Chili Garlic Beef Noodles
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This Chili Garlic Beef Noodles stir fry is a weeknight dinner win ready in under 30 minutes. It’s saucy, spicy and loaded with ground beef and chewy noodles. It’s better than takeout and a total crowd pleaser.
Quick & Easy Chili Garlic Beef Noodles
Quick dinners like this are my love language. Noodles cook in 2 minutes, meat is done in 5, toss everything together and dinner is ready in under 10 minutes. These Chili Garlic Beef Noodles are a weeknight win and so much tastier and better than takeout.
That sauce with Korean chili pepper flakes is so incredible and it clings to every noodle. The beef gets that perfect caramelized edge and when everything is combined together, it’s impossible to stop eating. These noodles feel restaurant worthy but cheaper and faster. Let me show you how to make it.
Why You’ll Love This Chili Garlic Beef Noodles
- Quick and easy: Dinner’s ready in just about 25 minutes from start to finish.
- Sweet and spicy: The combo of soy cause, chili flakes and a hint of sugar hits every craving.
- Charred beef = major flavor: Browning the beef until it crisps, gives the dish a rich, smoky depth.
- Lots of noodles: To soak up all that yummy, garlicky chili sauce.
- Perfect weeknight dinner: Better than takeout!
Ingredients and Tips
- Noodles: Any Asian style noodles work here. I used Ramen, but udon or even spaghetti will work. Follow the package instructions for cooking them, my ramen only needed 2 minutes of cooking.
- Beef: Use lean ground beef so you can get that deep brown sear without too much sear. The trick here is to not stir it right away, you want it to let it sit and caramelize.
- Gochugaru: These are Korean chili flakes and they give the dish a mild, smokey heat. I bought mine on amazon, but if you can’t find them use half the amount of crushed red pepper flakes.
- Mirin: Most groceries stores carry this now. It adds a light sweetness and depth. You can substitute with rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar.
- Sauce: Mix the sauce before you start cooking. Things move fast once the noodles hit the pan, just give it another quick whisk before adding it to the wok.
- Garlic and ginger: Fresh is worth it here, I’m not a fan of the jarred stuff.
Prepare the noodles according to the package directions, then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the gochugaru, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin and dark soy sauce.
Heat the peanut oil in a large wok or skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and spread it out in the pan. Let it cook untouched for 5 minutes until the liquid evaporates and the bottom is deeply browned. Flip and toss to get even color.
Stir in the sliced onion, the white parts of the green onions, the garlic, and the ginger. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until everything smells amazing.
Toss the noodles into the wok, pour in the sauce, and stir until everything is coated and glossy. Stir fry for 2 more minutes to bring it all together. Turn off the heat, drizzle with toasted sesame oil, toss again, and top with the green onion tops.
How To Serve It
These noodles are best straight from the wok hot and glossy. If you want to pair them with some dishes, here are my favorites:
Broccoli Salad
Egg Drop Soup
Thai Cucumber Salad
Egg Tarts (Hong Kong Style)
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these noodles less spicy?
Yes! Just cut the gochugaru in half or skip it completely.
Can I use a different protein?
Definitely. Ground pork, chicken, or even turkey work great. You can also use thinly sliced beef instead of ground for a fancier version.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes! Swap the beef for mushrooms, crumbled tofu, or plant based ground meat. Use vegetarian oyster sauce or hoisin for the umami.
What’s the secret to that smoky flavor?
Let the beef sit and brown before stirring. The caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan give that deep, restaurant style flavor.
Can I make it ahead of time?
You can prep everything in advance, the sauce, chopped aromatics, and noodles. Once you start cooking, it comes together in minutes.
How do I store and reheat leftovers?
Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a hot skillet with a splash of water or soy sauce to loosen the noodles.
Try These Asian Recipes Next
- Beef and Potato Curry
- Beef Chow Mein
- Bibimbap (Korean Rice Bowl)
- Three Cup Chicken
- Asian Style Pepper Steak
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Chili Garlic Beef Noodles
Ingredients
- 12 ounces noodles (asian style like ramen)
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ medium onion (sliced)
- 5 green onions (divided)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger (grated)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil (toasted)
For Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Korean chili pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup soy sauce (low sodium)
- ¼ cup oyster sauce
- ¼ cup mirin
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Prepare the noodles according to package instructions. Drain, rinse under cold water and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the Korean chili pepper flakes, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin and dark soy sauce.
- Heat the peanut oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and spread it out in the pan. Let it cook without touching it for at least 5 minutes or until all the meat juice has evaporated and there's a char on the bottom. Using a spatula flip the charred beef and toss it around.
- Add the onion, the white parts of the green onion, the garlic and ginger. Cook for another minute or 2 until fragrant.
- Add the noodles to the wok and stir everything together. Pour in the sauce and toss everything together so that everything is coated in the sauce. Stir-fry for another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and drizzle the sesame oil and give it another stir. Serve hot.
Notes
- Noodles: Any Asian style noodles will work, ramen, lo mein, or chow mein and if you don’t have any spaghetti will do in a pinch.
- Heat level: Gochugaru are medium spicy, but if you can’t handle too much spice, use half or less. Usually I can’t handle a lot of spice, and I didn’t find this dish too spicy for my liking, the sugar also helps balance out the spice.
- Beef browning: Don’t stir too soon, let the beef develop a crust before flipping.
- Make it vegetarian: Swap the beef for mushrooms, tofu, or plant based ground meat and use a vegetarian oyster sauce.
- Storage: Leftovers keep perfectly for up to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat in a skillet with a splash of water to bring the noodles back to life.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
