Description
This Beef Ramen Noodles recipe is a quick and flavorful weeknight meal featuring lean ground beef stir-fried with a savory peanut hoisin sauce, tender-crisp red bell peppers, and perfectly cooked ramen noodles. The dish is enhanced with fresh ginger, garlic, and a touch of sriracha for subtle heat, making it a comforting yet exciting twist on traditional ramen that can be ready in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Vegetables
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
- Scallions, chopped (optional)
Sauce
- 3 heaping tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon sriracha sauce (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Noodles
- 3 packages ramen noodles (seasoning packets discarded)
Seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Brown the Beef: Add the ground beef to a skillet over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until fully browned, about 8 minutes. If a lot of excess fat accumulates, carefully spoon most of it out before proceeding.
- Boil Water for Noodles: While the beef is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil to prepare for cooking the ramen noodles.
- Add Sauce Ingredients: Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the peanut butter, hoisin sauce, sriracha sauce, soy sauce, grated ginger, and minced garlic until well combined.
- Cook Red Bell Pepper: Return the skillet to low-medium heat and add the chopped red bell pepper. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the pepper is tender-crisp.
- Cook Noodles: Add the ramen noodles to the boiling water at the same time you add the red pepper to the skillet. The noodles will cook in approximately 3 minutes.
- Combine Noodles and Beef Mixture: When the noodles are done, scoop about 4 tablespoons of the noodle cooking water and add it to the skillet. Drain the noodles and add them to the skillet.
- Toss and Season: Toss everything together well in the skillet to combine. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with chopped scallions if desired and serve immediately.
Notes
- Discard the seasoning packets from the ramen noodles as the sauce provides all the necessary flavor.
- Adjust sriracha quantity to control the heat level according to your preference.
- Use extra lean ground beef to minimize excess fat and make the dish lighter.
- If peanut butter is unavailable, almond butter can be used as a substitute, though flavor will slightly vary.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute ground beef with firm tofu or tempeh and use vegetarian hoisin sauce.