Slow Cooker Beef Ramen

This easy Slow Cooker Beef Ramen meal is made with ground beef, veggies, and a sweet and savory homemade sauce. It’s slow-cooked to deliciousness and served with ramen noodles for an effortless Asian-inspired dinner that’s better than takeout!

With essential pantry ingredients and some easy seasoning, you can have a savory beef and ramen meal ready with minimal effort. Thanks to your slow cooker, this Asian noodle dish simmers away for hours infusing the meat with rich flavor. Ramen noodles are added last to become tender before serving this family-favorite meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights.

If you’re a fan of ramen noodles, you’ll love this easy-to-make dinner that uses dried Japanese noodles (without the flavor pack!) to help make this ground beef dish a one-pot and budget-friendly meal.

Traditionally, a beef ramen meal uses sliced beef, but here, I’ve used ground beef for an equally tasty way to have the same flavors, but in a more economical form.

You don’t need the little seasoning packet that comes with the ramen noodles because you’ll make an easy and rich sauce with just chicken stock, brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic, which will infuse in the ground beef as it cooks slowly.

Ingredients Needed:

Ground Beef – I use lean ground beef. After browning in a skillet, be sure to drain any grease
before adding it to the slow cooker.
Carrots – I like to use a package of matchstick carrots, or you can shred them yourself.
Red Bell Pepper – Slice them and add them to the meat mixture for flavor, texture, and color.
Scallions – Rough chopped. Add them to the meat mixture to help infuse it with flavor.
Garlic – Minced, to add spicy savoriness to the sauce mixture.
Soy Sauce – Use low sodium or regular to help add Asian flavor to the sauce.
Brown Sugar – To help sweeten the sauce.
Chicken Stock – Use low sodium or regular as the base of the sauce.

Ramen Noodles – You’ll need 2 packages. You’ll use just the noodles and can discard the
seasoning packets.
Garnishes – Sesame seeds and chopped scallions – optional, but I like to use them for a
garnish on top when serving.

How To Make Slow-Cooker Beef Ramen:

STEP 1: Brown the ground beef in a skillet and drain well before adding it to the slow cooker
along with the carrots, red bell pepper, and scallions.
STEP 2: In a bowl, whisk together the garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, and chicken stock.
STEP 3: Pour the sauce into the slow cooker and stir to combine it with the other ingredients.
STEP 4: Add the lid and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
STEP 5: About 30 minutes before serving, add in the dry ramen noodles. Discard the seasoning
packets. Stir the noodles around to ensure they all get covered and cook evenly. Replace
the lid and cook for 20- 30 minutes more or until the noodles are tender.
STEP 6: Serve and garnish with scallions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Variations And Substitutions:

Meat:
While ground beef is always a classic flavor, you can swap it out for ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork.

Vegetables:
Here, I use sliced red bell pepper and matchstick carrots, but you can also use a pre-mixed frozen package of stir fry vegetables if you don’t have time to prepare all the fresh vegetables. Frozen vegetables are handy because they come in different varieties and usually include veggies such as bell peppers, onions, broccoli, snap peas, pea pods, carrots, and mushrooms. Use the mix that you like best.

Noodles:
I love ramen noodles for their convenience, taste, and cost, plus they’re easily found in almost any grocery store. If you want similar noodles but with slightly different tastes and textures that would work well with this recipe, swap out the ramen for udon, soba, or rice noodles, which are easily found in many larger chain grocery stores and can also be ordered online.

If you want to skip the noodles altogether, make the meaty mixture in the slow cooker and serve it with your choice of white or brown rice, made separately. If you’re watching your carb intake, the beef mixture is perfect for serving in lettuce wraps.

Spiciness:
Do you like the intensity of hot, spicy flavors? Add red pepper flakes or sriracha for a flavorful kick during the cooking process or add it as a garnish when serving.

What To Serve With Beef Ramen:

I consider this a meal in itself, but if you’re looking to stretch it, you can always serve additional vegetables with it. Here are some excellent choices:

• Steamed or oven-roasted green beans
• Steamed or oven-roasted broccoli
• Steamed snow pea pods

Can I Make This On The Stovetop?

Sure! If you need it on the table quickly, you can still make this delicious meal. Just know that the meat mixture won’t be quite as rich in flavor as if you let it slow cook for several hours.

After you’ve browned and drained the meat in a large and deep skillet, add the other ingredients, according to the recipe, except for the ramen noodles. Turn the heat to low and let it simmer, covered, for at least 20 – 30 minutes or until the sauce has been absorbed and is not soupy.

As for the ramen, cook it separately. Boil a pot of water, add the ramen noodles to it, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook on simmer for two minutes, or until the noodles are tender, before draining the water from the pot. Add the cooked ramen noodles to the meaty skillet mixture and toss to combine before serving.

Storage:

Store the cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. To reheat, microwave the leftovers or reheat them on the stovetop with a splash of water.

More Slow-Cooker Beef Recipes:

Slow Cooker Taco Steak Bites With Queso

Slow Cooker Stir Fry Beef

Slow Cooker Cowboy Stew

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff