Description
This Instant Pot Mongolian Beef recipe delivers tender, flavorful beef in a savory sauce that's better than takeout and ready in just 30 minutes. Served over your choice of rice or quinoa and topped with fresh green onions and sesame seeds, it's a quick and delicious meal perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked quinoa, white rice, jasmine rice, cauliflower rice, or brown rice for serving
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil or sesame oil
- 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce, Tamari or coconut aminos
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger root, grated
- 1/2 cup water or beef broth
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch or cornstarch
- 2 cups broccoli florets, chopped small
- 4 stalks green onions
- Sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, or sriracha sauce (optional for topping)
Instructions
- Cook the rice or quinoa: Prepare the brown rice, quinoa, or your choice of rice according to the package instructions and set aside to keep warm.
- Prepare the steak: Cut the flank steak into thin slices against the grain to ensure tenderness. Set aside.
- Sear the beef: Turn the Instant Pot onto the sauté setting and add olive or sesame oil. Heat until shimmering, then in 2-3 batches, sear the steak slices for 1-2 minutes per side without overcrowding to avoid steaming.
- Make the sauce mixture: While searing, whisk together soy sauce (or coconut aminos), minced garlic, grated ginger, and water or beef broth in a bowl.
- Pressure cook the beef: After searing, cancel the sauté setting. Pour the sauce mixture over the beef in the Instant Pot. Secure the lid, ensuring the pressure valve is sealed. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Allow 5-7 minutes for pressure to build before the cooking timer starts.
- Prepare the thickening slurry: While the beef cooks, mix the tapioca starch or cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl.
- Release pressure and add broccoli: When cooking finishes, carefully quick-release the pressure valve. Remove the lid, then add the cornstarch slurry, honey, and chopped broccoli to the pot.
- Thicken sauce and steam broccoli: Turn on the sauté setting again and stir frequently until sauce thickens. Close the Instant Pot lid loosely and steam the broccoli for about 4-6 minutes until crisp-tender and brightly green. For a thicker sauce, add another tablespoon of cornstarch slurry and sauté for an additional minute.
- Serve: Spoon the Mongolian beef and broccoli over cooked rice or quinoa. Garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and optional red pepper flakes or sriracha for extra heat.
- Enjoy and review: Serve immediately and enjoy this flavorful homemade Mongolian beef, and don’t forget to leave a review if you try the recipe!
Notes
- Sear the beef first to develop flavorful caramelized bits that enhance the sauce.
- Slice the flank steak thinly against the grain for tender, not chewy, beef.
- Use fresh garlic and ginger to keep the sauce vibrant and aromatic.
- Don’t skip making the cornstarch slurry; it thickens the sauce perfectly.
- Steam broccoli just until bright green to maintain a crisp-tender texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
