It’s no secret everyone loves Chinese takeout. And I have been craving it for a couple days now. But, with the weather in Minnesota being -50, I decided to take my cravings to my kitchen and create something close to Chinese takeout. And let me tell you this Chinese Beef and Noodles came out way better than any Chinese takeout I could have had.
Now although this recipe is Whole30 friendly, I wasn’t focusing on making it Whole30. I just wanted something quick, simple and delicious to satisfy my cravings. So, I started with the basics; lots garlic and onions sautéed in a mix of avocado and sesame oils. Then I added some ground beef and cooked it until it was brown.
CHINESE beef & noodles
But I knew I needed some kind of sauce to take this dish over the top. So I started mixing a few things together. I knew I didn’t want to use any added sugar so I decided to go with unsweetened apple sauce to sweeten the sauce up a little. And that made all the difference. The ground beef mixture turned out perfect and all I have to do now is add the noodles and toss it until it is well combined with the sauce.
Now let’s talk about the noodles. I am using zucchini noodles because it’s the one vegetable noodle that can hold up to with the beefy sauce. I get so many questions about working with zucchini noodles. The one question I get all the time is “how do I make sure my zucchini noodles don’t come out watery”. Well, here are a few of my tips to making almost perfect (because you will always have some liquid left in there; it’s a vegetable) zucchini noodles EVERYTIME.
Perfect Zucchini Noodles:
- First you want to spiralize the zucchini. I use the Inspiralizer (the best one on the market). After spiralizing your noodles, transfer them to a bowl lined with a clean kitchen towel and a large sheet of cheesecloth.
- Sprinkle the zucchini noodles with a few pinches of salt and let it sit for about 7-10 minutes. The slat will draw out most of the liquid from the zucchini.
- Now, squeeze the towel with the zucchini noodles and get as much liquid out as you can.
- Then transfer the noodles to a hot pan with avocado oil and sauté the noodles for a few minutes to cook it a bit (do not add any more salt). Serve it up with a sauce of your choice.
- Now, If you are making this recipe, add the noodles from the kitchen towel and cheesecloth directly to the beef mixture.
Now, If you are making this recipe, add the noodles from the kitchen towel and cheesecloth directly to the beef mixture. Cook on high heat for a few minutes until the noodles are cooked and all the ingredients have married.
For more Asian- inspired flavor, check out our Sticky Asian Chicken HERE!
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Low-Carb Chinese Beef and Noodles
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Forget takeout. This quick and easy Asian noodles will hit the spot every time. Zucchini noodles with a rich sweet and spicy beef sauce.
Ingredients
4 medium zucchinis
1 tbsp. Avocado oil
1 tbsp. Pure Sesame seed oil
2 garlic cloves – finely minced
1 onion – sliced
salt and pepper
1 lb. pasture raised ground beef
SAUCE:
4 tbsp. Coconut aminos
2 tbsp. Unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. Korean pepper flakes (or crushed red pepper flakes)
1 tbsp. Unsweetened BBQ sauce
TO SERVE:
The greens of 2 scallions – chopped
sesame seeds (about a tablespoon)
Instructions
First, spiralize all 4 zucchinis and transfer the noodles to a large bowl lined with a clean kitchen towel and a large sheet of cheesecloth. Sprinkle on a few pinches of salt and set the noodles aside.
Then, add all the ingredients needed for the sauce into a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set the sauce aside.
Heat a large deep skillet over medium-high heat and add the avocado and sesame oils. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and sauté until the onions are tender and the garlic is fragrant, about 3-5 minutes while stirring continuously. Season the onion and garlic with a little salt and pepper. Push the onion and garlic to one side of the pan and add the ground beef to the skillet. Use a potato masher to break up the beef. Continue to cook the ground beef until it’s browned, about 3-5 minutes.
Slowly add the sauce to the ground beef mixture and stir to combine. Turn the heat up a bit and continue to cook the mixture until the meat begins to caramelize a bit.
Now, squeeze as much liquid out the zucchini noodles as you possibly can and add the noodles to the skillet with the beef mixture. Stir the noodles in with the beef mixture until all the flavors marry and the noodles are warm through, about 2-3 minutes. At this point, you can taste and add more salt if needed (but you shouldn’t need any more salt).
Finish the beef and noodles with fresh scallions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Notes
If you don’t like or are allergic to zucchini, I would suggest just making the beef sauce and serving it atop any noodle if your choice. If you want to keep it Whole30 or Paleo friendly, try making our Sweet Potato Noodles or serve with cooked spaghetti squash to go with the beef sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: 30 minute dinners
- Cuisine: Asian
Keywords: Asian beef and noodles, whole30 Asian noodles
I made this last night. It was delicious. I bought HEB zucchini noodles because I don’t have a spiralizer. I substituted ground turkey because I rarely eat beef for health reasons. It was so delicious that this will become a staple. Thanks for sharing
Using ground turkey sounds amazing! Thank you so much for sharing LaQuetha!
How many cups or ounces of zucchini noodles did you buy? I don’t have a spiralizer either.
Uh-mazing! Super easy with stuff I already had. Delicious and way better than any Chinese joint within a 15mile radius from my house. Thanks again 😉
YES! Thank you so much for sharing Jessica! That is so wonderful! Glad you enjoyed it!
Can I sub anything for applesauce ? Doing keto and can’t have it?
Hi Tara! Yes this is Keto friendly. It’s low carb👍🏾. The applesauce adds sweetness to the sauce. So you don’t have to add it at all. Maybe you can try monkfruit to the sauce?
I made this for dinner tonight and it was SO GOOD! This is the first time my fiance has actually liked a meal with zucchini noodles, so that was a huge win. I’ll definitely be adding this quick and delicious meal to the weekly rotation.
Thank you Kalize! Im so glad you enjoyed it
So easy and so tasty!
Thank you Christine!
Made this tonight. It was so yummy and full of flavour. So easy to make too! Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it Jean! Thank you for sharing
WOW, this really hits the Asian noodles craving perfectly! I honestly couldn’t believe how delicious it was. Pop Quiz: how do you make 4 zucchinis disappear? Answer: make this recipe!!
I did doctor it up a bit: I used toasted sesame seed oil… I added about 5 green onions at the very end along with another tablespoon of SS oil… and I did half a pound of the ground meat and added two heads of bok choy at the end
For cooking, I let the zucchini sit in the salt for 45 minutes and let a lot more water seep out (it might have been half or a full cup – I didn’t measure it, but it was a lot. The less water in the zucchini, the more opportunity it has to soak up this incredible sauce). Also, I cooked the zucchini and bok choy in the sauce with the onions and meat for closer to about 10 minutes. Letting it sit overnight is still delicious – so great leftovers (just like real chinese food).
Lastly, I used the New Primal Classic BBQ for no other reason than it doesn’t have mustard (I can’t eat it) and it still turned out fabulous. Can’t wait to see more recipes!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Joni! I love the additions you made! I’m gonna have to try adding bok Choy myself! That sounds delicious
This was fantastic. I doubled the recipe and my family of four barely had leftovers.
I didn’t have bbq sauce so I made one with an online recipe. Next time I’ll add more vegetables… the sauce makes everything taste amazing, so good way to eat more bok choy and broccoli.
One more note that I used frozen zoodles. I cooked them in a skillet first, and then added them to meat mixture towards the end. Just finished the leftovers for breakfast. So good 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Julie! And Yes! Many ppl have added bokchoy so you will enjoy that.
This is one of my favorite Whole30 recipes! It’s so satisfying, the slight sweetness from the applesauce is so good.
I’m so glad you enjoy this Amber. It really is a special recipe.
This was fantastic and so easy to come together on a busy week night. No excuses not to eat healthy and cook at home. This will be added to the rotation for sure.
Wow this was so simple and so incredibly delicious! Will definitely be a staple in my house. Used ground turkey and added some broccoli:)
This was AMAZING! I try to eat clean but I’ve learned that I just don’t like zucchini noodles. So I made it with fettuccine and I also make homemade applesauce. Everyone loved it. Will become a regular for sure.
It’s my first time commenting on a recipe I made. It was that good (and easy to make). Thanks for all the work you put in making these recipes.
Made this last night- it was amazing! I put zucchini noodles with mine and banza chickpea pasta for my fiancé! He loved it and said it was better than take out. Thanks!
Better than takeout APPROVED! I LOVE IT! Thank for sharing Liz!
Delicious and easy to make!
Thank you Sara!
This was a hit with the family. I ate mine with the zoodles and used gluten free noodles for the family. It was so good with the zoodles – I would definitely do that again. In the school year I do a lot of make ahead dinners that my kids can reheat in the microwave between school/dance and before I can make it home. This will go in the rotation and I will serve it with white rice.
Yay! I’m so happy this is a dish that helps make your life a little easier Elaine! It’s definitely a favorite of mine and it totally is better the next day too!
So I FINALLY got to try this recipe! It’s been on my list for a while. And it is sooooo yummy! I had to change it up a tiny bit because my husband is not really a fan of zoodles (I know…don’t get me started). But I decided to still make the meat with the sauce and turn them into lettuce wraps with some bib lettuce. It worked out great! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Oh I love that Barbara! I have to try that sometime! Thank you
This was AMAZZZZZZZING! Absolutely better than takeout! Only changes I made was doing half zucchini, half carrot noodles, and adding a bit of ginger. So delicious, thank you!
Thank you so much Jennifer! Love that carrot noodles addition.
Made this for dinner tonight and am obsessed… I see myself making this for dinner multiple times a week!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it Jodie! Glad you have it in rotation
Love it! So easy and delicious. Made for my first Friday night of September Whole30, and it completely satisfied, despite the fact that we’d had Friday takeout literally every week since the start of the pandemic. Didn’t miss a single thing in taste OR ease of meal.. Thanks!
That’s what I love to hear! Thank you Elizabeth! Hope your Whole30 is going well.
Quick, easy and delicious. The fact it is Whole30 compatible is a bonus!
Thank you Jenn! Happy you enjoyed it!
So easy, so delicious, definitely will make again!
Yes!! I love it! It’s just too easy and satisfying 🥰
This was so good! I made it as written. It was quick, easy and I had everything on hand. This will definitely go into our regular rotation, especially with the upcoming January Whole30. Thank you!
So happy you enjoyed it Debbie! and thank you for taking the time to review!
This is on rotation at our house. My husband, 4 year old and I always look forward to this meal. Thank you!
I love when we are hubby and kid-approved! Thank you Amber!
I made this tonight and my husband and I both really liked it! Instead of using a spiralizer I decided to use a mandolin and make also french fry size pieces of zucchini so they were kind of like penne in the dish which was easier and quicker than the spiralizer but just as good. My 6 year old wasn’t a huge fan but then again she is a noodle-head and so the zucchini noodles make her sad lol.
Aww lol, we don’t want zucchini noodle sadness lol. Next time you should totally just make the beef sauce, take a little out for her and serve it with noodles, and zucchini noodles for you and your hubby
Yet another Clean Foodie Cravings hit! It was a little sweet but I think that was because of the bbq sauce I picked so I added some dashes of fish sauce and perfecto! My son first said he didn’t want zucchinis in it but then liked it anyway! Woot!!
Thank you, Ceri! We always love being kid-approved!
This is a MUST W30 recipe! It’s tangy and flavorful and my zucchini noodles were crisp based on the instructions. Also made some noodles for my husband daughter and they loved it with that variation!
Erica! I am so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing how easy it is to make a variation for kids/the hubby
So delicious! The whole family enjoyed! This recipe is definitely a keeper. The Korean Chili 🌶 Flakes add the perfect amount of spice.
Thank you so much Vanessa! I am so happy you enjoyed it!
This wasn’t bad at all! I expected a little more flavor, as I thought it was a bit bland, but otherwise pretty good and easy to customize!
Interesting. Thank you for leaving a review and sharing your experience. We appreciate it. Hope you give us another chance and are able to find something else you enjoy.
So easy and so flavorful! Thrilled I found your site! Thank you!
So happy you are here Casey! Thank you!
I’ve made this multiple times now. Super easy and flavorful!
It is so easy and yummy right? So happy you enjoyed it
Delicious!!! What a great dinner for busy weeknights. So easy and yummy!! Thank you.
yes baby!!! That’s always the goal.
This was so delicious! I avoid making zucchini noodles sometimes because they get watery, but I followed these directions and they were perfect!!
Thank you Alden! I am so happy you enjoyed it. It’s one of my absolute favorite dishes.