Chef notes
Mongolian Beef is a beloved dish that is rich in flavor! There’s no wonder why it’s a staple item at restaurants. However, if you’re watching your calorie intake, you might be concerned about its typical preparation. Thankfully, by making a few tweaks, you don’t have to run away from your favorite flavors, rather embrace them as part of balanced diet. You can enjoy a lighter and more nutritious version of this classic recipe without sacrificing flavor.
Technique Tips: To achieve perfect, thinly cut strips of beef, freeze the beef for one hour so that it is semi-hard. It will be easier to cut that way.
Trim any visible fat before slicing the meat into thin strips. This simple hack can significantly decrease the overall calorie count while retaining the mouthwatering tenderness!
Go big on the veggies. Adding more veggies will increase the nutritional value of the meal, and make the dish more appetizing. It’s completely up to you which veggies you wish to include in this recipe, including bell peppers, snap peas, broccoli florets and thinly sliced carrots for added crunch, fiber and essential nutrients.
Add red pepper flakes or chili oil if you want something spicier, or add a bit of acidity by splashing with rice vinegar or fresh lime!
Swap Option: Use leaner cuts of beef. My go-to’s are flank steak or sirloin, as they have less fat compared to fattier cuts like ribeye and they’re really easy to cook – even when they’re overcooked, they’re not nearly as rubbery as other cuts. If you’re not a fan of green onion, try torn (Thai) basil or cilantro. Depending on your dietary preferences, you can swap the brown rice for cauliflower rice!
Get Ingredients: If you don’t have everything you need on hand, you can easily purchase all of the ingredients (just click the orange button below that says ‘Get Ingredients’). You can pick and choose exactly what ingredients you need based on what’s in your pantry and they’ll be on your doorstep before you know it.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- avocado oil spray
- 1 small green cabbage, cored and thinly shredded
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 white onion, thinly sliced into half moons
- 2 pounds flank steak, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 2½ cups brown rice, frozen
- sliced green onion, for garnish
Preparation
1.In a mixing bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
2.Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, spray with avocado oil, then add the cabbage, carrots and onions. Toss together until the vegetables begin to have sear marks, about 3 minutes.
3.Remove the vegetables from the pan and increase the heat to high. Once hot, spray again with oil, then add the beef. Sprinkle black pepper over the meat and allow to sear for 2 minutes.
4.Add the bean sprouts and toss together for 1 minute.
5.Reduce the heat to medium, then add the vegetables back to the pan.
6.Make a hole in the center of the ingredients and pour the sauce in the middle of the pan. Once the sauce starts to bubble, 1 to 2 minutes, turn off the heat and stir immediately and continuously, tossing the veggies and beef in the sauce.
7.Prepare the brown rice, according to package instructions.
8.Serve the beef and vegetables over rice, then garnish with green onions.
