Craving takeout but want to keep it healthy? This Healthy Mongolian Beef recipe is a game-changer! Made with tender shaved beef, a perfectly balanced sauce, and ready in just 20 minutes, it’s quick, flavorful, and family-approved. As Amy says, “Just made this yummy dish and my family loved it!”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
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.
Sandra
Takeout cravings? Solved! This Healthy Mongolian Beef recipe has been shared over 3,000 times and loved by families everywhere. Made with tender shaved beef and a perfectly balanced sweet-savory sauce, it’s a lighter, better-for-you version of the classic that’s ready in no time. Just ask Ashley, who said, “Really really good!! Followed it exactly as written and it was perfect.”
I love my Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich so much that I had to come up with another recipe using shaved beef that keeps my family coming back for more. Whenever I swing by Trader Joe’s, I grab a package of shaved steak to make cheesesteaks—or recipes like this one! If you’re looking for more healthier twists on takeout favorites, try my Korean Fried Chicken or this simple and flavorful Chicken Fried Rice (so good!).
Years of experience tweaking classic dishes into lighter, family-friendly meals have made this one a keeper. With easy techniques for tender shaved beef and a foolproof sauce, this Healthy Mongolian Beef will make dinner a breeze—and a hit. Let’s get started!
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!
If you have skirt or flank steak, this Easy Beef and Broccoli is a winner. The right marinade makes all the difference in a recipe—and with a blend of warm nuttiness and herbs, this Flank Steak is one of our family favorites.
Why you’ll love this healthier Mongolian Beef Stir Fry
How is this a healthier version of Mongolian beef? I took an old copycat, P.F. Chang’s Mongolian recipe, and reduced the sugar significantly. Plus, using a low-sodium or Liquid Amino’s adds a punch!
Easy Mongolian Beef ingredients
The ingredients are simple, the taste — out of this world! Print the recipe card at the end of the post for all details.
- Shaved Beef | Thinly sliced steak makes it wonderful and tender and oh so easy! If you can’t find it, use thinly sliced flank or skirt steak. Check out all my shaved steak recipes.
- Soy Sauce | You can use a grain free soy sauce if you need the dish to be gluten-free. It’s a staple in the sauce and adds a kick!
- Dark Brown Sugar | The dark sugar enhances the flavor. If you have light brown sugar, it will work too. You can also add a bit of molasses to deepen the flavor.
- Cornstarch | Used to thicken the sauce, I like using non-GMO; you can also use tapioca flour if you’re allergic to corn.
- Garlic | You can buy minced garlic at Trader Joe’s to make cooking even easier.
- Green Onions | Also called scallions, add great flavor and color to this dish.
- Fresh Ginger | The aroma of fresh ginger can’t be beat—and if you like it spicy, you can always add extra.
- Red Pepper Flakes | They are optional because they carry a punch, but I love to sprinkle them on top.
- Sesame Seeds | This is another optional ingredient, but I use them because I love the hint of nuttiness and beauty they add to the final dish.
Recommended Tools
- I love this Staub Everything pan and it’s aptly named as I use it for everything! It’s larger than most pans, with sloping sides, so it works great for stir-fry and as a decent wok replacement.
- A good sharp knife if you are shaving your own beef steak and a pair of sturdy tongs.
Fresh Tips
- lf you don’t use much fresh ginger, it freezes great; when needed, simply grate while frozen. Or purchase Dorot frozen crushed ginger, love them — I get mine from Trader Joe’s.
How to Make Healthier Mongolian Beef
Sprinkle the shaved steak in the cornstarch, tossing to coat. In your small saucepan, heat the oil and saute the garlic and ginger.
Drizzle in the soy sauce and dark brown sugar, increasing the heat. It must be stirred constantly because sugar burns easily.
After the sugar dissolves, set it aside.
In a heavy skillet (I love my Staub for this) saute the shaved beef in small batches. It only takes about 2 minutes for each batch. Removing the beef to a plate between batches, be sure to bring the heat of your pan back up each time.
When all the meat is cooked, return all the beef to the pan and the Mongolian sauce to coat it. Add the green onions. That’s it! Your Mongolian Beef is ready to serve with rice and broccoli, garnished with the red pepper flakes and sesame seeds.
Variations
Mongolian Chicken Recipe | This recipe is so delicious with chicken too! Tip to get your chicken extra thin, freeze for 20-30 minutes then slice.
This Mongolian Beef recipe is very flexible—you can change the spiciness with an addition of more ginger and red pepper flakes. If you really want to heat up the spice index, add a little cayenne powder! Your eyes may water, but it will still be delicious!
Keto Mongolian Beef (Low-Carb)
It’s easy to swap out the rice for cauliflower rice. It’s delicious and you probably won’t notice a lot of difference.
Instead of cornstarch, use almond flour. It will make a lovely thick sauce with a great flavor.
Pro Tips for the best Mongolian Beef
- When you’re cooking the batches of meat, make sure the oil is at the right temperature. This is flash cooking, and it needs to be hot! It’s okay if your meet isn’t cooked all the way through, it will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Use the right cut of beef | typically Mongolian beef recipe is made from thinly sliced flank steak, but top round, or skirt steak may also be used. Or be like me and buy it all shaved super thin from your butcher or Trader Joe’s.
- Once you’re done stir frying the meat, remove excess oil. This will keep it tasting fresh!
- Instead of using vegetable oil, swap it out for a high quality olive oil or avocado oil for their high flashpoint temperatures.
Use the right soy sauce!
I have had readers say that this recipe is way too salty, which had made me confused, as I make this for our family often and nobody has complained that it’s too salty. After much research, I believe it has to do with the soy sauce:
- Use the right soy sauce, making sure it’s low sodium; or use a soy sauce replacement such as Bragg’s Liquid Amino’s or Coconut Aminos.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend that you still brown your beef in a skillet first, but if you really don’t have time, then you may just toss it in the slow cooker, mix sauce ingredients and pour over. Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours, high 2-3 hours.
Yes! Toss the meat frequently in the air fryer basket until it is as crisp as you like, then add it to the skillet to coat it with the Mongolian sauce you’ve prepared.
Yes, it’s so quick and easy on the stovetop, try it in the Instant Pot!
Brown the shaved steak on the SAUTE mode in batches, once browned. Turn off Instant Pot, deglaze pan with a little water if needed. Return beef to the Instant Pot, mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over the shaved beef. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, turn the valve to close, Pressure Cook on High for 6-8 minutes. Use the Instant Release method, as soon as time is up, stirring in sliced green onions and sprinkling on red pepper flakes and/or sesame seeds.
Some readers have claimed that it’s way too salty, the saltiness can vary from person to person. First tip, taste the sauce before you finish the dish. If it’s too salty for you, add a few splashes of rice vinegar (vinegar or acid neutralizes the salt) or lemon juice.
More shaved beef recipes
We love shaved steak in this house, it’s a shortcut to a quick and easy meal. You have to try our popular Cheesesteak sandwich recipe, these Philly Cheesesteak sliders and this low-carb Philly cheesesteak casserole.
New England Steak Bomb Sandwich Recipe
This Steak Bomb recipe is New England’s version of the Philly Cheesesteak, kicked up with “hots”, melted provolone cheese, salami and smashed mushrooms. A hot sub, dripping with juicy shaved steak sautéed with mushrooms, peppers and caramelized onions, on a toasted sub roll.
Best Cheesesteak Sandwich Recipe
30 minutes to the best Philly Cheesesteak sandwich recipe! Tender, shaved beef, caramelized onions, lots of flavor thanks to Worcestershire Sauce and oodles of gooey, stringy, drippy cheese — piled on top of a buttery, toasted french roll.
Best Philly Cheesesteak Casserole Recipe (Low-Carb)
Creamy, cheesy, and full of classic flavors, this is the Best Philly Cheesesteak Casserole! It’s a low-carb and easy recipe that uses this tasty sandwich’s traditional ingredients but in an oven-baked dish.
Best Philly Cheesesteak Sliders Recipe
Ready for the oven in 20 minutes, this Philly Cheesesteak Sliders recipe packs all the savory and cheesy flavors of a traditional Philly sandwich into steak sliders! A great recipe for game day, summer BBQ, tailgating, or just a delicious and easy weeknight dinner.
39 Best Shaved Steak Recipes (Easy Steak Meals)
Today I’m sharing 39 easy shaved steak recipes that the whole family will love! Shaved steak, also called shaved beef is a cut of meat you need to embrace! Most of these are healthy shaved steak recipes are ready in 30 minutes or less!
How to serve Mongolian Thinly Sliced Beef
- Rice | White rice will be ready in the same amount of time, but plan ahead if you are making brown rice since takes twice as long to cook, our personal favorite is Jasmine, but any rice will work.
- Noodles | Yummy, Mongolian beef noodles, yes please! Try cooking Udon, Soba or wide Rice Noodles.
- Riced Cauliflower | Keeping it low-carb and Keto, serve with steamed riced cauliflower.
- Steamed or Roasted Veggies | I steamed broccoli to go with ours, but feel free to saute up some peppers and onions, add shaved carrots. Or serve with oven-roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli.
- Delicious served with this Asian Ramen Salad.
How to store this Shaved Steak Recipe
If you have any left over, store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. To reheat, microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between. Or even better, warm a skillet and toss the Mongolian beef recipe in the hot pan for a few minutes.
Freezing Mongolian Beef is easy too, this sauce and beef will freeze well, up to 3 months stored in an airtight container in the freezer. To reheat, allow to thaw overnight and then follow the instructions above.
If you love quick and easy weeknight dinners, try these:
- Healthy 3-Ingredient Raspberry Glazed Salmon
- Best Philly Cheesesteak Sliders Recipe
- Easy Tamale Pie Casserole Recipe with Cornmeal Crust
- The Best Skillet Shepherd’s Pie
- Turkey (or Chicken) Divan
- Honey Bourbon Chicken {30 Minute Meal}
More from The Fresh Cooky
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Video
Equipment
Ingredients
Mongolian Beef
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil* I use avocado oil + extra if needed
- 2 teaspoons garlic finely minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger freshly grated
- ¼ – ½ cup low sodium soy sauce scant, be sure you use low sodium soy sauce or replacement such as Liquid Amino's or Coconut Amino's so it's not too salty.
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1 pound shaved beef I love Trader Joe’s shaved steak
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch non-GMO
- 3-6 scallions trimmed and thinly sliced
Serving Suggestions
- Red pepper flakes
- Sesame seeds
- Steamed broccoli roasted veggies, riced cauliflower
- Cooked brown or white rice for serving
- Or try Udon Soba or Rice Noodles
Instructions
- Toss shaved steak in a mixing bowl coating evenly with corn starch, set aside.
- In a small saucepan heat a few teaspoons of oil, adding garlic and ginger sauting for 30 seconds. Add soy sauce, brown sugar and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and sauce is reduced slightly. About 4 minutes, set aside.
- In a large skillet (love my ), over medium-high heat, adding a little more oil if needed, saute the shaved steak in batches, not crowding the pan. The shaved steak will cook quickly, flip the pieces as they brown, should only take about 2 minutes. Remove the finished steak to a plate or paper towel lined tray, repeat with all of the meat, adding oil if necessary.
- TIP | make sure the oil returns to a nice high temperature each time before adding more beef. I like to remove mine just as it’s getting a little crispy on the edges, but still pink in the middle, it will finish cooking later.
- If any extra oil in pan, pour off or use paper towels to remove. Return skillet to medium-high heat, return all of 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 red pepper flakes and sesame seeds if desired.
Notes
Crockpot Instructions: I recommend that you still brown your beef in a skillet; however you may just toss it in the slow cooker, mix sauce ingredients and pour over. Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours, high 2-3 hours. Air Fryer | Toss the meat frequently in the air fryer basket until it is as crisp as you like, then add it to the skillet to coat it with the Mongolian sauce you’ve prepared. Instant Pot Instructions | Brown the shaved steak on the SAUTE mode in batches, once browned. Turn off Instant Pot, deglaze pan with a little water if needed. Return beef to the Instant Pot, mix sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over the shaved beef. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, turn the valve to close, Pressure Cook on High for 6-8 minutes. Use the Instant Release method, as soon as time is up, stirring in sliced green onions and sprinkling on red pepper flakes and/or sesame seeds. Keto Mongolian Beef | It’s easy to swap out the rice for cauliflower rice. It’s delicious and you probably won’t notice a lot of difference. Instead of cornstarch, use almond flour. It will make a lovely thick sauce with a great flavor.
Nutrition
Stefany
LOVED this. I didn’t have any scallions so I used a shallot. YUMMY
I live that creative twist, Stefany!
Julie Franc
Great. I felt as though I was eating out.
So happy to hear that, Julie!!
Terry Lee
IMO, I will be making more sauce to go with the 1 lb of shaved steak. Just to make it even yummier (spelling?!)
The veggies I selected in addition to the broccoli were a delightful also. Everything was just better tasting it seemed like. Thanks for the easy AND delicious meal!
More sauce is never a bad thing!! Because of keeping it healthier that’s why I have lesser sauce! But so glad you loved it!! Sorry it only ranked 4 stars for you.
Amy OBrien
Just made this yummy dish and my family loved it!1
Thank you so much Amy!! 🥰
Ashley
Really really good!! Followed it exactly as written and it was perfect
Yay!! Thank you so much Ashley!
Melynn
Used the insta pot version and oh boy, it was wonderful! I used 1/4 cup soy sauce, a little toasted sesame oil and a little chili oil (instead of the pepper flakes). So easy and takes ingredients we always have on hand. We get more steak sandwich meat from the local farm where we buy beef than we really want but it works perfectly in this recipe.
YAY!!! Love your tweaks Melynn! And I’m jealous that you get local fresh meat!
Veronica Fair
This recipe was sooo good!.
I bought some Trader Joe’s shaved steak and searched a for Mongolian Beef recipe, this recipe was the only one that I had all of the ingredients. The best part was that it didn’t have a lot of ingredients, which I loved. I ended up having to substitute powdered ginger for fresh, it still was very good. The next time I make it I’ll use fresh and it’ll be even better! I’m so glad that you mentioned coconut aminos, because I’ve gotten away from using soy sauce. It’s quick, easy, and in my permanent recipe folder!
Thank you!
I’m sure it was even better with fresh! Fresh is always better! Thank you for your super kind words Veronica!
Karen
Omg! This was amazing! I used arrowroot on the meat, less than 2T, and coconut brown sugar to mitigate the carbs. Cauliflower rice and steamed broccoli, holy smokes! Freaking delicious! The sauce turned out pretty thick but the flavor is so intense, it went a long way. I hope Trader Joe’s sells that meat forever bc this is a keeper. Thank you so much!!
I love your tweaks Karen, how you made it your own! So appreciate your kind comment!
Sunne
This is AMAZING!! I added frozen strips of onion/bell peppers as I didn’t have an onion on hand. I’m having it right now over cauliflower rice. I did use the sesame oil that added so much extra to the dish. I found you from Pinterest when looking for recipes for shaved steak. I’m going to follow you now!
Love how you improvised! Your twist sounds great! Thanks so much for your sweet words, I have lots more shaved steak recipes on the blog too!
Dan M.
This recipe was great! We upped the garlic and the ginger and it still turned out amazing. This is the best recipe I’ve found using shaved steak and I’ve been searching high and low for good ones. If I leave out the ginger I think that even my flavor-challenged mother-in-law might even enjoy this.
Yay, I am so glad you loved it, Dan and the family, too! I have quite a few shaved steak recipes on the blog; you can check out this post with a bunch of them from me and other bloggers to search for shaved steak recipes. Thanks again for your kind comment!
Karen Patten
Delicious !
So glad you loved it!!!
Kim
Utterly delicious and quick! Thank you!
So happy to hear that, Kim! Thank you!
Mary
I understand why some people felt it was a lot of sauce. I felt it was the perfect amount but I added 1/2 a pound of snap peas, a red bell pepper, and two broccoli crowns to my mix so that helped absorb it.
The sauce was *very* soy tasting. And didn’t taste like any Mongolian beef I have had. I looked up other recipes and this once calls for twice the amount of soy sauce as others do.
I also personally found the shaved steak difficult to cook. It just kept getting stuck to my pan. I think I would have preferred thinly sliced better.
Overall a decent meal and I will probably try it again with less soy sauce and see if that allows the other flavors to come out more.
I love your tweaks, Mary! Thanks for stopping by; we love the shaved steak, but I’m sure it was frustrating if it was sticking. It sounds like maybe your pan wasn’t hot enough with enough oil, but also, I know some people prefer thicker pieces of steak — isn’t that what is so great, we get to tweak to our likes!
Sandra Thibodeau
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.
Love your additions, Sandra! And thank you for your kind words!!
Mollie mills
So good! I used sesame seed oil instead of vegetable, half the amount of ginger in powder form, added onion powder as well. To make it healthy, once meat was cooked I added chopped asparagus, which I don’t even like but tasted so good in this recipe. Then topped over rice. With everything bagel seasoning.
Oooh I love your twists, Mollie! Thank you for your kind words!
Naomi
This recipe was very good!! First time making Mongolian beef. I double my meat and only made 3/4 of the sauce because felt it would of been too much. Thank you for a quick recipe.
You are very welcome Naomi! So glad you liked it and glad you made it yours!
Amanda
Yummm, this was a hit! I’ll be making this often. So easy and followed recipe exactly. Eyeballed the oil and added a little more cornstarch but I’m not sure it mattered. Thanks for the awesome recipe!!
So glad you loved it Amanda!
Diana
The ingredients for the sauce lists 2 tablespoons of oil but the directions say to use “a few teaspoons”, which one is correct. Thanks
Hi Diana, great question, I need to clarify a bit more. Saute your garlic and ginger in a couple teaspoons, then you will use more or less in addition when you saute the steak. Every pan and beef for that matter is a bit different. Happy cooking!
D
Tastes very good. Will make again. With more veggies Thank you for sharing
That’s the beauty right, we load ours up with broccoli, so glad you liked it!
Marianne Simmons
I made this but it was way too salty. I’m thinking low sodium beef broth to replace all those liquid amino’s or soy sauce .
Hmmm, I’ve never had anyone complain about that before, but for sure, if you are sensitive to salt, try using Bragg’s liquid aminos or low sodium soy sauce/broth — or you can try reducing it slightly to taste as you go.
Gloria davenport
I agree way too salty and I did use liquid amino’s. It was inedible.
Sorry to hear that you didn’t like it Gloria, we love it – as do others, but that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone.
Aaron
I followed the recipe exactly but the result was pretty overpowering. I feel like the sauce portion should be halved, or the meat doubled!
Sorry to hear that Aaron, we love the sauce on our rice, so like have the extra, my friends and family and other readers have not complained about it being overpowering, you can always try reducing the sauce by half if that’s your preference. Sorry it didn’t meet your expectations.
Maha
hello,
can you add how many grams in 1 serving please
Can you tell me specifically what you are looking for in grams?
Becca
You have the serving size as 1 gram. A tbsp is like 14 grams lol. How many grams is the serving?
Thanks for catching that Becca, that is a default setting unfortunately. I just adjusted the recipe so it shows per serving, but since it’s between 4-5 servings, it gives an estimation. Hope that helps.
Haley B
I couldn’t believe how delicious this dish was with such few ingredients! I used the recommended Trader Joe’s shaved beef and it was perfect.
Can’t wait to make this again for friends and family!
Yay! I love hearing this Haley, thank you so much for sharing your sweet words! Love that TJ Shaved Beef!
Michaela Kenkel
This was better than any Chinese restaurant I have even eaten at!! The flavor was pure perfection and it turns out awesome each time I make it!
Woot! I love hearing this!
Julie Menghini
I absolutely love making Asian dishes at home, and this recipe is by far one of our favorites. It’s delicious and so easy to put together.
Thank you Julie, so glad you loved it for the taste and simplicity!
MS
Made this and LOVE LOVE LOVE it! And it comes together so quickly! It will in our weekly meal rotation. Thanks for the awesome recipe!