FIRECRACKER BEEF NOODLE BOWLS
on Apr 10, 2024, Updated Jul 23, 2024
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With a name like “firecracker,” you know this recipe is going to deliver the heat! My Firecracker Beef and Veggie Noodle Bowls are a healthy, satisfying dinner that beats any takeout order.
The sauce is spicy thanks to a kick of sriracha but nicely balanced with the addition of honey and tamari. I don’t typically tolerate super spicy foods well, but this combo won a place in my heart.
I’ve been using a lot of ground meat recently because it’s an affordable, quick-cooking protein option. Ground meat is a great choice when your week is particularly busy and you don’t have the time (or energy) to sear a steak or bake chicken thighs. Once the pan is hot, you’re off to the races and have a protein-rich meal in just a few minutes. (Check out my Protein Empowered ebook for more high-protein, quick, and easy weeknight meals).
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So the next time you’re craving takeout, try this spicy beef stir fry with noodle dish instead. It’ll be ready before the delivery guy has a chance to make it to your doorstep!
Spicy Beef Noodle Bowl Ingredients
This recipe proves that good food doesn’t have to be complicated. Just a few ingredients and you’re well on your way to a tasty meal.
- Ground Beef: This dish relies on ground beef as the protein source. I look to buy organic, grass-fed beef whenever possible. You can also use ground chicken or turkey if you’d prefer.
- Veggies: My favorite types of meals are all-in-one, meaning you get your protein, veggies, and healthy carbs in one delicious dish. When I’m cooking dinner on a weeknight, the last thing I want to think about is what to serve with the main meal! I’ve packed this noodle dish with broccoli and bell peppers, but feel free to add in other veggies too. I’m sure the addition of snap peas, carrots, or cauliflower would be great!
- Noodles or Rice: When I was recipe testing, it was almost that time of the month so a noodle bowl was exactly what I was craving! I used @lotusfoods gluten-free brown rice noodles. You can also serve this over a bowl of steaming rice or with extra veggies for a lower-carb option.
- Tamari: This gluten-free soy sauce alternative gives this dish its Asian flare. Tamari has a deep umami flavor and tends to be less salty than soy sauce. Of course, you can sub soy sauce if gluten isn’t an issue for you.
- Sriracha: For the sauce, I was able to balance the flavors so it was still punchy without that overwhelming, mouth-on-fire feeling.
Recipe Tip
If you want this to be more tame on the spice, I recommend cutting the amount of sriracha in half. I opted for @yellowbirdsauce sriracha because it has cleaner ingredients and is less spicy than the one with the green lid that many are accustomed to.
- Toppings: Toppings make everything more fun, right? For this, I like adding a sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced green onions for a bit of freshness. Delish!]
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Pin ItHow to Make Firecracker Noodle Bowls
BOIL THE WATER
Set a large stock pot of salted water to boil. This will be for the noodles. Waiting for a pot to bowl is no fun, so I like to get this going from the start!
MAKE THE SAUCE
Whisk the sauce ingredients (sriracha, coconut sugar, honey, tamari, and rice vinegar) together in a small bowl. Set aside.
SEAR THE BEEF
Heat the avocado oil in a large stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up as you go, until browned. Using a paper towel, soak up most of the accumulated fat. This will make the final dish less greasy.
To the same pan, add the onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and chili flakes, cooking for another minute. Stir frequently to ensure the garlic doesn’t burn.
While the aromatics and beef are cooking, add the noodles to the boiling pot of water. Cook according to the package directions.
Pour the sauce over the ground beef in the skillet. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the sauce is beginning to carmelize.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Add your chopped veggies to the pan and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the water, stirring to incorporate, and let simmer for another 2 minutes to develop all that saucy goodness!
Add your cooked noodles to the firecracker beef and veggies, stirring for 1 minute to ensure the noodles are evenly coated in the sauce.
Top with sliced green onion and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Other Beef Recipes You’ll Love
- Viral Chuck Roast
- Viral Chuck Roast Tacos
- One Pot Hidden Organ Meat Bolognese
- One Skillet Beef and Broccoli
FIRECRACKER BEEF AND VEGGIE NOODLE BOWLS
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 small crown of broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 8 ounce package of rice noodles or substitute rice
Firecracker Sauce:
- ½ cup sriracha
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup tamari
- ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
For Serving:
- Sliced green onions
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Set a large stock pot of salted water to boil. This will be for the noodles.
- Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large stainless steel skillet over medium heat.
- Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up as you go, until browned.
- Using a paper towel, remove most of the accumulated grease from the pan.
- Add onions and cook for 2-3 minutes then add the garlic and chili flakes, cooking for another minute.
- While the aromatics and beef are cooking, add the noodles to the boiling pot of water. Cook according to the package directions.
- Pour the sauce over the ground beef and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the sauce begins to caramelize.
- Add the veggies and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the water, stirring to incorporate, and let simmer for another 2 minutes to develop all that saucy goodness!
- Add your cooked noodles to the firecracker beef and veggies, stirring for 1 minute to ensure the noodles are evenly coated in the sauce.
- Top and serve with green onions and sesame seeds.
- ENJOY!
The flavor of this recipe is a 10/10!! The second time I made it, I made them into lettuce wraps (no noodles) and they turned out amazing! I swapped the beef for ground turkey and broccoli for mushrooms. The flavor of the sauce is amazing, but it’s definitely on the spicy side! Maybe use less sriracha if you don’t want as much spice!
Do you have a suggestion for a substitute for coconut sugar?
Additional honey or another granulated sweetener of your choice!
Looks amazing! Do you think I could use ground chicken or turkey or tofu instead?
You can definitely use ground turkey or chicken! I haven’t tried with tofu – let me know if you do!
wow so good! I reduced the srichaha so my kids could have it and used thinly sliced beef. Amazing!! Thank you!
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.
incredible! Made this tonight and it was my husband’s favorite of all of your recipes I’ve made. Do you have the macros on this? Thanks!!
Hi Lisa! I’m so happy to hear the recipe was enjoyed by your husband!! I don’t currently share nutritional info on my blog but its good to know that that would be of interest.