Description
Quick Asian Beef Ramen Noodles is a flavorful and easy-to-make dish featuring ground beef caramelized in a savory-sweet sauce, combined with instant ramen noodles, fresh bean sprouts, and garnished with green onions and sesame seeds. Perfect for a satisfying weeknight meal ready in just 15 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 packets ramen or other instant noodles, discard seasoning
- 1 tsp oil
- 2 tsp sesame oil (or more oil)
- 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 together 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 start to turn golden and fragrant.
- Cook beef: Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it changes color from pink to light brown.
- Caramelise beef: Pour the prepared sauce over the beef and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently until the beef is well caramelized and coated with the sauce.
- Add water and noodles: Push the beef mixture to one side of the skillet to create space. Pour in the 1 1/4 cups of water and add the ramen noodle cakes into the water.
- Cook ramen: Let the noodles cook undisturbed for 45 seconds, then turn them over and cook for another 30 seconds. Untangle the noodles gently, then toss the noodles together with the beef.
- Add bean sprouts: Add the handful of bean sprouts to the skillet and toss everything together for 1 minute or until the sauce reduces slightly to coat the noodles and the noodles are fully cooked. Add a splash more water if needed to finish cooking the noodles.
- Serve: Serve immediately, garnished with finely sliced green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds for extra flavor and texture.
Notes
- Instant or ramen noodles: Use any brand or type, avoiding extra-large packets unless broken to fit the pan. Discard seasoning packets.
- Sesame oil: Toasted sesame oil (brown) adds more flavor, but untoasted (yellow) oil works fine.
- Beef mince: Ground beef can be substituted with ground chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, or other meats as preferred.
- Dark soy sauce: Has a stronger flavor and darker color; light soy sauce can be used but the color will be lighter.
- Oyster sauce: Vegetarian versions are available and can be used as a substitute.
- Mirin: A sweet Japanese cooking wine; substitute with Chinese cooking wine, dry sherry, or a mix of water and low sodium chicken broth if avoiding alcohol.
- Cook noodles according to their packet instructions if different from given times; add water as needed.
- To scale the recipe up, use a larger skillet and break the noodle cakes if necessary to fit.
- Reduce sodium by using low sodium soy sauce to lower sodium content by approximately 175 mg per serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 900 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: 55 mg
