Prepare to transform your home cooking with a dish that redefines tenderness and flavor. This guide will teach you how to create the most succulent Mongolian Sous Vide Flank Steak, utilizing one of the most innovative kitchen appliances available: the sous vide cooker. Forget tough, chewy flank steak; with precision cooking, every bite will melt in your mouth, infused with a rich, savory Mongolian glaze.

Creating memorable meals, especially for guests, should be exciting, not stressful. That’s why we’ve found that a Mongolian-inspired Sous Vide Flank Steak recipe is an absolute game-changer. It’s relatively hands-off, guarantees impressive results, and delivers a gourmet experience right in your dining room.
What is Sous Vide Cooking and Why is it Revolutionary?
Before we dive into the delicious details of this steak, let’s explore the magic behind the sous vide. If you’re new to this technique, you’re in for a culinary revelation.
At its core, sous vide cooking is a precise method where food is cooked in a vacuum-sealed bag within a temperature-controlled water bath. The term “sous vide” itself is French for “under vacuum,” perfectly describing the initial step of sealing your ingredients. This technique has been a secret weapon in professional kitchens for decades, cherished for its ability to achieve consistently perfect results that are nearly impossible with traditional cooking methods.
Think of it as a “French slow cooker,” but with unparalleled precision. Unlike conventional cooking, where temperatures can fluctuate wildly, a sous vide immersion circulator maintains the water bath at an exact temperature, typically within a fraction of a degree. This means your food cooks evenly from edge to edge, reaching precisely the desired doneness without any risk of overcooking.
The beauty of sous vide lies in its gentle, consistent heat. It allows for optimal breakdown of connective tissues in cuts like flank steak, transforming them into incredibly tender morsels while preserving moisture and enhancing flavor. Whether you’re making fluffy egg bites, delicate salmon, or a hearty steak, the sous vide ensures superior texture and taste every time. No more guessing, no more dry, overcooked meals – just perfectly cooked food, consistently.
Selecting Your Sous Vide Machine: Our Top Recommendation
Jumping into the world of sous vide might seem daunting with so many gadgets available, but finding the right tool makes all the difference. We personally rely on the ANOVA Sous Vide, and for good reason. Its user-friendly design and robust features make precision cooking accessible to everyone, from novice cooks to seasoned chefs.
What sets the Anova apart is its intuitive smartphone app, which allows you to effortlessly control the temperature of your water bath right from your phone. This connectivity offers immense convenience, letting you monitor your cook from another room or even when you’re out running errands. The app also provides a wealth of helpful tips, tricks, and a vast library of recipes, making it easier than ever to explore new culinary possibilities.
Beyond the Anova, when choosing a sous vide machine, consider factors like power (which affects heating speed), accuracy, build quality, and additional features such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity. A reliable immersion circulator is an investment that will elevate your cooking game for years to come.
Since adopting the Anova, we’ve had incredible success experimenting with a variety of proteins, from perfectly tender chicken breasts to flaky salmon, but our absolute favorite has to be steak. Sous vide flank steak, in particular, achieves a level of tenderness that simply can’t be matched by traditional grilling or pan-searing alone. It transforms an often-chewy cut into an unbelievably soft, juicy, and flavorful masterpiece.

Mastering the Ultimate Mongolian Sous Vide Flank Steak
Prepare to say hello to the most tender and delicious Mongolian Beef you’ve ever tasted. This recipe highlights why sous vide is the ideal method for flank steak, a cut known for its robust flavor but also its tendency to be tough if not cooked correctly. With sous vide, we eliminate that risk entirely, ensuring a consistently tender and juicy result every single time.
Don’t be intimidated by the sous vide; it’s incredibly straightforward. The process for this Mongolian flank steak involves just a few simple steps:
- Prepare the Steak: Place your beautiful flank steak into a high-quality vacuum-sealable bag.
- Craft the Sauce: Pour a rich, savory Mongolian-inspired sauce directly into the bag with the steak. This ensures maximum flavor infusion.
- Seal and Submerge: Seal the bag, ensuring as much air as possible is removed. Then, gently place the sealed bag into your temperature-controlled water bath.
- Precision Cook: Set your sous vide immersion circulator to 132ºF (55.5ºC). This precise temperature is key to achieving that perfect medium-rare doneness and incredible tenderness.
- Patiently Tenderize: Let it cook for a minimum of 5 hours, up to a full 24 hours. The beauty of sous vide is that you literally cannot overcook your meat in terms of doneness. The longer it cooks within this timeframe, the more collagen breaks down, resulting in an even more astonishingly tender steak. While 5 hours will yield a delicious steak for same-day enjoyment, we wholeheartedly recommend the full 24 hours if your schedule allows, as it truly transforms the texture.
This extended cooking window is a game-changer for flank steak. It allows the muscle fibers to relax and the connective tissues to render into succulent gelatin, creating a steak that’s not just cooked, but profoundly tender and juicy throughout. The long bath also gives the Mongolian marinade ample time to permeate every inch of the meat, infusing it with deep, complex flavors that will tantalize your taste buds.



Expand Your Culinary Horizons: More Sous Vide Recipes
Once you’ve experienced the ease and excellence of sous vide cooking, you’ll want to apply it to everything! Here are a few more popular sous vide recipes to inspire your next kitchen adventure:
- 18 Sous Vide Chicken Breast Recipes
- Perfect Sous Vide Salmon
- Cheesy Sous Vide Egg Bites
Deep Dive into Sous Vide!
Your Comprehensive Guide to Sous Vide Cooking

Eager to master this incredible cooking technique? Explore our comprehensive Guide to Sous Vide Cooking. We share all our insider knowledge, tips, and tricks to help you unlock the full potential of precision cooking, ensuring you become a sous vide pro in no time!
Mongolian Sous Vide Flank Steak Recipe
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. flank steak
- 1/2 cup tamari, or soy sauce
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter (for searing)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (for sauce thickening)
Instructions
- First, prepare your sous vide setup. Fill a 6-8 quart pot with water. Attach your sous vide immersion circulator to the pot and set the temperature to 132ºF (55.5ºC).
- In a bowl, combine the tamari (or soy sauce), maple syrup, fresh grated ginger, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Mix all ingredients thoroughly to create your Mongolian marinade.
- Place the flank steak and the prepared tamari mixture into a BPA-free vacuum seal bag. Seal the bag, ensuring as much air as possible is removed. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, a high-quality Ziploc or Stasher bag can be used; just immerse it slowly into the water, allowing the water pressure to push out the air before sealing it almost completely shut. Gently massage the bag to ensure the steak is evenly coated with the marinade.
- Carefully place the sealed bag containing the flank steak into the preheated sous vide water bath. Ensure the steak is fully submerged.
- Allow the Mongolian Sous Vide Flank Steak to cook for a minimum of 5 hours, up to 24 hours. For optimal tenderness and flavor, we highly recommend aiming for the full 24 hours, as this extended cooking time yields an exceptionally tender result.
- Once the sous vide cooking time is complete, carefully remove the bag from the pot.
- Prepare for searing. Heat a cast-iron skillet (or another heavy-bottomed pan) over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil or butter to the hot skillet. When the oil is shimmering and fragrant, carefully place the cooked flank steak into the pan. Sear for approximately one minute on each side to create a beautiful, caramelized crust.
- Remove the seared flank steak from the pan and set it aside on a cutting board to rest for a few minutes.
- While the steak rests, prepare the Mongolian beef sauce. Pour the flavorful juices from your sous vide bag into a medium saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to the sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency.
- Slice the flank steak against the grain into thin pieces. Serve immediately over fluffy rice and steamed or stir-fried vegetables. Drizzle the warm, thickened Mongolian sauce generously over the top of the meat and enjoy this incredibly tender and flavorful meal!
Tips & Notes for Perfection
- Cooking Duration: While our recipe suggests a 24-hour cook time for the ultimate tenderness, a minimum of 5 hours is sufficient for a delicious meal. Remember, the longer the cook, the more incredibly tender your flank steak will become.
- Searing is Key: Don’t skip the searing step! This quick high-heat blast creates a desirable Maillard reaction, adding a crucial layer of flavor and texture to the exterior of your steak that the sous vide alone cannot provide. Ensure your pan is very hot before adding the steak.
- Bag Choices: While vacuum-seal bags are ideal, heavy-duty freezer bags (like Ziploc freezer bags) can work well using the water displacement method to remove air.
- Serving Suggestions: This Mongolian Sous Vide Flank Steak pairs wonderfully with jasmine rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, or even noodles. Complement it with steamed broccoli, sautéed bell peppers, or a fresh side salad. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions for an authentic touch.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 279 kcal
,
Carbohydrates: 12 g
,
Protein: 27 g
,
Fat: 14 g
,
Fiber: 0 g
,
Sugar: 8 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation. Individual results may vary based on exact ingredients and preparation methods.
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