Ground Beef Ramen Stir Fry
Toss ground beef and Instant Ramen noodles in a savory and umami-packed Asian stir-fry sauce to make this easy-one-pot dinner. The Chilli crisp in the sauce seals the deal for me. This beef ramen is versatile and super quick to make, and there is no doubt that everyone will love it.
This is a close contender to two of our other favorite ramen recipes Chicken Ramen Noodles & Garlic Sesame Noodles.
Both ground beef and instant ramen noodles are economical, quick to cook, and versatile, hence it made sense to combine the two in a recipe. The Asian stir fry sauce is a no-brainer, it has basic sauces like Soy sauce, Oyster sauce, and everyone’s favorite Chilli crisp( I bet you have a jar right now in the pantry). Every time I reach for a packet of ramen for dinner, I add some protein and/or veggies to make it wholesome and less guilty. And this recipe is no different. Add in your favorite veggies to make it more filling and nutritious.
Caramelizing the ground beef in the Stir fry sauce is the game changer in this recipe. The extra 5 minutes you will spend in browning the meat is all worth it. Most recipes call for discarding the seasoning packet that comes with the noodles. But I have used the seasoning as well(not all though) and which makes this beef ramen noodles recipe stand out.
Ingredients
- Ramen- I like to use Instant noodles or ramen as these also come with a seasoning package. You can also use other chewy egg noodles.
- Ground beef– Go for 80% lean ground beef.
- Onion and garlic – Finely dice onion.
- Sauce – Low sodium Soy sauce, Oyster sauce, and Your favorite Chilli crisp.
- Brown Sugar – To balance all the salty sauces (don’t skip it).
- Oil – Any neutral cooking oil
- Green Onion to garnish.
Add veggies of your choice-
Let’s make Ramen Stir fry with Ground Beef
Begin with thawing the ground beef. While it is thawing, dice onion, mince garlic, and keep all the sauces measured.
Saute onion and garlic until aromatic and are just starting to brown. Add in the ground beef. Up the heat to high, so instead of steaming, you will sort of sear the meat. Keep breaking the big lumps of beef.
Add all the sauces and brown sugar. In case of stir fries add the sauces to a hot pan and let them sizzle a bit. It adds a nice smokiness to the dish. Caramelize ground beef until its slightly charred. Keep the flame high and stit it continuously to prevent it from burning.
Here is a tip: Adding hot/warm water to the pan with cooked/seared meat is a good idea. Adding cold water to a hot pan with cooked meat suddenly reduces the temperature and while reheating you will end up over cooking the meat.
To browned beef, add warm water, followed by dried ramen block. Let it cook for a couple of minutes, then sprinkle one of the seasoning packets and give everything a good stir. It will take 2-3 more minutes for the Instant noodles to cook. Garnish with green onion before serving.
Few Recipe Tips
- If not using lean ground beef, then make sure to drain the fat once the beef is cooked(before adding sauces).
- Make sure you measure the sauces instead of eyeballing. They are quite salty and will be off the balance if not measured. Don’t skip the brown sugar. It doesn’t necessarily make the ramen sweet, it only balances all the sauces.
- Add water cautiously, because there is no turning back if more water is added. You can always add warm water later if required.
Serving
It’s one of those meals that is best enjoyed as a standalone dish. The idea is to make dinner in less than 15 minutes and without worrying about any side dish ( that’s what instant ramen noodles are for). You can always add some veggies to make it wholesome or serve a jammy/fried egg on top.
Storing and reheating leftover
If the ramen is cooked well (not overcooked and mushy, still has a bite to it), it can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. It is also perfect to pack in the lunch box. Make sure it is cooled down before packing.
Reheating– Upon refrigerating the ramen might dry out. Sprinkle few drops of water while reheating and then loosen the noodles with a fork.
More Ground Beef Recipes
Ground beef Ramen stir fry
Ingredients
- .5 pound ground beef (roughly 250 grams)
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 Medium onion dinced
- 2 packet Instant ramen noodles (roughly 136 grams or 5 oz each)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds for garnish
- Chopped green onion for garnish
Stri Fry Sauce
- 2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon Oyster sauce
- 1.5 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon chilli garlic crisp use more of less as per taste
- 1.5 – 2 cups water
Instructions
- If using frozen, thaw and drain any liquid from ground beef.
- Heat oil in a skillet. Add onion and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes until onion has softened.
- Increase the heat to medium-high. Add ground beef, quickly spread into a thin single layer, and cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes. Then flip the beef and break any big lumps. Keep cooking on medium-high heat for another 2 minutes until the beef is no longer pink.
- Add dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, and chilli crisp. Give the mix a good stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the beef looks lightly caramelized.
- Add hot water to the skillet. Place ramen block and gently press into the liquid. Leave for a minute to cook.
- Sprinkle one seasoning packet(discard the other). Break and stir the noodles. Toss and let the ramen cook until al dente ( if there is no water in the skillet and ramen is still uncooked, add a couple of tablespoons of water at a time).
- Serve while still warm with garnish of toasted sesame seeds, green onion, and a drizzle of chilli crisp.
Notes
- Any brand of Instant ramen noodles is fine. Avoid the thick Korean Ramen variety. You can also use chewy egg noodles.
- Each noodle block was roughly 5oz. Make sure to use a total 10oz ramen. Any less quantity the stir fry will turn too salty.
- Instead of ground beef, you can also use ground chicken, turkey etc. because chicken and turkey are lighter meat, so skip the seasoning at the end, as the stir fry sauces should just be enough.
- Dark soy sauce has more intense flavor and gives a rich dark color. You can use all-purpose soy sauce instead.
- Chilli crisp comes in various spice level, so increase or decrease the quantity accordingly.
- You can add veggies such as sauteed mushrooms, pepper, carrots(cut into matchsticks), and bean sprouts.
Nutrition
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