Skip the takeout, and make this easy beef ramen recipe at home instead! It’s a one-pot soup with tender noodles, rich beef broth, and hearty steak for a meal that’s tastier than your local fast food joint and far better than anything you’ll find in a microwaveable cup.
I tested several broth recipes (some that took hours), and this quick 20-minute broth is still my family’s favorite for its delicious flavor. It’s one of my go-to recipes when I need a quick comfort food option that even my picky eaters will be excited to eat!
The best part is that you can customize your ramen bowl with your favorite vegetables. We’ve served it for a weeknight dinner and used it for entertaining a crowd, setting up a build-your-own-bowl bar to make it fun. We love making this ramen with steak, but you can easily use chicken or pork too!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Only 5 minutes of prep time. Just combine the 8 ingredients in a pan, and let them cook!
- Customize your bowl with all your favorite toppings. Whether it’s different veggies or adding hot sauce, sesame seeds, scallions, or seaweed, everyone can make their favorite easy ramen bowl.
- Mostly homemade using whole food ingredients and an irresistible flavor. Our family can speak to how much more delicious this quick homemade ramen is than even our local restaurant!
Tips for Busy Cooks
This quick homemade ramen is one of those recipes we love to use to clean out the fridge. We use all different vegetables as well as proteins that we have leftover from the week to make this super flavorful soup.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Shiitake mushrooms – Added to the broth for a rich, umami flavor! I prefer fresh or dried shiitake mushrooms, but white button mushrooms also work.
- Beef broth – Homemade beef broth makes this easy ramen truly rich and delicious! In a pinch, Better than Bouillion roasted beef base with water works great too.
- Soy sauce is also added for savory, umami flavor. Soy sauce will enhance the dish’s overall taste.
- Grated ginger – Before grating the ginger, use a vegetable peeler or the back of a spoon to peel the fresh ginger root. Once the ginger is peeled, grate it using a box or microplane grater.
- Garlic – I prefer grating fresh garlic on a microplane grater over a garlic press. In a pinch, garlic paste works great too! Finely grated/minced garlic adds more powerful flavor compared to sliced garlic.
- Instant ramen noodles – I highly recommend using Shin Instant Ramen over Maruchan ramen noodles. I like the texture and consistency of the noodles better. Discard the seasoning packets.
- Steak – Adding thinly sliced steak turns this easy ramen recipe into a filling meal. Practically any type of steak will work, but ribeye and New York strip are my favorites! Of course, it’s totally optional!
How to make beef ramen
- Slice the mushrooms into small pieces, if desired. If you have picky eaters, leave the mushrooms whole so they can easily be picked out. Don’t skip the mushrooms, though! They’re needed to enhance the flavor of the broth.
- Combine the beef broth, mushrooms, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan (at least 2.5 quarts), and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Simmer for about 10 minutes over medium-low heat after the broth has come to a boil. If you’re using dried mushrooms, continue cooking the broth until the mushrooms are tender.
- Add the instant noodles and sliced steak to the broth, and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir frequently. And throw away the ramen seasoning packet. This recipe is full of flavor without it!
- Serve the ramen while it’s hot! Feel free to top it with any optional garnishes, such as chopped green onions, cilantro, soft-boiled eggs, nori sheets, sriracha, or chili crisp. I love the crunch from chili crisps!!
Expert Tips:
- Meal prep the ingredients in advance to cut down on prep time. Chop the mushrooms (or buy sliced mushrooms), slice the steak before you begin cooking, and prepare any of the optional garnishes ahead of time.
- Freeze the steak for 10 minutes to make slicing easier. To make super-thin slices of steak, freeze the meat for 10 minutes to make it easier to cut.
- Use a high-quality beef broth. This is the key to any great ramen, so look for a brand with rich flavor or, better yet, make your own!
- Swap the steak for chicken or pork. The options are endless. We use sirloin steak in this recipe, but you can easily use rotisserie chicken, chicken thighs, or pork tenderloin!
- Add your favorite vegetables. Carrots cut into matchsticks, baby spinach, and baby bok choy are just a few of my favorite veggies!
- We love all the toppings options for ramen. Some of our favorites include:
- scallions
- boiled eggs
- seaweed (Nori)
- chili crisp
- sesame seeds
- toasted sesame oil
- ginger
- bamboo shoots
- red pepper flakes
Storage
While ramen is best eaten fresh, leftovers don’t need to go to waste! Leftover ramen can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If possible, I recommend storing the broth and noodles separately to prevent the noodles from becoming too soggy.
Reheat leftovers on the stove over low heat or in the microwave in 1-minute increments until you’ve reached your desired warmth.
For the freshest-tasting ramen, only complete recipe steps 1-3 in advance. When you’re ready to serve the ramen, bring the broth back up to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer, add the steak and ramen noodles, and complete the remaining recipe steps. You can prepare the optional toppings in advance, but wait to add them until you’re ready to serve the ramen.
FAQs
Kansui is the secret ingredient that gives ramen noodles their distinct color and texture. Compared to traditional wheat-based pasta noodles, ramen noodles are slightly yellow and springy and remain chewy and firm, even after spending lots of time in hot broth.
While the most essential ingredient might differ for everybody, the broth is the most common answer! The best ramen recipes contain broth that is flavored with plenty of savory, umami ingredients. When the broth is properly seasoned, the noodles and steak will absorb the flavor, making the entire dish irresistible!
Ramen’s deliciousness is most commonly attributed to its rich, savory broth, which is often simmered for hours to develop complex flavors. When paired with perfectly cooked noodles and a medley of fresh toppings, it creates an irresistible blend of umami flavors, textures, and aromas that keep you coming back for more!
More quick Asian-inspired recipes
Easy Beef Ramen Recipe
Equipment
- 1 medium (2.5 qt) saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms Note 1
- 4 cups beef broth Note 2
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 (4 oz) package instant ramen noodles no seasoning Note 3
- 4 oz steak thinly sliced
Optional garnish:
- Chopped green onions, cilantro, soft-boiled eggs, nori sheets, sriracha, chili crisp
Instructions
- If desired, you can slice the mushrooms into small pieces. If you don’t want to eat mushrooms, leave them whole to flavor the broth.1 cup shiitake mushrooms
- In a medium saucepan (at least 2.5qt), combine beef broth, mushrooms, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and garlic. Bring it a boil.4 cups beef broth, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger, ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- Then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 10 minutes. (If using dried mushrooms, cook it until they’re tender.)
- Add ramen noodles and steak slices and cook for 5 minutes on medium-low heat. (Throw away the seasoning packets.)1 (4 oz) package instant ramen noodles, 4 oz steak, 1 teaspoon salt
- Serve hot and garnished with green onions or cilantro, if desired.Chopped green onions, cilantro, soft-boiled eggs, nori sheets, sriracha, chili crisp
Share your thoughts! If you make this please leave a review letting me know how it was!
Notes
– Highly recommend cooking ramen noodles for immediate serving. However, I realize life happens. So, leftover ramen can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
– For the best results, store the broth and noodles in separate airtight containers.
– Reheat on the stove over low heat or in the microwave in 1-minute increments until your desired warmth is achieved.
Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
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