Description
Spicy Beef Noodles is a quick and flavorful stir-fry dish featuring ground beef, thinly sliced peppers, and wonton wrapper noodles, all coated in a savory, slightly sweet, and spicy sauce. Ready in just 20 minutes, this recipe combines the heat of Fresno peppers and chili paste with the tang of lime juice, perfect for a satisfying weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20)
- 1 medium Fresno pepper, thinly sliced (or use red bell pepper)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 12 ounces wonton wrappers, cut in half and stretched as noodles
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons Sambal Oelek ground chili paste (or more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Garnish
- 4 green onions, finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat and Cook Onions and Beef: Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Add avocado oil and sliced onion; cook for about 3 minutes until soft. Add ground beef, breaking it down into smaller pieces, and cook until mostly browned, approximately 3-5 minutes.
- Add Peppers and Garlic: Stir in the sliced Fresno pepper and garlic. Cook for 1 minute until slightly softened and fragrant.
- Prepare and Add Sauce: In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, Sambal Oelek, and cornstarch until smooth. Pour the sauce into the wok, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Let it simmer for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Cook Noodles: Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted boiling water with sesame oil to a boil. Cut wonton wrappers into quarters and separate them. Add the wrappers to the boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes until tender. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the noodles into the wok with the beef mixture. Reserve ¼ to ½ cup of the starchy noodle water.
- Toss and Combine: Add ¼ cup of the reserved noodle water to the wok and stir to combine all ingredients thoroughly, allowing the sauce to coat the noodles evenly.
- Final Touch and Serve: Gently toss in the finely chopped green onions and mix once more. Serve hot and enjoy your spicy beef noodles!
Notes
- For less heat, substitute Fresno pepper with red bell pepper or reduce the amount of Sambal Oelek.
- Wonton wrappers are used as noodles for a unique texture, but you can substitute with rice noodles if preferred.
- Adjust the consistency of the sauce by using more or less starchy water from the noodles.
- Use 80/20 ground beef for optimal flavor and juiciness; leaner options may dry out.
- Ensure to cook the wonton wrappers just until tender to avoid mushy noodles.
