. A crowded pan steams the beef instead of searing it.
- Don’t overcook the broccoli. About 3 minutes covered keeps it bright and tender.
- Short on time? Skip the marinade: toss the strips with 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and 1 whisked egg and cook them right away.
Variations
- More vegetables: add diced bell pepper, julienned carrots, sugar snap peas or snow peas with the broccoli.
- Heat: a sliced red chili or a pinch of chili flakes in the sauce.
- Gluten free: use tamari instead of soy sauce, and check that your hoisin is gluten free.
- Oyster sauce version: swap the hoisin for 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar for a sauce closer to beef and broccoli.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers. USDA FSIS says to eat them within 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. The broccoli softens and the beef loses its crisp after freezing.
Reheat: Reheat covered in a skillet or the microwave until the sauce bubbles and it reaches 165°F. Don’t reheat it in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Serve it over jasmine or basmati rice, or with egg fried rice. For more stir-fries, try Chinese beef and onion stir fry, chicken and broccoli stir fry or beef and broccoli ramen stir fry. For Mongolian beef with noodles, see Mongolian beef stir-fry with ramen or the quick 15-minute Mongolian ground beef noodles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Mongolian beef and broccoli beef?
Mongolian beef is built on a brown sauce of hoisin, soy sauce and brown sugar and usually has onions or scallions. Broccoli beef is built on broccoli and an oyster and/or soy sauce. Mongolian beef and broccoli puts broccoli into the hoisin sauce.
What should I marinate my beef in for beef and broccoli?
Oil, soy sauce and cornstarch for about an hour in the refrigerator, then dredge the strips in more cornstarch before frying. For no wait at all, coat them in cornstarch and egg.
What is the secret to a flavorful Mongolian beef?
A full hour in the marinade, fresh garlic and ginger, and a sauce that balances hoisin and brown sugar against soy sauce. Toss the crispy beef back in at the very end so it stays crisp.
What are some common mistakes to avoid when making beef and broccoli?
Cutting the beef with the grain, crowding the pan so the beef steams, cutting the marinade short, and overcooking the broccoli.
Final Notes
Start the marinade an hour before dinner, cook the rice while it sits, and the rest comes together in one skillet. If you make it, tell me in the comments which vegetables you added.
Mongolian Beef and Broccoli
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Ingredients
- 1 pound flank steak cut into 1/4-inch strips against the grain
- 1/4 cup cooking oil plus 1 tablespoon, divided
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce plus 2 teaspoons, divided
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch divided
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets
- 2 scallions cut into 1-inch pieces
- sesame seeds for garnish
- cooked jasmine rice for serving
Instructions
- In a plastic zipper bag, combine the flank steak strips with 1 tablespoon of the oil, 2 teaspoons of the soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch. Seal the bag and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining oil. Dredge the beef through the remaining cornstarch, shaking off any excess. Sauté the beef in batches, about 2 minutes per side, until crispy and cooked through (145°F on a food thermometer). Move the beef to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Add the garlic and ginger to the skillet and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in the remaining soy sauce, the water, brown sugar and hoisin sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it thicken, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in the broccoli, cover the skillet, and cook until the broccoli is tender, about 3 minutes.
- Add the scallions and return the beef to the skillet. Stir until the beef is completely coated in the sauce.
- Serve over jasmine rice, garnished with sesame seeds.
