Spicy Crispy Beef Noodles
Thinly sliced beef flash-fried until crispy-edged in a bold Sichuanese chili bean sauce, served over thick chewy udon noodles.
Print
Servings: 2 servings
Multiply Servings
Unit Conversion
Metric conversions are approximate
Equipment
Ingredients
Beef
- 1 lb Flank steak or sirloin beef thinly sliced against the grain
- 2 tbsp Corn starch
- 1 tsp Salt
- Black pepper
- 2 tbsp Neutral Oil
Sauce
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp Fresh ginger grated
- 2 tbsp Spicy bean paste Doubanjiang
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Oyster sauce
- 1 tsp Brown sugar
- 1 tsp Sesame oil
- 3/4 cup Chicken stock or beef stock
Noodles
- 2 portions Udon noodles fresh or frozen
Veggies
- 1 cup Red bell pepper sliced
- 1/2 cup Green onions sliced
To Finish
- Scallions thinly sliced
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Chili oil for drizzle
Instructions
Beef
- Slice beef as thin as possible. Pat dry, season with salt and pepper, toss in cornstarch until evenly coated.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over the highest heat possible until smoking. Add beef in a single layer, working in batches if needed. Sear 60-90 seconds without touching until the edges crisp and caramelize. Toss once, cook 30 more seconds. Remove and set aside. The beef should have crispy, slightly charred edges.
Sauce
- Reduce heat to medium. Add a touch more oil if needed. Add garlic and ginger, cook 20 seconds. Add doubanjiang and let it fry in the oil 30 seconds to bloom the paste and deepen the color to a rich brick red. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, and stock. Stir and bring to a simmer.
Noodles
- Add udon directly to the sauce. Toss lightly and let the noodles loosen. Udon noodles are fragile before they heat through so be gentle. Let them absorb the sauce 2 to 3 minutes until thick and clingy, then add red peppers and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. The sauce should be dark, glossy, and coating every noodle.
- Return beef to the pan and toss quickly to coat. Plate noodles in a wide bowl. Pile extra beef on top. Finish with a chili oil drizzle, scallions, and sesame seeds.
Notes
- Doubanjiang is the soul of this dish. Frying it in oil is what unlocks the deep red color and complex heat.
- Thin slicing is everything. Thick beef will steam instead of crisp. Partially freeze for 20 minutes if needed for cleaner slices.
- Fresh or frozen udon beats dried here. The thick chew is the contrast you need against the crispy beef.
- The cornstarch on the beef does double duty: creates the crispy edge and slightly thickens the sauce as it cooks.