Easy Mongolian Beef in the Air Fryer
Whether you enjoy grabbing a meal from PF Chang's or your favorite local restaurant, enjoying Chinese for dinner is always a good idea! But there's no reason you need to leave your house to eat an authentic Asian meal. With the help of your air fryer, you can prepare a quick and easy dinner at home in a matter of minutes! Make a delicious air fried version of your favorite Asian takeout dish with this easy Mongolian beef recipe.
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What Do I Need to Make Easy Mongolian Beef?
In addition to being simple to prepare, this easy Mongolian beef recipe is made with just a few common ingredients. To make your own Chinese takeout at home, you'll need:
- Flank steak
- Cornstarch
- Cooking Spray
- Garlic cloves
- Ginger
- Low sodium soy sauce
- Water
- Brown sugar
- Green onions
Looking for more delicious Air Fryer recipes? Check out these reader favorites here:
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How Do I Make Air Fryer Mongolian Beef?
The key to making this easy recipe is using your air fryer to speed up the cooking process. There's no need for messy oil to create crispy Mongolian beef thanks to the use of that handy appliance. To make your own Mongolian beef in the air fryer, just follow these four simple steps:
Step One: Coat the Beef
Before frying your Mongolian beef in the air fryer, you'll need to take a minute to prepare the flank steak. Start by cutting the steak into one-inch strips. Then combine the strips of steak with the cornstarch in a medium bowl. Toss the steak in the cornstarch until all the strips are fully coated.
Step Two: Air Fry the Steak
Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees, then spray the basket of your air fryer with nonstick cooking spray to keep the steak from sticking. Place the coated strips of steak in the basket and fry it for four to five minutes. Then, remove the basket and shake it to toss the steak strips. Give the strips a coating of nonstick cooking spray, then return the basket to the air fryer to cook for an additional four to five minutes.
Step Three: Prepare the Sauce
When your steak strips are finished cooking, prepare the sauce by combining the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, water, and brown sugar in a large saucepan. Heat the sauce ingredients over medium heat for five to six minutes, until the sauce had reduced and thickened.
Step Four: Toss the Steak in the Sauce
After the steak is fully cooked and the sauce is ready, transfer the beef strips to the pan with the sauce and stir to coat. Garnish the Mongolian beef with sliced green onions before serving.
Air Fryer Mongolian Beef Tips & Tricks
This recipe couldn't be easier to prepare! And with these tips, you can whip up a delicious dinner for your family in a matter of minutes.
- Adjust the cook times according to your air fryer. Like most appliances, different brands and sizes of air fryers require different cook times. This recipe was prepared in a Cosori 5.8 quart air fryer. If you are using an air fryer that is a different brand or size, you may need to adjust the cook time to ensure your Mongolian beef is properly cooked.
- Substitute water for beef broth for deeper flavor. To enhance the flavor of the sauce further, you can substitute the water in the recipe for low sodium beef broth. Since beef broth contains some sodium, it's a good idea to increase the brown sugar by an additional tablespoon to help balance the flavors.
- Serve over rice or cauliflower rice. The classic way to enjoy this takeout meal is over a bed of rice. White rice, brown rice, or fried rice can be used to accompany this beef dish. To help reduce the carb count and add some veggies to your meal, you can also serve your Mongolian beef over cauliflower rice.
- Make it with chicken instead of steak. In addition to serving your Mongolian sauce with steak, you can also prepare this dish with chicken. Cut boneless, skinless chicken breast into thin strips, then follow the recipe as written for a delicious chicken dinner.
What is Mongolian Sauce Made of?
The distinguishing feature of this classic dish is the sauce. Mongolian sauce stands out among other takeout dishes thanks to its sweet and salty flavor. The combination of brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic create a delicious brown sauce in this signature dish. In addition to using your Mongolian sauce to coat your steak, you can also use it for chicken or shrimp dishes, too.
Can I Use Flour Instead of Cornstarch for Mongolian Beef?
Coating your beef in cornstarch is the classic way to prepare this popular dish. But if you don't have any cornstarch on hand, you can use flour in place of this ingredient. Simply coat the beef in the same amount of flour as cornstarch in the recipe, then air fry the beef as described in the recipe.
Easy Mongolian Beef in the Air Fryer
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb flank steak cut into 1 inch strips
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- Non-stick cooking spray
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon ginger grated or minced
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup water or low sodium beef broth, add an extra tablespoon of brown sugar if using the broth to balance out the sodium
- ½ cup brown sugar
- Sliced green onions for garnish
- Red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Place steak strips and cornstarch into a medium bowl and toss to coat.
- Set the air fryer to 400 degrees to preheat.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray and add the coated steak strips to the basket.
- Air fry at 400F for 4-5 minutes. Shake the basket to toss the steak strips and spray with more cooking spray across the top of the steak. Air fry for another 4-5 minutes, or until the steaks are fully cooked through. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, water and brown sugar. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the sauce reduces and thickens. Remove from heat and put in the steak strips. Stir to coat.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and serve with rice. Enjoy!
Notes
Air Fryer Mongolian Beef Tips & Tricks
This recipe couldn’t be easier to prepare! And with these tips, you can whip up a delicious dinner for your family in a matter of minutes.- Adjust the cook times according to your air fryer. Like most appliances, different brands and sizes of air fryers require different cook times. This recipe was prepared in a Cosori 5.8 quart air fryer. If you are using an air fryer that is a different brand or size, you may need to adjust the cook time to ensure your Mongolian beef is properly cooked.
- Substitute water for beef broth for deeper flavor. To enhance the flavor of the sauce further, you can substitute the water in the recipe for low sodium beef broth. Since beef broth contains some sodium, it’s a good idea to increase the brown sugar by an additional tablespoon to help balance the flavors.
- Serve over rice or cauliflower rice. The classic way to enjoy this takeout meal is over a bed of rice. White rice, brown rice, or fried rice can be used to accompany this beef dish. To help reduce the carb count and add some veggies to your meal, you can also serve your Mongolian beef over cauliflower rice.
- Make it with chicken instead of steak. In addition to serving your Mongolian sauce with steak, you can also prepare this dish with chicken. Cut boneless, skinless chicken breast into thin strips, then follow the recipe as written for a delicious chicken dinner.
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