AIP Mongolian Beef (Paleo, Gluten-Free)

This AIP Mongolian Beef tastes like some pretty darn good Chinese takeout. I always use my family to gauge the success of a recipe and this one is a definite winner. I know it's a hit when they ask me to make it again the next night. Aside from being delicious and addictive, it's ridiculously easy to make and only takes about 35 minutes. It's AIP and Paleo compliant, gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free.  

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Ingredients for AIP Mongolian Beef

• Flank Steak or Sirloin Steak  (see note below of beef cut options). If grass-fed beef options check out my post on the Best Grass-Fed Online Home Delivery options.  
• Cassava Flour- This is used to lightly coat the steak. If you don't have cassava flour, tapioca or arrowroot starch will work as well.
• Coconut Oil- I've been using more saturated fats for cooking lately because they hold up better to heat but really most oils should work for this, so use what you have.
• Carrots- It's very important to cut these nice and thin so they don't take forever to cook. 
• Green Onions- These get added to the pan slightly after the carrots since they cook pretty quickly.
• Sea Salt

The Sauce

• Coconut Aminos-  Coconut aminos are generally used as a soy sauce substitute. They are sweeter than soy sauce but contribute a similar overall flavor and work well in dishes like this one. You can find them on Amazon or in stores. I actually get mine at Kroger in the Asian Foods section. They have on in  Simple Truth brand. 
• Fish Sauce - Fish Sauce has a very unique flavor and it is nice and salty. It doesn't take much but this stuff really enhances the flavor of a lot of recipes. I listed this as an optional ingredient because I absolutely love the fish sauce in this recipe- I think it really makes the recipe. My family likes it too, however, they said they preferred the dish without the fish sauce because it was a little sweeter. If you want it a tad saltier, add the fish sauce. 
• Honey- This adds just enough sweetness to the dish. You can also use maple syrup or another sweetener of choice. 
• Water- This just dilutes the sauce a bit and gives a little volume.  '
• Garlic Powder-  Just a little bit of garlic powder adds a ton of flavor. You can also use 1 tsp fresh garlic in place of the 1/4 tsp garlic powder if you'd like. 
• Ginger Powder - Just a tiny bit of ginger rounds out the flavor of the sauce. As with the garlic powder, you can use fresh ginger in place of the dried if you'd like. Substitute ¼ tsp fresh ginger for 1/16 tsp ginger powder.

Cuts of Beef for Mongolian Beef

Most Mongolian beef recipes use flank steak or skirt steak. If you can't find these cuts, other alternatives include thinly sliced beef tenderloin, short loin steaks, sirloin, beef tenderloin, or New York strip.

I couldn't find skirt steak when I first made the recipe so I used sirloin and it was awesome. The second time, I used flank steak and it was still good but not quite as tender as the sirloin. 

My point here is while flank and skirt steaks are what's typically used, other cuts can work well too, so use what you can find. That being said, try to lean towards relatively tender cuts of beef for best results. 

How to Make AIP Mongolian Beef

Mongolian beef only requires a handful of ingredients and luckily there are perfectly acceptable AIP substitutes for the ingredients that aren't compliant.

For example, rather than coating the beef with cornstarch before cooking, we'll use cassava flour. Rather than using soy sauce, we use coconut aminos (one of my favorite AIP condiments).

Rather than using brown sugar, we'll use a little bit of honey. I tried to keep the sugar level down a bit since Mongolian Beef is usually loaded with sugar. This recipe still has just the right amount of sweetness without being super sugar-heavy.

Here and the steps:

1. Make sure the beef is cut into thin ¼ inch slices then spread it out on a baking sheet and sprinkle the cassava flour over it. Toss to coat the beef evenly. Set aside.
2. Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and cook for about 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally. The carrots should be cut pretty thinly as well so they cook quickly. 
3. Add the green onions with the carrots and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the carrots and onions from the pan. Set aside.
4. Clean out the pan if there is any residual food stuck to the pan. Return it to the stove and heat 1-2 tbsp of oil.
5. Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef. Cook for about 2 minutes on one side (or until it starts to brown), then flip the pieces to the other side and cook for 2-3 minutes. Once it's browned, remove it from the pan and set it aside. Repeat the process with the second half of the beef.
6. In a small bowl, mix the sauce ingredients then add them to the pan and heat the sauce over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until it starts to bubble slightly.
7. Add the meat and vegetables back to the pan with the sauce and cook for 3-5 more minutes. This will warm the meat and veggies and allow the sauce to thicken.

How to Store AIP Mongolian Beef

This will stay good in the fridge for 2-3 days. Just reheat in the microwave or on the stove. 

Can You Freeze Mongolian Beef?

I don't generally freeze Mongolian Beef because it's a pretty quick meal but it can be frozen. You can prepare the meal and freeze it in a tightly sealed container for up to a month (possibly longer). Thaw it in the fridge when you're ready to use it, then heat it on the stove. 

How to Serve Mongolian Beef

Serve this dish over cauliflower rice or Korean glass noodles.

Notes

• This dish is easiest to prepare in a non-stick pan. The coating on the beef just sticks very easily to a stainless steel pan. If you're not using a non-stick pan, be sure to use enough oil to prevent sticking.
• Cassava flour seems to work best for coating the beef (it's much easier to work with) however if you don't have it, tapioca starch or arrowroot starch can be substituted. 
• The fish sauce is optional. I think it really makes the dish so I prefer to include it because it balances out the sweetness and adds some complexity to the flavor. That being said, my family prefers it without the fish sauce because the dish tastes a little sweeter.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like: 

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Conclusion:

I hope you love this recipe.  If you tried it, please leave a comment below and let me know what you thought!

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