Copycat Noodles & Company Spicy Korean Steak Noodles Recipe

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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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