Instant Pot Mongolian Beef

This instant pot mongolian beef is one of those recipes that sounds fancy but is actually really simple to make. Tender beef in a sweet and savory sauce, ready in under 30 minutes.

If you’ve ever ordered mongolian beef at a restaurant, you know how good it is. That sticky, flavorful sauce coating every piece of meat is hard to resist.

The great news is you can make it at home and it tastes just as good. Honestly, maybe even better because you control what goes into it.

The instant pot does most of the work here. You sear the beef, toss everything in, and let pressure cooking do its thing.

Serve it over some steamed white rice and you’ve got a complete dinner the whole family will enjoy.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

Faster Than Takeout – You can have tender Mongolian beef on the table in under 30 minutes thanks to the Instant Pot, which means no more waiting around for delivery or standing in line at your favorite Chinese restaurant.

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Tender Beef – The pressure cooker turns flank steak, which can be pretty tough if cooked wrong, into super soft and tender pieces that soak up all that sweet and savory sauce.

That Sauce Is Incredible – The combo of brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and a little kick from red pepper flakes creates a thick, glossy sauce that honestly tastes better than most restaurant versions.

Only One Pot to Clean – You sear the beef, build the sauce, pressure cook, and thicken everything all in the same Instant Pot, so you are not stuck washing a pile of dishes after dinner.

Ingredients

• 2 lb Flank Steak, sliced thin against the grain
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 5 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp Fresh Ginger, grated
• 2/3 cup Soy Sauce (low sodium)
• 2/3 cup Water
• 3/4 cup Brown Sugar, packed
• 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
• 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 3 tbsp Cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp Water
• 4 Green Onions, sliced
• 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds

Directions

Step 1

Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode and add the olive oil. Working in two batches, sear the flank steak slices for 1-2 minutes per side until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.

Step 2

Add the minced garlic and grated ginger to the pot. Saute for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Step 3

Pour in the soy sauce, water, and sesame oil. Add the brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Stir well to combine and scrape up any bits from the bottom.

Step 4

Return all the beef to the pot and stir to coat in the sauce. Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on High Pressure for 12 minutes.

Step 5

Perform a quick release by carefully turning the valve to Venting, keeping hands and face away from the steam. Remove the lid once the pin drops.

Step 6

Switch to Saute mode. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and let the sauce simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring gently, until it thickens and coats the beef.

Step 7

Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve over steamed white rice.

Pro Tips

Slice the Steak the Right Way

Look at your flank steak and you’ll see lines running through the meat. Those lines are called the grain. You want to cut across those lines, not along them. Cutting against the grain is what makes the beef tender and easy to chew after pressure cooking.

Try to slice the pieces about 1/4 inch thick. If the steak is giving you a hard time and flopping around, stick it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes first. A slightly firm steak is way easier to cut into thin, even slices.

Sear the Beef in Batches

It’s really important that you don’t dump all the beef into the pot at once. If the pot is overcrowded, the meat will steam instead of sear, and you won’t get that nice brown color on the outside. Brown color means more flavor in your final dish.

Split the steak into two batches and spread the pieces out so they aren’t touching or overlapping. Give each side about 1-2 minutes without moving them around. You want a light brown crust, not a deep char.

Once both batches are done, set the beef on a plate. It doesn’t need to be cooked all the way through at this point because the pressure cooking step will finish the job.

Scrape the Bottom of the Pot

After you saute the garlic and ginger and pour in your liquids, take a wooden spoon or spatula and scrape the bottom of the pot really well. Those brown bits stuck to the bottom from searing the beef are packed with flavor, and you want all of that mixed into the sauce.

This step is also important because if those bits stay stuck to the bottom, they can burn during pressure cooking. When that happens, the Instant Pot might give you a burn notice and stop cooking. A good scrape prevents that and keeps everything running smoothly.

Related Recipes

• Instant Pot Beef Stew
• Instant Pot Birria Tacos
• Instant Pot Butter Chicken
• Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
• Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different cut of beef instead of flank steak?

You can, but flank steak is ideal here because it stays tender after pressure cooking and soaks up the sauce really well. Skirt steak is probably the closest swap and works great.

You could also use sirloin or flat iron steak if that’s what you have on hand. Just make sure you slice it thin against the grain so it doesn’t come out chewy.