This Mongolian Ground Beef Noodles dish is a family-favorite dinner that never disappoints. It’s sweet, savory, just the right amount of spicy—and comes together in under 30 minutes using pantry staples and one skillet. If you love bold flavors and easy weeknight meals, this one’s for you.
If you want so more unique beef recipes, try my brisket in the oven and my beef pasty hand pies. When you just want something new and different.
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email below and we’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Why this Ground Beef Noodles Recipe is a Keeper
This recipe has everything we love in a weeknight win; flavor, speed and simplicity.
- Lightning Fast: This dish comes together incredibly quickly, often in under 30 minutes, making it a perfect solution for busy weeknights when you need a satisfying meal fast.
- Flavor Powerhouse: The sauce, typically a blend of soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and sometimes a touch of sesame oil or hoisin, creates an intensely flavorful experience that hits all the right notes: savory, sweet, and umami.
- One-Pan (Mostly): While you boil noodles separately, the meat and sauce come together in one skillet, minimizing cleanup.
- Budget-Friendly: Ground beef is an economical protein, making this a great option for feeding a family without breaking the bank.
- Crowd-Pleaser: The familiar flavors and comforting noodle base appeal to a wide range of palates, including kids. It’s often a hit even with picky eaters.
- Versatile: Easily adaptable to different vegetables, protein types, and spice levels.
What Type of Noodles Should I Use for the Beef and Noodles Recipe?
Linguine works great because it’s sturdy and soaks up the sauce well, but you can also use lo mein, rice noodles, egg noodles or even spaghetti. Just cook them until slightly underdone so they finish in the sauce without getting mushy.
Pro Tip
If you want a thicker sauce that clings to every noodle, make sure to simmer the sauce for a full 2–3 minutes after adding the cornstarch slurry. It should bubble and thicken before you toss in the noodles.
Ingredient Notes for Ground Beef and Noodles
This dish uses everyday ingredients that come together for big flavor:
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Ground Beef: Lean ground beef (90/10) gives you rich flavor without too much grease.
- Soy Sauce: Regular or low-sodium both work. However, low-sodium gives you more control.
- Brown Sugar: Adds the perfect sweet contrast to the salty soy and spicy pepper.
- Hoisin Sauce: A must-have for that sticky, rich umami base.
- Cornstarch: Helps thicken the sauce so it clings to the noodles beautifully.
- Linguine: Really any sturdy noodle you have on hand works. Just undercook slightly so it doesn’t over-soften.
Variations and Substitutions for Mongolian Noodles
You can easily make this recipe your own by making some simple changes.
- Protein Swaps: Instead of ground beef, try ground turkey, ground chicken or pork. You can also make it vegetarian friendly by using tofu.
- Noodles: Explore different noodles like udon, soba, or even spiralized zucchini noodles for a low-carb option (add these at the very end as they cook fast).
- Vegetable Additions: Add broccoli florets, carrots, bell peppers, snap peas, mushrooms, spinach, snow peas or Bok choy. Add to the pan after browning meat, or sauté separately.
- Sauce Enhancements: To the sauce, add a little rice vinegar, sesame oil or orange zest and juice to enhance the flavors.
- Garnish: Sesame seeds, chopped green onions, fresh cilantro, or a drizzle of sriracha.
- Make It Spicier: Add more red pepper flakes, or swirl in sriracha or chili garlic sauce.
- Gluten-Free Option: Use tamari instead of soy sauce and swap in gluten-free noodles.
How to Make Ground Beef Noodles
This recipe comes together in just 4 easy to follow steps. This Mongolian beef noodles dinner is so easy and delicious, I come back to it again and again.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Cook Pasta: Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Cook the noodles until al dente. Drain then set aside.
- Cook the Ground Beef: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef. Cook, breaking the beef up, until browned. Drain off any excess grease. Add the garlic and cook for just a few seconds.
- Make the Sauce: Stir in the soy sauce, brown sugar, beef broth, hoisin sauce, ginger, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Make a cornstarch slurry and add it to the pan.
- Thicken Sauce and Add Noodles: Bring to a simmer and cook until sauce has thickened some. Add the noodles to the skillet and cook for a couple more minutes. Top it off with green onions and sesame seeds.
Prep Ahead Suggestions for Easy Beef and Noodles
You can easily prep this recipe ahead of time to make it even quicker when you need to get dinner on the table.
- Make the Sauce: Whisk together all the sauce ingredients ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Mince Aromatics: Mince your garlic and ginger.
- Chop Veggies: If adding vegetables, chop them ahead of time.
- Cook Noodles (Partial): You can cook the noodles al dente and rinse them with cold water to prevent sticking, then toss with a tiny bit of oil. Store in the fridge. They’ll warm up when added to the hot sauce. This isn’t ideal for texture, but an option if truly pressed for time.
- Cook the Beef: Brown the ground beef ahead and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Chop Aromatics: Mince garlic and slice green onions in advance and store in airtight containers.
Alternate Cooking Methods for this Comfort Food Recipe
While this dish is best on the stovetop, there are some other cooking options.
- Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker: You can brown the ground beef in the Instant Pot on the sauté function, drain fat, add sauce ingredients, and then pressure cook for a very short time if using other meat cuts (though ground meat really doesn’t need it). Noodles would still be cooked separately.
- Slow Cooker: If you want to make a large batch of the ground beef mixture for meal prep, you could brown the beef, drain, then combine with sauce ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 2-3 hours to really meld flavors. Add noodles just before serving.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftover Mongolian Beef
Leftovers keep and reheat like a dream. I love making extra for lunch through out the week.
- Storage: Store leftover Mongolian Ground Beef Noodles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The noodles will soak up more sauce over time.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat is on the stove. Add leftovers to a skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently. You may want to add a splash of broth to loosen the sauce as the noodles will have absorbed some.
- Microwave: Reheat in a microwave-safe dish, stirring every 1-2 minutes until heated through. Add a splash of water and season with salt if needed.
- Using Leftovers: Add leftovers to a lettuce wrap or with with fried rice.
- Add to Soup: The savory beef mixture could be a flavorful addition to a simple clear broth soup.
Common Questions About This Delicious Recipe
Yes, just make sure your skillet is large enough. The cook time may be a bit longer so that all of the sauce has a chance to thicken.
Absolutely. You can reduce or omit the red pepper flakes to keep it mild for younger eaters.
Of course, try using low sodium sauces when you are preparing the dish. Low sodium or sodium free soy sauce, beef broth and hoisin sauce will help.
Expert Tips for Making Asian Ground Beef Noodles
- Brown the Beef Well: Don’t rush this step. Browning the ground beef thoroughly before draining the fat adds a crucial layer of savory flavor (fond) to the pan, which will dissolve into your sauce.
- Don’t Skimp on Garlic & Ginger: These aromatics are essential for the authentic Mongolian flavor. Use fresh if possible.
- Taste the Sauce: Before adding the noodles, taste the sauce and adjust seasonings. It should be a balance of savory, sweet, and a touch of tang. Add more soy sauce for saltiness, brown sugar for sweetness, or rice vinegar for tang.
- Cook Noodles Al Dente: Cook your noodles according to package directions until they are al dente (still have a slight bite). They will finish cooking slightly in the hot sauce.
- Reserve Pasta Water: If your sauce seems too thick, a splash of the starchy noodle cooking water can help thin it out and make it cling better to the noodles.
- Toss Vigorously: Once the noodles are in the pan with the sauce and beef, toss everything well to ensure every strand is coated.
- Garnish: A sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions not only adds visual appeal but also a burst of fresh flavor and texture.
- Serve this Recipe: Serve with Asian Spicy Cucumber Salad, Creamy Broccoli in Parmesan Garlic Sauce or Hamburger Potato Soup.
More Recipes You Might Like
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email below and we’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Mongolian Ground Beef Noodles
Video
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email and we’ll send this recipe to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 10 ounces Linguine
- 1 pound Ground beef
- 5 cloves Garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup Soy sauce
- ⅓ cup Brown sugar
- ¼ cup Beef broth
- 3 Tablespoons Hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon Fresh ginger, grated
- ½ teaspoon Ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed red pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons Water
- 4 Green onions, sliced
- Sesame seeds, optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare pasta according to package directions, but drain the noodles when they still have 1 minute of cooking time left. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and cook, crumbling the meat, until no longer pink; drain excess fat from the pan.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add soy sauce, brown sugar, beef broth, hoisin sauce, ginger, black pepper and crushed red pepper; stir until completely combined.
- Dissolve cornstarch in cold water and add it to the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the noodles to the pan and cook for 2 minutes longer.
- Top with green onions and sesame seeds.
Christina’s Notes
- Use Sturdy Noodles: Linguine, spaghetti, or lo mein work best.
- Simmer Sauce: Don’t skip the simmer—it helps the sauce cling to the noodles.
- Customize the Heat: Add more red pepper flakes or sriracha to taste.
- Prep Ahead: Cook beef and mix the sauce in advance for a 10-minute meal.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided are estimates. It is recommended that you verify this information with your own trusted resource.
We love honest feedback, but to keep reviews helpful for everyone, we reserve the right to remove star ratings if it is clear the recipe has not been made, if the comment does not provide meaningful input, or if significant substitutions or alterations were made. Please note that ratings should reflect the original recipe as written to avoid confusing other readers.
This recipe is my personal adaption of an ethnic-inspired recipe. It is not intended to be an authentic recipe. I’ve recreated this recipe because I enjoy the flavors and I want to encourage my readers to expand their tastes and try new flavor combinations. The recipe, ingredients, and processes may have been adapted to make the recipe accessible to the average American. I have provided links to authentic versions of the recipe in the post above. I encourage you to visit these pages and learn more about the traditional version(s) of this recipe.