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These Mongolian Ground Beef Noodles are packed with flavor! It’s made with crispy ground beef, tender noodles, and a sweet and savory garlic soy sauce that coats every bite. This recipe comes together in under 30 minutes and calls for simple ingredients – making this the perfect recipe for busy weeknights!
This is the kind of dinner you make when you want big flavor without a million dishes!
Savory, sweet Mongolian ground beef, tender noodles, and a rich, glossy sauce come together fast and hits every time! Low effort, high reward – and as always, LOTS of flavor!
Mongolian Ground Beef Noodles: Quick Overview
- 🥒 Prep Time: 8 mins
- 🍳Cook Time: 20 mins
- 🕛Ready In: 28 mins
- 👥Serves: 4-5
- 🔥 Cook Method: Skillet browned beef, pan tossed noodles.
- 🥣Flavor Profile: Savory and Sweet, Garlicky with Subtle Ginger Flavor
- ⭐Difficulty: Very Easy!
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If you’re looking for more quick and easy weeknight meals, make my steak fried rice or crispy chili beef!
Table of contents
Key Ingredients
(full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post)
(full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card)
- Ground Beef cooks quickly, soaks up the sauce beautifully, and gives you rich, savory flavor without needing long marinating time. If you have any leftover, make my baked hamburger steaks next.
- Soy Sauce adds a touch of umami that give the sauce a bold and savory flavor.
- Fresh Ginger brings warmth and a little bite. It cuts through the richness of the beef and sweetness of the sauce, keeping everything from tasting flat or heavy.
- Hoisin Sauce adds a salty-sweet flavor that gives Mongolian beef its signature taste.
- Honey balances the saltiness of the hoisin and adds that classic Mongolian-style sweetness. It also helps the sauce caramelize slightly when cooked, giving you extra flavor and shine.
- Lo Mein Noodles are soft, chewy noodles – perfect for soaking up sauce. Their mild flavor lets the beef and sauce shine while providing that slurp-worthy texture.
- Cornstarch thickens the sauce so it coats the beef and noodles instead of pooling at the bottom.
Substitutions and Variations
- Noodles – rice noodles and ramen noodles are also great to use for this recipe. Some even use linguine noodles,
- If you don’t have honey, you can also use brown sugar – I recommend 1/2 cup.
- Ground turkey or ground chicken is a great substitute for ground beef in a pinch.
- Gluten free option – use your favorite GF noodles and use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
How To Make Mongolian Beef Noodles
Step 1: Whisk together the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Step 2: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add ground beef and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in seasonings, finger, and garlic. Cook until done. Pour in the sauce mixture and cook until thickened, stirring frequently.
Step 3: While the beef is cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook lo mein noodles according to package instructions until al dente, drain.
Step 4: Add to the ground beef mixture. Top with green onions and sesame seeds.
Quick Pro Tips
- Mince the ginger and garlic really well so that the sauce isn’t chunky.
- The noodles should be cooked towards the end. The starches caused them to become stiff if they’re sitting out too long, so cook the noodles, drain, and add the drained noodles right to the sauce to prevent them from drying out.
- Cook lo mein noodles just until al dente so they finish cooking in the sauce without getting mushy.
- Taste and adjust at the end:add soy sauce for depth, honey for balance, or a splash of water if too thick.
Serving Suggestions
Mongolian ground beef noodles pair well with fresh, crunchy sides that balance the bold, savory flavors. A simple salad, crunchy fried tofu, or steamed broccoli keeps the meal feeling light.
For takeout-style vibes, serve with crab rangoon egg rolls and some miso soup.
Recipe FAQs
Lo mein noodles or rice noodles are ideal, but you can also use udon, ramen, or even spaghetti or linguine. The key is choosing a noodle that can hold onto the sauce without getting mushy.
This dish is inspired by Mongolian-style flavors like soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and a savory sweet sauce. It’s not traditional Mongolian cuisine, but a takeout-style noodle dish that’s bold, saucy, and full of umami.
Absolutely. Bell peppers, broccoli, snap peas, shredded carrots, or green onions are all great additions and pair perfectly with the bold sauce.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
More Asian Inspired Recipes
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If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and comment below! You can also tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can celebrate your beautiful creations!
Mongolian Ground Beef Noodles
Equipment
- Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef, (I used 80/20 ground beef)
- 2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tbsp Fresh Ginger, (peeled and minced)
- 5 cloves Garlic, (minced)
- Salt and Black Pepper, (to taste)
- 10 oz Lo Mein Noodles
- 1 bunch Scallions, (chop the scallions and separate the white onion bottom section from the green top section)
- Sesame Seeds, (for garnish)
Sauce Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
- 1/2 cup Beef Broth, (or water)
- 1/2 tsp Beef Bouillon
- 3 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
- 1/3 cup Honey
- 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, (optional)
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients – soy sauce, beef broth, beef bouillon, hoisin sauce, honey, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch. Whisk until smooth and cornstarch is incorporated. Set aside. 1/2 cup Soy Sauce 1/2 cup Beef Broth 1/2 tsp Beef Bouillon 3 tbsp Hoisin Sauce 1/3 cup Honey 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- Chop the scallions and separate the white onion bottom section from the green top section.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add ground beef and the white part of the scallions. Cook for 2-3 minutes, breaking the meat apart. Then add onion powder, ginger, garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper. Cook until no longer pink, stirring frequently, about 7-10 minutes. 1 lb Ground Beef 2 tsp Onion Powder 1 tbsp Fresh Ginger 5 cloves Garlic Salt and Black Pepper
- Pour in the sauce mixture and cook until thickened, about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
- While the beef is cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook lo mein noodles according to package instructions until al dente, drain, and add to the ground beef mixture. Top with chopped green scallions and sesame seeds. 10 oz Lo Mein Noodles 1 bunch Scallions
Video
Notes
- Mince the ginger and garlic really well so that the sauce isn’t chunky.
- The noodles should be cooked towards the end. The starches caused them to become stiff if they’re sitting out too long, so cook the noodles, drain, and add the drained noodles right to the sauce to prevent them from drying out.
- Cook lo mein noodles just until al dente so they finish cooking in the sauce without getting mushy.
- Taste and adjust at the end:add soy sauce for depth, honey for balance, or a splash of water if too thick.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I used 1.25 lbs of ground pork and 1lb of linguine noodles, so I made a little extra sauce. I also added some green peppers and carrots. This was so good! Next time I’ll double the recipe so we can have leftovers!! This was better than takeout!!!
Thank you so much!
Made this for dinner last night and it was delicious! Recipe was easy to follow and the whole family really enjoyed it! Will definitely be going into our regular menu rotation.
I’m so happy to hear this, thank you!
I thoroughly enjoyed this recipe. It was delicious, easy, and flavorful. Will make it again, thank you!
So happy to hear this! Thank you 🙂
Hi Britney,
I’m making this tonight. Would you advise using garlic & ginger paste?
Hi Deanna!
Absolutely, you can use both. I’d use about 1 tbsp of garlic paste and a 1/2 tbsp of ginger paste but feel free to adjust depending on your preferences!
We really liked this – it’s easy and delicious!
Thank you!