20-Minute Beef And Broccoli Noodle Stir-Fry

I started making this stir-fry on the nights when the fridge looked empty and takeout looked tempting. Three packs of ramen, a piece of flank steak and a head of broccoli turned out to be enough for four people, and the whole thing was done before the delivery app finished loading.

The trick is speed and heat. Everything gets cooked hard and fast in one nonstick pan, and the noodles finish right in the sauce so they soak it up instead of sitting in a puddle. You'll need about 20 minutes and a knife sharp enough for thin slicing.

One thing I'll say up front: the ramen seasoning packets don't go in. Save them for another day. The sauce does all the work here, and it comes together in a small bowl in under a minute.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Soak the noodles

Put the ramen blocks in a large bowl, leaving out the seasoning packets, and pour the 8 cups of boiling water over them. Let them sit for 6 minutes, stirring now and then to break up the blocks. Drain, rinse under cold water so they stop cooking, and set aside.

2. Stir the sauce

In a small bowl, whisk the minced garlic, cornstarch, sesame oil, lime juice and 1/4 cup of the soy sauce until smooth. Set it aside.

3. Microwave the broccoli

Put the broccoli florets in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes, until they're just soft. Set aside. This gives them a head start so they brown instead of burning.

4. Sear the steak

Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large nonstick pan over high heat. Add the steak, toss it with 2 tablespoons of the sauce, and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Take it out and set it aside. It'll finish cooking later, so don't worry if it's still a touch pink.

5. Brown the onion

Add another teaspoon of oil to the pan, then the sliced onion. Cook, stirring often, until browned, about 4 minutes. If the pan looks dry, add a splash of water rather than more oil.

6. Brown the broccoli

Add the broccoli and cook until it's lightly browned in spots, about 2 minutes. Pull the vegetables out and set them aside with the steak.

7. Finish the noodles

Add the last teaspoon of oil to the pan, then the drained noodles and the rest of the sauce. Stir constantly until the noodles drink up the sauce. Return the steak, onion and broccoli to the pan and toss to spread everything through.

8. Plate and garnish

Tip the noodles onto a serving dish and scatter over the green onion, cilantro and sesame seeds if you're using them. Eat it while it's hot.

Variations

• Swap the flank steak for thinly sliced sirloin or skirt steak. Slice it just as thin and cook it the same 2 minutes.
• Use rice instead of ramen if you'd rather skip the noodles. Cook 2 cups of rice and stir it in at the end with the sauce.
• Add heat with a pinch of red pepper flakes in the sauce bowl, or a drizzle of chili oil at the table.
• Toss in a handful of snap peas or sliced bell pepper with the broccoli for extra crunch. Cook them the same 2 minutes.

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20-Minute Beef And Broccoli Noodle Stir-Fry

Tender flank steak, crisp broccoli and ramen noodles tossed in a garlic soy lime sauce, all in one pan and on the table in 20 minutes.

10 minPrep time10 minCook time20 minTotal4Servings

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Ingredients

• 3 oz instant ramen (3 packages)
• 8 cups water (boiling hot)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 lime (juiced)
• ¼ cup soy sauce (plus 1 tablespoon)
• 2 cups broccoli floret
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
• ¾ lb flank steak (thinly sliced)
• ½ medium yellow onion (thinly sliced)
• 2 tablespoons green onion (sliced)
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (chopped)
• 1 ½ teaspoons sesame seeds (toasted)

Instructions

1. 1Soak the noodles — Put the ramen blocks in a large bowl, leaving out the seasoning packets, and pour the 8 cups of boiling water over them. Let them sit for 6 minutes, stirring now and then to break up the blocks. Drain, rinse under cold water so they stop cooking, and set aside.
2. 2Stir the sauce — In a small bowl, whisk the minced garlic, cornstarch, sesame oil, lime juice and 1/4 cup of the soy sauce until smooth. Set it aside.
3. 3Microwave the broccoli — Put the broccoli florets in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes, until they're just soft. Set aside. This gives them a head start so they brown instead of burning.
4. 4Sear the steak — Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large nonstick pan over high heat. Add the steak, toss it with 2 tablespoons of the sauce, and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Take it out and set it aside. It'll finish cooking later, so don't worry if it's still a touch pink.
5. 5Brown the onion — Add another teaspoon of oil to the pan, then the sliced onion. Cook, stirring often, until browned, about 4 minutes. If the pan looks dry, add a splash of water rather than more oil.
6. 6Brown the broccoli — Add the broccoli and cook until it's lightly browned in spots, about 2 minutes. Pull the vegetables out and set them aside with the steak.
7. 7Finish the noodles — Add the last teaspoon of oil to the pan, then the drained noodles and the rest of the sauce. Stir constantly until the noodles drink up the sauce. Return the steak, onion and broccoli to the pan and toss to spread everything through.
8. 8Plate and garnish — Tip the noodles onto a serving dish and scatter over the green onion, cilantro and sesame seeds if you're using them. Eat it while it's hot.

Cook's note: Use a large nonstick pan so the steak, onion and broccoli each get room to brown. A crowded pan steams the food instead of searing it, and you'll lose the crisp edges that make this dish work.

Servings: 4

Cuisine: Asian-American

Course: Main Course

RecipesCooker10 minutes10 minutes20 minutes

Written by Priya Raman
Priya writes about eggs and breakfast casseroles, cookies and bars, and slow cook breakfasts that feed a crowd without fuss. Her angle is flexible, budget-minded cooking: one base recipe that scales for two or for a holiday table, with clear notes on freezing and reheating. She keeps the writing light and story-first, then lands on a tight recipe card.