Description
This Quick Asian Beef Ramen Noodles recipe combines tender ground beef with flavorful sauces and instant ramen noodles for a fast, satisfying meal. With a caramelized sauce base and fresh bean sprouts, it delivers authentic Asian-inspired taste in just 15 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 packets ramen or other instant noodles, discard seasoning
- 1 tsp oil
- 2 tsp sesame oil (toasted preferred)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 200g / 7oz beef mince (ground beef)
- 1 1/4 cups (315 ml) water, plus more as needed
- Big handful bean sprouts
Sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce (or hoisin sauce)
- 2 tsp hoisin sauce (or more oyster sauce)
- 1 tbsp mirin
Garnishes (Optional)
- Finely sliced green onion / shallots
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Mix Sauce: Combine dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and mirin in a small bowl and set aside.
- Sauté Onion and Garlic: Heat oil and sesame oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add sliced onion and minced garlic, cooking for 1 1/2 minutes until they begin to turn golden.
- Cook Beef: Add the beef mince to the skillet and cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until it changes color from pink to light brown.
- Caramelize Beef: Pour the prepared sauce over the beef and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until the sauce caramelizes and coats the beef well.
- Add Water and Noodles: Push the beef mixture to one side of the skillet to create space. Add 1 1/4 cups water and place the ramen noodle cakes into the water.
- Cook Ramen: Let the noodles cook without stirring for 45 seconds, then turn them. After 30 seconds, untangle the noodles and toss them together with the beef.
- Add Bean Sprouts and Toss: Add a big handful of bean sprouts and toss everything together for about 1 minute, or until the sauce reduces and coats the noodles while the noodles finish cooking.
- Serve: Remove from heat and serve immediately, garnished with finely sliced green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
Notes
- Use any brand of instant or ramen noodles but avoid extra large packets unless breaking them into smaller pieces to fit the pan.
- Sesame oil is best if toasted (brown sesame oil), but untoasted is acceptable.
- Ground beef can be substituted with any ground meat such as chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, or veal.
- If dark soy sauce is unavailable, any soy sauce can be used though sauce color may be lighter.
- Oyster sauce may be substituted with hoisin sauce; vegetarian oyster sauce options exist.
- Mirin can be substituted with Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry; for a non-alcoholic option substitute with a mix of water and low sodium chicken broth, omitting mirin.
- Adjust water quantity as needed based on noodle packet instructions to ensure noodles are cooked properly.
- To scale the recipe, use a larger skillet and consider breaking noodles into smaller portions if necessary.
- Use low sodium soy sauce to reduce sodium content by approximately 175 mg per serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
