My Debut Cookbook 'Comfy' Is Out Now. ORDER HERE!
Beef/ Lunch

Black Pepper Beef & Broccoli Noodles

November 18, 2021 (Last Updated: February 20, 2023) by Chris Collins

Udon noodles mixed with tender steak, drenched in a gorgeous black pepper sauce. These noodles truly are to die for!

These noodles really are an explosion of flavours. This dish is a take on the classic beef and broccoli, where the addition of noodles and black pepper take things through the roof. Follow me…

close up shot of beef and broccoli noodles in skillet garnished with sesame seeds and spring onion

Beef and Broccoli Sauce

This is a simple sauce, but it really does marry everything together. It also turns into a gorgeously silky, glossy sauce that wraps around the noodles like nobody’s business.

What is beef and broccoli sauce made of?

  • Beef Stock – This creates the base of the sauce.
  • Oyster Sauce – This helps create the glossy texture for the sauce and adds a hit of flavour. Doesn’t taste fishy once it’s cooked through the noodles – promise!
  • Dark Sauce Sauce – Adds a deep salty & savoury tone to the sauce.
  • Rice Vinegar – Cuts through the salty, rich flavours of the sauce.
  • Brown Sugar – Balances the flavours and helps the sauce turn sticky and caramelized.
  • Cornstarch/Cornflour – Helps thicken the sauce.

I typically whip up the sauce at the start, then give it a whisk just before needed. It’ll obviously seem very thin at the start but it’ll definitely thicken!

Process shots: add ingredients to small mixing bowl (photo 1), whisk to combine (photo 2).

2 step by step photos showing how to make beef broccoli sauce

Black Pepper Beef & Broccoli Noodles

Black Pepper

You’ll want to use a coarse cracked black pepper, don’t use the powdered stuff. It’s got a different flavour and offers no texture to the dish. You’ll also want to make sure you fry the pepper, just to bring out the flavour.

What cut of beef to use?

I typically go for Flank Steak for a few different reasons:

  • Lean – Stay clear of fatty cuts of beef. You’re essentially flash frying the beef, meaning you won’t have enough time to render down the fat, leaving it rubbery & chewy.
  • Inexpensive – Flank is usually a fairly cheap cut of beef.
  • Thin – You want to cut it into thin strips, just so the beef doesn’t texturally take over the dish. Flank is already fairly thin so it’s easy to slice.

If you don’t have Flank just pick a cut with the above points in mind.

Process shots: add beef to sesame oil and fry (photo 1), flip, fry then remove (photo 2), fry broccoli and onion (photo 3), fry pepper, ginger and garlic (photo 4), pour in sauce and simmer (photo 5), stir in beef (photo 6), add noodles (photo 7), toss to combine (photo 8).

8 step by step photos showing how to make beef and broccoli noodles

FAQ

How spicy is this dish?

This recipe has definitely got a kick to it. It’s easy to adjust though, just start out with less black pepper and add more later on if you’re at all weary of spice.

How do I slice the beef?

You’ll want to slice against the natural grain of the meat. Also try and slice at an angle. Both of these things will help prevent the beef from going chewy.

What kind of noodles to use?

I highly recommend using Udon noodles. They’re nice & thick and take on the silky sauce amazingly.

close up over head shot of black pepper beef noodles in small white bowl

Serving Beef & Broccoli Noodles

Once the sauce turns glossy and wraps itself around the noodles, serve up right away! If you find the sauce is still thin just gently simmer and toss the noodles until it thickens. If you over thicken, just toss in a splash of water or stock. I typically serve with sesame seeds and sliced spring onion!

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this black pepper beef and broccoli shall we?!

close up shot of silver fork twizzling noodles in small white bowl

How to make Black Pepper Beef & Broccoli Noodles (Full Recipe & Video)

close up shot of beef and broccoli noodles in skillet garnished with sesame seeds and spring onion

Black Pepper Beef & Broccoli Noodles

Udon noodles mixed with tender steak, drenched in a gorgeous black pepper sauce. These noodles truly are to die for!
Print Pin Rate
Servings (click & slide): 3
Course: Lunch / Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Calories per serving: 772kcal
Cost per serving: £3 / $4

Equipment:

  • Small Mixing Bowl & Whisk (for sauce)
  • Large Pan, Tongs & Wooden Spoon
  • Sharp Knife & Chopping Board

Ingredients (check list):

Sauce

  • 1 cup / 240ml Beef Stock
  • 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
  • 2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
  • 1 tbsp White Rice Vinegar
  • 1 packed tbsp Brown Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Cornstarch/Cornflour

Noodles

  • 1x 9-10oz/250-300g head of Broccoli, diced into bite sized pieces
  • 10oz / 300g Steak, sliced into thin strips (see notes)
  • 2x 5oz/150g packs of Udon Noodles (straight to wok noodles)
  • 2 tsp Black Pepper (see notes)
  • 1 medium White Onion, sliced into thin strips
  • 2 cloves of Garlic
  • 1 tsp Ginger, finely grated/diced
  • 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
  • Vegetable Oil, as needed

To Serve

  • finely sliced Spring Onion
  • Sesame Seeds

Instructions:

  • In a small mixing bowl whisk together beef stock, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar, sugar and cornstarch/cornflour. Place to one side and whisk again just before needed.
  • In a large pan over high heat add 1 tbsp sesame oil. Once smoking hot, add in the steak strips and fry for a minute or so each side until browned and nearly cooked through the centre. Remove and leave any excess oil behind. Lower heat to medium.
  • Add a drizzle of vegetable oil if needed, then add in broccoli and onion. Fry until the onion softens and turns golden and the broccoli lightly chars and softens ever so slightly (it will properly cook through in the next step).
  • Push everything to the outside of the pan and into the centre add ginger, garlic and black pepper. Fry for a couple of mins then incorporate everything together. Pour in sauce (remember to whisk again beforehand), then reduce to a simmer for around 7-10mins until it thickens.
  • Stir in beef then toss in the noodles. If the sauce is still slightly thin then gently toss and simmer until it thickens. If you over-thicken, just toss through a splash of stock or water.
  • Serve up with sesame seeds and spring onion. Enjoy!

Quick 1 min demo!

Notes:

a) Black Pepper - Make sure you're using coarse cracked black pepper, not the powdered stuff. Important to fry it off for a couple of minutes to release the flavour.
b) Black Pepper Spice - 2 tsp gives you a good kick of spice! If you're at all weary just start with 1 tsp and adjust accordingly. Much easier to add more pepper than take it out!
c) Type of Steak - Flank Steak works perfectly because it's lean and thin. You want it lean because you don't fry it long enough to render down the fat, meaning the fat will just stay rubbery. You also want thin strips for noodles so the beef doesn't texturally take over the dish.
d) Slicing the Steak - Make sure it's thin strips, otherwise it'll end up chewy. Try and slice against the natural grain of the steak and at an angle, just to reduce the chance of chewy steak.
e) Serving - This recipe will offer 2 v.big portions, or 3 smaller ones.
f) Calories - Based on sharing between 3 people using 1 tbsp veg oil and no garnish.

Your Private Notes:

Nutrition:

Nutrition Facts
Black Pepper Beef & Broccoli Noodles
Amount Per Serving
Calories 772 Calories from Fat 179
% Daily Value*
Fat 19.91g31%
Saturated Fat 8.77g44%
Trans Fat 0.587g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.715g
Monounsaturated Fat 7.27g
Cholesterol 76mg25%
Sodium 1624mg68%
Potassium 839mg24%
Carbohydrates 116.01g39%
Fiber 3.9g16%
Sugar 74.67g83%
Protein 36.91g74%
Vitamin A 650IU13%
Vitamin C 92.6mg112%
Calcium 160mg16%
Iron 4.67mg26%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.
Tried this recipe?Show me how you got on by tagging @dontgobaconmyheart_ on IG and #dontgobaconmyheart
Looking for more?You'll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook 'Comfy'

For more similar recipes check out these beauties:

If you loved this Black Pepper Beef Recipe then be sure to pin it for later! Already made them or got a question? Give me a shout in the comments below and pick up your free ecookbook along the way!

DINNERS

YOU'LL NEVER STOP MAKING

A FREE EMAIL SERIES, FROM ONE FOODIE TO ANOTHER

5 KNOCKOUT

Leave a Reply

Recipe Rating




4 Comments

  • Reply
    Debbie
    May 26, 2023 at 5:06 pm

    This recipe looks so tasty that I decided to make it for tea tonight, so I popped out to Morrison’s for all the stuff that I didn’t have in stock, which turned out to be just about everything.

    I have never used fresh ginger in my life, and it occurred to me as I’m rummaging through the stack on offer that I don’t have a single clue on how to tell ‘good’ fresh ginger from ‘not good’. Can you offer any advice on that please?

    Also, I absolutely detest using processed stock, I always make my own veg stock from scratch. However because you specify beef stock in this recipe I made an exception and bought a can of Pott’s beef stock. It seemed the least bad option on offer. What do you do for meat stocks?

    So now I have a counter full of various bottles of ‘stuff’ that is taking me far out of known territory for me. I love stir fries, but have never yet used oyster sauce or rice vinegar etc.
    I am placing myself firmly in your hands for my meal tonight. Here goes…

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      May 28, 2023 at 11:10 am

      Hi Debbie, I don’t typically make my own stock. I find the dissolvable cubes or stock pots work just fine. Hope the recipe went down well! C.

      • Reply
        Sue
        August 3, 2023 at 8:12 am

        Delicious! I found the flavors perfectly balanced and am looking forward to making this again.

        • Reply
          Chris Collins
          August 3, 2023 at 10:37 am

          So great to hear, Sue! Thanks so much for the review 🙂 C.

    5 KNOCKOUT

    DINNERS

    YOU'LL NEVER STOP MAKING!

    A FREE EMAIL SERIES, FROM ONE FOODIE TO ANOTHER