Mongolian Beef & Rice Noodles

Mongolian beef is traditionally made with thinly sliced beef, but this recipe calls for ground beef, making it come together a lot faster, especially when served over rice noodles. This is one of those Asian recipes where you don’t need exotic ingredients to create a flavorful and comforting noodle dish.

Fresh ginger and garlic add a warm, aromatic note that balances the slightly sweet, soy-based sauce that ties the browned ground beef and rice noodles together. This budget-friendly dish is quick to make, without any difficult techniques and easily adaptable to your specific taste.

The Thinking behind This Recipe

Mongolian beef is a staple of American-Chinese takeout, bold, saucy, and deeply satisfying. Swapping the traditional thinly sliced beef for ground beef keeps all of that flavor while cutting the prep time significantly, and rice noodles soak up the sweet-savory sauce in a way that rice simply doesn’t. And if the name makes you picture the Mongolian steppe – it shouldn’t. The dish has no real roots in Mongolia; it originated in Taiwan and found its fame in American-Chinese restaurants.

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Key Ingredients in This Recipe

You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.

• Ground beef
• Rice noodles
• Fresh ginger
• Garlic clove

FOR THE SAUCE

• Soy sauce – use tamari if you want gluten free or use coconut aminos if you prefer.
• Beef broth – vegetable broth will work as well.
• Brown sugar
• Hoisin sauce – adds flavor.
• Cornstarch – thickens the sauce

This quick video gives you a visual guide to the recipe, from prep to finished dish.

How to Make Mongolian Beef & Rice Noodles

Step 1 – Cook the rice noodles according to the directions on the packaging. Drain and set aside. While the noodles cook, continue with step 2.

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Step 6 – Divide over 2 bowls or plates.

If you prefer, garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

Substitutes and Variations

• Meat – If you don’t want to use ground beef, try ground turkey, ground pork or go traditional and use thinly sliced flank steak.
• Noodles – Rice noodles is what I used; they are mildly flavored, chewy and gluten-free. They also soak up the sauce well. Other Asian noodles that work well, are Udon noodles, like in this stir fry, or soba noodles, this in dish with vegetables, or glass noodles or Mung Bean Threads and more. Have a look in an Asian grocery store; there are more options available. If you want to keep it more familiar, use pasta like linguine, tagliatelle or fettuccine.
• Spiciness – add some red pepper flakes or sambal oelek.

Serving Suggestions

• Almost any type of vegetable will do as a side dish. Make them simple as the Mongolian Beef & Rice Noodles is a rich dish. Think about green beans, steamed broccoli, glazed carrots or a cucumber salad.
• If you don’t like the combination with noodles, by all means serve it with steamed or fried rice.

Storage and Reheating

If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up 4 days. When it’s time to eat them, the easiest way is to reheat it in the microwave. Add a splash of water of beef broth to thin the sauce a little.