Easy Keto Mongolian Beef

Name: Keto Mongolian Beef Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 360 min
Total time: 370 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs flank or sirloin steak; 1/3 cup Swerve Brown; 2 tbsp allulose ((optional)); 1/4 cup water; 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce ((or coconut aminos)); 2 tbsp sesame oil; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 tsp ground ginger; 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes; 1/2 tsp glucomannan powder ((or 1/4 tsp xanthan gum)); 2 green onions, chopped; Sesame seeds for sprinkling

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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.

Keto Mongolian Beef in a large bowl with cauliflower rice and green onion in the background.

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!

A hand sprinkling sesame seeds over Keto Mongolian Beef.

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

Top down image of the ingredients all laid out for Keto Mongolian Beef.

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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

A collage of four images showing the steps for making Keto Mongolian Beef.

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.

A plate of Keto Mongolian Beef with cauliflower rice and chopsticks.

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.

Is Mongolian beef high in carbs?

This Keto Mongolian Beef has 2 grams of carbs per serving. It is much lower in carbohydrate than the traditional version, which can easily have 15 to 25 grams per serving.

Is Mongolian beef sweet or spicy?

Mongolian beef is a sweet and slightly spicy dish. You can easily adjust the heat to your liking by adding more or less red pepper flakes.

Is there sugar in Mongolian beef?

The popular version of this dish from PF Chang’s contains a great deal of sugar. But this keto recipe has no added sugars and all the great flavor of the original!

Close up shot of keto Mongolian beef in a black bowl, with sesame seeds and green onion.

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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.

4.85 from 40 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: keto mongolian beef

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes

Servings: 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

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.