This Easy Paleo Mongolian Beef is an easier take on the classic thanks to the ground beef!
I’ve always liked using ground meat because it’s more cost effective. But I really got into the convenience of it as well on our trip to Iceland. When you’re camping in the middle of nowhere, without a sink or running water, the last thing you want to do is cut up raw meat!
So whatever we made on that trip, we made with their locally raised ground beef. And from then on, I’ve been keeping my freezer extra stocked with ground beef because it’s just so handy.
There’s just 7 ingredients in this recipe that are stir fried together with the ground beef. So that definitely makes it extra easy to put together. I also changed things up a bit from the classic dish so there’s no added sugars.
Another thing I changed up is the common ingredient in the classic – hoisin sauce. And since I’ve yet to come across a version without quite a few ingredients in it I’d rather not eat – that had to go as well as the sugar. (Also just a side note, hoisin sauce often isn’t gluten free if that’s a concern.) In place of the hoisin sauce, I use a combination of coconut aminos and fish sauce which creates a good umami balance.
What is coconut aminos, and where can I get it/what can I substitute?
- First up coconut aminos is a savory sauce similar to soy sauce that’s made from the fermented sap of a coconut palm tree. It’s great for any kind of stir fry when you can’t have soy sauce. It’s also a bit sweeter, and slightly less salty than soy sauce.
- I find coconut aminos at our local health food store, but you can also order it online.
- To have a close substitution, try a 3:1 ratio of soy sauce to maple syrup. You can also just sub soy sauce for coconut aminos, but depending on your soy sauce, it may be too salty. So start with less and work up. You may also find you’re lacking that sweetness element from the coconut aminos, and you can add a touch of maple syrup to your taste.
How to make this Easy Paleo Mongolian Beef:
- Start by prepping all of your ingredients before you start cooking, since this comes together quickly.
- Also you want to have your side dishes mostly ready to go as well since this stir fry takes only 15 minutes from start to finish.
- Start tart by sautéing the garlic, ginger, chili, and white part of the green onions together over high heat.
- Then add the ground beef and break it up with a spoon into small bits as it cooks.
- Finally add the green parts of the green onions and sauce. Stir to combine and serve immediately.
More Stir Fry Inspiration:
- Sweet Chili Chicken Stir Fry
- Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry (Whole30)
- Whole30 Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry
- Potsticker Stir Fry
- Healthier Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry
More ground beef recipes:
- Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna Beef and Shells
- Crockpot Salsa Beef
- Enchilada Beef Sweet Potato Noodles
- Fully Loaded Taco Salad with Salsa Dressing
- Meal Prep Instant Pot Korean Beef Bowls
- Pomegranate Glazed Moroccan Inspired Meatballs
- Thai Zucchini Meatballs with Mango Coconut Sauce
- Taco Sweet Potato Noodle Bowls
And finally, I hope you enjoy this stir fry as much as we have! If you do make it, I hope you’ll leave me a comment/rating below. I always love hearing from you here, and over on Instagram where you can tag me at #getinspiredeveryday with your photos.
PrintEasy Paleo Mongolian Beef
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
The classic Mongolian Beef made easier and healthier with real food ingredients!
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon avocado oil
2 Tablespoons minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, green parts cut into 1/2” pieces, and white parts thinly sliced, see notes
1 red chili, thinly sliced
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup coconut aminos
2 Tablespoons fish sauce, see notes
1 Teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Optional: toasted sesame seeds to sprinkle on top
Instructions
Prep all your ingredients before you begin to cook.
Place a large skillet, (12″) over high heat. When the pan is hot but not smoking, add the avocado oil to the pan along with the ginger, garlic, white parts of the green onions, and the chili.
Sauté stirring constantly until fragrant and just beginning to brown, about 1 minute.
Next add the ground beef to the pan and continue to cook over high heat, breaking up the ground beef into small pieces as it cooks.
When the beef is cooked through, add the green parts of the green onions, coconut aminos, fish sauce, and sesame oil to the pan.
Cook stirring constantly to combine, about 30 seconds. Then remove the pan from the heat and serve immediately with your choice of sides.
Notes
For the green onions, I had 1/4 cup of thinly sliced white part and 3/4 cup 1/2″ pieces of the green parts.
Read the labels carefully because many fish sauce brands have added sugars and coloring.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 5
- Category: Stir Fry
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Asian