Artificial Food Coloring Free Ginger-Scallion Mongolian Beef
Takeout-style Mongolian beef is one of those cravings that can be genuinely hard to satisfy when you're avoiding artificial dyes, since many restaurant versions and bottled sauces sneak in caramel color, Red 40, or other synthetic additives. This version builds every drop of flavor from scratch using coconut aminos, pure maple syrup, fresh ginger, and garlic — nothing that requires a chemistry degree to decode on a label. The arrowroot-coated flank steak gets a serious sear in coconut oil, developing that deeply browned, slightly crispy crust that makes Mongolian beef so irresistible in the first place. A touch of ground turmeric gives the glossy sauce a warm, golden hue the completely natural way. Scallions go in two stages — the white parts cook down into the sauce for savory depth, while the green tops stay bright and fresh at the finish. The whole dish comes together fast once the beef has had its 30-minute rest, making it a weeknight win that tastes like it took far more effort than it did. Serve it straight from the skillet while the sauce is still glossy and clinging to every strip.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the beef
- 1 ½ lb flank steak, sliced against the grain into ¼-inch strips
- 2 tbsp arrowroot starch
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
For the sauce
- ½ cup coconut aminos
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tsp arrowroot starch
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
For cooking
- 3 tbsp coconut oil, divided
- 6 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces (white and green parts separated)
Instructions
- 1
Place the sliced flank steak in a large bowl, sprinkle with the arrowroot starch and salt, and toss until every piece is evenly coated. Let the coated beef rest at room temperature for 30 minutes — this allows the starch to adhere and helps the beef sear rather than steam.
- 2
While the beef rests, whisk together the coconut aminos, maple syrup, grated ginger, minced garlic, 1 tsp arrowroot starch, and turmeric in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.
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