Beef Szechuan Noodles

These Beef Szechuan Noodles are made with Chinese egg noodles, ground beef, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, and Szechuan chili oil.

These Beef Szechuan Noodles are the real deal and only takes 20 minutes to make. They run on the spicy side since they’re from the Szechuan region of China. You can definitely control how much chili oil you would like to put in it so it doesn’t have to be super spicy. There are many variations to this dish and this is my favorite.

Feel free to also check out these Spicy Drunken Noodles and this Easy Vegetarian Lo Mein Noodles.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
• Beef Szechuan Noodles
• Food safety

Ingredients

• Sesame oil
• Vegetable oil
• Ground beef
• Ground pepper
• Brown sugar
• Soy sauce
• Hoisin sauce
• Rice vinegar
• Tahini
• Egg noodles
• Baby spinach
• Szechuan chili oil
• Scallions

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar, rice vinegar and tahini in a bowl and mix well.

Cook the noodles according to package instructions.

In a large deep skillet on medium high heat, add sesame, vegetable oil and the ground beef. Sprinkle pepper and stir until brown, around 5 minutes.

Pour in the soy sauce mixture and bring to a simmer until the sauce coats the beef and begins to get crispy, another 4-7 minutes. Add baby spinach, cover, and cook for 3 minutes. Stir well.

Add the chili oil, stir, and remove from heat.

Toss in the noodles.

Garnish with chopped scallions.

Hint: Make sure the noodles are still hot so the noodles mix well with the sauce.

Substitutions

Sesame oil: Sesame oil is a very one of a kind taste. If you do not like it, you can jut substitute with grapeseed oil, walnut oil or peanut oil.

Ground beef: I love using ground beef for this recipe. If you would like something lighter, feel free to use ground chicken or ground turkey.

Ground pepper: If you happen to have Szechuan peppercorns, use a mortar and pestle to ground them. This is the traditional way to make Beef Szechuan Noodles. If you have only regular pepper, that works too.

Sugar: I love using brown sugar for this recipe, so its not super sweet. If you prefer to use honey, maple syrup or granulated sugar, equal parts will work.

Soy sauce: You can use tamari, shoyu sauce, or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.

Rice vinegar: I have made this recipe using apple cider vinegar instead of rice vinegar, and they both works. You could even use lemon juice for that tangy kick.

Tahini: I used tahini for this recipe, although peanut butter and almond butter works just as well. Tahini has more of a sesame taste to it, which is why I prefer it.

Noodles: You can totally use spaghetti for this recipe, I have tried it. Both Chinese egg noodles and spaghetti work wonders.

Spinach: If you do not like spinach, chopped bok choy is great for this recipe.

Chili oil: I used Fly By Jing chili oil for this recipe. I believe Trader Joe's has their own brand too.

Scallions: You can garnish with scallions, green onion, or chives.

Variations

Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.

• Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish, or extra chili oil to top with.
• Deluxe - add sesame seeds on top
• Kid friendly - This recipe is extremely kid friendly.

Check out my Air Fried Bok Choy to serve this with.

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.

I love using my Caraway pots, pans and baking sheets for best quality. Get yourself a discount by clicking here!

Storage

This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.

Top tip

Make sure the noodles are still warm when mixing the saucy beef into it. Serve with chopsticks.

Print

Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.