I hunt the world over for solid, flavorful ground meat recipes for dinner! Ground Meat Asian Stir Fry with Noodles is the super fast all-in-one skillet meal that every Mom around the world loves to have in her back pocket for gettin’ dinner on the table in a hurry.
Ground Meat Asian Stir Fry with Noodles Recipe
Howdy! Chef Alli Here. Let’s Get You Cookin’…. Shall We?? 🙂
Here’s your new favorite skillet meal recipe, and I’m not even kidding. My family literally inhaled this meal when I made it, and I was so excited at how EASY and FAST it was, not to mention super flavorful.
The first time I made this recipe, I used ground pork since that was what I had on hand. The next time, since I’ve always got an entire freezer full of venison (thank you family of hunters), I used ground deer meat. It was delicious!
And that’s the beauty of this recipe – you can use ANY type of ground meat! The savory-sweet sauce pairs well with ground turkey, ground pork, ground deer, ground beef, ground bison, ground chicken…you name it!
What to love about this easy ground meat recipe –
- It’s a great way to get your family to eat more veggies.
- Just 30 minutes to dinner, start-to-finish.
- Hoorah for one-pan meals! Easy to make, easy to clean up.
Here are the ingredients you need to make Asian Stir Fry with Noodles
- Soy sauce
- Brown sugar
- Garlic or garlic powder
- Ginger (I use the refrigerated ginger paste in a tube)
- Rice vinegar
- Asian sesame seed oil
- Ground meat (beef, pork, venison, bison, turkey, whatever!)
- Frozen stir fry vegetables
- Chow Mein stir fry noodles
- Sesame seeds and scallions, if desired, as a garnish
What you’ll learn from this easy skillet meal recipe –
- How to brown any ground meat in a way that gives it more flavor
- An easy way to drain fats that accumulate in your skillet
How to make skillet stir fry step-by-step
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make sauce for this recipe. These are common Asian ingredients that last a long time and are frequently used in many Asian recipes.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, vinegar, and sesame oil; set aside.
This recipe calls for stir fry noodles. I wasn’t familiar with this specific type of noodle and was glad to learn that they cook within just seconds in the microwave.
Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. When the skillet is nicely hot, add the ground pork, crumbling it to brown evenly, until fully cooked throughout.
As shown, I love using my meat chopper – it makes short work of crumbling meat from big chunks into smaller pieces when cooking it in a skillet.
Drain any fats that accumulate. I like to tip my skillet up on one side a bit, then prop it up on a folded hot pad. Using your spatula, move the cooked meat to the higher side of the pan so the fats can drain down; use paper towels to sop up the fats, then toss them away. So easy!
Add the cooked stir fry noodles to the cooked and crumbled meat in the skillet; use your kitchen shears to cut the noodles into shorter pieces so the stir fry is easier to eat when served.
Add the stir fry vegetables to the noodles and the pork; toss gently to combine. Simmer the stir fry for a few minutes, stirring now and then.
Pour in the prepared sauce and the cooked noodles; simmer 4-5 minutes longer, or until hot throughout.
Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Serve at once!
Answers to Common Questions Asked About This Recipe
Which tools are helpful for making stir fry in a skillet?
Large, deep skillet – a heavy-duty skillet is an absolute essential kitchen tool. I really like my Lodge 12-inch cast iron skillet and use it continually. If you prefer a nonstick skillet, you’ll like a Lodge cast iron skillet with enamel lining.
Meat chopper – a meat chopper will make cooking and crumbling any ground meat a breeze. Big chunks can be chopped and crumbled into small bite-size pieces with just a few twists of the wrist.
Silicone Spatula Spoons – Of all the tools in my kitchen, silicone spatula spoons are what I use the most. They make stirring and sauteing a breeze and I love all the pretty silicone colors available. Silicone spatula spoons are completely heat-proof so they won’t melt, even when used over high temperatures. I like to have different sizes on hand for different kitchen tasks – soooo handy!
Kitchen shears – Sometimes when you open a bag of frozen veggies, you find they are not bite-sized, especially broccoli sometimes. I love to use my kitchen shears for quickly cutting the veggies into to smaller sizes.
What is the best way to brown ground meats?
To make any ground meat more flavorful, it needs good browning on the exterior. Making sure your skillet is always nicely preheated BEFORE ever adding the meat is the secret! Once the pan is nice and hot, THEN add the ground meat and listen for this: SIZZLE.
You always want to hear SIZZLE when adding meat to a skillet (whether it’s ground meat or whole muscle) because this tells you you’re on the right track for the caramelization and browning that adds a whole extra layer of flavor.
How do you know when ground meats are fully cooked and safe to eat?
Great question – food safety is so important. Ground meats should be browned until no pink remains and the juices run clear as the meat cooks. The safe internal temperature for ground beef is 160-165 degrees F.
Can I make this recipe in a wok?
Yep – it works just great. Do it!
Can I substitute cooked rice for the noodles in this recipe?
Rice works great in place of the noodles – just be sure it’s cooked rice that you add and also be aware that rice can really absorb the sauce. You may want to double the sauce if you’re going to use rice instead of noodles.
If I’m cooking for two, can I cut this recipe in half to make it? Also, does this recipe double or triple well?
This is a perfect recipe for two people and, yes, you can definitely cut it in half so you don’t have such a large batch on your hands.
Stir fry is a great dish to double or triple, just be sure you’re using a skillet that can hold it all. A single recipe makes a pretty large batch, as is.
What is ginger paste and where do I find it?
Ginger paste is crushed ginger root that comes in a tube. You’ll find it in the Asian section of your local product department. This is a great product and will keep for months in your fridge. I also find the garlic paste in a tube handy as well.
More Favorite Recipes to Enjoy –
- Saucy Cubed Pork
- BONELESS COUNTRTY-STYLE PORK RIBS (SWEET AND SOUR)
- SMOKER CHICKEN WITH STEP-BY-STEP SPATCHCOCK INSTRUCTIONS
- KILLER HAMBURGER STEAK IN A SKILLET
- AIR FRYER FROZEN FISH WITH PARMESAN CRUMBLES
- INSTANT POT SWEET AND SOUR PORK
Ground Meat Asian Stir Fry with Noodles
Ingredients
- ½ cup soy sauce, I prefer low sodium soy sauce
- 3 Tbs. brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed, or substitute 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 Tbs. ginger paste, this comes in a tube and is located in the Asian section of the produce dept – it keeps in the fridge for months!
- 1 Tbs. rice vinegar
- 1 Tbs. Asian sesame seed oil
- 1 lb. ground pork
- 12 oz. bag frozen stir fry vegetables, partially thawed
- 12 oz. package stir fry noodles, cooked according to pkg. instructions (60 seconds in the microwave)
- sesame seeds and chopped scallions as garnish, optional
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, vinegar and sesame oil; reserve.
- Meanwhile, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. When the skillet is nicely hot, add the ground pork, crumbling it to brown, until it is fully cooked throughout. Drain any fats that accumulate, if needed.
- Add the cooked stir fry noodles to the meat; use your kitchen shears to cut them into small pieces so they are easier to eat when served. Add the stir fry veggies; gently toss all the ingredients together, cooking for just a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the prepared sauce, tossing the ingredients once more; simmer 4-5 minutes longer, or until the stir fry is hot throughout.
- Serve at once! Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds, if desired.
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