Air Fryer Mongolian Beef

This air fryer mongolian beef is one of those recipes that tastes like it came from a restaurant but takes barely any effort. Crispy beef tossed in a sweet and savory sauce – it’s really that good.

The air fryer does all the heavy lifting here. It gets the beef super crispy on the outside without deep frying, which means less mess and less oil.

The sauce comes together in just a few minutes on the stove while the beef cooks. It’s thick, glossy, and coats every piece perfectly.

You only need a handful of simple ingredients to pull this off. Nothing fancy, nothing hard to find – just stuff you probably already have in your kitchen.

Serve it over steamed rice and you’ve got a complete meal that the whole family will enjoy. Let me show you how to make it.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Crispy Beef Without Deep Frying – The air fryer gets the flank steak perfectly crispy and browned on the edges without submerging it in a pot of oil. You get that satisfying crunch you would expect from a restaurant, but with way less grease.

Ready in About 15 Minutes – From tossing the steak in cornstarch to plating it over rice, this Mongolian beef comes together crazy fast. The beef air fries in about 10 to 12 minutes, and the sauce cooks at the same time, so everything is done at once.

The Sauce is Absolutely Addictive – That combo of soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger creates a thick glossy sauce that clings to every piece of beef. It hits all the right notes – savory, sweet, and just a little spicy from the red pepper flakes.

Tastes Like Takeout but Homemade – If you love ordering Mongolian beef from your favorite Chinese spot, this air fryer version honestly rivals it. You get the same bold flavors and crispy-tender texture without leaving your kitchen or waiting for delivery.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Flank Steak, thinly sliced against the grain
• 1/4 cup Cornstarch
• Cooking Spray
• 1/3 cup Soy Sauce
• 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
• 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 tsp Fresh Ginger, grated
• 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 tbsp Cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp Water
• 3 Green Onions, sliced into 2-inch pieces
• Sesame Seeds, for garnish
• Steamed Rice, for serving

How to Make

Step 1

Toss the sliced flank steak with 1/4 cup cornstarch until every piece is evenly coated.

Step 2

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Spray the basket with cooking spray, arrange the beef in a single layer, and spray the tops.

Step 3

Air fry for 10 to 12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until the beef is crispy and browned on the edges.

Step 4

While the beef cooks, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stir in the cornstarch slurry, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy.

Step 5

Toss the crispy beef and green onion pieces together in the sauce until fully coated. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve over steamed rice.

Tips

Slice the Steak Against the Grain

Look at your flank steak and you’ll notice lines running through the meat. Those lines are the grain. You want to cut across those lines, not along them.

Slicing against the grain breaks up the tough muscle fibers, which makes every bite tender instead of chewy. This matters a lot with flank steak since it’s a leaner, tougher cut.

Try to keep your slices about 1/4 inch thick so they cook evenly and get nice and crispy in the air fryer. If the steak is hard to slice that thin, pop it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes first and it’ll firm up just enough to make cutting way easier.

Get a Good Cornstarch Coating

When you toss the beef with the 1/4 cup of cornstarch, make sure every single piece is covered. The easiest way to do this is to put the steak slices and cornstarch in a large bowl or zip-lock bag and toss everything together until you don’t see any bare spots.

That cornstarch coating is what gives the beef its crispy edges in the air fryer. If some pieces are missed or barely coated, they’ll come out soft and won’t have that satisfying crunch.

If your steak slices are a little wet, pat them dry with paper towels before tossing them in the cornstarch. Moisture will make the cornstarch clump up and get gummy instead of creating a thin, even layer.

Don’t Crowd the Air Fryer Basket

Arrange the coated beef in a single layer with a little space between each piece. If the slices are piled on top of each other or touching too much, the hot air can’t circulate around them and they’ll steam instead of getting crispy.

Depending on the size of your air fryer, you might need to cook the beef in two batches. It takes a few extra minutes, but it’s worth it because every piece will come out evenly browned and crunchy on the edges.

Don’t forget to spray both the basket and the tops of the beef with cooking spray. That little bit of oil helps the cornstarch coating crisp up and turn golden instead of staying dry and white.

Related Recipes

• Air Fryer Korean BBQ Beef Bowls
• Air Fryer Crispy Sesame Chicken
• Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
• Air Fryer Sticky Honey Soy Pork Chops
• Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I coat the beef in cornstarch before air frying?

The cornstarch is what gives the beef that irresistible crispy, lightly crunchy coating on the outside. Without it, the beef would just come out dry and plain instead of having that restaurant-style texture that holds onto the sauce so well.

Make sure every piece is evenly coated. If you see clumps of dry cornstarch, just shake off the excess before placing the beef in the air fryer basket.