Gochujang Butter Noodles with Ground Beef

Chewy noodles are tossed with browned ground beef and a glossy gochujang-butter sauce balanced with soy sauce, garlic, and fresh scallions for a fast, savory-spicy stovetop dinner.

Prep: 10 min · Cook: 20 min · Yield: 4 · Method: Stovetop

Ingredients

• 12 ounces dried noodles
• 1 pound ground beef
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons gochujang
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 cloves garlic
• 4 scallions scallions
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon neutral oil

Cooking instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package directions until tender but still slightly chewy. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the noodles. (about 10 min) — Boiling
2. While the noodles cook, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it into small crumbles, until browned and no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed; the beef should reach 160°F. (about 7 min) — Medium-high
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter and garlic to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in the gochujang, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and brown sugar. (about 1 min) — Medium
4. Add the drained noodles and toss until coated. Add reserved noodle water, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the sauce is glossy and clings to the noodles. (about 2 min) — Medium
5. Slice the scallions and toss most of them into the noodles. Taste and adjust with a little more soy sauce or gochujang, then serve topped with the remaining scallions. (about 1 min) — Off heat