Creamy Sesame Noodles

sesame noodles in a bowl mixed with spicy beef and sliced cucumbers

Instant noodles in a creamy tahini sauce with spicy lean ground beef crumbles and herby cucumbers.

No ratings yet

Print Pin

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 35

Servings: Servings

Calories: 500kcal

Author: Mason Woodruff

Ingredients

For the Cucumber Salad

2 Mini Persian Cucumbers or 1 large seedless cucumber
2 Green Onions thinly sliced, green and white separated
1-2 handfuls Cilantro chopped
1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
½ teaspoon Kosher Salt

For the Noodles

3 packs (95g each) Trader Joe's Squiggly Knife Cut Style Noodles see notes for substitutes*
3 Tablespoons Tahini
½ cup Reserved Cooking Water

For the Beef

1 pound Extra Lean Ground Beef
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
1 Tablespoon Gochujang
1 Tablespoon Korean Chili Flakes see notes for substitutes**
½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
White Parts of the Green Onions

Instructions

Slice the cucumber into matchsticks or half moons and toss together with the rice vinegar, salt, chopped cilantro, and green parts of the sliced green onion. Cover and set aside.
Bring a pot of water to a boil for the noodles.
Heat a pan over medium-high heat with cooking spray. Once hot, add the ground beef and cook for 2-3 minutes until a crust forms on one side. Then break the beef apart with a spatula and fully cook.
While the beef cooks, mix together the beef sauce ingredients. Add the sauce to the fully cooked beef and cook until the sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes.
Cook the noodles once you add the sauce to the beef. Cook for 4 minutes, reserve about 1 cup of water, and drain the rest.
Add the cooked noodles back to the pot with the sauce packets from the noodles, tahini, and ¼ to ½ cup of the reserved cooking water as needed. Stir until smooth and creamy.
Plate the noodles and top with the ground beef and cucumber salad. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and crunchy chili onion or chili oil, if desired.

Notes

*Momofuku sesame miso noodles are the closest replacement with a sauce packet. If you're using instant noodles without a sauce packet, add 2 tablespoons of coconut aminos or low sodium soy sauce and 1-2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil to the tahini and cooked noodles.

**Korean chili flakes are sweeter and milder than most dried chili flakes so don't substitute 1:1 for other kinds. Use another tablespoon of gochujang or add a small amount standard red chili flakes and some smoked paprika.

Recipe adapted from Finn Tonry's spicy pork and sesame noodles.

Nutrition