Beefy Asian Noodles

This action-packed dish boasts glossy rice noodles, savory ground beef and a sweet-and-sour Asian sauce that will blow you away. I can't wait for you to try it, and to see how quick and easy it is!

This is the perfect dish for that pound of ground beef sitting in your fridge/freezer! It's incredibly easy too. You simply brown the beef in a pan and then load it up with sweet/tangy ingredients, like soy sauce, hoisin sauce, mirin, and sesame oil. Those contrasting flavors bounce on your palate with every bite, giving you the ultimate culinary experience!

And most of the ingredients are pantry staples, so you can make this dish without trekking to the store for anything. For example, if you don't have hoisin sauce, simply use more soy sauce (or vice versa). If you don't have rice noodles, use spaghetti or linguine. If you don't have mirin, use white wine, sherry, vermouth, or leave it out. Total flexibility is what I'm going for - and I just want you to enjoy the dish! 

I'm certain you're going to love this one! And, although I used ground beef, you can certainly use ground pork, chicken, or turkey!

Beefy Asian Noodles 

8 ounces rice noodles, such as Pad thai noodles
1 tablespoon peanut oil or vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 pound lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
Salt and ground black pepper
1 cup beef broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce or liquid aminos
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce (or more soy sauce)
2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese rice wine), or vermouth, sherry, or white wine
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 cup frozen green peas, keep frozen until ready to use
Chopped green onions for serving, optional
Chopped fresh cilantro for serving, optional
Crushed red pepper flakes for serving, optional
Toasted sesame seeds for serving, optional (*see note below about toasting your own seeds)

Cook the rice noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain and cover with foil to keep warm.
Meanwhile, heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft. Add the beef and cook until browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the dried cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and stir to coat. Add the beef broth, soy sauce, hoisin, mirin, and sesame oil and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the noodles and toss to coat and heat through (separate the noodles with tongs if necessary). Fold in the peas and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with green onions, cilantro and sesame seeds (if using) and serve.
Serves 4

*You can find pre-toasted sesame seeds in the spice aisle, but if you don't want to make a trip to the store and you have raw seeds, toast them in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until golden brown, shaking the pan frequently to prevent burning. They will toast in just a few minutes, so stay close.