My keto Mongolian beef is so tasty that my family asked for seconds! This easy low carb dinner is ready in just 20 minutes and has only 5g net carbs. It's restaurant quality AND quicker than calling for a delivery!
It makes me so happy when I tweak dishes that are packed with sugar and carbs and turn them into healthy versions THAT TASTE BETTER than the original. Especially when it is take-out classics such as Mongolian beef.
My low carb Mongolian beef recipe delivers on all fronts: it is crispy, juicy and tender beef strips coated in a sticky savoury-sweet-and-spicy sauce. We have been eating it on repeat over the last few weeks.
It goes especially well with cauliflower rice or my keto fried rice.
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How I Made It Keto
- No Sugar. Classic Mongolian beef contains tons of sugar. In fact, a standard serving of P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef has 21g of sugar and 33g of total carbohydrates! I swapped the sugar for a zero carb sweetener.
- No Cornstarch. I omitted the cornstarch that the beef strips are traditionally smothered with. Cornstarch thickens the sauce. There really is no need for it, in my opinion. I do tell you how you could thicken the sauce further with clever low carb swaps.
- No Rice. Lastly, the original dish is served over white rice or with noodles. A no-no for anyone on keto. I serve it over cauli rice or in lettuce cups instead. More veggies and less carbs for you!
Ingredients
Let's talk ingredients. You'll find exact quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but I wanted to give you a bit of extra info right here:
- Beef: Flat iron steak is the best option because of its tenderness. Flank steak or sirloin are also perfect for quick stir-frying. Cheaper cuts such as stewing beef are too tough for this recipe. Slice into ½ cm (¼ inch) strips against the grain.
- Oil: I used light olive oil for frying. Avocado oil is a good alternative.
- Vegetables: Red bell peppers and spring onions. We want to keep these nice and crunchy, that's why I add them at the end!
- Liquids: Tamari and water. Tamari is a gluten-free type of soy sauce.
- Garlic and ginger: It is essential that these are fresh and not dried. The taste is so much better that way.
- Sweetener: I recommend a brown sugar replacement to get those caramel notes. I used Lakanto Golden, which is an erythritol monk fruit sweetener blend. You can also go for allulose or Bocha Sweet.
- Sesame seeds: I sprinkle sesame seeds over the top of the dish just before serving.
Instructions
It is simple to make low carb Mongolian beef. Here are the basic steps.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed method with ingredient amounts, timings and nutrition information.
STEP 1
Heat oil in a large frying pan until very hot. Sear the sliced beef for 4 minutes on high, undisturbed. Turn and continue frying until the meat is just cooked through. Set aside.
STEP 2
In the same pan, sauté the minced ginger, garlic, red pepper or chilli flakes until fragrant.
STEP 3
Add in the tamari or soy sauce, sweetener and water. Turn up the heat and bring the mixture to the boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium / low and simmer until the sauce reduces.
STEP 4
Add the beef back to the pan, together with the sliced red bell peppers. Cook for a further 2 - 3 minutes until the peppers are just cooked through but still have a bite.
STEP 5
Turn off the heat and stir in the spring onions and top with sesame seeds. Option to season with more black pepper and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
Katrin's Top Tips For Tender Beef
#1 Easy slicing. Put the beef in the freezer for 20 minutes before cutting. It is easier to slice thinly when it is semi-frozen.
#2 Slice it correctly. Cut across the grain so the fibres are short. If you cut the beef in the same direction as the fibres, it will be chewy and tough. Also, slice the beef thinly, about ½ centimetre thick.
#3 Don't crowd the pan. We want space between the beef strips during searing. If necessary, cook the meat in batches. Avoid packing the pan with beef - this means the meat steams rather than sears.
Variations
No tamari: Use a regular soy sauce or coconut aminos. Light soy sauce is too salty.
Thick and glossy sauce: Option to thicken the sauce further with ¼ teaspoon of xanthan gum, 1 teaspoon of ground chia seeds or 1 teaspoon of beef collagen powder after reducing. This makes the texture just like the original version, which uses cornstarch to achieve the thickness.
Swap the veggies: Mangetout or green beans are low carb vegetables that go well in this dish.
Amp up the Sweetness: I don't like the sauce too sweet. But, you may prefer a little more sweetness. We are all different! Taste it and add 1-2 more tablespoons of brown sweetener if you think it needs it.
Serving Suggestion
To keep carbs low, I serve keto Mongolian beef over cauliflower rice. Broccoli rice would also be delicious here. Konjac rice or miracle noodles are another alternative as they are even lower in net carbs.
I have also tucked the beef in lettuce leaves just like my pork lettuce wraps. That's a real fun way to enjoy the dish. Because, who doesn't like to eat with their fingers!
Fun Fact
Mongolian Beef is not from Mongolia! The dish was invented in Taiwan by a Chinese restaurateur. Today, it is considered to be "American-chinese" cuisine.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days or freeze for 3 months.
More Asian Recipes
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Recipe
Keto Mongolian Beef
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
- 1 lb flat iron steak or flank steak or sirloin, fat removed, 450g
- salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoon light olive oil or avocado oil, for frying
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or chili flakes
- ⅓ cup tamari or medium soy sauce or coconut aminos, 80ml
- ¼ cup water 60ml
- 2 tablespoon brown erythritol or more, to taste
- 1 red bell pepper sliced (110g)
To Serve
- 2 large spring onions finely sliced (50g)
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- drizzle of toasted sesame oil optional
Instructions
- Cut the steak against the grain into ½ cm thin slices. This is easiest if the meat is half-frozen (**see recipe notes). Season the beef strips with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a large wok or large frying pan until very hot. This ensures a good sear. Fry the sliced beef for 4 minutes, undisturbed before turning and cooking for 1 - 2 more minutes until just cooked through. You may need to do this in 2 batches - don't crowd the pan. Set aside.
- In the same pan, sauté the minced ginger, garlic, red pepper or chilli flakes for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add in the tamari or soy sauce, sweetener and water. Turn up the heat and bring the mixture to the boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 3 - 4 minutes until the sauce reduces. (See notes ***)
- Add the crispy beef back to the pan, together with the sliced red bell peppers. Cook for a further 2 - 3 minutes until the peppers are just cooked through but still have a bite.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the spring onions and top with sesame seeds. Option to season with more black pepper and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. Serve with cauliflower rice or broccoli rice or eat in lettuce cups.
Jane
Wow! This is absolutely amazing! Only had white granulated erythritol and did not need to use Xantham Gum. Used minced ginger from a jar. Had mine with cauli rice and my husband had regular rice and he LOVED it. Thanks for the great recipe; it's going on the meal rota for sure!!
Katrin Nürnberger
So happy you both enjoyed it!!