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Go-chu-what-now? Gochujang noodles with beef is another quickfire Asian stir fry recipe that is a low-prep, ingredient-light, lip-smackingly tasty one-pan mega meal. Simple store cupboard staples; egg noodles, garlic, ginger, and soy are laced with a sweet/spicy gochujang paste and peppered with bright broccoli and green onions. Who said noodles are for students?

OK, noodles are for students. They are cheap, filling and easy to cook. If you’ve recently seen both your kids off to university (like me, sob), I hope you’ve armed them with some decent noodles recipes too.

My two have left with these quick, easy and budget-friendly ones in their cooking arsenal: easy kimchi noodles, vegan dan dan noodles, and spicy peanut noodles with carrots and cabbage.

Side shot of gochujang noodles in a wide bowl on a table

Beef and noodles

Chinese egg noodles work best in this dish. Some Asian noodles recipes, like noodle soup for example, can use Italian pasta like This is an affiliate link.spaghetti or This is an affiliate link.linguine as a substitute.

But for this dish, I strongly recommend using the egg noodle variety. Egg noodles have a richer, more savoury flavour than eggless dry pasta, making the overall dish more flavoursome. What’s more, they cook quicker.

I’ve used ground beef. I like how the fat renders seamlessly into the sauce resulting in a rich, beefy, salty gravy that gives a pleasing oily slip to the noodles.

Egg noodles are the skinny, curly kind and have lots of surface area to soak up the slick sauce and absorb the flavours of ginger, garlic and soy. Their tentacle-like shape will also serve to entangle the ground beef and broccoli so each forkful is a balance of every tasty element.

Shot of gochujang noodles in a pan with beef and broccoli

Gochujang recipes

This is an affiliate link.Gochujang is fast becoming a regular guest to the condiment shelf in my fridge. I’m constantly looking for ways to incorporate it into old recipes or find new ways of using it. So, what is it?

Coming from Korea, gochujang a deep red, spicy fermented bean paste. Sounds weird, tastes wonderful! Imagine the warmth of chilli pepper, a subtle note of sweet beans, and the funk of fermentation. You might have to trust me on this one!

Start small with recipes that use it sparingly, for example to enhance a glaze, like classic meatloaf or air fryer chicken wings. Then build up to ones that showcase its undeniable brilliance, like roasted cabbage wedges or short ribs.

You’ll soon be making space in the fridge for it too!

Top down shot of gochujang noodles with beef in a bowl with chopsticks

Recipe Tips and Notes

This rapid recipe requires preparation. Chop, slice and mince what you need before you fire up that wok. Believe me.
Don’t overcook the noodles. I always cook them for one minute less than the package instructions suggest. They’ll get a blast in the wok later, remember.
And yes, I cook the noodles and the broccoli in the same pot together. No shame, less washing up!
I used broccoli. I love a pop of green against the yellow noodles. But you can use whichever vegetable you prefer; carrot, baby corn or mange tout are all classic stir fry contenders.
Go up a gear and use jarred This is an affiliate link.garlic and This is an affiliate link.ginger for foot-to-the-floor acceleration!
I use This is an affiliate link.dark soy sauce as it has a more concentrated and deep flavour.

Process shots of meat and veg being cooked and stir fried with noodles and gochujang sauce

Serving suggestions

The best thing about stir fries is their convenience. They are kitchen magic to a busy person who needs dinner on the table in under 20, and have all the nutritional components built in already: protein, starchy carbs, vegetables. So why complicate things?

For the pure indulgence of good food! That’s why. Yes, this gochujang noodles recipe is a meal-in-one, but if you just can’t resist the salty, spicy lure of an Asian-inspired starter, don’t hold back! I recommend sticky Asian chicken or salt and pepper shrimp.

Generally, there is at least one non-meat eater per household these days, or someone who is cutting down, so try this hoisin glazed crispy tofu over rice as a main, or solo as a plant-based starter.

Storage and leftovers

Leftover gochujang beef and noodles can be kept in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Bring it back to a hot wok to reheat. Or zap in the microwave for 60-90 seconds.