Chilli beef udon noodles
Using beef mince keeps costs down for these speedy but tasty chilli beef noodles. Ready in less than 15 minutes this is ideal for your midweek chilli hit.
In November 2023, this recipe was costed at an average of £1.90 per portion when checking prices at four UK supermarkets. The recipe is designed to be made in conjunction with a low-cost store-cupboard.
Ingredients
For the chilli beef
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 red chillies, seeds removed and finely chopped
- 500g/1lb 2oz beef mince
- 300g pack straight-to-wok udon noodles (see recipe tip)
- ½ Savoy or sweetheart cabbage, shredded
- 2 tbsp salted, roasted peanuts, lightly crushed, to garnish
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced, to garnish
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp cider or wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 200ml/7fl oz just-boiled water
Method
To make the chilli beef, heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan and stir-fry the garlic, chilli and beef mince for 5 minutes until nicely browned.
Meanwhile, to make the sauce, place the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, chilli flakes and water in a small saucepan and heat together gently, stirring until well blended.
Add the noodles and cabbage to the wok and cook for a further 4–5 minutes until piping hot and the beef mince is cooked through. Pour the sauce over the noodles, toss well together then divide between serving bowls. Scatter with the peanuts and spring onions and serve.
Recipe Tips
This recipe works well with other types of mince too, such as pork or turkey.
Straight-to-wok noodles are usually tightly packed – loosen the noodles in a bowl of warm water to stop them breaking up.