Quick, flavorful beef ramen noodle stir fry packed with veggies, tender noodles, and a savory Sriracha sauce-incredibly easy to make so it's perfect for weeknight dinners. I have a few protein variations for you below so be sure to read on!
Easy Beef Ramen Stir Fry
Instead of using ramen soup packets, you will make ramen noodles stir fry using with beef, quick Sriracha sauce, and lots of flavor from garlic and broccoli. And if you like noodles, try Restaurant Style Chicken Chow Mein Noodles and Easy Thai Noodles With Peanut Sauce
This stir fry takes less than 30 minutes to throw together and is healthy, affordable and easy to make. Perfect for busy weeknights or when you need a quick meal.
★★★★★ REVIEW
Bronwyn says: "I have a house full of fussy eaters and they all loved this meal. It is sooooo simple and tastes great. Thanks for posting it."
Why this is my favorite way to make ramen stir fry
- Customizable proteins: Feel free to swap in a different protein like chicken, leftover turkey, shrimp or salmon for a complete meal. If going meat-free, use pan-seared tofu.
- Adjust for dietary needs: Use gluten-free ramen or substitute with brown rice, buckwheat, or spaghetti noodles if needed. Tamari is the gluten-free alternative to soy sauce, but low sodium soy sauce is best if you are watching your salt intake.
- Budget-friendly: Homemade beef ramen noodles are so much cheaper than ordering a similar dish at a restaurant. This recipe uses simple ingredients, making it economical and long-lasting.
Beef Ramen Stir Fry Ingredients
- Ramen: You will need 2 packages of noodles.
- Ground beef: I like using 90 to 93 percent lean ground beef not only because it's healthier and doesn't contain much saturated fat, but because it's tastier. Ramen noodle stir fry definitely tastes better with beef rather than anything else in a packet.
- Broccoli: Fresh or frozen broccoli will work. I used fresh broccoli because it's cheap, loaded with nutrients and widely available.
- Homemade Sriracha sauce: It's a 5-minute stir fry sauce recipe made from scratch. Making this sauce at home allows you to keep the flavors fresh and healthy. As bonus, it's a quick budget-friendly way to up the flavor of instant ramen noodles. The sauce contains soy sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, sriracha and garlic.
Best Cooking Tips
- Undercook Noodles: Cook ramen noodles about one minute less than package instructions so they still have a slight bite, as they will finish cooking during the stir fry process. Overcooking will make them mushy or overly chewy, especially with gluten-free varieties.
- Rinse and Drain: Immediately rinse the boiled noodles under cold water to halt cooking and remove excess starch, which helps prevent rubberiness and sticking.
- Use fresh ingredients: Fresh garlic, broccoli and bell pepper bring lots of depth and flavor to the ramen noodle stir fry,
- Hot Pan, Quick Toss: Use a well-heated pan for veggies and protein, but add noodles at the end and toss quickly over low heat with sauce just until heated through.
- Right Noodle Type: If you don't like chewy ramen, consider swapping for brown rice noodles or another type suited for stir frying.
Beef Ramen Stir Fry
Ramen noodles stir fry is made with beef and vegetables instead of the supplied instant noodle packet.
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Servings: 4 cups
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil such as canola oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- ½ head broccoli cut into florets
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 6 oz ramen noodles (2 packets with seasoning packets discarded)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Sriracha sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp. sriracha
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 scallion chopped (optional)
Instructions
Make sriracha sauce
- In a medium bowl whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Sriracha, and garlic. Set aside.
Cook ramen noodles
- In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add ramen noodles and cook until tender, 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Saute veggies
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil.
- Add onions, peppers, and broccoli and cook until tender, 5 minutes. Remove from the pan.
Cook beef
- Add ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until no longer pink, 5 minutes more.
- Drain beef fat and return vegetables back to the skillet.
Final assembly
- Add cooked ramen noodles to the skillet with beef and veggies and pour over prepared sauce. Stir fry until completely combined.
- Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if necessary. Then garnish with scallions and serve.
Video
Calories: 394kcal
Notes
- Use grass fed beef: To make instant ramen taste less bland and more exciting, I added grass fed beef (much brighter in color than conventional ground beef) and fresh vegetables to enhance flavor and texture.
- Use low sodium soy sauce: You can't go wrong with either version.
- Use other veggies: I added broccoli, but ou can also try adding spinach and green onions, or use traditional sauces, such as Mirin and fish sauce in place of soy sauce, or in addition to it.
- Sriracha and more: I also love to experiment with Sriracha, sesame oil and crushed chili peppers to come up with even more variations to the recipe.
- Add more heat: You can add more spice to make the noodles have that extra kick. If so, add a bit more sriracha until desired heat is reached.
Nutrition Facts
Beef Ramen Stir Fry
Amount per Serving
Calories
394
% Daily Value*
Fat
26
g
40
%
Saturated Fat
11
g
69
%
Cholesterol
40
mg
13
%
Sodium
327
mg
14
%
Potassium
680
mg
19
%
Carbohydrates
14
g
5
%
Fiber
3
g
13
%
Sugar
7
g
8
%
Protein
23
g
46
%
Vitamin A
1435
IU
29
%
Vitamin C
110.5
mg
134
%
Calcium
68
mg
7
%
Iron
3.3
mg
18
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe? I would love to see your creation!Let me know on Instagram @whatsinthepanblog
How to make Ramen Stir Fry
- Make Ramen Noodles: Ramen noodles cook quickly, usually taking only 2 minutes, longer if they are gluten free. Careful not to overcook or they can end up really chewy/soggy. Drain and set aside.
- Saute Veggies: Simply heat your vegetable oil in a medium skillet and sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper and broccoli. Only enough to make them soft.
- Pan Fry Beef: Add ground beef and pan fry for 5 minutes until brown. Drain all its liquid and add back the vegetables.
Make Sriracha Sauce and Toss: Whisk together the simple sauce ingredients (sriracha, soy sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar and garlic), add ramen noodles back to the pan stir fry everything for a quick finish.
FAQs
- How to Fix Salty Ramen Stir Fry: If the stir fry tastes too salty, reduce the amount of soy sauce in the sauce and replace with low-sodium soy sauce, coconut aminos, or dilute with extra broth.
- To avoid mushy or chewy noodles, boil ramen for only 2 minutes and immediately drain. Add noodles at the end and toss gently with the sauce, so they stay springy in texture.
- Fix Bland Ramen Stir Fry Sauce: Add more garlic, sriracha, ginger, or a splash of soy sauce for a punch of flavor. For deeper umami, try a dash of toasted sesame oil or sweet chili sauce.
- If the dish feels greasy, drain the cooked beef thoroughly and sauté veggies with minimal oil. Use lean ground beef (90% or higher) for a lighter meal.
- For Gluten-Free, swap regular ramen for rice-based or gluten-free noodles and use tamari or coconut aminos in place of soy sauce.
- To Make It Vegetarian: Swap beef for plant-based proteins like tofu, tempeh, seitan, or edamame and use vegetarian sauces and broths; vegetable stock is ideal.
- Fix Dry Leftover Beef Ramen: To reheat without drying out, add 2-4 tablespoons beef or vegetable broth to leftovers before microwaving or warming on the stove.
Noodles sticking to the pan-what can I do?
- Use enough oil or sauce when stir-frying and avoid overcrowding the pan.
- Toss noodles with sauce or a splash of water/broth if things start sticking.
Stir-fry tasting bland?
- Balance your umami (soy sauce, miso), acid (rice vinegar, lime juice), sweetness (maple syrup, honey), and spice (sriracha, chili paste).
- Taste and adjust RIGHT before serving-sometimes a final drizzle of soy sauce elevates everything.
What if I don't like soy sauce?
- Coconut aminos: If you are not a fan of soy, you can easily replace it with coconut aminos. They are dark in color just like soy sauce, but unlike soy sauce, they contain far less sodium. Yet, coconut aminos still have that salty, umami flavor of soy.
- Tamari: You will find it stronger in flavor than coconut aminos, but also less salty than regular soy sauce. If you are gluten free, then definitely go for Tamari instead of soy sauce. I used Tamari sauce in this Easy Chicken Stir Fry and it worked beautifully. Give it a try!
Serving Suggestions
Serve this dish with Avocado Corn Salad or along with Viral Dumpling Salad just for fun.
Leftovers and Storage
- Refrigerate: Beef ramen noodles will keep fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat over a low heat on the stove or microwave. For reheating, dryness is the main concern. Add ¼ cup beef or chicken stock when reheating.
- Freeze: I don't recommend freezing this dish. It's never going to be the same as fresh or as good as fresh ramen.
If you made this tag me on instagram so I can see your version of ramen noodle stir fry!
Dale says
Delicious recipe. Used veal/beef combo here.