Black Pepper Beef and Crispy Noodles sure is a weeknight winner! Fast, fiery, and absolutely packed with flavour. Black pepper stir-fried beef with red peppers, aubergine, and crispy noodles—just the kind of dish that feels a little bit special but takes no time at all.
The secret? Velveting the beef. A quick marinade means you get the most tender, silky bites, perfectly seared in a hot wok. Loads of garlic, a good hit of freshly cracked black pepper (the more, the better!), and just the right balance of soy, oyster sauce, and a little honey to bring it all together.
The red peppers stay juicy and sweet, while the aubergine soaks up all that delicious sauce, turning soft and silky. And those crispy noodles? They add the best crunch, soaking up just enough sauce while staying golden and crisp in all the right places.
Best part? It’s on the table in 35 minutes. Big flavours, minimal effort, and a dinner that disappears in record time. Highly recommend!
Black Pepper Beef, Aubergine & Red Peppers with Crispy Noodles is a quick, flavorful stir-fry. Tender beef, juicy peppers, and silky aubergine are cooked with garlic, black pepper, and a rich sauce. Crispy noodles add crunch, making this 20-minute dish a weeknight winner.
Ingredients
Marinade & Beef
300 g flank steak (or ribe eye if you're feeling fancy), sliced thinly against the greain
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oul
2-3 cm fresh ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, grated
The sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
3 tbsp water
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
The vegetables
2-3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
1/2 aubergine, 2 cm cubes
1 red pepper, sliced into strips
1 medium yellow or white onion, sliced into half rings
4 spring onions, white parts cut in 3 cm batons, green parts set aside for serving see below)
To serve
2 portions wok noodles, I used those kinds you get in noodle soup packages
1 tbsp vegetable oil
green parts of the spring onion, finely chopped
Instructions
Prep
1)
Cook the noodles according to the packaging. Strain and let sit in a colander for a few minutes to steam dry, the dryer the better.
Mix the beef together with alle the marinade ingredients and let it marinade for 10 minutes.
Mix all the sauce ingredients whisking well so there are no cornstarch lumps, set aside.
The noodles
1)
Once the noodles are pretty dry heat some oil in a (non-stick) frying pan or skillet and spread the noodles out over the pan, pressing down with a spatula. Make sure to use the whole surface. Let it fry without moving it around for 3-4 minutes until nice and browned. Flip and repeat on the other side, turn the heat down while you start on the rest of the stir fry.
The stir fry
1)
The aubergine: Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan and add the aubergine. Let them sear and brown on one side without moving them around before flipping. Repeat till all sides are nice and browned, this will take ± 7-8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2)
The beef: In the same pan heat more vegetable if needed and pour in the beef + all the marinade. Spread it out over the pan and let it sear for 2-3 minutes on 1 side until caramelised and charred. Don’t move it around, otherwise it will steam instead of caramelise and char. Stir and flip to the other side, when nice and charred all over but still pink inside. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3)
The vegetables: In the same pan heat more vegetable if needed and add the onions, spring onions and peppers. Stir fry on high heat for 2-3 minutes until nice and charred,
4)
Finishing the dish: Add the beef and aubergine to the vegetables, stir to heat through. Quickly whisk the sauce to loosen the cornstarch and then pour it into the pan. Stir to coat everything, it will thicken quickly.
5)
Serve straight away together with the crispy noodles and spring onions sprinkled over the top.
Hi! My name is Saffron. I’m from Amsterdam, a freelance photographer, recipe developer, food stylist, culinary photographer and beekeeper on the weekends. I’m a passionate cook and lover of all things food. With this site I’d like to share my passion and knowledge and maybe even inspire you to go on an adventurous food journey as well.
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