Mongolian Beef Glass Noodles

Say “hello” to your new favorite better-than-takeout meal. My Mongolian Beef Glass Noodles are an easy, hearty dish that comes together in only 20 minutes. Made from tender ground beef that’s sautéed to perfection in a savory sauce and served on top of a bed of Korean-style glass noodles (which are naturally gluten-free), this is a dish that is sure to please the entire family. Add this to your weekly dinner rotation, and you’ll never want to order Doordash again!

Friends, whenever my boys and I order Chinese food, one dish that we always order is Mongolian Beef. If you’re new to my blog, then you may not know that I am a huge steak lover through-and-through – truly, I love beef in all forms! That is, beef in terms of meat… not in terms of drama. That beef can stay far, far away from me. Ha!

If you are someone who also cannot get enough of beef, then this is the perfect recipe for you. It comes together in just 20 minutes and is the best way to use up the package of ground beef that’s been sitting in the back of your freezer. The beef is stewed together in a brothy sauce that’s the perfect combination of salty-sweet and thickens as the beef cooks. Oh, and let’s not forget the (next-best) part: the glass noodles. Korean-style glass noodles are my newest obsession and my boys absolutely love them, too. They’re made from sweet potato, which gives them a stretchy, starchy flavor and texture, and makes them naturally gluten-free, too. If you’ve been looking for more gluten-free dinner ideas, then this is one for the books!

Why I love These Korean-Style Glass Noodles

Typically, when you see gluten-free noodle dishes that also happen to be Asian-inspired, they’re made with rice noodles. And while I love a good rice noodle dish, cooking with them can be a little bit of a pain. Overcook them and they turn into a soggy mess, and even when properly cooked, they can clump together, leaving you with less noodle and more… mush. Not fun.

That’s why I love these glass noodles. As mentioned above, they’re made with sweet potato, rather than rice, which gives them a bouncier consistency. That means no clumping and more of that classic noodle flavor and texture that you know and love!

What You Need to Make This Noodle Dish

• Ground Beef: Of course, this wouldn’t be a Mongolian Beef dish without the ground beef! I use 90/10 ground beef, in order to keep it more lean.
• Garlic: I always recommend using fresh garlic, whenever possible. The flavor is truly unbeatable!
• Coconut Sugar: The sugar adds just a little touch of sweetness that helps to balance out the saltiness of the sauce. I like using coconut sugar because it has less refined sugars. If you don’t have coconut sugar, brown sugar is also okay.
• Beef Broth: Beef broth adds a richness to this sauce that can’t be replicated. Plus, it enhances that delicious, “beefy” flavor that makes this recipe shine.
• Soy Sauce: I recommend using low-sodium soy sauce. If you want to keep this recipe gluten-free, you can swap the soy sauce for coconut aminos or tamari!
• Hoisin Sauce: Hoisin sauce is a thick and fragrant soy-based sauce that adds the best flavor to this recipe.
• Seasonings: The sauce comes together with a simple seasoning blend of ground ginger, ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Yum!
• Arrowroot Starch or Cornstarch: The starch mixes with the water in order to form a slurry that helps to thicken the sauce.
• Water: Water is essential to making a slurry!
• Glass Noodles: These Korean-style glass noodles have become my new obsession! They’re made from sweet potatoes, so they’re not only naturally full of fiber, but they also happen to be gluten-free.
• Garnishes: These are optional, but I love garnishing these noodles with chopped green onions and sesame seeds for the perfect finishing touch!

How to Make This Hearty Dinner in Under 20 Minutes

To make this dish, start by preparing the beef. Heat a large skillet, on the stove, over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add in the beef. Sauté the ground beef until it’s browned and no longer pink. Then, add in the mashed garlic and sauté them together for another minute.

Next, add in the soy sauce, coconut sugar, beef broth, hoisin sauce, ground ginger, ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir them well to combine.

Next, prepare a slurry. Add the arrowroot starch or cornstarch to a bowl, alongside the water, and whisk to combine. Add the slurry to the skillet with the beef, and bring it to a gentle simmer until the sauce begins to thicken. Once the sauce has thickened to your liking, remove the skillet from the heat and set it aside.

Next, prepare the noodles. Cook the glass noodles according to the package instructions, being sure to stir them frequently so that they don’t clump together. Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water after they finish cooking.

Finally, add the noodles to the skillet with the beef and toss until they’re fully incorporated. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, if desired, then serve and enjoy!

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.

** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim