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- What Is Mongolian Beef?
- Mongolian Beef Ingredients
- How To Make Mongolian Beef In A Slow Cooker
- Is Mongolian Beef Spicy?
- Hunan Beef Vs. Mongolian Beef
- Can You Make Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef Ahead?
- Can You Freeze Keto Mongolian Beef?
- More Low Carb Asian Dinner Ideas
- Tools To Make Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
- Keto Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef Recipe
My slow cooker Mongolian beef recipe is loaded with flavor, without cornstarch or sugar! And, it’s so easy that you just might need to add it to your weeknight dinner rotation – stat. Keto Mongolian beef comes together in 5 easy steps, and most of it is hands-off cooking time. But the best part? This Crock Pot Mongolian beef tastes better than take-out! Serve this healthy Mongolian beef over a bed of cauliflower rice for a complete low carb meal.
What Is Mongolian Beef?
Traditionally, Mongolian beef is a stir fry dish with flank steak, onions and sometimes other vegetables. The seasonings are typically soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar.
My Mongolian beef Crock Pot recipe also has sliced flank steak at the base, but is much healthier than what you would get at a restaurant.
Mongolian Beef Ingredients
You will just need some basic ingredients for this gluten-free Mongolian beef. Here is a breakdown of your shopping list.
- Flank Steak – Because it’s cooked in the Crock Pot, you want this cut of meat to get it super tender.
- Unflavored Gelatin Powder – This is used as a thickener and stabilizer in the sauce, instead of starch.
- Coconut Aminos – You get the yummy flavor of soy sauce, without the gluten or other issues of soy (I avoid soy because it’s estrogenic). It’s a key flavor in this slow cooker Mongolian beef.
- Garlic – You can never have too much garlic when making this easy beef recipe. It brings just about any Asian dish to life.
- Sweetener of your choice – Use any sweetener that you prefer – either a powdered or liquid sweetener for low carb/keto versions (these dissolve best when using sugar-free sweeteners), or any kind of natural sugar, such as honey or coconut sugar, will work if you aren’t sugar-free.
- Blackstrap Molasses – Even though it’s a small amount, the molasses gives the Mongolian beef recipe classic flavor. I promise it doesn’t significantly impact carb count, and your Crock Pot beef will still be keto friendly. However, you can substitute a bit of maple extract instead if you insist on skipping the molasses.
- Sesame Oil – Gives depth and flavor to Asian dishes like keto Mongolian beef.
- Ground Ginger – It’s more convenient than fresh, and still gives this Crock Pot Asian beef the flavors you expect.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper – Season to taste, as always!
How To Make Mongolian Beef In A Slow Cooker
The slow cooker is the key to the best Mongolian beef recipe! It makes the meat juicy and tender, not to mention easy.
Here’s how to make Mongolian beef in the Crock Pot:
- Slice the steak thinly against the grain. This is important!
TIP: If you have trouble making thin slices, try freezing the beef for about 15 minutes to firm it up, making it easier to slice.
- Coat steak with gelatin powder. Slice steak as thinly as you can, toss with gelatin powder (which acts as a thickener) and then add to your Crock Pot.
TIP: You don’t need cornstarch for this easy Mongolian beef recipe! The gelatin powder replaces it. If you can’t use or find gelatin, try more cornstarch substitutes here.
- Mix sauce ingredients. Whisk together coconut aminos, garlic, sweetener, molasses, oil, ginger, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the sauce over the steak and mix well.
- Cook steak in the slow cooker until it’s cooked through and tender.
TIP: How long to cook Mongolian beef in the slow cooker? It will take 4-6 hours on Low or 2-3 hours on High.
- Optional step – reduce the sauce. If desired, remove the meat from slow cooker, pour the sauce into a saucepan and simmer to reduce the sauce, until thickened. This is optional, as the sauce is still delicious just drizzled over the meat, too.
And there you have it – delicious, flavorful and simple slow cooker Mongolian beef!
Is Mongolian Beef Spicy?
No, this homemade Mongolian beef is not too spicy, as this Asian dish typically is not.
TIP: If you prefer spicy Mongolian beef, add some red pepper flakes to the sauce.
Hunan Beef Vs. Mongolian Beef
If you’re wondering what is the difference between Hunan and Mongolian beef, both dishes have similar flavors. However, Hunan beef tends to be pretty spicy and has some chili sauce to give it extra heat, while healthy Mongolian beef is pretty mild.
If you want to make Hunan beef, check out my healthy Hunan beef recipe here!
Can You Make Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef Ahead?
Yes, you can make slow cooker Mongolian beef ahead! Isn’t that what the Crock Pot is for?!
In addition to prepping for dinner the morning-of, you can also use this easy Mongolian beef recipe for meal prep. It will last in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Reheat keto Mongolian beef in a skillet over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, or toss it back into the slow cooker to reheat.
TIP: Be sure to reheat the beef with the sauce so that it doesn’t dry out. If it seems a little dry, you can add a little bit of broth to give it some moisture.
If you’re in a rush, you can reheat pre-made Crock Pot Mongolian beef in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time. It will warm up fairly quickly, so watch it closely.
Can You Freeze Keto Mongolian Beef?
Yes, you can freeze keto Mongolian beef. Store it in a freezer-safe bag and remove as much air as possible. It will last 3-6 months in the freezer.
To thaw, place the frozen Crock Pot Mongolian beef in the fridge the day before, or defrost in a zip lock bag in a bowl of cold water if it’s last minute. Then, reheat on the stove, in the microwave, or the slow cooker, just like the make-ahead instructions above.
More Low Carb Asian Dinner Ideas
If you love this Mongolian beef recipe and want to see other Asian-inspired low carb dinner ideas, I have more for you:
- Spicy Thai Shrimp Lettuce Wraps – Thai shrimp + lettuce wraps + peanut sauce. SO much to love about this meal.
- Keto Beef and Broccoli – If you love Mongolian beef, you’ll love this, too.
- Korean Ground Beef Bowl – You’ll love this easy dinner that’s ready in just 20 minutes.
- Spicy Asian Green Beans – The perfect veggie side for an Asian meal.
Tools To Make Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Slow Cooker – This model is super easy to clean and works perfectly with this healthy Mongolian beef recipe.
- Chef’s Knife – I love this knife for slicing the beef and chopping vegetables.
Keto Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef Recipe:
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Keto Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef Recipe
This EASY, delicious slow cooker Mongolian beef recipe is better than takeout! Learn how to make Mongolian beef in the Crock Pot with just 8 ingredients, no starch, + 10 minutes to prep. No one will guess this is healthy keto Mongolian beef.
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GET BESTIInstructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Slice the flank steak as thinly as you can (1/4 inch (6.35 mm) or thinner), against the grain.
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In a large bowl or plastic bag, toss the flank steak with gelatin powder, until evenly coated.
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Place the steak into the slow cooker.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut aminos, minced garlic, sweetener, molasses, sesame oil, ground ginger, salt, and pepper. Pour the sauce over the steak in the slow cooker and stir to coat.
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Cover and cook for 4-6 hours on Low or 2-3 hours on High, until steak is tender and cooked through.
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Optional step: If you want a thicker sauce at the end, you can remove the meat, pour the sauce into a medium saucepan, and simmer for 10-15 minutes to reduce the sauce. Otherwise, feel free to skip this step and just drizzle the liquid over the meat for serving.
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41 Comments
Jada Ackerman
This is so good!!! Trying to avoid sugar and eat low carb has left me missing Asian cuisine. This filled that void and then some! It will definitely be a recipe I make often!! *Side note – I never developed a love of cauliflower, so I used Palmini rice instead. 🙂 Delicious!!
Tammy
I love palmini noodles and lasagna noodles but I’ve never knew they had rice. Did you have to order it online or purchased in a store?
Thx
Lori M.
Love this dish! I have made it a couple times now. I am very appreciative of you being a soy-avoider. You must have developed it before your brown sweetener was available since the addition of molasses (or maple) with/to the sweetener is the comparable. You may want to update the recipe to use brown sweetener with the alternatives listed should one not have it on hand. The use of the molasses increases the carbs beyond what folks can use when they want more than one serving. While I agree that cauliflower rice is just the thing to absorb the sauce (especially after thickening), it’s inclusion doesn’t make this a “meal” or very ketogenic as the fats are quite low. Green beans swimming in butter, garlic and seeds/nuts could round out a “meal”. I know there are always dessert fat bombs to take up the slack, but some try to get away from excessive sweet stuff to have the meal deliver the fat. As it stands your recipe is a wonderful dish to be part of delightful meal.
Kate
This is the third recipe I have made from this site. This might be the best I’ve made EVER !!! Everything I have made from this site has been phenomenal
Natasha Cox
I have made this recipe twice now and it is soo delicious! It totally scratches that Chinese food itch without all the soy and sugar! My favorite way to eat this is with some cauliflower rice, stir fried veggies and kimchi. I know this is more Chinese and kimchi is more Korean but I don’t care! The sauce that this makes is so yummy soaked up in the cauliflower rice. My whole family loves this. Thanks to Maya’s amazing recipes we don’t miss the carbs at all! My family is quite happy to eat healthy! Thanks Maya for another fantastic recipe. Feel free to make more easy slow cooker Chinese creations!
Lisa
This was a hit for my whole family, including my 7- and 12-year-old. The flavor was awesome and I do recommend going through the extra effort of thickening the sauce at the end of the process. I followed the general direction of slicing the flank steak “as thinly as possible” without it shredding and it was no longer in slices at the end of the cooking process. The meet just fell apart (which was totally fine by us, but for others who want more substantial “pieces” of meat you’ll want thicker slices). I put this over my quick and easy cauliflower fried rice and there was not a single scrap left. My husband and my mom sprinkled crushed red pepper in their bowls for spicier flavor. I’ll be making this again. Super easy and delicious!
Rick Hall
This was REALLY GOOD! I had an extra half pound of flank steak to work with so I just bumped up the sauce, and I often do in other recipes, liking sauce. My new Instant Pot is a Mueller from Austria and it cooked it in 2 hours on the 6 hour slow cook setting. I called Mueller and got a customer support person who never used their product before, so I’ll either get my REAL crockpot down from the cupboard or settle for 2 hours. I had a little problem with the gelatin in that I just needed more but more than I expected while allowing for another half pound of steak. Rather than trying to stir it in, I put the cut up steak and gelatin into a zip lock and tried shaking it. Every recipe I make using Wholesome Yum recipes has come out GREAT! From my experience that cannot be said for other sources. You are the real deal Maya!
Cynthia
I don’t want to use the molasses – 15 carbs per tablespoon. if I substitute for the pure maple extract, does it still come out as great?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Cynthia, Yes! Maple extract and a tablespoon of your favorite sweetener will do the trick! Also, If you have Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Brown Blend, that would work great too!
Sharman Beltran
Hi,
I could only find Grandma’s unsulphured “Molasses”, not blackstrap molasses. After online research, it seems that most cooking and baking is done with regular molasses. Do I have to use the blackstrap molasses, or will regular molasses work in this recipe?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Sharman, Blackstrap molasses has a deeper, more concentrated flavor. Regular molasses will work fine in this recipe, but it will lack the depth of flavor that blackstrap gives.
Nicole Panos
You might want to go ahead and look in the ingredient list .mine also says organic molasses unsulphured on front label BUT on the ingredient list The only item is organic blackstrap molasses. HTH
Nicole Panos
Could you use this as a basic sauce with adjustments? Allergic to soy and would love to come up with a basic stir fry sauce that is as flavorful as one with soy. I know it’s a slow cooker normally you use less liquid than you would in an oven or stove top any idea on how to adjust this?
Thank you in advance and love your blog
Nicole p
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Nicole, Yes, you can use this recipe as a basic sauce. I do recommend heating it so the flavors can meld together, but it can work as a standalone sauce. Start with the recipe as written. If it is too salty you can adjust it by adding a small amount of stock or water. Enjoy!
Alycia Smith
I am shook. This tasted like takeaway. I used white pepper and added more, I used 6 cloves of garlic and I added spring onions for garnish. It was actually incredible. I enjoyed every bite. Will make again.
Chinh
Can I use pressure cooker? If yes, which mode and how long should I set? Thank you!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Chinh, This recipe really tastes best when done in the crockpot but in a pinch, it can be done in a pressure cooker. Set your pressure cooker to 20 minutes at high pressure and you will get similar results.
Becca
Delicious! Thanks for another great recipe.
Dominic
This was very good. The meat came out super tender and the sauce was very yummy. I think next time I might use just a *tad* more sweetener. Added in some steamed broccoli and served over cauliflower rice.
Was a hit – thank you for another winner!
Catherine
Awesome flavors used as marinate then stir fried meat and veggies. Definitely will use recipe again.
That guy who
I can’t star it because I didn’t follow the recipe exactly. I used soy sauce for one; Kikkoman is only 1 carb per tbsp, and I don’t even know where to get coconut aminos. I also added a 1/4 cup of garlic chili sauce.
If you can forgive my changes, I can say this was really ,really good and I am looking forward to making it again. I’m not going to say it is better than a restaurant, it’s just different, but that’s what I like about Chinese food, there are a million ways to skin a cat, and they all taste different.
I only got 2 servings. Maybe it is because I only used 1.42lbs of steak… I could get 4 servings, if I mixed in a lot of broccoli, and put it all on bed of cauliflower rice, but then I feel like I wouldn’t have enough sauce.
With only 2 to 4 servings, I don’t have room for 15 carbs of molasses. I know you said it makes a difference, but I am going to have to try it without it.
Anyways, looking forward to trying this again, and some of your other recipes.
Thank you.
Harold Lundberg
What kind and how many ONIONS?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Harold, The green onions are a garnish. They will add a nice flavor and texture to your dish if you choose to use them. They are usually purchased in small bunches and one bunch is more than enough for this application.
G. Poon
This looks worth trying. Too often, restaurant Mongolian beef is tough and dry after stir frying at high heat (good restaurants know how to prepare the beef in advance). Slow cooking is natively a tenderizing method. Looking forward to doing it!
Josh
You don’t have any amounts for the ingredients!!!! How is this a recipe??
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Josh, The measurements are listed in the recipe card. You may have to turn off reader mode to be able to view them.
Mandy
So I’m not sure if I’m going to go on a Keto diet or not (going to talk with my doctor first since I’m a T1 diabetic), but I decided to look for recipes to try because nothing demotivates you faster than not having anything yummy to eat. My Dad and I tried this, although he used an instapot (15 mins for the High/2hour limit). He added too much water, so there really wasn’t a glaze, but it was still really yummy.
We used liquid aminos instead of Coconut aminos since I couldn’t find the latter in our local store. Not sure if it makes too much of a difference. Also, not sure about the Blackstrap molasses, there was only one brand at the store, and it just said molasses. Lol.
Lorraine k Cyr
I tried this at a friend’s house and LOVED it!! Can I freeze leftovers? (if there are any)
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Lorraine, Yes! Leftovers will freeze well.
Cristina
OMG this was so good! I never thought I’d be able to eat Mongolian beef on Keto. Thank you so much for the recipe. Delicious!!!
Aaron
Are the 5 net carbs mostly from the molasses?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Aaron, Yes the molasses will affect the carb count. You can enter the recipe in an online recipe calculator if you would like to figure out the nutrition facts without the molasses.
Shelly Keyes
This recipe was super simple & turned out so tasty!! I will definitely keep this in the line up for quick & easy meals. The riced cauliflower was satisfying & the meat w/sauce was very flavorful. Next time I might add in some broccoli and red peppers just to up my veggie intake. I know that changes the carb count but I’m actually serving this to people who don’t follow a low-carb protocol. Well done!!
Dominic
I steamed about 2 cups of small-cut broccoli florets in the microwave for about 3 minutes (slightly under-cooked) and added it in the last 1/2 hour of slow cooking and stirred everything up well and let it finish slow cooking for 30. Came out wonderful and honestly – who needs take out when you can make this super easy low carb recipe!? Solid recipe. Want to up it? Use a tablespoon of fresh grated ginger instead of powder (if you can) and honestly, low sodium soy sauce is not so high in carbs I feel I have to sub for aminos. Up to you – but as written – great recipe!
Kathy Michaelides
Thanks for your wonderful recipes. I cannot find the quantity of ginger to use, is this maybe an omission? It is not on the recipe card or in the email.
Many thanks
Kathy
Wholesome Yum A
Hi Kathy, it’s 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger.
Kirstin
Could you freeze this as a make ahead meal uncooked?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Kristin, I think that would work fine.
Gayle Astleford
Could you use xanthum gum instead of the unflavored gelatin?
Wholesome Yum L
Hi Gayle. I haven’t tried that. Let me know if you do and how it turns out.
Deb
I Coated in gelatin and added mushrooms but plan to use xanthum gum to thicken sauce at end if needed. Fingers crossed!