Description
Easy Mongolian Ground Beef recipe with a sweet-savory sauce, ready in 20 minutes! Simple ingredients, restaurant flavor, and perfect for busy weeknights. Family favorite!
Ingredients
Ground Beef & Sauce
- 1½ pounds ground beef (85/15 or 80/20 for best flavor—a little fat goes a long way!)
- 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1–2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced (optional but adds such nice warmth)
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed (this creates that signature sweetness)
- ¼ cup water or beef broth
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (optional, but it adds amazing depth)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional—just a touch makes it taste authentic)
- ¼–½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for a gentle kick)
Veggies & Add-Ins
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, to taste
- 3–4 green onions, sliced (keep white and green parts separated)
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil for cooking (canola or vegetable oil works great)
To Serve
- Cooked rice or rice noodles
- Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
- Additional green onions for topping (optional)
Instructions
Heat your large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and use a spatula to break it up into small crumbles as it cooks.
Let it cook for about 5–7 minutes until it’s completely browned and no longer pink. If there’s a lot of excess fat pooling in the pan, drain it off—but remember, a little fat adds flavor, so don’t worry about getting every drop out.
Now it’s time to build flavor. Add your minced garlic and ginger right into the pan with the beef.
Stir everything together and let it cook for 1–2 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when your kitchen fills with that wonderful fragrant aroma. Don’t let the garlic burn—keep stirring!
Pour in the soy sauce, brown sugar, and water (or beef broth if you’re using it). If you’ve got hoisin sauce on hand, add that now too.
Stir everything together really well, making sure the brown sugar dissolves into the liquid. The sauce will look thin at first, but don’t worry—it’s going to transform into something magical.
Let the mixture come to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat slightly. Let it bubble away for 4–6 minutes, stirring occasionally. You’ll see the sauce start to thicken and become beautifully glossy and syrupy.
Stir in your sesame oil, red pepper flakes if you like a little heat, and black pepper. Give it a taste and adjust—add more brown sugar if you want it sweeter, or a splash more soy sauce if you want it saltier.
Stir in just the white parts of your sliced green onions and let them cook for about a minute.
Then remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle the green parts of the onions right over the top. They’ll stay bright and fresh this way.
Spoon that gorgeous, saucy beef over a big bowl of steamed rice or rice noodles. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and extra green onions if you like.
Notes
- Don’t skip the simmer – Letting the sauce reduce is what creates that signature sticky, glossy coating
- Fresh ginger matters – If you have it, use it! It adds so much more depth than ground ginger
- Make it saucier – Double the sauce if you love extra to drizzle over your rice
- Add veggies for bulk – Toss in bell peppers, snap peas, or shredded carrots during the last few minutes of cooking
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired