Thai Stir-Fried Noodles With Beef

By
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt is a cookbook author and culinary teacher who specializes in Thai cuisine.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 11/2/21
Thai Stir-Fried Noodles With Beef in bowls, size a side of lime wedges

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 12 mins
Total: 27 mins
Servings: 2 to 3 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
946 Calories
31g Fat
118g Carbs
56g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 3
Amount per serving
Calories 946
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 40%
Saturated Fat 15g 77%
Cholesterol 108mg 36%
Sodium 2944mg 128%
Total Carbohydrate 118g 43%
Dietary Fiber 15g 53%
Protein 56g
Calcium 307mg 24%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

If you're a fan of Asian noodles, be sure to try these Chinese-inspired Thai beef stir-fried noodles!

This stir-fry is delicious, healthful and makes a perfect one-dish meal any night of the week. The recipe is also quite flexible. Make it as spicy or mild as you like and add your own choice of vegetables depending on what you have on hand.

While most Thai noodles dishes are made with rice noodles, occasionally wheat and egg noodles are used (a Chinese influence), so feel free to use either (if using rice noodles, just be sure not to over-cook them). 

Ingredients

  • For the Beef Marinade and Noodles:
  • 0.8 lb./0.36 kg. beef
  • 3 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 7.5 oz./212 g. wheat noodles (or egg noodles, curly stir-fry type)
  • For the Stir-Fry Sauce:
  • 2/3 cup chicken stock (good-tasting)
  • 3 tablespoons  oyster sauce
  • 3 tablespoons dry sherry
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes (crushed)
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • For the Stir-Fry:
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons coconut oil (or other vegetable oil)
  • 1 shallot (minced or 1/4 cup chopped onion)
  • 4 to 5 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
  • 1 piece ginger (thumb-size, sliced thinly into matchsticks)
  • Optional: 1 fresh red chili (sliced)
  • 1 carrot (sliced)
  • 5 to 7 fresh shiitake mushrooms (sliced)
  • 1 red bell pepper (sliced into thin strips)
  • 1 small head broccoli (cut into florets)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 handful fresh basil
  • 3 lime wedges

Steps to Make It

Prepare Beef and Noodles

  1. Gather the beef marinade ingredients and noodles.

    Beef and Noodles ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Slice beef as thinly as you can on the bias (on an angle) and against the grain. Or have your local butcher/deli do this for you. Place into a shallow pan.

    Sliced beef on a wooden cutting board, with a knife

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the soy sauce and 1 teaspoon brown sugar and pour over beef. Stir well. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

    Beef slices with brown sugar and soy sauce in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Boil noodles until just undercooked (a firm al dente), as they will finish cooking in your wok.

    Noodles cooking in a pot on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

    Noodles in a colander

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Make the Stir-Fry Sauce

  1. Gather the sauce ingredients.

    Stir-Fry Sauce ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, oyster sauce, dry sherry, fish sauce, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and chili flakes.

    Stir-fry sauce in a bowl with a spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Add the cornstarch and whisk to dissolve. Set aside.

    Stir-fry sauce with cornstarch in a bowl with a spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Sir-Fry the Dish

  1. Gather the marinated beef, noodles, sauce, and remaining ingredients.

    Thai Stir-Fried Noodles With Beef ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Heat a large wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons oil and swirl around, then add the shallot, garlic, ginger, optional fresh chili, and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes.

    Shallot, garlic, ginger, and fresh chili in a wok on a burner, stirred with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Add the beef together with its marinade and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until beef is lightly cooked. As you stir-fry, add a little stir-fry sauce (2 to 3 tablespoons), just enough to keep ingredients frying nicely.

    Beef with shallot, garlic, ginger and chili in a wok on a burner, stirred with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Add the carrots and a little more stir-fry sauce if needed. Continue stir-frying 1 to 2 minutes.

    Carrots and beef with spices in a wok on a burner, with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. Then add mushrooms, bell pepper, and broccoli. Stir-fry until vegetables have softened but are still bright with some crispness to them (again, add more stir-fry sauce as you go, but not so much that you are boiling the ingredients).

    Beef and vegetables with spices cooking in a wok on a burner, with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. Finally, add the reserved noodles plus all the remaining stir-fry sauce. Using 2 utensils, gently fry everything together by turning the noodles in the pan. The noodles will absorb most of the sauce and finish cooking (4 to 6 minutes).

    Noodles, sauce, beef, vegetables and spices in a wok on a burner, noodles mixed with tongs

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  7. When noodles are cooked and most of the sauce has been absorbed, switch off the heat and taste-test. If not salty/flavorful enough, add more fish sauce or soy sauce. If too salty for your taste, add a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon juice. Add more chili for more spice.

    Thai Stir-Fried Noodles With Beef cooking in a wok, with a squeeze of fresh lime

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  8. Serve noodles in bowls or on plates. Drizzle a little sesame oil over each portion, then garnish with basil leaves and lime wedges. 

    Thai Stir-Fried Noodles With Beef in a bowl and lime wedges in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga