Easy Keto Mongolian Beef

Dinner doesn’t get any easier than this Keto Mongolian Beef. Simply add the ingredients to your slow cooker and let it do all the work! It’s as tasty as take-out and far healthier.

This Keto Mongolian Beef is one of my most popular keto slow cooker recipes. It’s what I like to call a “dump-and-run meal”, meaning you just dump in all the ingredients and walk away. A few hours later, dinner is done!

But it still has all the great flavor of the original, with a fraction of the carbs. My kids love this so we make it often. Served over cauliflower rice, it’s an easy and healthy dinner we can all enjoy.

Try my Keto Meatball Casserole for another family-friendly slow cooker recipe!

Why you will love this recipe

We can all use more easy keto dinner recipes, and it really doesn’t get any easier than Keto Mongolian Beef. It takes only about 10 minutes of active prep and then it practically cooks itself.

This recipe has all the classic umami flavor of your favorite takeout. It’s a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy, with plenty of sauce that soaks into any keto rice or noodles you pair it with.

I utilized my slow cooker for this dish to minimize the effort and the clean-up. Tougher cuts of meat like flank steak or skirt steak benefit from slow braising, and become melt-in-your-mouth tender.

But not everyone has a crockpot so I’ve also included instructions for both the Instant Pot and the stovetop.

Ingredients you need

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• Flank steak: Flank steak is a good choice for Mongolian beef, as it’s easy to slice thinly. You can also use top sirloin or skirt steak.
• Swerve Brown: I highly recommend a brown sugar replacement, as it gives this recipe a more authentic flavor. You can also use granular sweetener and 1 teaspoon of molasses.
• Allulose: You don’t have to add the allulose but it does help make the sauce a bit stickier, like traditional Mongolian beef.
• Tamari: I prefer tamari over coconut aminos, because it has more umami flavor and fewer carbs. It’s also better than soy sauce as it’s completely gluten-free.
• Sesame oil: Use toasted sesame oil for the best flavor.
• Garlic: Fresh minced garlic is best, but if you must substitute granulated garlic, use ¾ teaspoon.
• Ginger: I use ground ginger for simplicity, but you can also use a teaspoon of fresh grated ginger.
• Red pepper flakes: Add another ¼ teaspoon if you like more heat.
• Glucomannan: Traditional Mongolian beef takes cornstarch for a rich, thick sauce. A keto thickening agent, like glucomannan or xanthan gum, makes the sauce thicker without starch.
• Garnish: Green onion, sesame seeds, salt.

Step by Step Directions

1. Prep the beef: Slice the beef thinly against the grain. This is easier to do when the meat is partially frozen. You don’t want it rock hard, but it 30 to 45 minutes in the freezer is about right. Place the sliced beef at the bottom of a slow cooker.

2. Make the sauce: Whisk together the sweeteners, water, tamari, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Pour over the meat and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

3. Thicken the sauce: Remove some of the liquid into a bowl and add the glucomannan. Whisk to combined well, then pour back into the pot and stir to coat the beef.

4. Garnish and serve: Sprinkle the Keto Mongolian Beef with sliced green onion and some sesame seeds. Serve over cauliflower rice.

Expert Tips and FAQ

Instant Pot Directions: Use the sauté function to brown the beef in a little oil first. Don’t add any water to the sauce, as pressure cookers force moisture out of the meat and it may end up quite soupy. Then cook the beef on Manual High for 10 minutes, then thicken with glucomannan.

Stovetop Directions: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add half the beef and sauté until nicely browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat with more oil and the remaining beef.

Add the sauce to the pan and bring to a simmer. Push all the beef to one side and whisk in the glucomannan, then stir well to combine.

More take-out copycat recipes

• Keto Korean Beef tops my list of easy dinner favorites. The meat is richly flavored and perfect with lightly sautéed zucchini noodles.
• Getting my whole family to agree on one dinner recipe is tough, but Easy Keto Chicken Fajitas works every time!
• This Keto Chicken Yakitori always meets with approval. One reader says: “I made this recipe for dinner tonight. Delicious! Even my non keto eating husband loved and gobbled it up.”
• Pizza night is back on with my delicious keto pizza dough. Add all your favorite toppings and dig in!

Keto Mongolian Beef Recipe

Dinner doesn't get any easier than this Keto Mongolian Beef. Simply add the ingredients to your slow cooker and let it do all the work! It's as tasty as take-out and far healthier.

4.86 from 67 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: keto mongolian beef

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours hours

Total Time: 6 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 417kcal

Equipment

• slow cooker (or Instant Pot)

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs flank or sirloin steak
• ⅓ cup Swerve Brown
• 2 tablespoon allulose (optional)
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup tamari or soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
• 2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ tsp glucomannan powder (or ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum)
• 2 green onions, chopped
• Sesame seeds for sprinkling

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Slice the beef very thinly against the grain. This works best when it is semi-frozen (but not rock solid). Place the beef in the bottom of a slow cooker.
• In a medium bowl or glass measuring up, whisk together the sweeteners, water, tamari, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Pour over the beef.
• Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, OR high for 2 to 3 hours. 
• When the beef has finished cooking, spoon some of the broth out of the pot into a bowl. Whisk in the glucomannan powder until combined, then pour the broth back into the pot and stir to coat. 
• Sprinkle the beef with the chopped green onions and some sesame seeds and serve over cauliflower rice. 

Notes

Instant Pot Directions: Use the sauté function to brown the beef in a little oil first. Don’t add any water to the sauce, as pressure cookers force moisture out of the meat and it may end up quite soupy. Then cook the beef on Manual High for 10 minutes, then thicken with glucomannan.

Stovetop Directions: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add half the beef and sauté until nicely browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat with more oil and the remaining beef.

Storage Instructions: Store any leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

Nutrition Facts

Keto Mongolian Beef Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 serving = ¼ of recipe)

Calories 417 Calories from Fat 229

% Daily Value*

Fat 25.4g39%

Carbohydrates 2g1%

Fiber 0.4g2%

Protein 35.7g71%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.