This Beef Ramen is a quick stir fry meal that’s loaded with veggies in a sweet and savory sauce with just a hint of spice. Ramen stir fry is a great, family friendly recipe you can have on the table in less than 30 minutes.
This post was developed in partnership with Ohio Beef. As always, all opinions are my own.
Parenting has certainly forced us to get creative in the dinner department, and I don’t mean with what we’re actually making. My cooking style hasn’t changed significantly since having children. I still make a lot of our old favorites, especially the ones that fall into the quick and easy category (I’m looking at you Walking Tacos).
What has changed, however, is our marketing. It’s not about the food itself, it’s all about how we market it.
These days, I can’t just go around telling my four year old we’re having Beef Ramen for dinner. That scenario would most likely result in a wrinkled nose, roll of the eyes, and a terribly dramatic, “Buuuuut I want chicken nuuuugggets!”
So instead, I muster up my best jungle adventurer voice and tell him we’re having curly, twirly noodle SNAKES for dinner! And just like that, my little guy is on board. I tell ya, every parent deserves an honorary marketing degree.
Luckily there are a whole lot of other reasons to love this skillet Beef Ramen, besides their resemblance to a certain slithering reptile. This quick meal is loaded with veggies and tossed in a savory sweet sauce that’s a hit with kids and adults alike.
Table of Contents
Ingredients in Beef Ramen
- This recipe is part of my Cook Once, Eat Three Times series and begins with my slow cooker shredded beef. I recommend making a big batch of the beef at the beginning of the week to use for this recipe and several others. You’ll need about 1 1/2 cups of beef for the stir fry. Alternatively, you could use thinly sliced and seared steak.
- The key to excellent beef ramen is in the sauce! This savory, tangy, and gingery sauce is made with:
- soy sauce
- rice wine vinegar
- brown sugar
- ginger
- sriracha
- garlic
- cornstarch (for thickening)
- You can add any veggies that suit your fancy to this stir fry! My favorites are:
- carrots (sliced into matchsticks so they cook quickly)
- mini bell peppers
- mushrooms
- zucchini
- green onion
- All that’s left is the noodles! I use the standard packaged ramen noodles for this. Just discard the packet and use the noodles. You could also substitute rice noodles or soba noodles for a gluten free option.
Tips for Making Beef Ramen Stir Fry
Stir fry cooks quickly so my biggest piece of advice is to have all of your vegetables chopped and ready to go before you start. You’ll also want to start boiling the water for your noodles. This is a pretty hands-on dish so you’ll need to stay close to the stove, but it’s done in 20 minutes!
- Whisk together all the sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Heat a couple tablespoons of sesame oil in a large saute pan or wok, over medium high heat. Add the vegetables and allow them to cook undisturbed for a minute or two. We really want to get some nice browning and sear on those veggies, so resist the urge to stir constantly!
- Toss and continue to cook the vegetable until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, add your ramen noodles to the pot of boiling water.
- Stir in the sauce and beef. Make a slurry with a teaspoon or cornstarch and 1 Tablespoon water. Stir in the slurry and adjust the heat so the sauce is at a slow simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened.
- When the noodles are done, drain them and add them to the pan with the sauce, stirring so the sauce coats all the noodles. Top with chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds and serve!
How to Serve Ramen Stir Fry
We love to top our bowls with a colorful handful of chopped green onions and a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds.
The adults usually add a little extra squirt of Sriracha sauce as well. As is, the sauce has just enough kick to be manageable for my 4 year old and 9 month old, both of whom absolutely gobbled this up.
The great thing about beef stir fry is that it’s basically a meal in itself. Not much else is needed here in the way of side dishes, but if you’re feeling ambitious you could make some vegetable spring rolls or blistered edamame.
The other bonus? If you made the shredded beef, you’ll have plenty of leftovers for Pulled Roast Beef Sandwiches or some delicious Beef Enchiladas!
Why Beef?
Beef is a nutritional powerhouse with 25 grams of protein and over 10 essential nutrients in a 3 ounce package. It helps build muscle and provides sustained energy for busy families.
There are over 17,000 beef farming families in Ohio. I’ve had the privilege of visiting a few of these farms, and the farmer’s passion and care for their land and livestock is inspiring. They are committed to bringing safe, affordable, delicious beef to our families, and respecting the land and animals in the process.
Over 97% of beef farms are family owned and operated. If you’d like to meet one of the amazing beef farmers here in Ohio, you can watch this video of the Vollborns. You can also visit www.OhioBeef.org, and follow the Ohio Beef Council on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more beef nutrition facts and recipes! Use #OhioBeef to share photos of your healthy meals this school year!
Beef Ramen Stir Fry
Yield: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
This quick Beef Ramen Stir Fry is loaded with veggies and coated with a sweet and savory ginger stir fry sauce.
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
For the stir fry:
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 bell pepper (or 6-8 mini bell peppers), sliced
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1 large carrot, sliced in matchsticks
- 1 small zucchini, sliced and halved
- 1 1/2 cups shredded beef
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch + 1 Tablespoon water
- 2 packages ramen noodles
- Chopped green onions, for serving
- Toasted sesame seeds, for serving
Instructions
- Whisk together all the sauce ingredients and set aside. Start a large pot of water to boil.
- Heat the sesame oil in a large saute pan or wok over medium high heat. Add the vegetables and allow them to cook undisturbed for a minute or two. We really want to get some nice browning and sear on those veggies, so resist the urge to stir constantly!
- Toss and continue to cook the vegetables until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, add your ramen noodles to the pot of boiling water.
- Stir in the sauce and beef. Make a slurry with a teaspoon or cornstarch and 1 Tablespoon water. Stir in the slurry and adjust the heat so the sauce is at a slow simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened.
- When the noodles are done, drain them and add them to the pan with the sauce, stirring so the sauce coats all the noodles. Top with chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds and serve!
Notes
If you prefer not to make the shredded beef, you can also use thinly sliced steak for this recipe. Slice a ribeye, skirt, or flank steak in thin strips against the grain. Sear the steak in the sesame oil first, before adding the vegetables. Remove the steak from the pan, then add them back in when you add in the sauce.
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