Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe in the Air Fryer! | AirFried.com (2024)

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By Karly Campbell on | Updated | 18 Comments

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This EASY MONGOLIAN BEEF RECIPE is made in the air fryer to save cooking time and clean up time! No hot grease to deal with, but you still get crispy beef coated in a sweet and savory sauce!

Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe in the Air Fryer! | AirFried.com (1)

Asian inspired cuisine is one of my favorite things to cook. Big, bold flavors are my jam!

One of my go to orders when we get take out is Mongolian beef – that crispy beef, that sweet savory sauce…yum!

We have had so much success with our air fryer, that we decided to try and make a few Asian inspired dishes in it. One of those was this Mongolian beef recipe.

If you’ve ever made Mongolian beef on the stove top, you know that it’s a bit of a process to fry all those individual strips of beef until they’re nice and crisp.

It is SO EASY with the air fryer! I didn’t even bother to work in batches – just tossed all the coated beef right in my air fryer basket and made sure to shake every few minutes.

Table of Contents

How to make Mongolian beef:

Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe in the Air Fryer! | AirFried.com (2)
  • Slice your flank steak into thin strips, 1/4-1/2 inch is good.
  • Put your steak in a large bowl with corn starch and toss to coat. Let the starch soak into the meat for 5 minutes.
  • Spritz the steak with oil and cook in the air fryer for 8-10 minutes.
  • Shake the basket every few minutes so that the beef crisps up all the way around.
Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe in the Air Fryer! | AirFried.com (3)

How to make the Mongolian sauce:

  • Heat oil in a large deep skillet, and add garlic and ginger. Cook this for 30 seconds.
  • Add the low sodium soy sauce, water, and brown sugar to the skillet and stir well.
  • Boil this for 6-7 minutes and stir occasionally until the sauce has thickened.
  • Carefully add the cooked meat to the sauce, without splashing, and toss the beef. Allow it to cook for 1-2 more minutes.
Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe in the Air Fryer! | AirFried.com (4)

Soy Sauce:

Be sure to use low sodium soy sauce! The sauce boils down and reduces a bit which means the flavors concentrate.

This is a good thing for a bold flavored sauce, but if you are starting with something that’s already quite salty and then you reduce it down, you’ll end up with an overly salty, inedible sauce.

Low sodium soy sauce can be found in most any grocery store, so keep an eye out.

Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe in the Air Fryer! | AirFried.com (5)

Common Air Fryer Questions:

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

You should not use non-stick spray from an aerosol can. It can damage the air fryer. Instead, just use an oil mister filled with your vegetable oil. My go to is avocado oil.

We use and love the OMORC 6 qt air fryer and it works great. It’s a nice price, it has a large basket, and it’s lasted me for nearly 2 years now. I absolutely love it! Plus it has over 2k 5 star reviews on Amazon!

Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe in the Air Fryer! | AirFried.com (6)

More recipes you might like:

  • This crispy cauliflower is great with a ranch dip!
  • Homemade orange chicken finishes in just 20 minutes!
  • Another quick and easy recipe is to cook frozen tater tots in the air fryer!
  • A classic grilled cheese has never tasted better than when cooked by an air fryer.
  • Crispy, air fryer egg rolls with a sausage filling.
Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe in the Air Fryer! | AirFried.com (7)

Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe in the Air Fryer! | AirFried.com (8)

Air Fryer Mongolian Beef

Created by: Karly Campbell


Course Beef

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

4

This Mongolian beef recipe starts with crispy air fried strips of beef. The beef is tender on the inside with a fabulously crispy outside. The sauce is simple to make but packs in loads of sweet and savory flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound flank steak
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 green onions chopped

Instructions

  • Slice the steak into thin strips, cutting against the grain for the most tenderness, and place into a large bowl.

  • Add the cornstarch to the steak and toss to coat. Let set in the cornstarch for 5 minutes.

  • Heat the air fryer to 400 degrees.

  • Add the steak to the air fryer basket and spritz generously with oil.

  • Air fry for 8-10 minutes, shaking the basket every couple of minutes.Spritz with more oil halfway through cooking.

  • While the steak is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet on the stove. Add the garlic and ginger and cook in the oil for 30 seconds.

  • Add the soy sauce, water, and brown sugar to the skillet and stir well.

  • Bring to a boil and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened.

  • Carefully add the cooked beef to the sauce and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, tossing the beef in the sauce.

  • Sprinkle chopped green onions over the top before serving.

Notes

Be sure to use low sodium soy sauce or the sauce will be so salty that it will be inedible.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 1221mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g

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    Comments & Reviews

  1. alex says

    400 calories per 1 gram, wow!

    Reply

    • Karly says

      Haha, our recipe card automatically adds that gram there. The nutrition info is per serving.

      Reply

  2. Kim says

    Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe in the Air Fryer! | AirFried.com (9)
    Wow this is outstanding! I had to add more cornstarch to meat but other than that , I was extremely pleased! Make extra sauce😋

    Reply

  3. Lee says

    Want to try this recipe. Do I cut the flank steak with or against the grain for most tenderness?

    Reply

    • Karly says

      You’ll want to cut it against the grain. Great question – I’ll add that to the recipe.

      Reply

  4. Carrie says

    Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe in the Air Fryer! | AirFried.com (10)
    This dish is absolutely AMAZING! My entire family enjoys it and now it is one of the top requested dishes. I now have to double the recipe because everyone wants leftovers.

    I use my air fryer all of the time and this is possibly the best dish I have made using it.

    Reply

    • Karly says

      Oh gosh, I love to hear that!! This recipe gets buried by newer ones and I’m happy to see it getting some love, because we love it so much too! Thank you for the review!

      Reply

  5. Monika says

    Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe in the Air Fryer! | AirFried.com (11)
    This is one of the best things I’ve ever made! I’m kicking myself for not buying an air fryer sooner.

    Reply

    • Karly says

      Ah, so glad you gave it a try, Monika! 🙂

      Reply

    • Aeil says

      Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe in the Air Fryer! | AirFried.com (12)
      Recipe are awesome
      I’m happy you make
      It simple to duplicate
      Thanks

      Reply

      • Karly says

        Thank you!

  6. Cat says

    Please make it so that we can print without the picture… wastes too much ink! Thanks!

    Reply

    • Karly says

      Hi Cat! If you want to print without the image, you can copy and paste into a word doc and print from there. 🙂

      Reply

      • Cat says

        Yes thanks, that’s what I ended up doing… but I’d rather be able to just print… 🙂

      • Karly says

        Yeah, sorry. Most people like the photo. 🙂

      • Ann Fisher says

        I like seeing photos. Thanks for the recipe looks amazing.

  7. rick reed says

    I don’t have an Air Fryer . Can I make in oven or frying pan? Whats the best type of air frying to puchase?

    Reply

    • Karly says

      Hi Rick! I linked to our preferred air fryer above. You could make this on the stove by frying the strips of beef in batches.

      Reply

Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe in the Air Fryer! | AirFried.com (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook raw beef in the air fryer? ›

You will want to use thawed ground beef. Preheat the air fryer on meat setting for 3 minutes. Crumble ground beef in the tray or basket, then cook beef on meat setting for 5 minutes. Stir and crumble more if desired, then cook an additional 3-5 minutes until beef is cooked through.

What cut of beef is Mongolian beef made from? ›

Flank Steak: This Easy Mongolian beef recipe uses flank steak. Sirloin can be used too but we always opt for Flank Steak. Both cuts are tender and will cook up quickly when thinly sliced.

Why is Mongolian beef so tender? ›

BAKING SODA

This is the KEY ingredient to super tender beef. Baking soda is commonly used in Chinese cooking to tenderize beef. If you're curious about the science behind it – baking soda neutralizes acid and raises the pH level, which causes the meat to become more alkaline.

How long to cook meat in air fryer? ›

Air-Fryer Cooking Chart
FOODTEMPERATUREAIR-FRYER TIME
Burgers350°F8-10 minutes
Chicken Breast375°F22-23 minutes
Chicken Tenders400°F14-16 minutes
Chicken Thighs400°F25 minutes
42 more rows
Mar 2, 2022

What temperature do you cook raw meat in an air fryer? ›

Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Prepare the steaks by rubbing olive oil on each side. Rub the Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper on each side.

How to make beef tender like Chinese restaurants? ›

📺 Watch how to make it
  1. Place the steak strips in a bowl.
  2. Sprinkle over 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and rub it into the meat with your hands.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  4. Rinse the beef in cold water to remove the bicarb.
  5. Pat dry with paper towels and use as per your recipe.
Jul 11, 2023

What is PF Chang's Mongolian sauce? ›

Deep and flavorful, our Mongolian Style BBQ Sauce can attribute its flavor profile to smoked black pepper, sweet molasses, soy sauce and garlic making this sauce versatile for marinades and as a finishing sauce.

What is the difference between Mongolian beef and Chinese beef? ›

Flavor Profile: Szechuan Beef is known for its spicy and numbing flavor, while Mongolian Beef offers a sweet and savory taste. Region of Origin: Szechuan Beef originates from the Sichuan province of China, while Mongolian Beef is inspired by the cuisine of Mongolia.

What do Chinese put on meat to make it tender? ›

While there are several ways to velvet, a pound of meat needs about two teaspoons of cornstarch and two teaspoons of oil, says Leung. You may also include two to three tablespoons of water. For beef, add a 1/4-teaspoon of baking soda for tenderizing. Additional seasonings are optional and vary from recipe to recipe.

Does soy sauce tenderize meat? ›

Why It Works. Salt and soy sauce tenderize meat, help it retain moisture, and increase its savoriness. Sugar helps browning characteristics. Oil helps distribute fat-soluble aromatic compounds over the meat.

Can you put raw meat in an air fryer? ›

It is safe to cook raw meat in the air fryer if it is fully defrosted, seasoned, and monitored. Some fully cooked foods, including chicken tenders or fries, can be placed frozen in the air fryer. However, with raw meat, it's recommended to thoroughly defrost to allow more even cooking and a tasty final product.

How do you keep meat moist in an air fryer? ›

Using oil in an air fryer is perfectly fine and helps the meat to remain moist and come out looking golden brown. However, a little oil in an air fryer does go a long way. With most cuts of pork, simply rubbing some oil into the meat will be all you need. You can use either regular olive oil or a spray oil.

Can you put aluminum foil in an air fryer? ›

Aluminum foil can be used in an air fryer, but it should only go in the basket. Acidic foods react with aluminum, so avoid using foil when air frying tomatoes, peppers, or citrus. Using parchment paper or a bare basket is better because it won't interfere with cooking.

How long to cook raw beef? ›

On most stove tops, browning a pound of ground beef takes approximately 7 to 10 minutes. Remember, it's important to continue stirring and breaking the pieces into the same size with the wooden spoon or heatproof spatula so the ground beef cooks evenly.

Do you have to flip meat in air fryer? ›

Do You Need to Flip Steak in an Air Fryer? Because of the air fryer's trademark ability to circulate intensely hot air evenly around food as it cooks, you don't need to flip steak in the air fryer. If you prefer to flip your steaks, that works too! Flip the steak halfway through the required cook time.

Do you wrap beef in foil in air fryer? ›

You can use aluminum foil in the air fryer to cook faster, but it's not necessary when roasting beef. Instead, leave the beef uncovered until you roast it to your desired doneness. Once you remove it from the air fryer, cover it with foil and let it sit for 10 minutes to help redistribute its juices.

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