Mongolian Ground Beef Noodles

archive trace: Mongolian Ground Beef Noodles

Last updated Oct 12, 2026. We re-ranked the weekly top 100.

Mongolian Ground Beef Noodles

ONLINE	ANCESTOR
Mongolian Ground Beef Noodles archive · dinner · chinese Host: The Recipe Critic · Mongolian Ground Beef and Noodles → The Woks of Life · Mongolian Beef [link] → X · @ann_ann886 → web writeups Online recipe (as published / commonly shared) Servings: 4 people · Prep 10 min · Cook 20 min · Total 30 min We wrote this recipe in the Joy of Cooking style. Every amount, time and step comes from the source's recipe card. Ground beef and udon noodles in a sweet and salty sauce, cooked in one skillet. Cook according to the package directions: 10 ounces udon noodles Drain and set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook until mostly browned: 1 pound lean ground beef Add and cook for a minute, until fragrant: 4 cloves garlic, minced, about 4 teaspoons Drain the excess fat. While the beef is cooking, whisk together: ½ cup soy sauce ¼ cup brown sugar ¼ cup beef broth 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce 2 teaspoons ginger paste, or grated ginger 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional Pour over the meat: the sauce Finish cooking the ground beef in the sauce. Add the noodles to the pan with the beef and sauce, and toss to coat. Whisk together and pour over the skillet: 2 tablespoons cornstarch ¼ cup water Cook and stirring until the sauce thickens. Remove the pan from the heat and serve fresh. Source: The Recipe Critic · Mongolian Ground Beef and Noodles tags: beef,noodles,soy,hoisin,garlic,ginger · popularity: spike · meat: yes	Zhajiang Noodles Book: Every Grain of Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop (2012) crumb: minced meat in sweet dark sauce over noodles Every Grain of Rice includes “Zhajiang Noodles”. Fuchsia Dunlop wrote it (2012). This book covers everyday Chinese home cooking, mostly from Sichuan. It uses simple ways to cook: steaming, boiling, stir-frying and easy sauces. Differences: Popular internet Mongolian ground beef noodles brown ground beef in a sweet sauce. The sauce uses soy, brown sugar, hoisin, garlic and ginger. The recipe tosses the beef with udon. The ancestor is Beijing zhajiang ('fried sauce') noodles. It cooks minced meat in a sweet-salty bean sauce and spoons it over wheat noodles. Both are minced meat in a sweet, dark sauce over thick noodles. The book uses pork and fermented bean sauce. The online version uses beef with soy, brown sugar and hoisin. So it tastes different.

ONLINE

ANCESTOR

Mongolian Ground Beef Noodles
archive · dinner · chinese
Host: The Recipe Critic · Mongolian Ground Beef and Noodles → The Woks of Life · Mongolian Beef [link] → X · @ann_ann886 → web writeups

Online recipe (as published / commonly shared)

Servings: 4 people · Prep 10 min · Cook 20 min · Total 30 min

We wrote this recipe in the Joy of Cooking style. Every amount, time and step comes from the source's recipe card.

Ground beef and udon noodles in a sweet and salty sauce, cooked in one skillet.

Cook according to the package directions:

10 ounces udon noodles

Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook until mostly browned:

1 pound lean ground beef

Add and cook for a minute, until fragrant:

4 cloves garlic, minced, about 4 teaspoons

Drain the excess fat.

While the beef is cooking, whisk together:

½ cup soy sauce

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup beef broth

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons ginger paste, or grated ginger

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

Pour over the meat:

the sauce

Finish cooking the ground beef in the sauce. Add the noodles to the pan with the beef and sauce, and toss to coat.

Whisk together and pour over the skillet:

2 tablespoons cornstarch

¼ cup water

Cook and stirring until the sauce thickens.

Remove the pan from the heat and serve fresh.

Source: The Recipe Critic · Mongolian Ground Beef and Noodles

tags: beef,noodles,soy,hoisin,garlic,ginger · popularity: spike · meat: yes

Zhajiang Noodles
Book: Every Grain of Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop (2012)

crumb: minced meat in sweet dark sauce over noodles

Every Grain of Rice includes “Zhajiang Noodles”. Fuchsia Dunlop wrote it (2012). This book covers everyday Chinese home cooking, mostly from Sichuan. It uses simple ways to cook: steaming, boiling, stir-frying and easy sauces.

Differences:

Popular internet Mongolian ground beef noodles brown ground beef in a sweet sauce. The sauce uses soy, brown sugar, hoisin, garlic and ginger. The recipe tosses the beef with udon. The ancestor is Beijing zhajiang ('fried sauce') noodles. It cooks minced meat in a sweet-salty bean sauce and spoons it over wheat noodles. Both are minced meat in a sweet, dark sauce over thick noodles. The book uses pork and fermented bean sauce. The online version uses beef with soy, brown sugar and hoisin. So it tastes different.

Match: Reasonably similar, but will taste different

Online recipe

Mongolian Ground Beef Noodles

Online recipe (as published / commonly shared)
Servings: 4 people · Prep 10 min · Cook 20 min · Total 30 min

We wrote this recipe in the Joy of Cooking style. Every amount, time and step comes from the source's recipe card.

Ground beef and udon noodles in a sweet and salty sauce, cooked in one skillet.

Cook according to the package directions:
10 ounces udon noodles

Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook until mostly browned:
1 pound lean ground beef

Add and cook for a minute, until fragrant:
4 cloves garlic, minced, about 4 teaspoons

Drain the excess fat.

While the beef is cooking, whisk together:
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup beef broth
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons ginger paste, or grated ginger
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

Pour over the meat:
the sauce

Finish cooking the ground beef in the sauce. Add the noodles to the pan with the beef and sauce, and toss to coat.

Whisk together and pour over the skillet:
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup water

Cook and stirring until the sauce thickens.

Remove the pan from the heat and serve fresh.

Citations
- The Recipe Critic · Mongolian Ground Beef and Noodles: https://therecipecritic.com/mongolian-ground-beef-and-noodles/
- X · @ann_ann886: https://x.com/ann_ann886/status/2100102381463564595
- web writeups: https://www.google.com/search?q=Mongolian+Ground+Beef+Noodles+recipe

Cookbook ancestor
- Affiliate: buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393089045?tag=recipeancesto-20
- Reference: Every Grain of Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop (2012). Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 2013 edition, hardcover, ISBN 978-0393089042.

We put this together for personal use. See the citations.

Trace receipt

Dish: Mongolian Ground Beef Noodles
Match: Reasonably similar, but will taste different
Ancestor: Zhajiang Noodles
Source: Every Grain of Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop (2012)
Differences: Popular internet Mongolian ground beef noodles brown ground beef in a sweet sauce. The sauce uses soy, brown sugar, hoisin, garlic and ginger. The recipe tosses the beef with udon. The ancestor is Beijing zhajiang ('fried sauce') noodles. It cooks minced meat in a sweet-salty bean sauce and spoons it over wheat noodles. Both are minced meat in a sweet, dark sauce over thick noodles. The book uses pork and fermented bean sauce. The online version uses beef with soy, brown sugar and hoisin. So it tastes different.
Book recipe: We do not offer this for print or share because it is not public domain. Buy or borrow the book.
Online sources: The Recipe Critic · Mongolian Ground Beef and Noodles (https://therecipecritic.com/mongolian-ground-beef-and-noodles/)
The Woks of Life · Mongolian Beef [link] (unavailable)
X · @ann_ann886 (https://x.com/ann_ann886/status/2100102381463564595)
web writeups (https://www.google.com/search?q=Mongolian+Ground+Beef+Noodles+recipe)
Date: Sep 2026

Source: what this book is
Every Grain of Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop (2012).
This book covers everyday Chinese home cooking, mostly from Sichuan. It uses simple ways to cook: steaming, boiling, stir-frying and easy sauces.

Affiliate: buy the book

Reference: Every Grain of Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop (2012). Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 2013 edition, hardcover, ISBN 978-0393089042.