This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
My husband requested Mongolian beef recently so I decided to try and make a Whole30-approved version. After a few tweaks, I’m so excited to share this saucy, savory, and totally delicious Whole30 Mongolian Beef Stir Fry.
I don’t know anyone who isn’t obsessed with this classic takeout dish. It features stir-fried beef in a slightly sweet, umami-rich sauce that you’ll want to put on everything. To add some greens to the plate, I just quickly pan-seared some baby bok choy with fish sauce to give it a savory, salty flavor. It’s packed with nutrients and I adore this little veggie so much! You can eat it as is or serve it over a bed of cauliflower rice to keep it Whole30.
ingredients:
- Skirt or Flank Steak
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Arrowroot Starch
- Avocado Oil
- Garlic Cloves
- Fresh Ginger
- Toasted Sesame Oil
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Low-Sodium Beef Broth
- Green Onions
- Coconut Aminos
- Rice Vinegar
- Fish Sauce
- Toasted Sesame Seeds
- Baby Boy Choy
step-by-step:
step one: prep the beef
Place the flank steak on a cutting board and use a meat mallet or the back of a skillet to pound the steak until it is 1/2-inch thick. Remove and discard the parchment paper, then slice the steak against the grain into 1/4-inch-thin pieces. Add the steak to a large bowl and sprinkle with the arrowroot starch, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.
step two: sear the steak
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the steak in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until it forms a deep brown crust, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer the cooked steak to a plate and set aside. Repeat until all the steak is cooked.
step three: add the aromatics
Add the garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour in the beef broth and bring to a simmer, about 5 minutes. Continue to simmer for about 2 minutes, using the back of a spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the pan.
step four: stir in the green onions and build the sauce
Return the steak to the skillet. Stir in the green onions, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, and fish sauce and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
step five: make the bok choy
Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Sear the bok choy until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add the fish sauce and stir to combine. Season with pepper to taste.
step six: garnish and serve
Divide the cauliflower rice between bowls and top with the beef and bok choy. Garnish with sesame seeds.
recipe faqs:
Feel free to use cornstarch instead if you’re not doing Whole30!
You can use lime juice instead! The flavor works super well with the rest of the ingredients.
I hope you enjoy this Whole30 Mongolian Beef Stir Fry recipe as much as my husband and I do. Tag me on social @thedefineddish so I can see your final dish!
want more umami-packed recipes? try these!
Chicken and Scallion “Dumpling” Meatballs with Chili-Sesame Drizzle
Baked Mongolian Beef Meatballs
Sesame and Scallion Asian-Inspired Meatballs
Whole30 Mongolian Beef Stir Fry
Ingredients
For the Mongolian Beef:
- 1½ pounds skirt or flank steak
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 6 green onions, sliced into 1½-inch pieces (white and green parts)
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for serving
For the Seared Baby Bok Choy:
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 heads baby bok choy, rinsed, dried, and halved lengthwise
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Make the Mongolian Beef:
- Place the flank steak on a cutting board and use a meat mallet or the back of a skillet to pound the steak until it is 1/2-inch thick. Remove and discard the parchment paper, then slice the steak against the grain into 1/4-inch-thin pieces. Add the steak to a large bowl and sprinkle with the arrowroot starch, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the steak in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until it forms a deep brown crust, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer the cooked steak to a plate and set aside. Repeat until all the steak is cooked.
- Add the garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour in the beef broth and bring to a simmer, about 5 minutes. Continue to simmer for about 2 minutes, using the back of a spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the pan.
- Return the steak to the skillet. Stir in the green onions, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, and fish sauce and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Make the Bok Choy:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Sear the bok choy until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add the fish sauce and stir to combine. Season with pepper to taste.
Serve
- Divide the cauliflower rice between bowls and top with the beef and bok choy. Garnish with sesame seeds.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this tonight — it was so delicious! Love your blog!
YAY! Thanks, Lizzie 🙂
This was so incredibly yummy! I’m just starting my first Whole 30 and this will definitely be a staple in the rotation.
YAY! I am so glad! Good luck with your Whole30!
So yummy! Even my kids are obsessed!
This was absolutely delicious! Did not change anything!! My boyfriend loved it!!
Yay!! it’s a favorite of mine, and such a man pleaser too! 🙂
Doing Whole30 and noticed that my fish sauce has sugar in it. I will use lemon juice instead as you mentioned in your comments. Hopefully turns out well because I doubled the recipe!
It’ll still be great!! Don’t worry. With this recipe lemon juice will be a great substitute. 🙂
I made this tonight and it was delicious – thank you! I was wondering about the 4 tbsp of oil that you say to put in the pan to fry the steak because it’s not in the ingredient list that way. It seems like a LOT. I used all of it but then I soaked some up with a paper towel thinking that it would all feel too oily. In the end, it was perfect.
I do the 4 tbsp. of olive oil because the steak with the arrowroot is so sticky and sticks the pan so easily, so the extra oil helps prevent that from happening. After your steak is browned, if you prefer to remove some oil, that is just fine like you mentioned 🙂 glad you liked it in the end!
Do you have a good sub for fish sauce? My husband is allergic and I’ve notice a lot of whole30 recipes call for it. This looks delish!
When something calls for fish sauce, try subbing in lime or lemon juice instead and see what you think! 🙂
I meant not doing Whole30
I was looking for a good Mongolia beef recipe and this sounds delicious. I am doing Whole30 so instead of using 1 tablespoon arrowroot can I use 1 tablespoon cornstarch? I don’t have arrowroot.
Yes! If not Whole30, Cornstarch is the perfect substitute! 🙂 Enjoy!!!
Made this tonight and it is AMAZING! Going to be a permanent in our meal rotation. Thank you!!!!!
I just have to tell you that this was sooooo good! I made this for my family tonight and everyone (including my 4 kids) really loved it. My husband is so picky about “healthy” recipes being changed from just the normal ingredients. He said that this mongolian beef was better than Pei Wei. Great job!
Sincerely, a fellow DFW mom (: