We’re beefing up your ramen noodle packages by adding juicy ground beef, carrots, red peppers, and green onions to a crockpot to simmer in a flavorful, sweet and savory sauce. Slow cooker beef ramen is a Japanese-inspired dish that will satisfy even the hungriest teens!
Beef Ramen Noodles
Slow cooker beef ramen is traditionally made with tender chunks of beef, much like Mongolian beef, but we’re making ours with seared ground beef instead. It’s a bit of a shortcut and cost-effective which is one of the best parts about Ramen noodles!
They have always been a budget-friendly way to make hearty soup. Yes, it’s those same packages of noodles you poured boiling water over when you lived in the dorms during college days.
Do you remember when you blew your food budget at the beginning of the month and were too afraid to call home? Yeah, those.
Little did you know you could make a delicious noodle bowl without the need for those little flavor packets that are so high in sodium.
With ground beef, veggies, and a few extra pantry items, this is one way to make a cost-effective and cozy bowl of soup that rivals anything you’d order at a Japanese restaurant.
A lot has changed since college! 😉
Why you’ll love Slow Cooker Beef Ramen
Easy to make – Brown the beef and toss everything but the noodles into the slow cooker. The noodles cook super fast so they get added in at the end. It’s that easy.
Super satisfying – Not just for college students! A perfectly flavorful, fully loaded, slurpable bowl of beef ramen noodles is served! Great for busy nights and it’s one the whole family will enjoy.
Cost-effective – If you’ve stocked up on packages of Ramen noodles or have a ton of frozen ground beef you have saved up, this is a great way to use them both. Toss whatever veggies you have in the fridge and avoid waste.
Equipment you’ll need
- Slow Cooker – A 6 quart slow cooker is standard for most crock pot recipes. This is my favorite.
- Veggie Chopper
- Ladle – This ramen is less soupy, more hearty, but it’s still easily served with a ladle.
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card.
- Ground Beef – Use extra lean ground beef so there isn’t an excess of fat. I like to use ground sirloin 93/7.
- Veggies – Matchstick carrots and sliced red bell pepper add beautiful color to this dish. The carrots and red bell pepper are on the sweeter side and pair well with the sugary elements in this dish.
- Aromatics – Roughly chopped scallions (aka green onions) and minced garlic.
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce – A slightly salty, umami flavor that gives the beef and flavorful broth a darker color. Popular in Asian cooking, it adds so much flavor!
- Brown Sugar – There’s something so complex about the balance of sweet and salty in slow cooker beef ramen. It’s not at all overpowering, but necessary!
- Liquid Stock – I like to use chicken stock but if you want a more robust beef flavor, go ahead and use beef broth.
- Ramen Noodles – You’ll need 2 packs of these but you can discard the seasoning packet & we’re going to ignore the package instructions. We just want the noodles. These can be found in your local grocery store, Asian food market, and even some dollar stores.
- Optional Garnishes – Sesame seeds for a great textural element and more scallions.
How to make Slow Cooker Beef Ramen
- Step One: Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink. If necessary, drain any excess grease. If you’re using extra lean ground beef there shouldn’t be too much.
- Step Two: Add the cooked beef to the basin of your slow cooker then add the carrots, red bell pepper, and scallions (saving some for garnish).
- Step Three: Whisk together the garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, and chicken stock and pour that into the slow cooker as well. Stir to combine.
- Step Four: Cook on low for 4-6 hours and with 30 minutes left in the cooking time, add the dry Ramen noodles. Stir them around frequently so they are covered in liquid and cook evenly until tender.
- Step Five: Serve topped with additional scallions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
What to serve with Beef Ramen
Traditional ramen is served with soft-boiled eggs and lime wedges, otherwise it’s completely satisfying on its own.
Try some air fried edamame with a sprinkling of salt, a side of dumplings or pot stickers, or a crispy refreshing salad.
You could always just enjoy it with a side of bread to sop up the juices.
If you want to make your meal a little extra special, provide chopsticks for people to use for the noodles.
Possible Substitutions/Additions
- It wouldn’t exactly be ramen anymore, but you could skip the noodles and serve it over rice or in lettuce leaves.
- Swap out the beef for a lean meat like ground turkey or chicken for a lighter version.
- Add red pepper flakes or sriracha for a spicy kick.
- Add some fish sauce or oyster sauce to the broth for another layer of flavor.
- Finish it with a squirt of lime juice to really brighten it up.
- Fresh ginger in the soup or pickled ginger on top is always a great pairing with soy sauce and beef.
- If you like a lot of broth, only add one pack of noodles.
How to reheat and store leftovers
How to store leftovers
Keep leftovers in an airtight container. Be sure to wait until it’s completely cooled before closing the lid. When you don’t, you trap the heat which causes excess moisture. This can affect the flavor when it’s watered down.
How long will it last in the fridge?
Store cooked and cooled beef ramen noodles in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How to reheat it
The microwave is great if you’re short on time, or the stovetop over medium-low heat.
FAQs
Is this a good make ahead dish?
Definitely! If you’re wanting to cut down on the time you can brown the beef the day before. You can also get ahead by chopping veggies and having them ready to go.
The entire soup can be made the day before and then reheated, or you can make the soup without the noodles.
When you’re ready to serve, place dry noodles in a bowl and pour hot broth overtop and let it sit for a few minutes.
Can you put raw beef in the slow cooker?
Technically you can but for this recipe, I don’t recommend it. Browning the beef first gives it so much added flavor and caramelization that you just don’t get adding it in raw and then slow cooking it.
What cut of beef is good for ramen?
Whether you use ground beef or strips of beef, I’d say top sirloin is the best. It’s lean and has a ton of flavor.
I like to use 93/7 or 90/10 ground sirloin so it’s not greasy.
What other vegetables can I add to beef ramen?
Toss in some extra veggies or swap them completely. Bok choy, mushrooms, bean sprouts, or snow peas are perfect.
Any fast-cooking veggies should be added later on to avoid them getting mushy.
Need more noodle recipes? Try these:
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken and Noodles
Easy 30-Minute Chicken Noodle Soup
Slow Cooker Turkey Noodle Soup
Click here for my entire collection of soup recipes.
Slow Cooker Beef Ramen
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef I recommend sirloin (93/7)
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 medium red bell pepper sliced
- 2-3 large scallions roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 14.25 ounces chicken stock or beef stock
- 2 packs ramen noodles
- sesame seeds optional
- scallions optional
Instructions
- To a large skillet over medium heat, brown the beef until no longer pink. Drain any grease, if necessary.
- Pour the cooked beef into the basin of a 6 quart slow cooker.
- To the slow cooker add the carrots, red bell pepper and scallions.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar and chicken stock.
- Pour the sauce into the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.
- Approximately 30 minutes before serving, add the dry ramen noodles. [discard the seasoning packets, you only need the noodles.]
- Stir those around frequently to make sure they get all covered and cook evenly.
- When the noodles are tender, serve, topping with additional scallions and some sesame seeds.
Video
Notes
- You can swap out the beef for ground turkey or chicken.
- Add red pepper flakes or sriracha for a spicy kick.
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This was really good! I cooked the meat, veggies and sauce on low for 6 hours but the peppers and carrots were pretty much disintegrated completely. At least the vitamins were still there! I used chow mein noodles instead of ramen and it was great! Will make again, my 3 year old loves it!
Thanks, Nicole 🙂
Can I use water mixed with the packet of chicken flavoring from the Ramen noodles instead of chicken stock?
I haven’t tested it but I don’t think that would be the same.
I was thinking the exact same thing! Why waste the packet if you can make the broth with it. It may taste slightly different but would probably still be just as delicious. Great recipe Melissa!
I just know those packets are full of sodium so I’ve avoided them. I’m sure it’d be tasty though!
Can I use spaghetti noodles in place of the ramen?
Yes, but they won’t cook as quickly. You might want to cook them separately & add them in. Chow mein noodles would work.
Just made this, absolutely delicious! Would you have any suggestions for substituting for the brown sugar to make it slightly healthier? We were thinking maybe halving the sugar and adding some honey instead or maybe xylitol?
You could definitely cut down on the sugar. I don’t use any type of replacers like xylitol though so that I’m unsure of.
Swerve brown is a great replacement for brown sugar
Can I cook this on high?
Yes, but each slow cooker runs differently so keep an eye on it.
Any suggestions for adding more veggies to this recipe?
Yes, there’s a paragraph with suggestions above 🙂
Wondering if I could replace the ground beef with sliced skirt or flank steak? Maybe just throw it in raw and let it cook on low for 6 hours. Have you ever tried this?
I haven’t tried that but it should work!
I made this and substituted the ground beef with flank steak. I sautéed the flank steak in strips with the red peppers and carrots for a few minutes . Used only 1/4 brown sugar and added red pepper flakes. Mixed it all together and cooked on low for 6 hours, Definitely something I will be making again. Great recipe. Delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Love the red pepper flakes addition. Thanks for reporting back!
Have you made this in an instant pot?
I’m trying that now ! Th8n’ I will manual hi for 10 minutes then , let release natural for 15 then qr
Then I will add the noodles and mix . Wish me luck !
How’d it turn out? I haven’t tried it in the IP.
My family loved this recipe! So easy to throw together and feels healthier with the veggies. Throwing away the seasoning packets and adding broth made no sense to me so I used the packet and substituted water. Used about half of the soy sauce then added more at the end to taste. Also added more veggies. This is now a favorite and will make it again and again!
Thanks, Mary 🙂 The packets have MSG, etc. so I skip them but that’s definitely an option!
Would rice noodles work? I’m wheat free.
I think so, someone told me they used them & it worked well, but I haven’t personally tested.
We loved this. My husband and I just about ate the whole thing. I will have to double it next time when my son is home. I added broccoli and might try the red pepper flakes next time.
Yay, thanks, Stephanie 🙂
This was a great recipe and it was so easy to make !! My son and I loved it just the way it was. I cooked it on low for 4 hours in total and the veggies came out perfect! Definitely will be making this meal again!!
Thanks Dawn!