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Mongolian Ground Beef Noodles

Mongolian ground beef noodles with a glossy garlic-ginger sauce are sweet, savory, and ready fast. Linguine or lo mein noodles get tossed with browned beef and a thickened soy-brown sugar glaze for a takeout-style coating.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Noodles
  • 12 oz linguine or lo mein noodles
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil For tossing cooked noodles.
Beef
  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
Mongolian Sauce
  • 0.5 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar
  • 0.5 cup beef broth
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
  • 4 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch Used to thicken the sauce.
  • 2 tbsp water Mixed with cornstarch.
Garnish
  • 4 green onions, sliced
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet

Method
 

Cook the noodles and prep
  1. Cook the linguine or lo mein noodles according to package directions until tender. Drain and keep hot so they don’t clump.
  2. Toss the drained noodles with sesame oil. They should look glossy and evenly coated.
Brown beef and make the sauce
  1. Brown the lean ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir until no longer pink.
  2. Season the beef with garlic powder and black pepper. Cook for about 30–60 seconds so the spices bloom.
  3. Whisk together low-sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, beef broth, hoisin sauce, minced fresh ginger, and garlic in a bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
  4. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the beef. Simmer for 3–4 minutes over medium-high heat until gently bubbling and fragrant.
  5. Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir the slurry into the skillet and cook 30–60 seconds, until the sauce turns noticeably thicker and coats the spoon.
Combine and garnish
  1. Add the cooked noodles to the skillet and toss until fully coated. Keep tossing until noodles look evenly glazed.
  2. Top with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately while the sauce is glossy.

Notes

For the best cling, toss noodles with sesame oil right after draining, then coat them in the thickened sauce off the heat for 30–60 seconds. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet with a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce. Freeze yes/no: freeze the beef-noodle mixture for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat with extra liquid. Dietary swap: use gluten-free noodles and gluten-free soy sauce/hoisin for a gluten-free version.