20-Minute Thai Beef Noodles with Mushroom and Snow Peas

20-Minute Thai Beef Noodles with Mushroom and Snow Peas is a perfect dinner for when you want something equally as delicious as it is quick. The Stir-Fry Sauce is versatile for so many different recipes. The winning combination of rice noodles, beef, veggies and sauce is the best option for your next fast family dinner.

The first time that I made this recipe was a very memorable one. I was turning 27 (for like the fifth time) and I was enjoying a quiet and relaxing day with my husband and kids. I like to keep things pretty low-key for my birthdays these days. And I love spending time with the family but also keeping my usual routine for the most part.

To be honest, my birthday has gotten very difficult over the years. When I was young, my Nana would always have the kitchen decorated with different colored streamers twisted and crisscrossed across the kitchen so it was the first thing that you would see in the morning when you came out of your bedroom. Birthdays were always a big deal to both my Nana and to my Mom.

My Mom began cooking you whatever you wanted for your birthday dinner which is a tradition I keep alive today. Dylan will be turning 5 in just a few short weeks so he’s already requested Chicken Broccoli Alfredo and Reese’s Chocolate Cake. Last month, we celebrated the man that makes our lives wonderful. For Anthony, we enjoyed his requested dinner and dessert of Thai Peanut Chicken and No-Bake Reese’s Ice Cream Sandwich Cake. I was a little surprised he didn’t opt for his usual pick of Chicken Cordon Bleu Alfredo White Lasagna but whatever makes the birthday man’s day!

Once I graduated into the very sobering world of adulthood, my Mom and stepdad Kevin began taking me to Foxwoods Casino to enjoy the birthday festivities. Every year, on the day of my birthday, we’d go there to gamble and enjoy some drinks and fantastic food. The two-hour drive there was always such a big part of the fun. I loved the excitement and the company on the long drive up there leading to an amazing few hours of fun.

Unfortunately, my birthdays have looked different and a little less flashy and fun in these last years since I lost my Mom. The first 5 years were very dark and it was really impossible to be happy and celebrate a day that wouldn’t have been without the woman that brought me into this world. My husband and kiddos would always want to give me a nice and happy day. I would feel so bad and guilty that I didn’t want to do much for my birthday. But they’ve always been very understanding with the hard time that I would have.

However, the last three years have been great. I actually get out of bed and participate and do my best to focus on what I have and see the joy in the day. I enjoy shopping and it’s something that I’ve always loved doing so the family will take me out to do that for a few hours. Aidan and Anthony always get me some amazing gifts and I’ll get a night off of cooking duty to relax.

My birthday was yesterday and was no exception. I didn’t opt to go shopping with all of the health craziness happening in the world today. But the guys made me a beautiful breakfast and spoiled me more than I deserve with amazing gifts, delicious food from my favorite Vietnamese restaurant and the most decadent and extraordinary custom cake that Anthony had made!

Okay, it wasn’t a perfect day.. The babies didn’t seem as eager to give me a peaceful day of birth as the two older ones. But I won’t hold that against them. My sweet angel Vivianna, smothered the waffle Aidan made me with half a bottle of sriracha. Dylan wasn’t listening to a single word anybody said all day. And the two babies proceeded to spend most of the day arguing with each other in gibberish like an old married couple. But we all smiled and laughed and enjoyed each other’s company for the day and I know that would make my Mom and Nana smile.

That’s a little bit of background on what comes to my mind when I think of this 20-Minute Thai Beef Noodles with Mushroom and Snow Peas recipe. You may be asking yourself why? Well, I cooked this for dinner three years ago when I finally felt like I was starting to come out of my birthday celebration coma. It was the first year that I went shopping and ventured out on the day since my Mom had passed. I had a fun and relaxing day. The guys took me to go tanning and then some of my favorite stores for some retail therapy. Anthony wanted to order me dinner after we went shopping so that I could just spend the rest of the evening relaxing.

However, I had this new and very quick Thai stir-fry beef noodle dish thing in my head and I thought it would be theraputic and keep me busy to test drive my new recipe that night. So I made it and it came out delicious and amazing and it took hardly any time at all. The rest is history. My family loved this recipe and it’s been a household favorite ever since.

This really is a perfect meal for a busy weeknight when you need to cook quickly and deliciously and healthily for your family. This is very budget friendly and best of all easy to make. The beef in this dish paired with the flavors of the red bell pepper, baby brown pearl mushrooms, snow peas and homemade stir-fry sauce will have this recipe at the top of your dinner rotation.

Best of all, this recipe is something made with ingredients that I pretty much always have right on hand. All of the ingredients required for the Stir-Fry Sauce are always in my refrigerator, cabinet or pantry. And with recipes like this, it’s a great way to use up whatever vegetables you have sitting around in the kitchen if you don’t have peppers, mushrooms or snow peas and don’t feel like going shopping.

Really, anything is going to taste delicious in this recipe. The main star is the Stir-Fry Sauce that you’ll take just 5 minutes to whip together. In Thai cooking, you want to strike the perfect balance between sweet, sour, spicy and salty deliciousness. Check out my Chicken and Shrimp Pad Thai for a great example of balancing these flavors. Our sweet is coming to us from the brown sugar. We can thank the lime for the sour. Spicy will be in the form of sriracha. And we will get all of that umami salty amazingness from the soy sauce and fish sauce. Sesame oil and fresh grated ginger are bonus flavors that round everything out. This is a stir-fry sauce recipe that’s very basic and very quick to toss together. You can use this sauce in dozens and dozens of different recipes or marinades.

What can I use if I don’t have mushrooms, snow peas and/or red bell peppers?

You can use absolutely any vegetable of your choosing for this recipe and it will turn out delicious. Like I said, it’s great for clearing out the refrigerator of any vegetables you haven’t used yet and want to avoid tossing. I love the combination of the mushrooms and snow peas with the red bell pepper. But any vegetables are going to add texture and great flavor to the beef, rice noodles and stir-fry sauce so you go ahead and enjoy with whatever veggies you like. Some alternatives to try or substitutions that you could make are listed below.

• Cabbage
• Bok choy
• Zucchini
• Summer squash
• Green, orange or yellow bell peppers
• Carrots
• Bean sprouts
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Corn
• Broccoli
• Asparagus
• Eggplant
• Brussel sprouts

What could I use in place of the beef in this recipe?

If you are without beef or just not a fan, there are lots of different substitutions that you could use in its place. You may want to try:

• Chicken
• Pork
• Tofu
• Turkey
• Ground pork, turkey or chicken
• Ground beef
• Kielbasa

What can I use instead of London broil steak for 20-Minute Thai Beef Noodles with Mushroom and Snow Peas?

For a stir-fry dish such as this, you want the beef or steak that you choose to be on the tender side. Also, when thinly slicing the beef, I like to slice the pieces to be about 1/4-inch thick so they’re nice, bite-sized pieces. And make sure that when slicing the beef, you slice across the grain, or the long lines in the meat. This keeps everything as tender as possible with the meat. If you don’t see London broil in the meat section, then you can look for other cuts. Skirt, flank, sirloin, strip or ribeye are all excellent alternatives.

How should I serve my Thai Beef Noodles?

This is a noodle-style stir-fry recipe. However, you could absolutely serve this differently and without the rice noodles should you choose to do so. Check out some different options for enjoying your stir-fry or garnishing your dinner plate below.

• Instead of rice noodles, try:
  -White rice
  -Brown rice
  -Quinoa
  -Ramen
  -Lo mein noodles
  -Rice vermicelli noodles
  -Linguine pasta
• Different garnishing options:
  -Sesame seeds
  -Cilantro
  -Mint
  -Green onion
  -Thai basil
  -Sriracha
  -Chili garlic sauce
  -Thai chili peppers
  -Lime wedges

Other Favorite Asian Recipes

• Better Than The Buffet Chicken Lo Mein: This recipe delivers on all of the classic flavors of your favorite Chinese noodle dish. Soy sauce, boneless skinless chicken thighs, mixed veggies, ginger and garlic make this a dish that’s big on flavor but comes together in just 30 minutes time. This is a perfect recipe for a side dish or a quick weeknight meal.
• Thai Steak & Asparagus Stir-Fry: This is the most flavorful and quick weeknight meal. The soy sauce and ginger marinade is so versatile and it can be used in lots of different stir-fry variations. Or use it to marinate your favorite meats for grilling season.
• Better Than The Buffet Orange Chicken: Here is a restaurant quality dinner that you can make right at home. The fried chicken paired with the broccoli, garlic, ginger and Orange Sauce make this an easy meal that you will want to add to your dinner rotation.
• Spicy Thai Lemongrass Chicken: The heart of Spicy Thai Lemongrass Chicken is the marinade. Gingery with soy sauce and lemongrass, this recipe makes for a spicy and unforgettable version of a restaurant favorite.

Instructions

Combine the ingredients for the Stir-Fry Sauce in a bowl and stir until mixed well. Set aside. Slice the London broil steak very thinly (about ¼-inch thick) and add to a mixing bowl. Cover the steak with ¼ of the Stir-Fry Sauce and stir. Allow to sit for at least 5 minutes to marinate.

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In the meantime while the steak marinates, chop the garlic, Thai chili peppers and red bell pepper. Begin preparing the rice noodles according to package instructions. When done, drain the rice noodles and run cold water over the noodles to cool.

Heat a large pan sprayed skillet over medium heat. Using tongs, add the steak marinating in the bowl to the hot skillet. Season with salt and black pepper. Cook the steak for 5 minutes and stir occasionally. Remove the steak and set aside.

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To the same skillet, add the vegetable oil and allow to heat. Add garlic, Thai chili peppers, red bell pepper, baby brown pearl mushrooms and snow peas to the skillet. Sauté for 3 minutes.

Add the cooked steak, the drained and cooled rice noodles, and the remaining Stir-Fry Sauce to the skillet. Continue cooking and mixing everything together with tongs until fully combined for 2 minutes.

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I want to give a special shoutout to my handsome husband and my wonderful son for giving me such a beautiful birthday yesterday. Tonio and Aidan, you guys are the best! Please let me know in the comments below if you enjoyed this 20-Minute Thai Beef Noodles with Mushroom and Snow Peas and if you made any alternate versions of it. I love hearing from you guys. And as always, thank you so much for supporting the Spice and Sugar Mama food blog.