Ground Beef Ramen

This flavor-packed Ground Beef Ramen combines juicy ground beef, an array of tender veggies, and saucy ramen noodles to make an unforgettable 30-minute meal the whole family will love!

Try some of our other instant ramen noodle favorites next time like these Egg Roll Noodles, Pork Ramen Stir Fry, or this Chicken Ramen.

Ground Beef Ramen

I’ve shared chicken, steak, and even pork ramen dishes but never one using ground beef until today. I don’t know how I haven’t created a dish with ground beef sooner, and this may just be the best version yet! This dish is loaded with flavor, packed with texture, and simple to make. My family can’t get enough of it!

Shortcut Prep Ideas

Ground Beef Ramen is fairly quick to make, and here are some ideas to shorten the prep even more.

• Red onion: We thinly slice the red onion for this recipe, but if you’re looking for a shortcut (and as little chopping as possible), use pre-diced onions or frozen diced onions from the grocery store. Cook frozen onions just until water is evaporated.
• Garlic: Use jarred, minced garlic for quicker prep.
• Ginger: Again, speed things along with ginger paste. If you don’t have fresh ginger or ginger paste, add 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger instead.
• Red pepper: Use a different veggie that doesn’t require any chopping like water chestnuts, baby corn, or sliced mushrooms.
• Matchstick carrots: Buy packaged matchstick carrots to avoid chopping your own! (By the way, this recipe requires 3/4 cup, so the leftover carrots will be delicious in this Broccoli Cheddar Soup.)
• Make the sauce ahead of time: not really a short-cut per se, but if you whip up the sauce ahead of time and keep it in the fridge, this Ground Beef Ramen comes together that much quicker at dinner time.

• Soy sauce: Use reduced or low-sodium soy sauce so this dish isn’t too salty. After all, you can always add some salt at the end, but you can’t take it away.
• Chicken broth or stock: Again, I recommend low-sodium products so you can control the amount of salt in this dish. We found the flavor of beef stock to be a little too intense for this dish.
• Corn starch: This helps thicken the sauce. Here is a list of substitutes if needed.
• Sesame oil: For a great authentic flavor, sesame oil really delivers! (This oil is typically found with the Asian ingredients area, rather than with the other oils in the grocery store.) We love the flavor of toasted sesame oil best! 
• Rice vinegar: This balances the sauce and adds a subtle tang. If you see a label saying rice wine vinegar, it’s the same thing.
• Brown sugar: Another balancing ingredient. This also ensures the dish is not too spicy.
• Hoisin sauce: This is a thick and fragrant sauce with a sweet and salty taste; another “secret” to the amazing flavor in this dish. A little goes a long way!
• Ground white pepper: the difference between white and black pepper comes down to how they are picked and then processed. White pepper gives more of a spicy heat with an earthy, musty flavor. Ground white pepper is a common spice, found among other spices in the grocery store. Black pepper can be used in a pinch, but there is definitely less of a restaurant-quality feel.
• Oyster sauce: This ingredient gives this dish a restaurant-quality feel and adds the perfect umami flavor.
• Sriracha® sauce: Sriracha adds heat and flavor to Ground Beef Ramen. You can of course reduce (or even omit entirely) this if you’re not a fan of heat. And alternatively, add more or drizzle extra on your plate if you love the burn!

Ground Beef Ramen Garnishes

This ramen is delicious right out of the skillet, but here are some of our favorite garnishes. Add as many or few as you’d like; green onions are our “must-have” garnish.

• Sesame oil is a finishing oil that is great to drizzle on at the end. Even though there is some in the sauce, we occasionally like to add a little to individual dishes as well.
• Sriracha® sauce adds some heat to individual plates for those that like things a bit spicier.
• Green onions add a bright, crisp, and fresh aspect to this Ground Beef Ramen.
• Toasted sesame seeds add a subtly sweet taste and aroma with a nutty flavor.

Similar recipes to love

• Garlic Beef and Veggie Ramen with flank steak
• Egg Roll in a Bowl with green cabbage
• Chicken Chow Mein with a simple stir-fry sauce
• Asian Ground Turkey with a quick Sriracha-mayo sauce
• Chicken Stir Fry with loads of veggies

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4.95 from 20 votes

Ground Beef Ramen

By Chelsea Lords

This flavor-packed Ground Beef Ramen combines juicy ground beef, an array of tender veggies, and saucy ramen noodles to make an unforgettable 30-minute meal the whole family will love!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

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Ingredients

• ▢ 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• ▢ 1/2 large red onion, very thinly sliced
• ▢ 2 teaspoons EACH: finely minced garlic and finely minced ginger (~2-3 cloves garlic, and ~1-inch piece ginger)
• ▢ 1 pound (16 oz.) lean ground beef (93/7%)
• ▢ 1 large red bell pepper cut into very thin strips
• ▢ 2 cups finely diced broccoli
• ▢ 3/4 cup matchstick carrots
• ▢ 3 packages (3 oz. EACH) ramen (instant) noodles, seasoning packets discarded

Sauce

• ▢ 2 teaspoons corn starch
• ▢ 3 tablespoons lite (low sodium) soy sauce Note 1
• ▢ 1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth Note 2
• ▢ 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon EACH: light brown sugar, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce, optional
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper (or 1/8 tsp pepper)
• ▢ Garnish with: 3-4 green onions, a few drizzles of sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds

Instructions 

• SAUCE: In a wide-mouth jar or small bowl, use a fork to whisk together the cornstarch with soy sauce. Once smooth, add in the remaining sauce ingredients. Whisk until smooth and set aside.
• VEGGIE PREP: Prepare the veggies before you start cooking, because once you start, it all goes quickly! Halve an onion and slice very thinly. Finely mince the ginger and the garlic. Remove the stem and seeds from the red pepper and slice it very thinly. Finely chop the broccoli. Measure out the matchstick carrots. Thinly slice the green onions.
• COOK BEEF: Heat a wok or large and deep sauté pan (12 inches minimum) over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and swirl to coat. Once the oil is shimmering, add in the onion. Cook for 4-5 minutes and then reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the ginger and garlic, stirring constantly to keep it from burning. Stir for 10-20 seconds and then push to the edges of the pan. Increase heat to high, drizzle in 1 more tablespoon oil, and add the ground beef to the center of the pan. Let it cook for 30 seconds without disturbing. Then, use a wooden spoon to break apart the meat into crumbles and cook until it's no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes (it's okay if it's not fully cooked through at this point). Integrate the onions, garlic, and ginger into the beef as you crumble and cook it.
• RAMEN: While beef is cooking, place a large pot of water to boil. Open ramen packets and discard seasoning packets. Follow package directions to cook the ramen noodles (don't add any salt to the pasta water), cooking for 1 minute and 30 seconds less than the package directs. Drain noodles and immediately toss with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Set aside.
• COOK VEGGIES: Reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the red pepper, broccoli, and matchstick carrots. It will seem like a lot, but it cooks down quickly. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes or until mostly crisp-tender. Give the sauce one more quick stir. Add the cooked noodles and sauce to the skillet. Continue to cook, tossing everything with tongs for about 2-4 more minutes or until sauce is absorbed into the mixture and thickened nicely and the veggies are all crisp-tender. (There should still be some bite to the veggies -- they shouldn't be soggy!)
• FINISHING: Taste and add additional soy sauce, Sriracha, and salt and/or pepper as needed. Top with green onions and enjoy while hot. Drizzle additional Sriracha or a small drizzle of sesame oil and sprinkle of sesame seeds on individual plates if desired.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: I recommend light soy sauce for this recipe. Regular soy sauce made this dish a little too salty for our taste!

Note 2: We found beef stock to be a little overpowering, but you can use it if you'd prefer a more beef-y flavor. Definitely use low-sodium here or the dish will likely be too salty.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 573kcal | Carbohydrates: 72.4g | Protein: 35.3g | Fat: 18.1g | Cholesterol: 67.9mg | Sodium: 1552mg | Fiber: 5.5g | Sugar: 9.1g | Iron: -2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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