I had a craving. For a Chinese meal that would bring me back to the past.
And if you know me, you know my cravings HAVE TO BE SATISFIED.
Crispy.
Savory.
Mongolian Beef.
It melts in your mouth and bursts with flavor.
With a soy and ginger sauce that is absolutely amazing.
This is a low-FODMAP Chinese Dinner that will blow you away.
My recipe for low-FODMAP Mongolian Beef cooks in a snap and is perfect over steamed rice, alongside fresh green beans or low-FODMAP Chinese Vegetables.
If you want the beef extra tender for this recipe, then consider ‘velveting the meat’ in advance. This is a trick that I read about recently and it creates that texture that Chinese beef always has. So good! See tips at end of recipe.
You may also love:
- Low-FODMAP Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken
- Low-FODMAP 30 Minute Ginger Sesame Chicken
- Low-FODMAP General Tso’s Chicken
- Low-FODMAP Copycat Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp
- Low-FODMAP Beef Lo Mein (beef with noodles)
- Low-FODMAP Crispy Sticky Honey Chicken
Or check out over 450 more low-FODMAP recipes on the blog, like my low-FODMAP Best Beef Recipe Collection. IBS-friendly!
Be healthy and happy,
Rachel Pauls, MD
P.S. Check out my COOKBOOK for over 100 low-FODMAP recipes, low-FODMAP Meal Plan, FODMAP Tips and everything you need!! It’s the BEST!
Although this recipe has not been lab tested, a single serving should be low-FODMAP based on the ingredients (*using available FODMAP data at time of posting)
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 min, plus marinating 1 hour
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min, plus marinating
Equipment: Wok or large saucepan for frying
Ingredients
- 1 pound, 16 ounces flank steak
- See tip at end of recipe to ‘velvet’ your beef first
- 1/4 cup cornstarch, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
- 1/4 cup canola oil or other high heat compatible oil for frying
- 1 tablespoon garlic infused oil, divided into 2 teaspoons and 1 teaspoon
- Infused oils have all the flavor but none of the FODMAPs! See my low-FODMAP Top 11 tips for the reason why
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/3 cup gluten-free soy sauce (I prefer low sodium), plus 1 teaspoon, divided
- 2 tablespoons is one low-FODMAP serving
- 1/3 cup low-FODMAP Beef broth
- Try my low-FODMAP Happy Soup for an easy option!
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons green scallion tips
- Avoid the bulb of the scallion, this is higher in FODMAPs
- Sesame seeds, for serving
Directions
- Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4 inch thick pieces
- *For velveting the beef first see tip at end of recipe for next step 🙂
- Place the sliced beef in a resealable bag with 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon infused oil and 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- Allow to marinate for 15 minutes to one hour in the fridge
- When ready to cook, place canola oil in a large frying pan or wok and heat on medium high heat
- In a medium bowl or measuring cup, whisk together low-FODMAP beef broth, soy sauce, 2 teaspoons infused oil, sesame oil and dark brown sugar until sugar is dissolved. Set aside for now
- Lay 1/4 cup cornstarch in a shallow plate and dredge each piece of beef in it
- Add the steak to the pan in a single layer (shake off excess cornstarch before you do so) and cook on each side for 1 minute
- You may want to do this in batches
- It should be crusty when cooked
- Remove the cooked steak and set aside on a covered dish to stay warm. Drain oil from pan, leaving 1 tablespoon behind
- Add the ginger and sauté for 10-15 seconds.
- Add the soy sauce/low-FODMAP beef broth mixture to the pan and let it come to a boil
- Mix your remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water to create a ‘slurry’
- Stir in the cornstarch slurry and allow sauce to thicken until it can coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes
- Add the cooked steak back to the pan and toss to coat. The sauce should completely coat the beef in a thick layer, without excess sauce. If it needs more thickening, allow to cook a little longer
- Serve immediately, garnished with the scallion tips and sesame seeds
*TIP: How to velvet beef for a Chinese inspired recipe
- Sprinkle 1 & 1/2 tsp baking soda over your 16 ounces of cut beef in a medium sized bowl
- Toss with fingers, then let marinate for 30 minutes in fridge
- The beef will become a bright red color, that is supposed to happen
- Rinse beef and pat off excess water
- Proceed with the recipe as planned
14 Responses
Could you make this with chicken instead of beef?
Hi Stephanie,
We think this meal is more oriented to the savory flavor and juicy texture of beef. We do have a LOT of low-FODMAP Chicken recipes on this blog, with many amazing Asian inspired choices such as Low-FODMAP General Tso Chicken, Sticky Honey Chicken, Sweet and Sour, Ginger Sesame and Teriyaki as well. Hope that is helpful!
So good!
I even velveted the meat. So good and will be good to my tummy!
Thank you!! We really appreciate your comments!! Stay in touch ?
Delicious!
I didn’t have a ton of time, so I velveted the meat for 10 min and marinated it for 15 more min, and it was still fabulous. Thanks for a recipe that my kids love enough to request for their lunches! (I served it with rice, microwaved broccoli with sesame oil and LF seasoning salt, baby carrots, orange slices, and Japanese cucumber salad…it was all soooo good!)
Thank you SO much! This is such a great comment to read. We really appreciate you taking the time and are so happy your kiddos love the beef too!!
Delicious!
I love Chinese food, and this recipe did not disappoint. I didn’t have enough time to velvet the meat, and I added some broccoli florets into the mix at the end. I also used ginger paste instead of minced fresh ginger. It was so delicious and I will definitely be making it again, next time with some rice (coconut rice?) and veggies. I loved it. Thanks for making recipes that make our tummies feel as good as the food.
Hi EM,
Thanks for this review!
We have a low-FODMAP Coconut rice recipe that is divine for your next attempt if you want to try it too 🙂
Have a lovely day and stay in touch!
Key, secret ingredient
The meat was so tender and baking soda is the secret! I love learning about cooking and am looking forward to researching more about the use of baking soda with meat, poultry, etc. The flavor is very good. The sauce seems like a good base to be able to adjust with different herbs or spices or partially substituting liquids for a new flavor. If serving with sides, I recommend increasing the sauce slightly. Fantastic recipe!
Hi Erin,
Amazing comment and thank you so much! We hope to hear from you again soon!! Stay in touch 🙂
I am just getting started on my low FODMAP gut healing journey but I was told by my naturopath that brown sugar was high FODMAP?
Thank you for your question. Sugar is not considered high in FODMAPs. However, it may be a trigger when consumed in large quantities. Although brown sugar does have a small amount of molasses, 1/4 cup serving is low FODMAP. It is not uncommon for many people to be referring to older lists rather than the most up-to-date information on the food apps. We highly suggest you look into purchasing one of those, as well as checking out our two educational, low FODMAP cookbooks.
Who knew that you can make cheaper cuts of meat taste like filet mignon? I love this genius tip on velveting the beef, and I am going to make this dish regularly. I can’t believe it is actually not causing my tummy troubles. Thank you so much!!