P.F. Chang’s Mongolian beef was our family’s favorite, so decades ago I started making it at home from a newspaper clipping. I’ve cut the sugar way back since then, and this healthy Mongolian beef is the version my boys grew up on. Before you heat the pan, read my batch-searing tip. It’s the difference between gray, chewy beef and crispy edges.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Sandra said, “Love this recipe. Even my fussy husband said it was a keeper. I added broccoli, cauliflower, and thin sliced carrots at the end in with meat and the sauce. I had blanched the vegetables first.”
At a glance
- Dinner in 20 minutes, start to finish.
- A lighter sauce, with less brown sugar and low-sodium soy sauce than takeout.
- Shaved steak means no slicing. Just coat, sear, and sauce.
- Gluten-free, low-carb, paleo, and Whole30 swaps in the post.
- Serves 4, about 357 calories and 25 grams of protein each.
Philly Cheesesteaks or Mongolian Beef?
When our boys spotted shaved steak on the counter, their faces lit up. “Are you making Philly cheesesteaks or Mongolian beef?” They loved both. Either way, big ol’ smiles all around.
Our Mongolian beef started decades ago. P.F. Chang’s version was the whole family’s favorite, but we couldn’t run down there every time I got a hankering.
So I found a copycat recipe. I’m pretty sure it was a newspaper clipping, though where it came from is anyone’s guess now. I cut way back on the sugar to make it healthier. It was still super tasty.
Back then, I sliced the beef myself. Painstakingly. As thin as I could get it. Then good shaved steak started showing up everywhere, and dinner got a whole lot faster.
If your crew loves shaved steak as much as mine, my shaved steak recipes roundup has plenty more ideas.
Why You’ll Love This Healthy Mongolian Beef Recipe
It’s lighter than the restaurant version. I cut the brown sugar way down and use low-sodium soy sauce. You still get that sticky, sweet glaze.
What is Mongolian Beef?
Funny thing: Mongolian beef has almost nothing to do with Mongolia. It traces back to the “Mongolian barbecue” restaurants in Taiwan in the 1950s, and the version we know was popularized in American Chinese restaurants, largely by places like P.F. Chang’s. The name is more of a marketing move than a geography lesson, kind of like how Singapore noodles have nothing to do with Singapore either. The dish is all about that sweet-savory caramelized sauce coating tender, thinly sliced beef, and once you taste it, you won’t really care where it came from.
What makes the shaved steak version special is how quickly and evenly the meat cooks. Because it’s already thin, every single bite gets fully coated in that glossy sauce, which is exactly what you want.
What Is Shaved Beef?
Shaved beef is beef sliced paper thin. You’ll also see it sold as shaved steak or sandwich steak. Most stores use ribeye, sirloin, or round.
Trader Joe’s shaved beef is my favorite. If your store doesn’t carry it, ask the butcher. Most will shave it for you.
To slice your own, freeze flank or sirloin for 20 to 30 minutes. Then slice it as thin as you can, against the grain. I did it that way for years.
Shaved steak comes packed tight, so it likes to stick together. Pull the slices apart as much as you can before you toss them in cornstarch. A few clumps are fine as long as your pan is hot.
If yours is frozen, thaw it in the fridge overnight. If you’re short on time, seal it in a zip-top bag and set it in cold water for about 30 minutes.
Mongolian Beef Recipe Ingredients
- Shaved Beef | Thinly sliced steak is wonderfully tender and so easy to work with. If you can’t find it, use flank or skirt steak frozen for 20-30 minutes, then sliced thin against the grain. I grab mine at Trader Joe’s. Shaving sirloin the same way works too. Check out all my shaved steak recipes.
- Soy Sauce | Use low-sodium soy sauce. This is important! Regular soy sauce makes the dish aggressively salty. For a gluten-free version, use tamari or coconut aminos. If you use dark soy sauce, it will be crazy salty.
- Dark Brown Sugar | The dark sugar gives the sauce its deep caramel color and richer molasses flavor. Light brown sugar works in a pinch. For low-carb or paleo, use coconut or a monk fruit brown sugar replacement.
- Cornstarch | Coats the beef for searing and thickens the sauce. Tapioca flour or arrowroot starch work as corn-free alternatives.
- Garlic | Fresh minced garlic is best. Pre-minced garlic from Trader Joe’s (Dorot, in the freezer section) makes this even faster.
- Fresh Ginger | The aroma is everything. If you don’t use fresh ginger often, freeze it and grate straight from frozen. Trader Joe’s carries Dorot’s frozen crushed ginger, which is a great shortcut, too.
- Green Onions | Also called scallions. Use the white parts for cooking and the green tops as a fresh garnish.
- Red Pepper Flakes | Optional, but I love the kick, yes, even wimpy me! Chili crisp is another great swap if you want something with a little more. A pinch of cayenne works too.
- Sesame Seeds | Optional, but they add a nutty crunch and a pretty finish.
- Broccoli Florets | Steam alongside or toss right into the pan for the last 2-3 minutes. Snap peas, bell peppers, bok choy and shaved carrots are all great too!
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
Recommended Tools: I love this Staub Everything Pan for this recipe. It’s larger than most pans with sloping sides, so it works great for stir-fry and as a wok replacement. A good sharp knife, sturdy tongs for pulling the slices apart, and a spatula for flipping round out what you need.
How to Make Mongolian Beef with Shaved Beef
Toss the shaved steak with the cornstarch to coat evenly.
In a small saucepan, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Sauté the white parts of the scallions, garlic, and ginger until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the soy sauce, dark brown sugar, and red pepper flakes. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves and the sauce simmers and thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Watch it carefully since sugar burns fast. Set the sauce aside.
Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Shaved steak is so thin it sears fast, so you don’t need it any hotter. Sear the shaved beef in batches for about 2 minutes each, flipping with a spatula, and remove it to a plate between batches. Bring the pan back up to temperature each time.
Once all the beef is cooked, return it to the pan. If adding broccoli florets, you can toss them (and any other veggies) into the pan now and saute 2-3 minutes, then return beef to the pan and pour the sauce over and toss to coat. Add the green parts of the scallions, toss once more and serve immediately over rice or noodles. Garnish with sesame seeds, plus extra red pepper flakes if you like the heat.
Expert Tips for the Best Mongolian Beef
- Don’t crowd a cold pan. Pull the slices apart as much as you can. Bigger batches, even a few clumps, are fine as long as the pan is hot, so the beef crisps instead of steaming. Flip with a spatula instead of tongs, and keep an eye on it. Shaved steak cooks in about 2 minutes.
- Get your pan hot first. Medium-high is plenty for shaved steak. Let the oil shimmer before the beef goes in. A cold pan means steamed beef, not seared beef.
- Use the scallion whites and greens. Cook the white parts with the aromatics at the start for flavor, then toss in the green tops at the very end just to wilt. It’s a small step that makes a noticeable difference.
- Use dark brown sugar if you have it. It gives the sauce that deep caramel-brown color and a slightly richer flavor. Light brown sugar works but won’t look quite as dramatic.
- Try the restaurant velveting trick. Add a pinch of baking soda (about ¼ teaspoon) to your beef along with the cornstarch before cooking. It tenderizes the meat the way Chinese restaurants do. Just don’t let it sit longer than 20-30 minutes or the texture gets mushy.
- Taste the sauce before you finish. If it’s too salty, add a splash of rice vinegar or water. If it’s too sweet, pull back on the sugar a little at a time. The sugar also balances the salt, so go slow.
- Remove the excess oil after stir frying. Tip out any excess oil before you add the sauce, or it turns greasy.
Mongolian Beef Recipe Variations
Once you’ve made this sauce, it works on just about anything.
Swap the Protein
- Mongolian Chicken | Swap the shaved beef for thinly sliced chicken breast or thighs. Pop the chicken in the freezer for 20-30 minutes before slicing to get it extra thin without tearing.
- Mongolian Shrimp | Large shrimp cook even faster than shaved beef, making this a 15-minute dinner. Pat them dry before they hit the pan so they sear instead of steam, and pull them the second they turn pink.
- Mongolian Pork | Pork tenderloin sliced thin against the grain takes on this sauce beautifully and is a great budget-friendly option when beef prices are high.
- Mongolian Lamb | If you love lamb, this sauce was made for it. Slice a lamb leg or loin thin, cook exactly the same way.
New Ways to Serve It
- Mongolian Beef Lettuce Wraps | Serve the beef in butter lettuce cups with shredded carrot, sliced cucumber, and a drizzle of extra sauce. Great for a lighter meal or a fun appetizer. If you love lettuce wraps, my P.F. Chang’s chicken lettuce wraps are another family copycat. They’re an exclusive recipe for my Smart Cooky Club members.
- Mongolian Beef Tacos | Warm tortillas, Mongolian beef, quick-pickled cucumbers or a simple slaw, sesame seeds and scallion greens. A fun twist for taco night.
- Mongolian Beef Noodles | Toss everything with lo mein, soba, udon, or ramen noodles instead of rice. This variation is so good it almost deserves its own post.
Gluten-Free, Keto, Paleo, and Whole30 Swaps
- Gluten-Free Mongolian Beef | The only swap needed is the soy sauce. Use tamari (check the label for certified gluten-free), coconut aminos, or grain-free soy sauce. Everything else is naturally gluten-free.
- Keto Mongolian Beef | Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and a sugar-free brown sugar substitute. Skip the cornstarch and brown the beef plain. The sauce will be thinner, and that’s okay. If you want it thicker, whisk a tiny bit of arrowroot into the sauce before you add the beef back to the pan. Serve over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles.
- Paleo or Whole30 Mongolian Beef | Swap the soy sauce for coconut aminos, use arrowroot starch or tapioca flour instead of cornstarch, use coconut sugar in place of brown sugar and serve over cauliflower rice. The sauce is slightly less salty and a little sweeter with coconut aminos, so taste and adjust as you go.
- Dairy-Free Mongolian Beef | Already dairy-free as written. No swaps needed.
Make-Ahead, Storage, Freezer and Reheating
- Make-ahead: Make the sauce up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate. Stir well before using. You can slice the beef and toss it in cornstarch up to a day in advance; cover and refrigerate, then let it come to room temperature for about 15-30 minutes before cooking.
- Leftovers: Store beef and rice separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Stored together, the rice gets soggy as it absorbs the sauce.
- Freezer: Freeze cooled beef in single-serve portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Great for quick weekday lunches.
- Reheating: For best texture, reheat in a 375°F oven spread in a single layer for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway, or in an air fryer at 350°F for 3-4 minutes. If using the microwave, add a small splash of water and heat in 30-second bursts.
How to serve Mongolian Shaved Beef
- Rice | Steamed white rice is classic. Brown rice, cauliflower rice, or my Hawaiian fried rice all work great too.
- Noodles | Lo mein, udon, or wide rice noodles. Cook first, then toss in the pan with the beef and sauce.
- Vegetables | Steamed or roasted broccoli is the classic pairing. Snap peas, bok choy, bell peppers, and shaved or shredded carrots work well in the pan or on the side. A simple cucumber salad adds a cool, bright contrast. My hibachi vegetables are great on the side too.
More shaved beef recipes
We love shaved steak in this house. It’s a shortcut to a quick and easy meal. Try our popular Philly Cheesesteak sandwich, these Philly Cheesesteak sliders and this low-carb Philly cheesesteak casserole. See all 39 Shaved Beef Recipes.
Shaved Beef FAQs
Nope! It’s a Chinese-American dish. It traces back to Taiwan’s “Mongolian barbecue” restaurants of the 1950s and became the saucy stir fry we know in American Chinese restaurants.
Restaurant versions are heavy on sugar and oil. Mine cuts back on brown sugar and uses low-sodium soy sauce. It comes in at around 357 calories and 25 grams of protein per serving, not counting rice. Serve it over cauliflower rice or with extra broccoli to lighten it more.
Traditionally, Mongolian beef is made with flank steak or skirt steak, sliced thin against the grain. Both are flavorful and great. I use shaved steak in this recipe, which is beef already sliced paper-thin, usually ribeye, sirloin, or round. I get mine at Trader Joe’s, and it saves me so much time on a weeknight. If you can’t find shaved steak, freeze flank steak for 20-30 minutes, then slice it thin against the grain.
Both are Chinese-American stir fry dishes with thinly sliced beef and a savory sauce. But the sauces are different. Mongolian beef is more sweet-forward, with a caramelized brown sugar and soy base. Beef and broccoli is a more savory, umami-forward, usually built on oyster sauce and less sweet. My Easy Beef and Broccoli is right here if you want to try both.
You can! It won’t have the same texture as sliced steak, but the sauce is so good and works in a pinch. Brown the ground beef with garlic and ginger, drain the fat, then add the sauce and let it thicken. Especially good tossed with noodles.
Typically, no. The heat is mild, coming from the ginger and red pepper flakes (or dried chilis). You can easily turn it up with more red pepper flakes, extra ginger, a spoonful of chili crisp, or a pinch of cayenne.
First, make sure you started with low-sodium soy sauce or tamari, since regular soy sauce will make this dish very salty. If it’s already made and too salty, add a splash of rice vinegar or lemon juice, both neutralize saltiness, or a splash of water to dilute.
Lo mein is the most classic. Soba, udon, ramen, wide rice noodles and even regular spaghetti all work. Cook them first, then toss in the pan with the beef and sauce so they soak up the flavor.
Yes, but not this recipe. Shaved steak is too thin for a slow cooker, and this one is built to be quick, ready in 20 minutes on the stovetop. For the slow cooker, you’d want flank steak sliced thin against the grain and added straight to the pot. I’m developing a slow cooker Mongolian beef recipe right now, and it’s going to be perfect!
Air fryer: toss the cornstarch-coated beef in the basket, cook until as crispy as you like, then transfer to a skillet to coat with the prepared sauce.
Instant Pot: brown the beef in batches on Sauté mode, deglaze with a splash of water, return the beef, pour in the sauce, seal the lid, and pressure cook on High for 6-8 minutes. Use quick release, then stir in scallion greens, red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds before serving.
Yes! Freeze cooled beef in single-serve portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
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Video
Equipment
Ingredients
Mongolian Beef
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil I use avocado oil + extra if needed
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch non-GMO
- 1 pound shaved beef I love Trader Joe’s shaved steak, flank steak thinly sliced
Mongolian Sauce
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic finely minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger freshly grated
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce scant, be sure to use low sodium soy sauce, liquid aminos, or coconut aminos so it’s not too salty
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar packed
- 3-6 scallions trimmed and thinly sliced, whites and greens separated (Green Onions)
- shakes Red pepper flakes
Serving Suggestions
- Sesame seeds
- Steamed broccoli shredded carrots, snap peas, bok choy
- Cooked white or brown rice for serving or Udon, soba or rice noodles
Instructions
- Toss shaved steak (or thinly sliced flank or skirt steak) in a mixing bowl coating evenly with corn starch, set aside.1 pound shaved beef, 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- In a small saucepan heat a few teaspoons of sesame oil, adding garlic, ginger and whites of green onions, sautéing until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and sauce is reduced slightly. About 3 minutes, set aside.2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, 2 teaspoons garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, ½ cup low sodium soy sauce, ¼ cup dark brown sugar, shakes Red pepper flakes, 3-6 scallions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, adding a little more oil if needed, saute the shaved steak in batches, not crowding the pan. Using your tongs pull the strands of beef, shaking and then lay into the pan. The steak cooks super fast. Flip the pieces with a spatula as they brown, about 2 minutes. A few clumps are fine as long as the pan is hot. Remove the finished steak to a plate or paper towel lined tray, repeat with all of the meat, adding oil if necessary.2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- Pro Tip: Let the pan get hot again before each new batch of beef. I like to pull mine just as the edges get a little crispy and it’s still pink in the middle. It finishes cooking in the sauce.
- If any extra oil in pan, pour off or use paper towels to remove. If desired, add broccoli or other veggies and saute for 2-3 minutes before returning the beef to the pan. Pour the Mongolian sauce over and toss to coat. Add green onions, stirring constantly about 3 minutes until meat is reheated and sauce is thickened and glazes the meat. Serve over rice, with some steamed broccoli, sprinkle with sesame seeds and extra red pepper flakes if desired.3-6 scallions, Sesame seeds, Steamed broccoli, Cooked white or brown rice for serving
Notes
Nutrition
Mike Hamersky
Awesome! The ginger and pepper flakes bring just the right amount of heat! Thanks! Made my 86-y/o mom very happy.
Thanks so much, Mike! So glad it brought joy to your mom!
Sheryl Murphy
Your Mongolian beef was FABULOUS! Everyone in my household loved it and it will definitely become something I include in a regular rotation.
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much Sheryl! Your words made my day!!
Ellen
Excellent! Everyone loves this. This is a keeper.
Yay Ellen!!
Jan H
Excellent and EZ. I used slow cooker. Thank you!
Love it Jan!!
Sheryl
Found this recipe as I Was standing in Trader Joe’s with shaved steak in my hand and googling what to do with shaved steak! I got the frozen ginger there as well. I hesitate to cook with beef because it’s hard to get it tender – shaved steak is the secret. I will definitely make it again! I like that I can adjust the sauce to my liking, a little less sugar and soy sauce next time – but sure tasted like restaurant mongolian beef to me. Thank you!
So glad you loved it Sheryl! And yes make it yours to your taste!
Patty Henderer
This recipe was so easy and quick. My family loved it! Thank you so much for the recipe, will make this again.
I love hearing that Patty! Thank you for your sweet comment!
Anna Treat
This recipe is unbelievably easy and delicious. I was concerned about the soy making this too salty so I used half soy/half coconut aminos, perfect. If you like your stir fry saucy just double sauce recipe, but not needed. I am actually just about to make the sauce to use as a dipping sauce! Highly recommend.
Thank you Anna!! Love your tips!!