This beef noodle dish brings together the warmth of Chinese five-spice with the kick of crispy chilli oil. The beef mince cooks down into something rich and savoury, while the vegetables add a bit of freshness to balance things out.
The cooking process isn’t hard. You build up the flavours in layers, starting with the aromatics and vegetables, then browning the mince before letting everything simmer together. The lime juice at the end brightens the whole dish and cuts through the richness of the beef.
What works well here is how the different textures play together. The soft noodles soak up all the flavourful sauce, while the sesame seeds and spring onions on top give you something to bite into. The crispy chilli oil does most of the work when it comes to heat and flavour, so you don’t need to worry about balancing lots of different spices.
This is the sort of meal that comes together in about half an hour, which makes it handy for weeknight dinners. The prep is mostly just chopping vegetables and measuring out seasonings. Once everything hits the pan, it cooks itself.
The five-spice adds that distinctive warmth you get in Chinese cooking, with hints of star anise and cinnamon coming through. Combined with the dark soy sauce, it gives the mince a proper depth of flavour. The ginger and garlic keep things fresh and aromatic.
The dish works just as well with rice or couscous if you prefer, though the noodles do soak up the sauce particularly well. You can adjust the heat by using more or less of the chilli oil, depending on what you’re comfortable with. It’s one of those recipes that’s hard to get wrong. Enjoy!
Sichuan-Style Crispy Chilli Beef Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 red onion, peeled and diced
- 1 yellow or red pepper, deseeded and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 500g beef mince
- 1 tbsp crispy chilli oil
- 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced (for garnish)
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds (for garnish)
- 400g fresh egg noodles (or rice/couscous to serve)
Directions
- Cook the fresh noodles according to package instructions, drain and set aside.
- Heat the sesame oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced red onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until beginning to soften.
- Add the chopped pepper and cook for another 3-4 minutes until tender.
- Stir in the minced garlic and grated ginger, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the beef mince to the pan, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the beef is browned all over.
- Add the Chinese five-spice powder, crispy chilli oil, and dark soy sauce. Stir well to combine.
- Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add a splash of water if the mixture appears too dry.
- Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Add the cooked noodles to the pan and toss everything together until well combined.
- Serve immediately, garnished with sliced spring onions and sesame seeds.
