Korean Beef Noodles (Printable version)

Tender beef, crisp vegetables, and silky rice noodles in a savory garlic-ginger soy sauce

# Ingredients list:

→ Noodles

01 - 8 ounces rice noodles

→ Beef

02 - 1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 cup broccoli florets
04 - 1 bell pepper (red or yellow), sliced
05 - 1 carrot, julienned
06 - 2 green onions, chopped for garnish

→ Aromatics

07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

→ Sauce

09 - 1/3 cup soy sauce
10 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar
11 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil

→ Cooking & Garnish

12 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
13 - Sesame seeds for garnish

# Steps:

01 - Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
02 - Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering.
03 - Add thinly sliced flank steak to the hot skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, add minced garlic and grated ginger. Stir constantly for 30 seconds until fragrant.
05 - Add broccoli florets, sliced bell pepper, and julienned carrot to the skillet. Stir-fry for approximately 5 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp.
06 - While vegetables cook, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, and sesame oil in a small bowl until sugar completely dissolves.
07 - Return cooked flank steak to the skillet and pour sauce over beef and vegetables. Stir to coat everything evenly.
08 - Add cooked rice noodles to the skillet and gently toss all components together until noodles are evenly coated and heated through, approximately 2 minutes.
09 - Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything comes together in one skillet, so cleanup is fast and you can focus on the sizzle and smell instead of a sink full of pans.
  • The sweet-savory sauce clings to every strand of noodle and coats the beef in a way that makes each bite feel indulgent but not heavy.
  • You can have this on the table in 35 minutes, which means weeknight dinner stress melts away before the vegetables even finish crisping.
  • It tastes like takeout but feels like a hug, and every single person I've served it to has asked for the recipe before they finished their bowl.
02 -
  • If you add the beef back to the skillet too early, it will overcook and turn tough, so always pull it out after the initial sear and let it rest while you cook the vegetables.
  • The sauce will seem thin at first, but as it heats and mingles with the starch from the noodles, it thickens into that glossy coating you're after.
  • Don't skip rinsing the noodles after cooking, or they'll stick together in a clump that no amount of tossing will fix.
03 -
  • Always slice the flank steak against the grain, not with it, or you'll end up with chewy, stringy bites instead of tender, melt-in-your-mouth pieces.
  • If your skillet isn't big enough, cook the beef in two batches so each piece has room to sear properly instead of steaming in its own juices.
  • A little extra sesame oil drizzled over the finished bowls right before serving makes the whole dish taste richer and more restaurant-worthy.
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