One Pot Gluten Free Mongolian Beef!
Mongolian beef is a delight!! If you haven’t ever had it- you are missing out. Combine juicy steak (Flank, Strip or Rib Eye are preferable) with a sweet sticky + salty and a hint of spicy sauce! The flavor is rich & bold!
I have been making a whole assortment of Chinese fakeout- takeout recipes this month and while this one may be lesser known its one of the most spectacular of the bunch. It was my husbands favorite and I know it’ll make it into our regular rotation.
Its similar to Szechuan Beef only milder! Even picky kids will enjoy it. If you have kids that don’t tolerate any spice whatsoever the red pepper flakes can be omitted entirely.
Substitutions:
If you are allergic to Soy- swap out the gluten free soy sauce for coconut aminos!
If you are allergic to sesame - feel free to omit the sesame oil. The sauce is very flavorful & will be ok if you need to omit the oil.
For the starch: ANY starch will work. I used potato starch as that’s what I had on hand. Corn Starch, Tapioca Starch or Arrowroot starch will all work equally as well.
The Brown Sugar can be swapped with Coconut Palm Sugar
The Beef can be subbed out for any other protein of choice! Chicken or Even Tofu. I would coat them in the starch as well. Cooking time may vary somewhat depending on the protein selected.
See below how to make the recipe SUGAR FREE!
How to make the Mongolian Beef Sugar Free:
Swap out the regular sugar/ honey for sugar free honey + add 1/4 Tsp of Liquid Stevia or Liquid Monkfruit.
Let’s talk about the sweetener options: Keto honey really isn’t a known ingredient…YET. I did a deep search on Amazon for it and since I found the first brand awhile back, a few more have come on the scent. My current favorites are:
The Nature’s Hollow brand can cause a little bit of digestive upset for some people, but not everyone. The other two are really gentle on your stomach. All 3 brands will work great in this recipe. Make sure you don’t skip the liquid stevia/monk fruit extract, either as it will bring the sweetness to the perfect level. Combining sugar free sweeteners really helps to create a more traditional balanced sweetness that your tastebuds expect.
Tips for working with Ginger:
Freeze & Grate it!! I have been doing this for many years. I once hated the way my ginger always went bad in the fridge not fully used. Freezing it in the solution. It lasts for many MONTHS. Plus frozen it grates incredibly easy. I don’t even bother peeling the skin off. Its also easy to mince it with a knife when its frozen. For this I just allow it to sit out for a few minutes first before cutting off however much I plan to chop. Place it back in a baggie or small container and put it back into the freezer for the next time.
One Pot Gluten Free Mongolian Beef
Ingredients
- 1 Lb Flank, Strip or Ribeye Steak Cut into thin bite sized strips.
- Pinch of Black Pepper
- 3 1/2 Tbsp Starch (Tapioca, Potato, Arrowroot or Cornstarch)
- 3 Tbsp Vegetable, Coconut or Avocado Oil for flash frying
- 1/3 Cup Gluten Free Soy Sauce (Or Coconut Aminos for soy free)
- 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1/4 Cup of Water
- 1 Tsp Grated Ginger
- 5 Cloves Garlic Minced (1 1/2 Tbsp)
- 1/2 Tsp Starch (Tapioca, Potato, Arrowroot or Corn starch)
- Red Pepper Flakes to taste (I recommend a pinch or two) Unless you prefer spicy then feel free to add more.
- Green Onions for Garnish
Instructions
- Add to a well seasoned cast iron pot or wok the oil heating the pot with medium high heat for 5-10 minutes while preparing the meat.
- Prepare the meat: In a medium bowl add the pepper to the beef strips. Toss in the starch and mix well making sure to coat all of the steak.
- Flash Cook the Steak: Add it to the hot pan and cook for only 4-5 minutes. Remove it promptly and place it in a bowl. (It may not look cooked through at this point- that is the goal! We are looking for a nice sear and cooking it about 2/3 of the way through).
- Make the sauce: Add to the pot all of the sauce ingredients. Whisk well and stir on and off while simmering it over medium heat for 10-15 minutes or so until It has thickened and the garlic is cooked through. Turn off the heat, add the meat back in and toss it for a minute or two. Serve over rice! Garnish with red pepper flakes and green onions!
Notes
Overcooked steak = DRY steak. This is the case for every single recipe that uses it. The best method to cook steak is high heat and quickly. Just a few minutes will do the trick. Remove it from the heat when its still juice and a you can still see some pink as it will cook further in the sauce.