Ground Beef Stir Fry with Ramen
Juicy ground beef, stir-fried with bell peppers and onion, splashed with a satiny sauce of soy and sesame and served over twisty ramen noodles. Forget take-out. Ditch rice as your base. This meal will rock your world.
This amazing meal is so lively and fun. And it couldn’t be simpler. First, you brown ground beef in a skillet or wok. Then you add onion and bell peppers. Next comes the soy sauce, brown sugar, and sesame oil – plus a little beef broth and cornstarch so we can create a silky sauce. After a few minutes (that’s all it takes for the sauce to thicken), the colorful, flavorful mixture is piled onto quick-cooking ramen noodles. Amazing!
What kind of ramen noodles should you use? I used two packets of instant ramen (3 ounces each) and it was enough for 4 people (once the beef mixture was piled on top). We throw away the seasoning packets so it doesn’t matter what flavor you have. If you don’t have instant ramen, you can use any Asian egg noodle you prefer; you’ll need about 6 to 8 ounces to serve 4 people.
You can make this dish with cubed and/or ground chicken and turkey too. If you’re feeling “more poultry than beef”, go ahead and swap in either one. If you want, you can also change the beef broth to chicken broth. And, if you prefer chunks of meat, you can use cubed beef, chicken, turkey, or pork instead of their ground counterparts.
Ground Beef Stir Fry with Ramen
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped, or 1 cup chopped mini sweet peppers
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 ounces ramen noodles, two 3-ounce packages, seasoning packets discarded
- Chopped green onions for serving, optional
Equipment
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, and sesame oil. Set aside.
- Brown the beef in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and ginger and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften. Season the beef and vegetables with salt and black pepper.
- Stir the soy sauce mixture again and add it to the pan. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
- Meanwhile, cook the ramen noodles in a pot of boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes (without the seasoning packet), or as directed on the package. Drain and transfer the noodles to individual shallow bowls. Spoon the beef mixture over the ramen and top with green onions, if using.