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    Lighter Mongolian Beef Meal Prep

    March 30, 2021 by Denise Bustard 10 Comments

    Home / Recipes / Beef Meal Prep Recipes / Lighter Mongolian Beef Meal Prep

    Jump to Recipe

    These Mongolian beef meal prep bowls are perfect if you are craving take out, but want to keep things healthier. With tender strips of flank steak served in a deliciously sticky sauce.

    Stir fry is one of my favorite things to meal prep- from firecracker chicken bowls to spicy tofu noodles, there is something for everyone's diet and tastebuds on this site.

    Lighter Mongolian Beef Meal Prep close up in meal prep container

    While I don't often use beef in my meal preps, this Mongolian beef is irresistible! With tender strips of steak, and a tangy, slightly sweet sauce, it goes great with some steamed broccoli and basmati rice.

    We've lightened up this recipe substantially by reducing the amounts of both sugar and oil used.

    Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!

    You're going to ♡ this recipe because

    • it's lightened up in terms of sugar and oil compared to many popular recipes
    • the beef is tender and flavorful
    • it tastes great, even on day 4

    What is Mongolian beef?

    Contrary to what the name suggests, Mongolian beef does not actually originate from Mongolia, but is rather a Chinese-American interpretation of a beef dish served at Mongolian barbecue restaurants (1). Confusing, right?

    Mongolian beef involves pan frying thin slices of flank steak, and serving it up in a brown sauce that includes soy sauce and/or hoisin (2). The recipes vary greatly by chef!

    If you are looking for a good, authentic Mongolian Beef recipe, check out this one from the Woks of Life.


    Ingredient notes

    sauce for Lighter Mongolian Beef recipe
    • flank steak- when cooking with flank steak, it's extremely important that you cut it thinly, and across the grain; otherwise it will be chewy and tough.
    • honey- brings sweetness and balance to the sauce; you may swap it for brown sugar or maple syrup (equal volumes). Alternative sweeteners have not been tested.
    • soy sauce- we are using reduced sodium soy sauce for this recipe; you can swap for tamari or coconut aminos if you are following a gluten-free diet
    • veggies- while steamed broccoli is pictured, use your favorite veggie. You could use a stir fry blend, cauliflower, green beans or bok choy.

    Step by step directions

    1. Coat steak in cornstarch- Slice steak thinly, then divide steak in half. Work in two batches to toss the steak until lightly coated in cornstarch.

    2. Cook the steak- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Work in batches to quickly sear the steak on each side, then transfer to a clean plate.

    3. Make the sauce- It's best to do this before you start cooking. Shake up the honey, water, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger and garlic. Add it to the pan, return the beef to the pan, and cook until the sauce has thickened.

    4. Portion, store & reheat- Divide the Mongolian beef between four meal prep containers with ½ cup cooked rice and 1 cup steamed vegetables. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave until steaming hot.


    FAQ

    Can I make this low carb?

    While I haven't tried, one reader has suggested that you could swap the honey with monk fruit sweetener. You would need to start lower than ¼ cup (she suggested 1 tablespoon) and adjust to taste. Serve over cauliflower rice and you have yourself some low carb Mongolian beef!

    Can I freeze this recipe?

    I haven't tried this, and do worry that the texture of the beef might change and become tougher after thawing. If you try it, would you let us know in the comments how it went?

    Can I use chicken?

    Yes! Use chicken thighs cut into small strips. You'll want to cook the chicken through fully at the 'sear' step.


    Variations

    • protein- swap the beef for ground beef, chicken thighs sliced into strips, or crispy baked tofu
    • vegetables- swap the broccoli for carrots, cauliflower, bell peppers, or any stir-fry worthy vegetable
    • make it low carb- serve it up in a lettuce wrap or over cauliflower rice
    • add noodles- swap the rice for egg noodles, or a mixture of noodles and zucchini noodles
    Lighter Mongolian Beef Meal Prep four meal prep containers

    More stir fry inspired meal prep

    • Honey Sesame Chicken Lunch Bowls
    • Vegan Ginger Teriyaki Lunch Bowls
    • Peanut Ginger Tofu Stir Fry
    • Maple Ginger Cashew Chicken Bowls
    • Sweet Chili Shrimp Stir Fry
    • Korean Inspired Ground Turkey Meal Prep
    • Cauliflower Fried Rice with Cashews
    • Santa Fe Low Carb Chicken Meal Prep
    • Low Carb Meatloaf & Cauliflower Mash

    ☆ Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear how it turned out! Leave me a review and star rating in the comments below. Your reviews help so much!

    close up shot of mongolian beef and broccoli
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Healthier Mongolian Beef Meal Prep

    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Chinese
    Calories: 473kcal
    Author: Denise Bustard
    Servings: 4
    These Mongolian beef meal prep bowls are perfect if you are craving take out, but want to keep things healthier. With tender strips of flank steak served in a deliciously sticky sauce.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Total Time40 mins

    Ingredients

    Sauce

    • ¼ cup honey see note 1
    • ¼ cup water
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce reduced sodium
    • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 teaspoon ginger finely chopped

    Beef

    • ¾ lb flank steak see note 2
    • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 3-4 tablespoons oil
    • ¼ cup green onions sliced

    For Lunch Bowls

    • 4 cups broccoli steamed; see note 3
    • 2 cups rice basmati pictured; see note 4

    Instructions

    • Sauce- In a jar or salad dressing shaker, combine the honey, water, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger and garlic. Shake until combined, then set aside.
    • Steak- Slice the flank steak against the grain into ¼ inch thick slices. Working in two batches, toss the steak in the cornstarch and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.
    • Cook steak- Heat 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Working in 3 batches, cook the beef for 2 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate while you work on the other batches.
    • Put it together- After all the beef is cooked, carefully wipe excess oil from the pan with a paper towel. Pour the sauce into the pan, return the beef and simmer for 1-2 minutes, until thickened.
    • Serve- Top with green onions and serve over rice with steamed broccoli.

    Notes

    1- honey may be swapped for an equal volume of maple syrup or brown sugar
    2- make sure you slice the steak across the grain and no wider than ¼ inch
    3- you can swap the steamed broccoli for carrots, cauliflower, bell peppers, or any stir-fry worthy vegetable
    4- you can serve over rice, brown rice, quinoa, in lettuce wraps, or over zucchini noodles
    5- Nutritional info includes rice and broccoli
    Storage
    Portion out into air tight containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days. I have not tried freezing this.
    Reheating
    Heat in the microwave until steaming hot.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1lunch bowl *note 5 | Calories: 473kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 711mg | Potassium: 666mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 565IU | Vitamin C: 81.8mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2.6mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @SweetPeaSaffron or tag #sweetpeasandsaffron

    About Denise Bustard

    Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more. read more

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