Paleo Mongolian Beef

at a glance
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 to 5 servings
5 — Votes 3 votes

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Squash your Chinese food cravings with this healthier spin on the restaurant classic, Paleo Mongolian Beef!

paleo mongolian beef

It’s my curse in life to be constantly out-ordered by my husband when it comes to Chinese food. The man KNOWS his Chinese food! While I slip into the temptation of ordering something that “looks great and light!” (think lemon pepper shrimp, chicken and vegetables, steamed beef and broccoli, etc.), he sticks with old faithfuls like Mongolian Beef. When our orders show up, I longingly stare at his plate of rich, flavorful beef, wishing that I’d just ordered the same thing.

You see, I usually stay away from ordering dishes like Mongolian Beef because the sauce makes me a little nervous! I can’t be sure of what mystery ingredients went into that sticky, lovely sauce. So, I stay away deciding that the likely 2-day stomachache isn’t worth the 15 minute indulgent meal.

paleo mongolian beef

The last time Austin and I were out for lunch (which we usually do on Sundays), a light bulb went off. Our plates hit the table; his that dark, sticky, craveable beef and mine, some steamed shrimp with broccoli. I sighed looking at our two plates and before I even took a bite (or drowned my shrimp in chilies), I took out my phone. I pulled up my “recipe ideas” note pad and added “Paleo Mongolian Beef” to the list. After years of longing, it was HIGH time I take a healthier stab at that delicious dish!

What we now have here folks is a VICTORY. A *serious* victory! I’m so excited by how this dish turned out that I want to tell the world! It’s crispy, sticky, flavorful, and better than any restaurant Mongolian Beef I’ve ever sampled. Be patient with the sauce as it comes together. Allowing the water to evaporate and sugars to caramelize is what gives this dish its signature sticky quality! Note that the 4 chili peppers added will not add a lot of heat. If you prefer a spicier dish, crush the peppers instead of adding them to the sauce whole. The seeds will help infuse the spice you’re looking for!

paleo mongolian beef

While this recipe would almost fall into the “squeaky clean” category, note that I do toss the beef pieces in a couple teaspoons of arrowroot prior to frying. If you’re following the Path A of the Fed & Fit Project, omit the arrowroot and follow the rest of the instructions as written!

Serve it up with some basic cauliflower rice or even spoonful of white rice and enjoy this healthier spin on the restaurant classic!

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

paleo mongolian beef

More Asian-Inspired Dishes

paleo mongolian beef

Paleo Mongolian Beef

By: Cassy
5 — Votes 3 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4 to 5 servings
This Paleo Mongolian Beef is a delicious alternative to take out with tender, crispy beef and a perfectly sticky-sweet sauce!

Ingredients  

  • 1.5 pounds beef flank steak cut into 1/4-inch thick pieces against the grain
  • 2 teaspoons arrowroot
  • 4 tablespoons butter ghee, or avocado oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated
  • 4 whole dried chili peppers crush for more spice
  • 2 cups 16.9 fluid ounces coconut aminos
  • Sea salt to taste
  • 1 bunch green onions cut into 1.5-inch long pieces on a diagonal
  • 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds for garnish, optional

Instructions

  • Sprinkle the arrowroot over the pieces of beef and toss to evenly coat. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a frying pan or wok over high heat. Working in small batches, add the beef pieces to the hot oil so that no two pieces are touching (we're avoiding "crowding" the pan so that each piece can get a good crisp). Sear the beef on one side for about 2.5 minutes, or until it has a deep brown color, then flip it over to get the same texture on the other side. Once cooked and crispy-looking, transfer the cooked pieces to a separate bowl or plate. Continue with the rest of the beef pieces, adding more butter or oil as needed.
  • Once the beef pieces are all cooked and set aside, add 1 tablespoon of butter and the teaspoon of sesame oil to the same pan. Turn the heat down to medium and then add the garlic. Saute for about 2 minutes and then add the ginger and chili peppers. Saute for an additional two minutes, until fragrant, and then add the coconut aminos. Bring the sauce up to a simmer and use a spoon to stir while scraping any beef bits off the bottom of the pan.
  • Let the sauce simmer for about 15 minutes, or until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste the sauce and add salt as needed. At this point, add the beef back into the pan. Add the green onions, stir, cover, and let the beef cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, or until the green onions are wilted. Turn off heat and serve with your choice of cauliflower rice or white rice!
  • Garnish with the sesame seeds and enjoy.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Paleo Mongolian Beef
Amount per Serving
Calories
481
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
21
g
32
%
Saturated Fat
 
11
g
69
%
Trans Fat
 
0.5
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
7
g
Cholesterol
 
132
mg
44
%
Sodium
 
2894
mg
126
%
Potassium
 
628
mg
18
%
Carbohydrates
 
28
g
9
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
0.4
g
0
%
Protein
 
37
g
74
%
Vitamin A
 
542
IU
11
%
Vitamin C
 
2
mg
2
%
Calcium
 
55
mg
6
%
Iron
 
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Meet the Author
Cassy Headshot

Cassy Joy Garcia

HOWDY! I’m Cassy Joy and I am just so happy you’re here. I’m the founder, Editor-in-Chief, and Nutrition Consultant here at Fed and Fit. What started as a food blog back in 2011 has evolved now into so much more.
Get to know Cassy

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Cassie says

    Cassie —  12/09/2016 At 09:31

    MMMMMMMm This looks SO yummy!

  2. Mariuxi says

    Mariuxi —  12/09/2016 At 10:51

    This looks amazing! I’m lactose intolerant and avocado oil is not available where I live. Can I sub in coconut oil instead?

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  12/09/2016 At 11:56

      Absolutely!

  3. Kelli says

    Kelli —  12/09/2016 At 11:54

    Hey this looks great. Do you think it would work with chicken? Thanks!

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  12/09/2016 At 11:56

      Yes!

  4. Erica Graff says

    Erica Graff —  12/10/2016 At 05:43

    This looks AMAZING! Thank you for this recipe (and all that you do)!!

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  12/22/2016 At 22:16

      Haha it’s so my pleasure!

  5. Erica says

    Erica —  12/10/2016 At 05:44

    Also LOL at autofill for adding my last name to my comment ^^

  6. Jennifer Williams says

    Jennifer Williams —  12/10/2016 At 17:03

    Seriously, I just made this and the family [even the 3 year old] gobbled it up! It was delicious, thank you so much.

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  12/22/2016 At 22:15

      That’s so great!!

  7. Carole says

    Carole —  12/12/2016 At 08:42

    Hey! This recipe looks great but coconut aminos can be quite pricey where I live… Do you think there is a way to modify that to retain the taste but maybe have a little less in the recipe?

    Thanks!

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  12/22/2016 At 22:13

      You can use tamari if you’re not sensitive to soy! Just don’t add any additional alt because tamari comes pretty salty 🙂

  8. jennyquack says

    jennyquack —  12/12/2016 At 14:29

    I just made this, essentially a half recipe. It is awesome! I can’t wait for my peeps to get home to try it! Incidentally, if you want to use less coconut aminos, you could maybe try beef broth with it. You will be condensing it down so it will be less amino-y but I bet it would still be great! I find this sauce a bit salty, but I am a salt-wimp and it is ‘chinese food’ after all. Yum!

    • Heather p says

      Heather p —  12/12/2016 At 17:54

      I found it salty too & I love salt. This recipe was amazing. Next time I will just add 1/2 tsp instead of one. My teenage son couldn’t get enough of it. Thank you so much for this incredible recipe.

  9. Sydney says

    Sydney —  12/14/2016 At 16:53

    This was my first time making one of your recipes and YUM! Can’t wait to search your site for some others. Excellent and definitely satisfied my itch for Chinese food!

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  12/22/2016 At 22:14

      Awesome!!

  10. Morgan says

    Morgan —  12/18/2016 At 20:28

    This ended up being way too salty! We ended up throwing it out which was a big disappointment.

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  12/22/2016 At 22:14

      Such a bummer!

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  12/22/2016 At 22:17

      I re-made it after reading your comment and agree that it can be made with less! Some folks loved it with the original amount, but that can always be added in later.

  11. Emily says

    Emily —  12/22/2016 At 11:38

    Love your recipes and am excited to try this one. Is there a type of pepper you recommend for this and do you think it can be purchased at a regular grocery store or would I need to go to an Asian market or something?

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  12/22/2016 At 22:11

      Any kind of a dried chili will work! They’re usually found with the other spices. No need to go to an Asian market …unless you can’t find dried or even fresh chilies at your local grocer. Hope this helps!

  12. Marissa says

    Marissa —  01/04/2017 At 13:40

    Hi Cassy,

    I can’t have any starch. Do you think it would still come out OK (I don’t mind if that sauce is not as thick) if I omitted that ingredient?

    Thanks!

  13. Jesse says

    Jesse —  01/17/2017 At 11:38

    I made this for my wife who thought it was inedibly salty. I used like 1/2 cup and didnt add any extra salt. I thought it was pretty good. The beef texture was awesome. I think a little honey and rice vinegar would elevate the sauce.

  14. VP says

    VP —  10/15/2017 At 07:24

    This was really good but I found the 2 cups of coconut aminos made it very very salty. Wondering if you used a low sodium version?

  15. Jen Williams says

    Jen Williams —  01/04/2018 At 10:23

    I made this last night–it was so good! We changed up a bit, because we didn’t have sesame oil or coconut aminos. I used coconut oil and Tamari sauce. I only used about 1 cup of tamari, and like others said, it was pretty salty. I ended up adding some honey to combat the salt and it was wonderful! I know I added sugars, but I think it needed it. Loved it over cauliflower rice! Thanks Cassy!

    • Cassy says

      Cassy —  01/04/2018 At 12:07

      You’re so welcome! Yes, tamari is MUCH MUCH saltier than coconut aminos (what the recipe calls for). The coconut aminos will also add natural sweetness, reducing the need for other sweeteners. Glad you liked it!

  16. Amber says

    Amber —  04/06/2018 At 09:07

    I made this last night and followed the recipe exactly except I skipped adding any additional salt. It was absolutely DELICIOUS! It tasted like real chinese food but so much better. I will definitely be making this again and again. Thank you!

  17. Christine Smith says

    Christine Smith —  01/14/2020 At 18:50

    5 stars
    This recipe is killer. I’m glad you instructed us to be patient with the sauce- it did take a while to thicken. As my husband says about all your recipes: “This woman can be trusted”. Even my picky kids had a second helping! You are a goddess divine!

  18. Kelly Ruchti says

    Kelly Ruchti —  07/25/2020 At 13:10

    5 stars
    We love this recipe! Made it for friends and everyone said it was better than a restaurant!!

    • Brandi Schilhab says

      Brandi Schilhab —  07/27/2020 At 08:52

      SCORE! That’s amazing! Thanks for sharing this with us, Kelly!

  19. Alysa S says

    Alysa S —  02/15/2023 At 15:55

    Could I substitute the chili pepper for a dried pepper flake or other seasoning? Wanted to make tonight but don’t have that whole pepper on hand