Szechuan Beef Noodles with Scallions and Sesame Seeds
Ground beef, red cabbage and chewy ramen noodles are tossed in a spicy-sweet sauce of Szechuan paste, sweet soy glaze, beef stock and a little sugar, then topped with scallions and sesame seeds. It's a fast, takeout-style dinner that comes together in about 15 minutes.
- 20 min (5 prep · 15 cook)
- 2 servings
- $$
- easy
- Chinese-American
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Ingredients
Method
- Prep
- 1
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Trim and thinly slice the scallions, keeping the whites and greens separate.
- Cook the beef
- 2
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Carefully pour off any excess grease.
- 3
Stir in the scallion whites and cabbage and cook until tender, 2-3 minutes.
- 4
Stir in the Szechuan paste, sweet soy glaze, stock concentrate and sugar. Cook, stirring, until the beef is thoroughly coated in sauce, then reduce the heat to low.
- Cook the noodles
- 5
Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 1-2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water for at least 30 seconds so they don't stick.
- Finish
- 6
Add the drained noodles and butter to the beef mixture and toss until the noodles are warmed through and well combined, 1-2 minutes. Add water a splash at a time if needed so the noodles are fully coated. Season with pepper if you like.
- 7
Divide between bowls and top with the scallion greens and a pinch of sesame seeds.
Tips
- Sweet soy glaze and Szechuan paste are HelloFresh meal-kit sauces; good stand-ins are about 3 tbsp soy sauce plus 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar for the glaze, and about 2 tbsp chili bean paste (doubanjiang) or chili garlic sauce for the Szechuan paste.
- Beef stock concentrate is a meal-kit item; about 1 tbsp beef bouillon paste, such as Better Than Bouillon, works in its place.
- To double the recipe for 4 servings, use 2 tsp sugar and 2 tbsp butter.
- Reviewers found the dish more sweet than spicy, so add sriracha or a diced Thai chili if you want more heat.
- Many cooks used all of the noodles and added extra water to keep everything coated.
- Rinse the noodles well and move quickly so they don't clump into a gummy mass.
- Add a splash of water when reheating leftovers, since the noodles can dry out.
- Shaved beef or thin beef strips make a good swap for ground beef, and mushrooms or peanuts add extra texture.
- For kids or milder palates, start with half the Szechuan paste and stir in the rest later for those who like it spicier.
