This Mongolian Lamb recipe will have you licking the pan. Perfectly tender lamb, sublimely sticky and sweet sauce - it’s just like at a restaurant.
I can’t get enough of this Mongolian Lamb recipe. When I made it, I remade it twice that week, and now, as I’m writing this, I want to make it again. It’s really easy, but there are a couple of key things you have to know when you’re making it.
How to make good Mongolian Lamb
- Firstly, the cut of meat. You can really use any lamb you like here. I used backstrap because it is easy to slice thinly, but you can use leg steak, or diced lamb if you can get it.
- Bicarb soda is a must. This will keep the lamb deliciously tender and velvety, like you get in a restaurant. You also want to use Shaoxing wine, or Chinese cooking wine. This is now relatively easy to find at the supermarket, here’s a link to the brand I use here.
- Finally cornflour - don’t skip this step. Adding cornflour to the lamb just before you put it in will help keep it tender by protecting the meat from the pan, as well as giving it a really nice little coating that will soak up the delicious sauce.
More deliciously sticky Asian-inspired recipes
If you are interested in some more deliciously sticky recipes, you could try Crying Tiger beef, Kung Pao Prawns or this delicious Beef Banh Mi, or my favourite Char Siu Pork Bowl.
What's in Mongolian Lamb
- Lamb (your choice of cut e.g. backstrap or leg steak), marinate in Shaoxing wine, bicarb soda and toss in cornflour.
- Sauce - Light soy, dark soy, hoisin sauce, Chinese five spice powder (opt.), Beef stock.
- Vegetables - Garlic, ginger, brown onion, green onion, green beans.
- Rice - Microwave rice - I used Jasmine.
See recipe card for quantities.
Okay, enough chat - I can’t keep you from this dish any longer. Enjoy!
How to make Mongolian Lamb
1. Thinly slice lamb. Combine lamb, Shaoxing wine, salt and bicarb in a bowl and set aside.
TIP: Bicarb will soften the lamb and give it a velvety texture.
- 350g lamb
- 1.5 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon bicarb soda
2. Make a sauce by mixing cornflour, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Chinese five spice powder (opt. - you can skip five spice if it will make it too spicy for your child), beef stock and sesame oil.
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 1 tablespoon light soy
- 1 tablespoon dark soy
- 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder (opt.)
- ½ cup beef stock
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
3. Peel and finely chop garlic. Finely grate ginger. Peel and slice brown onion into wedges. Trim and slice green onions into 2 cm pieces, all the way up to the ends. Reserve a few green sections of green onions and finely slice for garnish. Trim green beans and slice into 4 cm pieces.
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 cm ginger (1 tablespoon grated)
- 1 brown onion
- ½ bunch green onions
- 200g green beans
4. Place a large frying pan or wok on high heat. While you are waiting for it to heat up, sprinkle cornflour over the lamb and mix through.
- 1 teaspoon cornflour
5. Add vegetable oil to the pan and once hot, add garlic, ginger and brown onion. Cook for a minute or until fragrant.
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 cm ginger (1 tablespoon grated)
- 1 brown onion
6. Add lamb to the hot pan and cook for 3 minutes, or until starting to colour, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, microwave your rice so it is ready. You can also microwave your child’s portion of green beans now too, if you think your child would prefer them plain.
- 450g microwave rice
7. Mix sauce and then add to the pan, stirring. The sauce should thicken up quickly over the heat.
8. Add green onions (except for garnish) and green beans to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes more.
- ½ bunch green onions (except for garnish)
- 200g green beans
9. Serve sticky Mongolian lamb on a bed of rice and sprinkle over reserved thinly sliced green onions.
For kids you can serve their rice, lamb and green beans separately (if you reserved them earlier).
- Reserved green onions
Top tip
Make sure you don’t skip the bicarb, cooking wine or cornflour - they’ll make this recipe authentic and delicious.
Substitutions
- Alternative protein - Beef is a good alternative.
- Vegetarian - Swap lamb for black beans.
- Gluten Free - Swap soy sauce for tamari and replace dark soy sauce with hoisin sauce. You can also source Lee Kum Kee gluten free dark soy sauce on Amazon.
- Dairy Free - This is dairy free.
Kid-Friendly Variations
- Option to skip Chinese five spice.
- Serve rice, beans and beef separately.
Equipment
You will need a frying pan or wok, a stovetop, a microwave.
Recipe
Mongolian Lamb
Equipment
- Frying pan or wok
- Stovetop
- Microwave
Ingredients
- 350 g lamb your choice of cut e.g. backstrap or leg steak
- 1.5 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- ½ teaspoon bicarb soda
- Cornflour 1.5 tbsp
- 1 tablespoon light soy
- 1 tablespoon dark soy
- 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder opt.
- ½ cup beef stock
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 cm ginger 1 tablespoon grated
- 1 brown onion
- ½ bunch green onions
- 200 g green beans
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 450 g microwave rice
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Thinly slice lamb. Combine lamb, Shaoxing wine, salt and bicarb in a bowl and set aside.TIP: Bicarb will soften the lamb and give it a velvety texture.350 g lamb, 1.5 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, ½ teaspoon bicarb soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Make a sauce by mixing 1 tablespoon cornflour, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Chinese five spice powder (opt. - you can skip five spice if it will make it too spicy for your child), beef stock and sesame oil.Cornflour, 1 tablespoon light soy, 1 tablespoon dark soy, 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce, ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder, ½ cup beef stock, 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Peel and finely chop garlic. Finely grate ginger. Peel and slice brown onion into wedges. Trim and slice green onions into 2 cm pieces, all the way up to the ends. Reserve a few green sections of green onions and finely slice for garnish. Trim green beans and slice into 4 cm pieces.3 cloves garlic, 3 cm ginger, 1 brown onion, ½ bunch green onions, 200 g green beans
- Place a large frying pan or wok on high heat. While you are waiting for it to heat up, sprinkle 1 teaspoon cornflour over the lamb and mix through.Cornflour
- Add vegetable oil to the pan and once hot, add garlic, ginger and brown onion. Cook for a minute or until fragrant.3 cloves garlic, 3 cm ginger, 2 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 brown onion
- Add lamb to the hot pan and cook for 3 minutes, or until starting to colour, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, microwave your rice so it is ready. You can also microwave your child’s portion of green beans now too, if you think your child would prefer them plain.450 g microwave rice
- Mix sauce and then add to the pan, stirring. The sauce should thicken up quickly over the heat.
- Add green onions (except for garnish) and green beans to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes more.½ bunch green onions, 200 g green beans
- Serve sticky lamb on a bed of rice and sprinkle over reserved thinly sliced green onions.For kids you can serve their rice, lamb and green beans separately (if you reserved them earlier).
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