Description
Hearty beef noodle stir-fry delivers classic Chinese comfort with tender meat and chewy noodles. Quick wok techniques and bold seasonings create a satisfying meal in minutes, promising restaurant-quality flavor for home cooks.
Ingredients
Scale
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) minced beef
- 250 g (9 oz) thin egg noodles
- 2 cups frozen vegetables (broccoli pictured)
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 3 tbsps tamari or soy sauce
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) sweet chilli sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- ½ cup (125 ml) water
- 2 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
- 1 tsp freshly minced garlic
- 1 tsp freshly minced ginger
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- Chilli oil, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Noodle Preparation: Submerge egg noodles in rapidly boiling water, reducing standard cooking duration by one minute for optimal al dente texture. Immediately rinse under cold water to cease cooking and prevent adhesion.
- Aromatic Foundation: Heat olive oil in a substantial frying pan over medium-high temperature. Introduce minced garlic and ginger, allowing their essence to infuse the oil for roughly 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Protein Transformation: Add minced beef to the pan, methodically breaking down clusters while searing to achieve a rich golden-brown exterior, ensuring complete protein cooking and maximum flavor development.
- Flavor Layering: Pour sweet chilli sauce, brown sugar, tamari, dark soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar over the beef. Simmer and stir, encouraging sauce caramelization and flavor intensity.
- Vegetable Integration: Distribute frozen vegetable medley across the pan, creating a steamy environment to gently transform vegetables from frozen to tender and heated state.
- Sauce Refinement: Create a smooth cornflour slurry by whisking water until completely smooth. Incorporate into the simmering mixture, continuously stirring to generate a glossy, slightly thickened sauce consistency.
- Final Assembly: Combine cooked noodles and most chopped spring onions in the pan, allowing final heating and complete ingredient fusion. Plate the stir-fry, garnishing with remaining spring onions and an optional chilli oil drizzle for enhanced visual and flavor complexity.
Notes
- Noodle Prep Trick: Cook egg noodles one minute less than package instructions to maintain perfect al dente texture and prevent mushiness.
- Maximize Flavor Bloom: Sauté garlic and ginger briefly in hot oil to release intense aromatic compounds before adding other ingredients.
- Control Meat Browning: Break beef into small pieces while cooking to ensure even caramelization and prevent steaming instead of searing.
- Sauce Thickening Secret: Whisk cornflour slurry thoroughly to eliminate lumps, creating a silky smooth sauce that coats ingredients evenly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 485
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 51 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg