This Instant Pot Mongolian Beef is a quick and easy way to get dinner on the table thanks to the pressure cooker. Sear the beef for a crispy outside then pressure cook it with a sweet sauce that coats the steamed broccoli. Have a healthy dinner on the table in under 30 minutes!
Love making Asian-inspired recipes at home? Then you'll love this Air fryer Orange Chicken and Healthy Chicken Pad Thai.
Jump to:
- Reasons to Love this Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
- Grab These Ingredients
- How to cook the beef from frozen
- Health benefits of beef
- What cut of beef is Mongolian beef made from?
- How is this Instant Pot Mongolian Beef recipe healthier?
- How to Make Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
- More Instant Pot Beef Recipes
- Healthy Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
- Comments
With back to school here, this Instant Pot Mongolian Beef recipe will be a lifesaver! I know schedules get crazy and kids come home hungry so having an easy recipe they will love is key. This recipe features tender beef that will remind you of your favorite Chinese takeout —just healthier!
Reasons to Love this Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
- It's a great recipe for the whole family - kids love the sweet sauce!
- Pressure cooking the meat and sauce develops a lot of flavor in a short amount of time—similar to Instant Pot Pulled Pork.
- It's a pf chang copycat, but cheaper and healthier.
- This meal is just as good the next day, making it one of our favorite recipes for meal prep.
- The thin slices of beef are so tender and juicy.
- It's easy to customize with other fresh vegetables like baby corn, green beans, or red or green bell pepper.
Looking for more ways to use your Instant Pot weekly? All of our Instant Pot recipes are delicious, but we especially love this Instant Pot Greek Chicken and Rice and this Instant Pot Pot Roast.
Grab These Ingredients
Here are the simple ingredients for this apple kale salad. Most are pantry staples and easy (and affordable) to find in grocery stores. Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Flank Steak: my favorite beef to use in stir-fry recipes with steak and veggies. View more cuts of beef to thinly slice for this recipe like flat iron steak or top round beef.
- Soy sauce: use low sodium soy sauce, tamari (gluten-free), or coconut aminos (soy and gluten-free)
- Aromatics: fresh garlic and fresh ginger.
- Honey or dark brown sugar: to sweeten the sauce.
- Corn starch: or tapioca starch to thicken the sauce.
- Broccoli: purchase pre-chopped and washed to save time.
- Beef broth: to create the sauce and to help the Instant Pot come to pressure.
Pro tip: You need at least ½ a cup of liquid in the Instant Pot to prevent getting the burn notice.
How to cook the beef from frozen
You can even make this recipe directly from frozen beef. It will take a few extra minutes to come to pressure. I love that about an instant pot! You can safely cook frozen beef in an Instant Pot without thawing which makes weeknight dinners so easy. Anyone else forget to defrost meat in the morning!?
The other recipe I love about this is it's so healthy. I don't know about you, but I don't like as much brown sugar in my dinner as in an entire cookie recipe, so I stuck to a healthy ingredients for this Mongolian beef.
And everything in this recipe is healthy too!
Health benefits of beef
Beef is definitely a healthy part of a balanced diet and I love eating it a couple of times a week. It's such a good source of protein too!
A 3-ounce serving of beef (about the size of an iPhone) provides more than 10 essential nutrients and 25 grams of protein for less than 150 calories. Not to mention, eating protein helps your kiddos stay focused during the school day and the B vitamins in beef provide them with energy too.
I was a student athlete all through middle school and high school and I know that if your kids are active, eating beef is a great source of protein and energy! My husband (who's a health coach!) always says we need to be eating more protein to help build muscle and strong bodies.
What cut of beef is Mongolian beef made from?
Mongolian beef is most commonly made with flank steak. This cut of beef is lean and has tough muscle fibers running through it. Cut it against the grain and cook it quickly for best results.
How is this Instant Pot Mongolian Beef recipe healthier?
- No refined sugar: I used a little honey to sweeten it instead of brown sugar.
- Gluten free: I also opted to use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Coconut aminos tastes just like soy sauce but doesn't have any soy in it! If you don't mind having soy in your diet you can definitely use soy sauce, but I love the coconut aminos! You can get it at any grocery store
- Greens: The broccoli in this recipe also makes it healthy and balanced. Broccoli is a really good source of vitamins K and C and it's a great source of folate and provides potassium and fiber. Add that to the protein from the beef and you've got yourself a balanced meal!
How to Make Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
- Slice the steak: Start by slicing the flank steak against the grain. You'll notice there are small fibers going across the beef. You'll want to cut the steak in small thin pieces across those. This makes the beef really tender and not chewy!
- Sear the steak: Work in batches to sear both sides of the flank steak for 1-2 minutes.
- Pressure cook: add the liquids, garlic and ginger and pressure cook for 8 minutes then quick release.
- Thicken the sauce: add the cornstarch and water mixture, honey and broccoli to the Instant Pot and turn the saute function back on. Mix everything together until the sauce gets thick!
- Serve: with brown rice, white, cauliflower rice or quinoa! Learn how to cut green onions on the bias for a finishing touch.
More Instant Pot Beef Recipes
Looking for pasta? Try Instant Pot spaghetti or Instant Pot lasagna soup for an Italian night.
If you're in the mood for Mexican, make this Mexican shredded beef to put into shredded beef enchiladas.
Instant Pot pot roast or Instant Pot taco soup are both perfect for a cozy night.
Thank you to The Ohio Beef Council for sponsoring this recipe. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I'm so thankful to brands like them who support my mission of providing easy, healthy meals so I can continue to provide you with free recipes!
If you love this recipe, don't forget to tag me on Instagram with @what_mollymade or #WhatMollyMade so I can see it and feature you!
Healthy Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked quinoa, white rice, jasmine rice, cauliflower rice, or brown rice for serving
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil or sesame oil
- 1 ½ pounds flank steak (Note 1)
- ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce, Tamari or coconut aminos
- 4 cloves fresh garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger root grated
- ½ cup water or beef broth
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch or cornstarch
- 2 cups broccoli florerts chopped small
- 4 stalks green onions
- Sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, or sriracha sauce optional to top
Instructions
- Cook the brown rice or quinoa according to the package instructions and set aside.
- Cut the flank steak into thin pieces against the grain and set it aside. Turn the Instant Pot onto the saute setting, drizzle olive oil in the bottom of the pot, and let it heat up. When it's hot and shimmering, work in 2-3 batches to sear the steak on each side, for 1-2 minutes. Overcrowding the Instant Pot will result in the steak steaming rather than searing.
- While the steak is searing, whisk together the coconut aminos or soy sauce with the minced garlic, minced ginger, and water.
- When the steak is browned, cancel the sauté setting and pour the liquid mixture over the browned steak. Lock on the lid and make sure the pressure valve is in a sealed position. Pressure cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. It will take 5-7 minutes for it to come to pressure before it starts to count down.
- While the beef is cooking, whisk together the cornstarch or tapioca starch and 2 tablespoons of cold water in a small dish.
- When the time is up, carefully quick-release the vent by turning the seal to venting position. You can put a dish towel over the steam to limit noise and protect your cabinets.
- Remove the lid then add the cornstarch mixture, honey, and broccoli. Push the saute button again and stir frequently until the sauce thickens. You can close the lid of the instant pot for a few minutes to allow the broccoli to steam, 4-6 minutes total. It will be done when the broccoli is cooked and the sauce is thickened. If you want the sauce thicker, add mix another tablespoon of cornstarch or tapioca starch together then add it to the Instant Pot and saute for a minute for a thicker sauce.
- Serve over brown rice, white rice, cauliflower rice or quinoa and top it with green onions, sesame seeds and optional red pepper flakes.
Linda says
I love a good mongolian beef and this is a must-make recipe! And a healthy recipe? I'm definitely in!
Molly Leonard says
Thanks Linda!! It's one of my faves!
Lavesta says
Tried this for the first time. I give this 3 stars. Something is missing and I can't figure out what it is???
Jack | BBQRecipez says
Can I make this in a crockpot? Or on thestove?
Molly Leonard says
Hey Jack!! Yes you can! Instead of in the instant pot, cook the beef with the sauce on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours.
Brittanie says
I make this recipe once every two weeks! It’s my favorite and I love that it’s healthy. I usually make enough to meal prep! My kid and husband even love it. ??
Molly Thompson says
Love that, Brittanie! Thanks for sharing!
Tara says
The total time is considerably more than 5 minutes. It is closer to 45...
Molly Thompson says
That was a typo! It's updated with the correct times:)
Cindy says
I don't see where the time was increased beyond 5 minutes.
Molly Thompson says
Hi Cindy! I'm not sure what you mean. What specifically are you not seeing in the recipe?
Richard Ramirez says
What she's saying is that its still showing total time as 5 minutes. You said you we fixing that to show 45 minutes. Somehow it didn't correct.
Regardless, I am going to make this tomorrow and I cannot wait!!!
thanks
Rick
Mike says
Is there a way to get the better a little more tender? I did use a Denver steak instead. more cook time maybe?
Nicole says
Not regarding this recipe in particular, but I have made Mongolian beef on the stove top the original way (same as here) with the searing first and then cooking in liquid. I found that because the flank steak is cut thin for Mongolian beef, by the time it was seared it was basically cooked throughout and then cooked more in the liquid, which made it tough. I found a crockpot recipe and the texture turns out beautifully without the searing. Maybe loses a little somehow leaving it out, but I'm sure you could make the above recipe minus the searing step and would be more tender.
Marilyn says
Very good! I used beef eye round (it's what I had and I think leaner). I added extra cup of broccoli. Definitely make again. Next time I am going to add sliced water chestnut & mushrooms to try. And for those on a low sodium diet, like my husband (300mg per meal), coconut amino is a godsend.
Thank you very much for the recipe!
Emeline Tolan says
You as a witness will be nonetheless, pleased and totally tranquil. Get into these pots, but know when to fold your hand. Working via the illustrations in books also accelerates the learning procedure.
Dominique B. says
Silly question, If I only have 1lb of beef should I half the whole recipe or keep everything the same?
Molly Thompson says
You can keep the recipe the same, it just won't have as much beef in it if you're ok with that! Might be a little more saucy than usual.
Brittanie says
This recipe is a favorite in our household. We make this Mongolian beef at least once every two weeks. It is so good and I love that it’s good for you! It’s also a great recipe to meal prep and eat through out the week!
Brittanie says
I accidentally reviewed this twice that’s how good it is 🤣🤣🤣
Adriane says
What should I use to keep the steak from sticking to the inner pot when I sear it? I had to peel and scrape it off the bottom of the pot.
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Lace says
Do you by chance have a nutritional breakdown of this meal?
Molly Thompson says
Hi Lace! I just updated the recipe to include the nutrition breakdown. Thanks for asking this so I could update it!
Here is the nutrition breakdown (without the rice/quinoa):
Calories: 244
Fat:8.5
Protein: 25.7
Carbs: 16.4
Grace says
Love making this in my instantpot! How do i make it on the stove?
Molly Thompson says
Hey Grace! Thank you so much I love to hear that. It's one of our favorites too! I haven't tried this in the oven because I don't feel like this recipe is best suited for that. If anything, I would make it in the slow cooker or in a wok on the stove top!
Aerin says
Took about an hour from start to finish. Kind of inconvenient to saute the beef in the Instant Pot since you have to do it in batches. The sauce didn't cook down very much at all, more of a liquid than a sauce, I would probably add more cornstarch next time. Overall, the dish was yummy but I don't think it was worth the effort. I would probably do this entire recipe in a wok to cut the time in half and be able to monitor the sauce. Bonus points for being able to make the whole thing in the Instant pot though, excellent if you don't have access to a stove. The recipe realistically only serves 2 adults.
Molly Thompson says
Hey Aerin! Thanks for the feedback. My husband and I actually just made this last week to test it again and take new pictures. I didn't have a chance to update the recipe yet but we agreed that the sauce at the end needed to be thicker so I updated the recipe to reflect that. It took about 35 minutes total for us. It should take about 10 minutes to prep and sear the steak, 10 minutes to come to pressure and 8 minutues to cook. Then it should only take 5 minutes for the broccoli and sauce! 1 1/2 lbs of steak should feed 4 people! One serving is considered 3-4 ounces of steak. Thanks again!
Polly says
My family raved about this dish. I had tough left over steak which I wanted to use. It came out more tender when recooked in the IP. I used low sodium soy sauce, added red pepper flakes, sliced mushrooms, matchstick carrots, and green pepper. Served over basmati rice. Other recipes called for lots of oil and brown sugar. This version is much healthier so it will be my go to from now on! Thank you!
Mike L says
What pressure should the steak be cooked at in the Instant Pot? High or low?
Molly Thompson says
High pressure!
Sophie says
I’ve made this a few times, so good! I omit the ginger, and buy a nice cut of steak, it always comes out tender and delicious. I’m the only one who eats low allergen in my family and everyone ate this dish up, no leftovers! Next time I will double the amount so I can have more for myself lol!
Molly Thompson says
Love that, Sophie! So glad to hear it.
Kelly Meyers says
This was really good. Wish I had made more!
Sarah says
We are clean eating machines and this is so dang good. I will be making it again and again. Thankyou!!
Debbie says
Fantastic. My family likes me again. 🤣😂
I used a "butterflied sirloin for fajitas" because they were out of flank steak. It was perfect.
Michael says
It was delicious!! I did use Denver steak instead. Is there a way to get the meat more tender?
Molly Thompson says
You could marinate it before for an hour or so! That's the best way to tenderize steak.
Mika says
LOVE it! Thank You.
Melanie says
Does the nutrition include the rice or is it just for the meat recipe?
BG says
On step 3, is it 1/2 of water or beef beef?
Meredith Furdock says
Just made this for one of my gal pals who has PCOS and isn't big on cooking, but she is trying to learn. She loved how easy this recipe and how much flavor there is in it!!
Karen Skaggs says
When I put the broccoli in to steam, do I leave the instapot on or turn it off?