If you are looking for an easy instant pot beef recipe, look no further than this Easy Instant Pot Mongolian Beef crowd pleaser! Packed with yummy flavor, this Asian inspired meal is perfect for the whole family! This family dinner recipe, inspired by our favorite Chinese restaurants is full of tender beef and has so much flavor.

close up of mongolian beef over rice with green onions

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Let me start by saying that this recipe tastes nothing like P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef. It’s a great recipe, but nothing you will make at home will ever taste like P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef. I have no idea what they put in that stuff, but it’s a top-secret, mind-altering substance that just can’t be replicated.

We do not have a P.F. Chang’s near us, so if we are on vacation and see that there is a restaurant near us, the kids and I are all over it. I have been trying to replicate the recipe for years, pouncing on every “P.F. Chang Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe” that I’ve come across.

The recipe I’m sharing today is a combination of all my failed attempts to replicate the PF Chang copycat recipes. As I said before, it is REALLY GOOD, plus it’s SUPER EASY to make in my Instant Pot, but still a runner-up to the real thing. It’s one of our favorite recipes – the thin strips of tender meat coated in a savory sauce are hard to beat. You’ll be hooked on this delicious meal the first time you make it!

What You’ll Need to Make Instant Pot Mongolian Beef

2 pounds of flank steak, skirt steak, or top round steak
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup of soy sauce
2/3 cup of water
2 tbsp rice vinegar
4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
1 tsp minced ginger*
3/4 cup of dark brown sugar (not packed)
1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes
Optional: white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice for serving

Garnish:

4 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp sesame seeds

*Note on Ginger – I have always found fresh ginger to be a pain to work with. You have to buy this big piece of ginger, attempt to mince it, and then usually throw away the rest.

I recently found an awesome solution at Trader Joe’s – They have minced ginger, frozen in 1 tsp cubes that you can just pop out one at a time when you need them! (They also have garlic in frozen cubes as well, but I don’t mind mincing garlic, so this is nowhere near as exciting to me as the ginger.) They are located in the freezer section, usually with the frozen vegetables, but occasionally move around and sometimes hang out with the frozen Asian meal kits.

How to Make Easy Mongolian Beef in the Instant Pot

If you are new to pressure cooking and looking for easy recipes that take less time than traditional methods, you’ll love this popular recipe for dinner time.

Step One

Cut the flank steak into thin slices.
In a large bowl, toss the flank steak in the flour (working in batches if you need to) and set aside when done.

Step Two

In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes.

Step Three

Place the flank steak into the bottom of the pot and pour the soy sauce mixture over the meat. Stir it up until the meat is totally covered.

(Note: many of the recipes I’ve tried call for browning the meat in sesame oil, in batches, before adding the sauce. I have attempted this step, found it sort of annoying, and decided to try and skip it. There is zero difference in the outcome of this dish – you do not need to brown the meat in this particular recipe.)

Step Four

Close the lid on your electric pressure cooker, make sure it’s in the sealing position, and set it to the Manual (high pressure) setting and set the timer to 15 minutes.
When the cooking time is over, allow the Instant Pot to natural release for 10 minutes and then use the quick release feature to depressurize the pressure cooker

Step Five

Serve this super yummy Mongolian Beef over rice and garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds!

If you do happen to have any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Can I Make Homemade Mongolian Beef in My Slow Cooker?

Absolutely! If you want a great meal waiting for you when you get home that reminds you of your favorite Chinese takeout, just follow these easy steps:

Place the beef strips in the bowl of flour and toss until they are completely coated
In a separate bowl, mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes
Place meat into your crock pot
Pour the Mongolian beef sauce over the meat in your crockpot and stir until the meat is coated
Cook Time: 2-3 hours on low heat or 4-5 hours on high heat

Even More of Our Favorite Instant Pot Recipes!