Julianne De Witt/Mashed
Noodles & Company, as its name implies, offers a variety of pasta and noodle-based dishes, often ones that highlight various cuisine types. These range from all-American mac and cheese bowls to Mediterranean and Asian-inspired dishes, with the last-named category including Spicy Korean Steak Noodles. This dish was added to the menu in 2016 and has proven sufficiently popular to remain there a decade later. This copycat recipe is a close copy of the Noodles & Company original, consisting of ramen in a sauce flavored with the Korean condiment gochujang. The saucy noodles are stir-fried with steak strips, cabbage, and spinach and garnished with cilantro, cucumbers, and green onions.
"This copycat Noodles & Company recipe is hearty and delicious," recipe developer Julianne De Witt says. "There is a little bit of chopping involved but it's a fairly easy recipe and once the steak is finished marinating and the veggies are prepped, the dish can be on the table in 20 minutes or so." She characterizes it as only mildly spicy due to the brand of gochujang she uses — her go-to brand is Trader Joe's, which is not particularly incendiary as gochujangs go.
Collect the ingredients to make copycat Noodles & Company spicy Korean steak noodles
Julianne De Witt/Mashed
The main ingredients for this dish include instant ramen, flank steak, Napa cabbage, red cabbage, and spinach. You'll also need sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, white pepper, gochujang, garlic,, cooking spray, and vegetable oil, while cilantro, cucumber, and green onions will add a verdant touch to the finished creation.
Step 1: Make the marinade
Julianne De Witt/Mashed
In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, white pepper, gochujang, and garlic.
Step 2: Marinate the steak
Julianne De Witt/Mashed
Pour half of the marinade over the flank steak, using a spatula to coat both sides. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.
Step 3: Cook the leftover marinade
Julianne De Witt/Mashed
Place the remaining marinade in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes, until slightly thickened. Set aside.
Step 4: Boil some water
Julianne De Witt/Mashed
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Step 5: Cook the noodles
Julianne De Witt/Mashed
Add the ramen and cook for 2 minutes.
Step 6: Drain the noodles
Julianne De Witt/Mashed
Strain the ramen, reserving some cooking water. Lightly coat the noodles with cooking spray to prevent sticking and set aside.
Step 7: Grease a pan
Julianne De Witt/Mashed
Spritz a grilling pan with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat.
Step 8: Cook the steak on one side
Julianne De Witt/Mashed
Remove the steak from the marinade, discarding extra liquid. Place steak on grill and cook for 4 minutes.
Step 9: Cook the steak on the other side
Julianne De Witt/Mashed
Flip the steak and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130 F.
Step 10: Rest the steak
Julianne De Witt/Mashed
Set the steak aside to rest for 5 minutes.
Step 11: Chop the steak
Julianne De Witt/Mashed
Slice the steak thinly against the grain, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
Step 12: Heat the oil
Julianne De Witt/Mashed
Pour oil into a large wok and heat over medium-high.
Step 13: Stir-fry the vegetables
Julianne De Witt/Mashed
Add the diced Napa cabbage, red cabbage, and spinach, and cook for 1 minute.
Step 14: Put the noodles and steak in the pan
Julianne De Witt/Mashed
Add the ramen and steak.
Step 15: Pour in the sauce
Julianne De Witt/Mashed
Add the sauce and some reserved ramen cooking water, stirring to combine. Cook until heated through.
Step 16: Garnish and serve the spicy Korean steak noodles
Julianne De Witt/Mashed
Divide the noodles among bowls and garnish with scallions, cucumber, and cilantro leaves.
Pairs well with copycat Noodles & Company spicy Korean steak noodles
Copycat Noodles & Company Spicy Korean Steak Noodles
Enjoy a bowl of spicy, saucy ramen topped with marinated steak in this copycat Noodles & Company spicy Korean steak noodles recipe.
Total time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
- For the marinade and sauce
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- ⅓ cup dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¾ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ cup gochujang
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- For the steak and noodle bowl
- 1 ½ pounds flank steak
- 5 blocks instant ramen noodles
- Cooking Spray
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup diced Napa cabbage
- 1 cup diced red cabbage
- 2 cups baby spinach
- To garnish
- ¼ cup diced scallions
- ½ cup thinly sliced cucumber
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
- In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, white pepper, gochujang, and garlic.
- Pour half of the marinade over the flank steak, using a spatula to coat both sides. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.
- Place the remaining marinade in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes, until slightly thickened. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Add the ramen and cook for 2 minutes.
- Strain the ramen, reserving some cooking water. Lightly coat the noodles with cooking spray to prevent sticking and set aside.
- Spritz a grilling pan with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat.
- Remove the steak from the marinade, discarding extra liquid. Place steak on grill and cook for 4 minutes.
- Flip the steak and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130 F.
- Set the steak aside to rest for 5 minutes.
- Slice the steak thinly against the grain, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Pour oil into a large wok and heat over medium-high.
- Add the diced Napa cabbage, red cabbage, and spinach, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the ramen and steak.
- Add the sauce and some reserved ramen cooking water, stirring to combine. Cook until heated through.
- Divide the noodles among bowls and garnish with scallions, cucumber, and cilantro leaves.
| Calories per Serving | 564 |
| Total Fat | 31.5 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8.2 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 115.7 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 25.8 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.4 g |
| Total Sugars | 10.1 g |
| Sodium | 2,701.9 mg |
| Protein | 44.1 g |
The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
How can I change up this recipe?
Julianne De Witt/Mashed
Even though this recipe is meant to be a fairly exact copy of Noodles & Company's original, that doesn't mean you can't use it as a template and change it up to suit your preferences. Even the restaurant itself allows for certain customizations such as different noodles or a meat-free version. For noodle swaps, you could go with udon instead of ramen or opt for a gluten-free alternative like rice or sweet potato noodles. As an alternate to steak, you could use chicken, pork, sausage, shrimp, or tofu, or you could omit the protein and use these noodles as a side instead of a main course.
If you like a lot of vegetables, you can add bell peppers, mushrooms, or zucchini, or toss in some chile peppers to amplify the heat. To sweeten things up, try adding honey or even grated apple. Adding miso paste to the sauce can boost its savory factor, while miso paste mixed with sriracha and sugar makes a handy gochujang replacement if you find yourself out of that condiment. Other gochujang substitutes such as chili garlic sauce, harissa, or Thai red curry paste may change the flavor a bit but will still result in a delicious dish.
What are some cooking tips for this recipe?
To ensure success with this recipe, the number one (and, in fact, only) tip is to follow the directions as written. (Apart from any ingredient swaps or tweaks, that is.) As specified in he recipe, the steak should be marinated for an hour or two in order to tenderize it as well as to allow it to absorb some flavor. The ramen should only be cooked for two minutes, since if you overcook the noodles, they'll get mushy in the sauce. If they start to stick together once drained, squirt them with some cooking spray or toss them with a tiny bit of oil. Don't overcook the cabbage, either, since you want it to have a little crunch left.
The steak in this recipe is cooked to medium-rare, although you can adjust the cooking time and temperature if you prefer a different level of doneness. Do let it rest for the five minutes specified, though, since this will allow the muscle tissues to re-absorb the juices. Once you re-add it to the pan along with the noodles and sauce, pouring in a little pasta water as the recipe says will help to tie everything together.
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