Ground Beef Ramen Stir Fry

Name: Ground Beef Ramen Stir Fry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Ingredients: 2 packages (3 ounces each) instant ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded; 1 pound ground beef; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 bag (12 ounces) coleslaw mix or stir-fry vegetable blend; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated; 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 1 tablespoon rice vinegar; 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional); 2 green onions, thinly sliced; 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

Quick Answer

To make Ground Beef Ramen Stir Fry, cook the base ingredients in stages, bring the sauce together, and finish while the noodles still have some life in them. This version keeps the pan glossy and the texture from going slack.

Jump to Recipe

Instant ramen spent years being treated like emergency food for dorm rooms, which is unfair to a noodle that cooks in about three minutes and asks almost nothing from you. Add browned ground beef, vegetables, garlic, ginger, and a savory stir-fry sauce, and those same noodles turn into a real skillet dinner before the delivery app has finished asking whether you want to tip 28 percent.

The important move is to cook the noodles just shy of fully done. They will keep softening when they hit the sauce, and overcooked ramen goes from springy to exhausted very quickly. Brown the beef hard enough to develop flavor, cook the vegetables until crisp-tender, then toss everything together only long enough for the sauce to coat the noodles.

This dish works because every component is fast. The beef gives it substance, the noodles absorb the sauce, and vegetables bring enough crunch to keep the pan from becoming one soft brown mass. It is weeknight cooking with the dignity restored to a packet of ramen—which has frankly been doing more work than it gets credit for.

Prep20 minutes

Cook25 minutes

Total45 minutes

Serves4 servings

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

Servings

2 packages (3 ounces each) instant ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 bag (12 ounces) coleslaw mix or stir-fry vegetable blend
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the ramen noodles for 2 minutes, just until they separate -- they'll finish cooking in the stir-fry, so slightly undercooked is fine. Drain and set aside.
2Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned and no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain excess fat.
3Add the coleslaw mix, garlic, and ginger to the skillet. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften but still have some crunch, 3 to 4 minutes.
4In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes if using.
5Add the drained noodles and sauce to the skillet. Toss everything together with tongs until the noodles are coated and heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
6Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds before serving.
Note Cook ground beef until it reaches 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 4 servings.

530Calories

26 gProtein

40 gCarbohydrates

32 gTotal Fat

10 gSaturated Fat

14 gFiber

13 gTotal Sugars

1000 mgSodium

80 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

Undercook the ramen noodles slightly when boiling -- they finish cooking in the skillet and turn mushy if fully cooked twice.
Discard the seasoning packets entirely; the sauce you make is far more balanced and controls the sodium level.
Keep the vegetables moving in the pan over high heat so they stay crisp instead of steaming into mush.

Substitutions

ground beef → ground pork, ground turkey, or crumbled extra-firm tofu Keep the same seasoning; tofu needs less cook time since there's no raw meat to fully cook through.

coleslaw mix → thinly sliced bell peppers, carrots, and snap peas Any quick-cooking vegetable works well in a stir-fry.

soy sauce → tamari or coconut aminos Use a 1:1 swap for a gluten-free version.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate Ground Beef Ramen Stir Fry in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat it quickly in a skillet, stirring just until hot; if the noodles have tightened, add only enough water or sauce to loosen them.