If you love sweet-and-savory Mongolian beef, but you’re also perfectly happy to eat pasta for dinner, this recipe for Mongolian Beef Pasta Skillet is about to make you very happy. Tender ground beef and pasta are tossed in a rich, garlicky, gingery sauce with just enough heat to keep things interesting. Then rice vinegar brings the POW POW, and sesame oil comes in with the PEW PEW and sends the whole thing over the top. Yep, dinner just got interesting.

Mongolian Beef Pasta Skillet is sweet, savory, and easy to make on your stovetop.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Quick and easy: Everything comes together in one skillet once the pasta is cooked.
Big flavor: Sweet, savory, garlicky, gingery, and just a little spicy.
No fancy ingredients: You may already have most of what you need in the pantry.
Makes plenty: This is a generous meal that’s perfect for feeding a family or enjoying leftovers.
That sauce! The pasta absorbs all those delicious flavors, while the reserved pasta water keeps everything saucy.

A quick and easy meal with big flavor of seasoned ground beef and a garlicky delicious sauce.

How To Make Mongolian Beef Pasta Skillet

Cook the pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
Brown the beef. While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook until browned and no longer pink. Drain any excess grease.
Add the garlic. Stir the minced garlic into the beef and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut aminos, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, ginger, rice vinegar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch until smooth.
Bring it together. Pour the sauce over the cooked beef and stir to combine. Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta water and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring frequently.
Add the pasta. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the drained pasta. Stir until the noodles are thoroughly coated and everything is heated through, about 2–3 minutes. The pasta will absorb quite a bit of the sauce.
Finish and serve. Remove from the heat and top generously with sliced green onions. Serve immediately.

Pro Tips

Use a BIG skillet. Once you add the pasta, you’ll appreciate having plenty of room to stir. A large Dutch oven works beautifully, too.
Reserve the pasta water. Don’t skip this! The starchy water helps create a silky sauce and gives you extra liquid to loosen things up if the noodles absorb too much.
Don’t over-salt the beef. Coconut aminos and hoisin sauce already bring plenty of savory flavor. A light seasoning is all you need.
Fresh ginger makes a difference. The flavor is brighter and more noticeable than dried ginger.
Adjust the heat. Use a little less red pepper flakes for a milder dish or add more if you like some extra POW POW.

How To Customize Mongolian Beef Pasta Skillet

Want to add some vegetables? Go for it! Broccoli, sliced bell peppers, snow peas, or shredded carrots would all work well.

Also, swap pasta for different shapes. For instance, spaghetti, linguine, rotini, or even penne will happily get in on the Mongolian beef action.

Don’t have coconut aminos? Soy sauce makes an easy substitute. If using soy sauce, you may want to be especially cautious with the added salt.

A Little Extra Sauce, Please

The noodles soak up a surprising amount of that sweet-and-savory sauce as they sit. If you prefer your pasta extra saucy, don’t be afraid to stir in a splash of the reserved pasta water before serving.

And if you’re standing over the skillet eating “just one more bite” directly from the pan, well…I didn’t see a thing.

Looking for more easy dinner ideas?

Search the site for more simple recipes that bring big flavor without making a mess of your kitchen. Use key words for ingredients, like “chicken” or “beef,” or click on main meals for a slew of ideas.

Mongolian Beef Pasta Skillet combines tender ground beef and pasta with a sweet, savory, and garlicky sauce.

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Mongolian Beef Pasta Skillet

This easy Mongolian Beef Pasta Skillet combines tender ground beef and pasta with a sweet, savory, garlicky sauce that has just the right amount of heat. Coconut aminos, fresh ginger, rice vinegar, and sesame oil bring the POW POW and PEW PEW, making this a seriously delicious weeknight dinner!

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Chinese

Keyword: comfort food, easy dinner, garlic

Servings:

Calories: 432kcal

Author: Sweet Ordeal

Ingredients

8 oz. pasta, (reserve 1 cup pasta water)
1 lb. ground beef
salt and black pepper to taste
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup coco aminos, (or soy sauce)
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 1/2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. sesame oil
1-2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. corn starch
Optional Garnish: fresh green onions, sliced

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
Meanwhile, brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Drain excess grease. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Whisk together coconut aminos, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, ginger, rice vinegar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch. Pour sauce over beef and stir to combine. Add 1 cup reserved pasta water and bring to a gentle boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and add pasta. Stir until well coated and heated through, about 2–3 minutes.
Top with sliced green onions and enjoy!

Notes

Reheating leftovers? The noodles are thirsty little things and will soak up that sauce overnight. Add a splash of water before reheating, give it a good stir, and you’ll bring that saucy goodness right back to life. Nobody wants sad, dry noodles the next day.