Description
Easy Ground Beef Sesame Noodles are a fast, one-skillet meal combining savory sesame-soy sauce, browned ground beef, and tender noodles with wilted spinach. It’s a satisfying, family-friendly dish perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried udon, ramen, soba, lo mein, or spaghetti noodles
- 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari (preferably low-sodium)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Asian chili-garlic sauce (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for boiling noodles
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
- 8 ounces baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles 1 minute less than package directions. Drain and rinse under cool water; set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, honey, cornstarch, chili-garlic sauce (if using), and garlic until smooth.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, salt, and pepper. Cook 5–7 minutes, breaking into crumbles, until browned and cooked through.
- Stir in sesame seeds during the last minute of cooking.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add spinach in batches, stirring until wilted.
- Whisk the sauce again and pour into the skillet along with the noodles. Toss everything together for about 1 minute until evenly coated and heated through.
- Remove from heat. Garnish with extra sesame seeds and scallions if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use any noodles you have on hand—spaghetti works in a pinch.
- For extra spice, increase chili-garlic sauce or add red pepper flakes.
- Swap spinach with kale or Swiss chard, allowing more cook time to soften.
- Make the sauce a day ahead for quicker prep.
- A splash of water can help loosen the sauce if it thickens too much.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 510
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 820mg
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 47g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 27g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
