Skip to content
RecipesWhipped Up

American

Garlic Soy Beef Noodles

Ground beef, garlic, and soy cling to spaghetti in one skillet, so you get a savory noodle dinner without a sauce packet. It is the kind of meal that uses what is already in the cabinet.

Prep
10 min
Cook
18 min
Total
28 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
Jump to recipe
Spaghetti tossed with garlic soy ground beef and scallions in a skillet.

Why you’ll love it

  • One pan after the pasta water.
  • Ground beef is cooked through to 160°F.
  • Soy, garlic, and a little sugar are the whole sauce.
  • It reheats for lunch without drying out if you add a splash of water.

Ingredients

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

View list

Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.

Instructions

  1. 1

    Boil the spaghetti in salted water until just tender. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.

  2. 2

    Brown the beef with the salt in the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, breaking it up, until no pink remains, about 6 minutes. Spoon off extra fat if the pan looks greasy.

  3. 3

    Add the garlic and stir 30 seconds.

  4. 4

    Stir in the soy sauce, brown sugar, broth, and pepper. Simmer 2 minutes.

  5. 5

    Add the pasta and a splash of pasta water. Toss until the noodles are coated, about 1 minute.

  6. 6

    Fold in the scallions and serve straight from the skillet.

Pro tips

  • Do not skip the pasta water. It loosens the sauce without more oil.
  • If the beef releases a lot of liquid, let it cook off before the garlic goes in.
  • A few drops of sesame oil at the end is optional and not in the base recipe.

Easy substitutions

Spaghetti
Any long noodle you already have.
Ground beef
Ground turkey. Cook it to 165°F.
Soy sauce
Tamari, same amount, if you need the dish gluten-free.

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days in a covered container.

Reheating

Warm in a skillet with a splash of water until hot. A microwave works if you stir halfway.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
560
Protein
32 g
Carbs
58 g
Fat
20 g
Fiber
3 g

Budget friendly · Stovetop, One Pan · High Protein

You might also like

Still hungry?

More in the same lane, not a random mix.

Find something else

Quick MealsBudget MealsHigh ProteinLunch

From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

Read the affiliate disclosure.

Ingredients