A Mongolian Beef And Broccoli better than take-out? YES! It IS possible. With an added ingredient to make this thick and glossy sauce taste even BETTER than take-out, PLUS extra sauce in the recipe, the beef is tender/soft using less than half the oil than other recipes.
Mongolian Beef And Broccoli (EXTRA SAUCE). Most Mongolian Beef recipes do not have the addition of vegetables and call for deep frying the beef in 1 cup or more of oil. But not this one. I tried many ways to reduce the calorie content in this recipe. Plus, the addition of broccoli turns Mongolian Beef into an incredible family loved stir-fry!
I’m hoping you can see how soft, silky and smooth that beef ↓ really is.
The most important step in this recipe is to marinade the beef in a mixture of cornstarch and vinegar. The technique that most Chinese restaurants use to create that tenderised texture we love so much is called velveting. It feels like a secret to Chinese cooking. Well, not anymore. Velveting can be made up of a mixture of egg whites, baking soda and wine, but in this case, we’re using cornstarch, rice wine vinegar and soy sauce.
After the meat is marinated, it is then — most traditionally — blanched in deep fried oil, then drained and ready to be stir fried. Well, as usual, I broke tradition to make this recipe easier for those of us home-cooks that aren’t comfortable with deep frying → not wanting to start any fires → not wanting to think of the fat pants needed afterwards.
First, I tried using no oil at all, using cooking oil spray instead. Well, remember that fire extinguisher I have now when testing the Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Cake? I had it in hand waiting for the wok to burst into flames, since I had expertly burnt the beef and had chunks of meat stuck to the wok — smoking and blackened like little champions. Don’t even try to attempt that, or you’ll be throwing out your beloved woks.
Second time around, I tried using very little oil. Like, 1 tablespoon. Don’t go there either, because you will still end up with dry/tough meat. Frying the beef in oil is what tenderises it and makes it so incredibly soft when biting into it. But, not 1 cup! Not even 1/2 cup.
Third times a charm, right? I used only 1/4 cup of oil for 2 pounds (1 kilo) of beef strips, and found that was plenty, without needing to drain any oil afterwards or worry about where I was going to put any leftovers. The method works, don’t let it scare you. And only half the fat pants needed.
My biggest piece of advice is to have your oil hot before adding the meat. DO NOT have your oil on high heat, or it will spit and spatter all over you and your stove top. Just…..trust me. Medium heat is enough. If your oil is preheated and hot, your meat will cook FAST. Stir frying it for about 2 minutes is enough time, until you see crispy, golden edges.
Adding Hoisin sauce into tho sauce? Priceless. A delicious addition and adds an incredible flavour.
The result? Beautiful, soft Mongolian Beef. At first glance, who can be bothered with that extra step, right? But believe me, if you want Chinese restaurant quality beef, go the extra step and do it.
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- 2 lbs | 1 kg beef tenderloin , thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce*
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing (Chinese) wine**
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (corn flour)
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce (important. See Notes)*
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (optional BUT adds incredible flavour)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 3/4 tablespoon ground white pepper (or 1-2 teaspoons red chili powder)
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 8 cloves (or 4 tablespoons) garlic, minced
- 1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 Broccoli , cut into florets
- 4 green onion / scallion stems , thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water (corn flour)
- Whisk marinade ingredients together until well combined. Marinate the beef slices for 30 minutes to an hour (The more marinading, the more tender the meat will be).
- While beef is marinating, whisk together the sauce ingredients until well combined. Set aside and prepare vegetables.
- Heat up a wok over medium heat with the 1/4 cup of oil. When oil is hot, stir-fry the marinated beef in batches of four (don't crowd the wok) until they are just crisp on the edges (about 2 minutes. They cook FAST in the hot oil. Don't have the oil on high heat or it will spit and spatter all over you and your stove). Remove the meat, leaving as much oil in the wok, and set aside.
- Heat up the sesame oil in the wok with any remaining oil, and stir-fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add the vegetables and stir fry until they are vibrant in colour and just tender.
- Add the beef back into the wok with the prepared sauce. Simmer in the sauce until the beef slices are cooked through (about 2 minutes); add the con starch mixture and the sliced green onions. Cook for a further minute or until the sauce thickens, wile stirring quickly.
- Garnish with extra green onion slices and serve immediately over rice or steamed vegetables.
*I used normal soy sauce in the beef marinade, BUT found low sodium soy sauce tasted A LOT better for the sauce. We found normal soy in the sauce was too salty.
**If you can't find Shaoxing wine, use a Rice Wine Vinegar; White or Apple Cider Vinegar instead.
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Karina says
Hi Kimberly, thank you for your comment! We had a frustrating technical issue that has just now been resolved and all recipes are showing once again. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience this has caused. If you need any further help, please email us and we will assist you in any way we can. Thank you for your patience! XOXO
Kimberly Sias says
I would love to try several recipes but cannot seem to get to the actual recipe
Karina says
You are welcome to try with the chicken. I am not sure if the sauce and chicken coordinate together but it is always worth a try. Hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think!
Linda says
I live in Greece, where Steak is expensive & tasteless as they don’t hang meat to mature here.
Could I use chicken breast instead? Do you think it would taste good?
Amy Y. says
Should that be 4 tsp, instead of tablespoons, of minced garlic? Conversion on jar says 1 clove = 1/2 tsp. Thanks!
Remy says
Very lovely – thank you for the time & effort that you put in x
Tammie says
Hello! This looks delicious! I would love to make it for my son’s birthday but because I will be bringing it to his home is there any way I can make it a little ahead of time? Thank you for your response!
Natalie @ In Natalie's Shoes says
This sounds amazing! I *always* order beef and broccoli when I eat Chinese. So happy to know how to make it at home now!
Susan L Lester says
is the chili powder cayenne pepper or chili powder blend?
Davinia says
Good recipe, I will definitely make it again. The only change I will make is to reduce the white pepper, it made the dish linger on the tongue with a bit of spice. Normally we love that but the baby was eating too and I think it was too much for him. Great recipe though.
Aimee says
This is absolutely amazing. And so quick and easy really. Restaurant quality for sure. Thanks for an excellent recipe!! Six (out of five) stars!! ;-P
Keith @ How's it Lookin? says
Looks delicious. No need for takeout, thanks for the idea
Joanna says
Oh goodness this was good. My pickiest eater had THIRDS. You don’t even know how unheard this is. Seriously.
I love your food.
I used coconut oil to stir fry and unfortunately that did spit and splatter all over but I survived and wow it was all good.
Grace says
This recipe was absolutely amazing! !! What a hit with my family…my son actually asked me if I ordered in the beef! Whoohoo nailed it! Thank you so much! ! It’s a keeper! Can’t wait to make it again😋😋😋
Karina says
Yes that’s fine
Aqsa says
Hi can we use white vinegar instead of rice wine vinegar???
Karina says
Lol my fire situation is on point that’s for sure! Thanks Wendy!
Karina says
Haha Jackie thank you! It’s so nice to feel appreciated. YOU’VE made my day now!!! I hope you like the cookie sticks!
Jackie says
I made this as soon as your email came through and WOW! Karina you’ve out done yourself. This recipe is a winner for chinese dinner. Thank you for all of your work and amazing recipes. Your hard work shines through every recipe. I love following you. And the fire story made my day! Thank you for giving me a laugh. Now to attempt your cookie sticks!
Wendy says
This looks amazing! I too would like to see the nutrition information. Love your work! I enjoy hearing how you arrive at the final recipe (including the fire stories!).
Karina says
Hi Brandy! I found they were conflicting with some readers unfortunately. If I have a lot of requests to continue them again I definitely will!
Brandy says
I love your recipes! They are awesome! Why don’t you include the nutrition facts anymore?
Karina says
Thank you so much Tina! I’m so happy you tried this one. And you’re very welcome, it’s a pleasure 🙂
Tina R says
I used eye fillet cut for this recipe followed it step by step and it was simply amazing . Thank you so much for the effort you go through to give your followers an amazing accurate easy to follow recipe . So many more I need to try on your page ❤️🙌🏼👌🏽
karen says
Oh wow, this looks amazing, I have saved to try. Thank you for sharing.