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Mongolian Ground Beef Noodles

Mongolian ground beef noodles with tender linguine or lo mein tossed in a glossy garlic-ginger soy sauce. Quick stir-together method: simmer the beef sauce until thick, then coat the noodles and finish with green onions and sesame.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Chinese
Calories: 640
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Noodles
  • 12 oz linguine or lo mein noodles
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
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 fresh ginger, minced
  • 4 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water
Garnish
  • 4 green onions, sliced
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and season the noodles
  1. Cook linguine or lo mein noodles according to package directions, until tender but not mushy, and drain well. Keep the noodles warm while you prepare the sauce.
  2. Toss drained noodles with sesame oil in a bowl until glossy and evenly coated. Set aside while you brown the beef.
Brown the beef and build the sauce
  1. Brown lean ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink, stirring as needed, about 6–8 minutes. Keep the heat at medium-high so the beef browns instead of steams.
  2. Season the ground beef with garlic powder and black pepper, stirring to distribute, for about 30–60 seconds. You should see fragrant steam rising from the skillet.
  3. Whisk low-sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, beef broth, hoisin sauce, fresh ginger, and garlic in a bowl until smooth. Pour the mixture into the skillet with the beef.
  4. Simmer the sauce with the beef for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it looks slightly reduced. It should bubble across the surface, indicating it’s actively simmering.
  5. Mix cornstarch and water together in a small bowl until smooth, then stir it into the skillet. Continue cooking until thickened, about 1–2 minutes, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Combine, garnish, and serve
  1. Add the cooked noodles to the skillet and toss until fully coated in the Mongolian sauce. Toss until the noodles look evenly glazed, with no dry patches.
  2. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds, then serve immediately. The noodles are best right after tossing when the sauce is still glossy.

Notes

For extra silky sauce, keep the simmer steady and whisk the cornstarch slurry until completely smooth before adding. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat on the stovetop with a splash of water or broth to loosen the glaze. Freezing is not recommended because the sauce can separate and the noodles may soften. If you need a lower-sugar option, use an equal amount of a brown-sugar substitute that measures 1:1.