30-Minute Ginger Beef Noodles
This easy ginger beef noodle recipe is ready to go in about 30 minutes. Tender beef in a savory sauce with broccoli and noodles will satisfy a take-out craving.
First things, first. Although I call this a “take-out, fake-out” it is in no way authentic, traditional or otherwise correct. This is fine because with everything going on in the world right now I don’t really care and I hope you don’t either because all that matters is that these ginger beef noodles are delicious.
I first shared this recipe several years ago after making a hot and sour soup recipe I found on Leite’s Culinaria and since then have made it many times whenever I get an itch for take-out. It has a lot of the same tangy, sour flavors from the soup but served up noodle style with tender beef instead. I made them again just the other night and it was a small comfort in all this uncertainty right now.
And like the hot and sour soup, these ginger beef noodles don’t require a bunch of time or crazy hard-to-find ingredients. Plus, it’s on the table in about 30 minutes.
Some Ingredients You’ll Need
- I used skirt steak, but flank steak would work well, too. Slice it thin against the grain and it will cook in a flash. I like to toss the beef slices in cornstarch to help keep the meat moist, but it also helps thicken the sauce.
- Rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sriracha are all you need for the sauce.
- Garlic and plenty of ginger. When I made the soup I used fresh ginger and saved the leftovers in the freezer. Use a spoon to scrape the skin off and grate or finely mince the ginger. Or look for the pureed ginger in a tube near the produce department if you don’t feel like dealing with fresh. It will work just the same.
- A sturdy long pasta or noodle with a bit of a chew works best. I used bucatini because I tend to default to Italian pasta for my take-out inspired dishes. Or, use udon noodles (as a commenter suggests).
- Broccoli and green onion add freshness and a pop of color. I used fresh broccoli florets, but substitute the same amount of frozen if it’s what you have on hand.
- Drizzle a touch of toasted sesame oil over the top of each serving.
Some Extra Tips
- Most of the work is in the prep and once you’re ready to cook it goes fast. Start your pasta water early to get it to a boil before you cook the beef and broccoli. The whole dish comes together in the time it takes to boil the pasta.
- If you like things on the spicier side increase the sriracha by a teaspoon or more to taste. Or use some chili sauce or a few pinches of red pepper flakes. You can also omit it if you don’t want any heat.
- This recipe serves four very hungry souls or six if there are sides (like potstickers or egg rolls? Ooh, yes!).
- Leftovers keep well in the fridge. After reheating drizzle a little sesame oil over the top and toss to get a nice sheen on the noodles.
- Sometimes I add a few tablespoons of oyster sauce to the sauce, but it’s totally optional.
- Sometimes I toss in a handful of shredded cabbage, too, to add a little more bulk – add it when you cook the broccoli if you want to try it.
- You don’t have to serve it with noodles – it’s delicious with rice if you like that better.
I hope you’re taking care during these crazy times โค
Happy cooking,
More Takeout-Inspired Recipes
- 17 Homemade Takeout-Style Recipes
- 30-Minute Beef and Broccoli
- Easy Sesame Noodles for One
- 5 Ingredient Orange Chicken
30-Minute Ginger Beef Noodles
This recipe for ginger beef noodles is quick and easy. Tender beef simmered in a savory ginger-garlic sauce tossed with broccoli and noodles – it’s an easy way to satisfy a take-out craving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ยผ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ยฝ pounds skirt steak, sliced thin against the grain
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 cups of broccoli florets (approximately 1 head)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoons minced ginger (or ginger paste)
- 3 green onions, white and green parts sliced
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- ยผ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
- 8 ounces long pasta like spaghetti or bucatini
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil while prepping the other ingredients. Boil the pasta according to package instructions.
- Place the cornstarch and pepper in a large resealable bag and seal. Shake to combine. Open the bag and place the sliced beef inside. Reseal and toss to coat the beef.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large pan. Add the beef and cook it for a couple minutes, giving it all a turn after a minute or so. Remove the beef from the pan and set it aside.
- Add the broccoli, garlic, and ginger. Stir it all together, cover the pan, and cook them until the broccoli is crisp tender.
- In a small bowl, combine the rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sriracha. Pour the sauce over the veggies and add the beef back to the pan and stir it all together. Simmer the sauce until it thickens.
- Add the cooked noodles to the pan with the beef and broccoli. Use tongs to toss the pasta until it’s well coated in the sauce. You can also transfer all of it to a large bowl and toss it together if your pan is really full. Drizzle the sesame oil over the top and serve.
Notes
Most of the work is in the prep and once you’re ready to cook it goes fast. Start your pasta water early to get it to a boil before you cook the beef and broccoli. The whole dish comes together in the time it takes to boil the pasta.
If you like things on the spicier side increase the sriracha by a teaspoon or more to taste. Or use some chili sauce or a few pinches of red pepper flakes. You can also omit it if you don’t want any heat.
This recipe serves four very hungry souls or six if there are sides (like potstickersย or egg rolls? Ooh, yes!).
Leftovers keep well in the fridge. After reheating drizzle a little sesame oil over the top and toss to get a nice sheen on the noodles.
Sometimes I add a few tablespoons of oyster sauce to the sauce, but it’s totally optional. Sometimes I toss in a handful of shredded cabbage, too, to add a little more bulk – add it when you cook the broccoli if you want to try it.
You don’t have to serve it with noodles – it’s delicious with rice if you like that better.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 683
- Sugar: 10.5g
- Sodium: 689.4mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7.1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 77g
- Fiber: 13.9g
- Protein: 58.1g
- Cholesterol: 102mg
I have a huge bag of fresh green beans I have to use and this got me thinking… Do you think that would be weird to substitute beans for broccoli? Maybe would have to omit the pasta?
Green beans would work well – I would toss in a good 3 handfuls or so. I think they would be good with the pasta, too ๐
I know too well how exhausting making the trek back to NC from traveling. This is a meal I will have to bookmark for after my trips. I love it.
The broccoli looks great! Beautiful pictures.
Love that it only takes 30 minutes!
So good, right? ๐
What is the rice vinegar for?
Hi Stephanie, it’s part of the sauce, but I realized I left it out of the instructions. I’ve updated the recipe – thanks so much for asking about it!
After reading the recipe again, I realized it was for the sauce. The dish came out great! Delicious recipe!!
Yay! That’s great, Stephanie – so glad you enjoyed it ๐
Totally love the sound of this. Beef and broccoli is my favourite combination ever. I think thick noodles like Udon would work so well in a recipe like this. They’ll soak up all that amazing flavour.
These flavors make me so happy! I love a quick weeknight meal for those days I got completely lost in work and forgot to eat ๐
Oh wow – this looks amazing! Thanks so much for sharing, I’m pinning this to make later in the week. I would use a tbsp of sriracha though as I am utterly addicted to it, and chilli in general ๐