Mongolian Beef Noodles
Easy and flavorful Mongolian Beef Noodles are made in one pan with juicy pieces of steak, tender lo mein noodles, and a homemade sweet and savory sauce.
A 30-MINUTE DINNER
Quick, flavorful, and better than takeout! I absolutely love Mongolian Beef. It is one of my favorite meals to get when eating out (but sometimes it can be hit or miss on how good it is.) So of course, I had to try and make it at home where the flavor is more consistent and I know it’s gonna be good! These Mongolian Beef Noodles come together in just 30 minutes! You would think it takes longer but it really doesn’t. The homemade sauce is drool worthy and it ended up being a huge hit that we all really enjoyed!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
I love using flat iron steaks. It is vernally more budget friendly (as long as steak is in your current budget) than other cuts of steak. But, if needing a different cut, you could use skirt steak or flank steak. I like using flat iron steak as it has a slightly more buttery texture.
Yes. You can make this without the steak if you prefer this to be meatless or the money isn’t in the budget for you currently. This can also be made with ground beef if that’s more affordable or a better option for you.
You can add vegetables like broccoli, bell pepper, snap peas, or carrots. Stir-fry them after the beef and before adding the sauce.
If you like really saucy noodles, you can double the recipe of the sauce. I also like to add the beef first and coat it well before adding the noodles because they tend to absorb quicker.
You can use udon, rice noodles, or even spaghetti in a pinch if you don’t have lo mein noodles. Even fettuccine can be used if needed.
In my opinion, these noodles are best served hot, right after cooking.
Yes! Add more chili sesame oil, a squeeze of sriracha, or some red pepper flakes to taste.
You could just make do with the soy sauce and brown sugar, or you can make some DIY hoisin sauce. For that, you’ll need the following:
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon smooth peanut butter (sounds weird but it works great!)
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice (for authentic flavor)
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon sriracha or hot sauce (for a spicy kick)
Instructions:
In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together until smooth.
Taste and adjust sweetness, saltiness, or spice to your liking.
Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Leftovers reheat well and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Place back in the skillet or in the microwave until heated through. I recommend adding a little extra soy sauce to revive everything.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- lo mein noodles– if you need a few other options, scroll up to the Frequently Asked Questions section for a few other ideas to try.
- flat iron steak or sirloin– you want to think slice the meat against the grain.
- cornstarch – you could technically use flour to coat the beef but the cornstarch worked better in my opinion.
- vegetable oil
- green onions
- garlic– minced
- fresh ginger– a great substitute is the new ginger that is in the squeeze tubes. Check your local store to see if they have these tubes of ginger. It’s usually in the produce section (in a refrigerated area.) Using those tubes makes recipes like this, and so many others, so much easier.
- low-sodium soy sauce– I like to use low-sodium soy sauce since this can get salty quickly with other ingredients used. Plus, it’s easier for each person to salt to their liking if you start with less in the first place.
- water
- hoisin sauce -if you don’t have hoisin sauce, I shared an option to try in the FAQ section above.
- light brown sugar
- rice vinegar – rice vinegar is a seasoned vinegar. You could use regular white vinegar in a pinch
- chili sesame oil – or you can use regular sesame oil for no heat. Or if you don’t like the flavor of sesame, just leave it out.
HOW TO MAKE MONGOLIAN BEEF NOODLES:
Bring a pot of boiling water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. I recommend drizzling a little sesame oil or neutral oil and toss to coat, so that the noodles do not stick together. Set aside for now. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the beef and gently toss to ensure all the beef is evenly coated.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add one tablespoon of oil. Place half of the steak slices into the skillet and allow each side to sear, about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and do the same for the next batch, adding the remaining oil. When all the beef is cooked, remove from skillet any lower the heat to medium-low. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the soy sauce, water, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar and sesame oil together.
Pour this into the skillet and add the garlic, ginger and green onions. Allow the sauce to simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add the noodles and the steak into the sauce and gently toss everything in the sauce, until well coated. Keep the skillet on the heat for 1-2 minutes and keep stirring.
Serve in bowls and garnish with extra green onions and sesame seeds.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Mongolian Beef Noodles
Ingredients
- 8 ounce package lo mein noodles
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- ¾ pound flat iron steak or sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil (divided use)
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chili sesame oil (or regular for no heat – optional)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger (can use more or less to taste)
- ¼ cup sliced green onions (plus more for garnish)
- sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Bring a pot of boiling water to a boil and cook the8 ounce package lo mein noodles according to the package instructions. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. I recommend drizzling a little sesame oil or neutral oil and toss to coat, so that the noodles do not stick together. Set aside for now.
- Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons cornstarch over the 3/4 pound flat iron steak or sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain and gently toss to ensure all the beef is evenly coated.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add one Tablespoon of oil. Place half of the steak slices into the skillet and allow each side to sear, about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and do the same for the next batch, adding the remaining Tablespoon of oil. When all the beef is cooked, remove from skillet and lower the heat to medium-low.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce, 1/4 cup water, 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar and 1 teaspoon chili sesame oil. Pour this into the skillet then add 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger and 1/4 cup sliced green onions. Allow the sauce to simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the noodles and the steak into the sauce and gently toss everything in the sauce, until well coated. Keep the skillet on the heat for 1-2 minutes and keep stirring.
- Serve in bowls and garnish with extra green onions and sesame seeds.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
This turned out delicious I used spaghetti noodles and went without green onions since I don’t have any on hand but added a can of green beans it was absolutely amazing I used this to meal prep for the weak
Great recipe. I used ground beef and spaghetti because it was what I had. But the flavors were amazing and my hubs and I both loved it. Added this to my recipe box!
Made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious!!! I did add some fresh mushrooms
very tasty and easy, it was great!
We really loved this. I will definitely make again.
Turned out perfect. Steak was nice and tender!
I’ll be making mine with venison loin.
Me too!