General Tso’s Beef Rice Noodles

⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes • 🍳 Cook Time: 15 minutes

I’m always looking for ways to turn a good store-bought sauce into a full dinner, and Trader Joe’s General Tsao’s Stir Fry Sauce makes this one especially easy. I pair it with thinly sliced steak, frozen stir-fry vegetables, and rice noodles for a quick beef noodle bowl with plenty of sweet, savory, and spicy flavor.

General Tso’s beef rice noodles with stir-fry vegetables, chili crisp, and sesame seeds.

Everything comes together in the skillet at the end, so the noodles get coated in the sauce along with the beef and vegetables. A little chili crisp adds some heat, and sesame seeds are an easy finishing touch.

Sirloin works well for the beef here because you can slice it thin and cook it quickly over fairly high heat. I like cutting it against the grain into bite-sized strips so you get beef throughout the noodles instead of a few big pieces.

The frozen stir-fry vegetables are another intentional shortcut. There’s no chopping a pile of vegetables before dinner, and you can cook them right in the same skillet after the beef. I’d look for a mix with things like broccoli, peppers, carrots, snap peas, or water chestnuts.

The best part is bringing everything back together at the end. The cooked rice noodles go directly into the skillet with the beef, vegetables, and General Tso’s sauce, then get tossed until the sauce coats everything. The chili crisp at the end adds extra heat against the sweeter sauce.

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Ingredients

🍽️ Servings: 4 • 🔥 Calories/Serving: ~540 • 💪 Protein/Serving: ~30g

For the Noodles

• 8 oz rice noodles

• 1 lb sirloin steak, thinly sliced against the grain

• 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil

• 1 16-oz bag frozen stir-fry vegetables

• ¾ cup Trader Joe’s General Tsao’s Stir Fry Sauce

For Topping

• 2 tbsp chili crisp, or to taste

• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

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Steps

Step 1

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the rice noodles and cook according to the package directions until tender. Drain well and set aside.

Step 2

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the thinly sliced steak in a single layer. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and continue cooking until browned and cooked to your liking. Transfer the beef to a plate.

Step 3

Add the frozen stir-fry vegetables to the same skillet. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are hot and any excess water has cooked off.

Step 4

Return the beef to the skillet with the vegetables. Add the cooked rice noodles and pour the General Tsao’s Stir Fry Sauce over everything.

Step 5

Use tongs to gently toss the noodles, beef, vegetables, and sauce together. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until everything is hot and the noodles are evenly coated in sauce.

Step 6

Divide between bowls and top with chili crisp and sesame seeds.

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Make it your own!

• 🌶️ Make it Spicier
  Add more chili crisp at the table so everyone can control their own heat level.

• 🥦 Switch Up the Vegetables
  Use whichever frozen stir-fry blend you like. Broccoli, peppers, carrots, snap peas, and water chestnuts all work well here.

• 🥩 Try a Different Cut
  Flank steak or skirt steak can replace the sirloin. Slice either one thinly against the grain before cooking. Steam-umms also work great!

• 🍗 Swap the Protein
  Thinly sliced chicken would work with the same method if you don’t have steak.

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Try it with…

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