Name: Beef Ramen Noodle Stir Fry
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 package ramen noodles (discard or save the seasoning packet for another use); 1/2 Tb coconut oil; 1 clove garlic (minced); 1 c mushrooms (sliced); 3 oz beef (thinly sliced); 2 ea green onion (chopped); 1 Tb oyster sauce; 1/2 Tb sweet soy sauce such as kecap manis (or dark soy sauce )

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Those packets of pre-packaged ramen sure do come in handy when you want to eat RIGHT NOW. It takes just about 15 minutes cook this easy, insta-noodle meal.

Let’s face it. Pre-packaged ramen noodles are not the healthiest food you can eat, even if you toss aside the foil seasoning packet laced with MSG.

Indulge in 15 minutes

Nonetheless, you probably have a few plastic packs sitting around for emergencies. This recipe works really well when you want to eat really fast.

Aside from the ramen noodles, you will need some pre-sliced beef (unless you want to cut it yourself), mushrooms, and the 2 main seasoning ingredients.

The 2 Main Seasoning Ingredients

You can make the ramen noodles taste so, so good with the additions of these couple ingredients:

Oyster sauce – thick, rich, slightly sweet, and packed with umami
Sweet soy sauce – Dark black, like Asian molasses, this adds color and sweetness

If you don’t have sweet soy sauce, you can subsitute with soy sauce and a bit of sugar. However, you just won’t get the same dark color.

Thin Sliced Beef

Thin sliced beef is easily found in styrofoam plates wrapped in plastic and ready to go in Asian markets. It is used primarily for swishing in hot liquid for hot pot meals or shabu shabu.

If you prefer to slice your own meat, you can use just about any cut of beef you like. However, it will take the prep time from 5 minutes to more like 15 minutes.

How to Make Beef Ramen Noodle Stir Fry

Step 1: Cook Ramen Noodles

Dried ramen noodles in pot of boiling water

Ramen noodles cook so quickly because they are cooked, either via deep frying or air drying.

So far so good. Just boil water and cook for a few minutes, according to the package directions.

Drain and set aside. You don’t need to rinse with cold water, since they will soon be added to the stir fry pan.

Step 2: Cook mushrooms

Bunapi mushrooms in nonstick pan with canola oil

You can use any mushrooms that you please. These bunapi mushrooms are especially convenient because they don’t need to be pre-sliced.

Add oil to the pan, heat to medium high, and cook the mushrooms first until just soft. Sprinkle with a little salt to season them.

A non-stick pan works best with noodle stir fries, especially with ramen noodles because they are so delicate.

Step 3: Add beef and garlic

Thin slices beef cooking in a nonstick pan with bunapi mushrooms

This meal is quick because thin sliced beef cooks quickly. For the easiest route, buy it pre-sliced in packages at Asian markets.

Used pre-sliced beef here makes all the difference in prep time. The paper thin slices you can buy really match the thinness and mushiness of the ramen noodles.

Step 4: Add the ramen noodles and sauces

cooked ramen noodles in nonstick pan with spatula

Stir gently with a spatula and use a non-stick pan for best results for stir frying ramen noodles in a pan.

Here is the fun part. The sauces are thick and dark so it may take a couple minutes to work them into all the noodles.

Just keep gently stirring.

ramen noodles with beef and mushrooms in pan with spatula

Sweet soy sauce is black like molasses and lends a rich dark color to the noodles. Sub with soy sauce and sugar if you don’t have it.

Add the green onions, and keep stirring.

stir frying ramen noodles in a nonstick pan with spatula

Don’t forget the green onion. Always need green onion in Asian food.

And serve from the pan for maximum quickness.

Now, all that’s left is what to drink?

Wine Pairing: Lambrusco

beef ramen noodle stir fry on wood plate with lambrusco wine

Lambrusco is a sparkling red wine from Italy that makes a fun, fitting pairing to dress up those packaged ramen noodles.

Lambrusco is fun. It has bubbles. It’s red and Italian from Emilia Romano region in northern Italy

Despite all the positives, Lambrusco may have gotten a bad rap at some point for being too sweet. However, the styles can range from dry to semi-sweet.

This Lambrusco Salamino Di Santa Croce ($20) is off dry and plummy. Deep, dark, and purple in color, it has slight pencil shaving notes.

It’s not terribly nuanced with not much of a beginning, middle or end to speak of. But that forthright dark plum flavor coupled with fizz is refreshing.

It holds up well to the ramen noodles with the hint of sweetness matching the sweet note in the oyster sauce.

This wine would also work well with pizza. According to Wine and Travel Italy, its definite structure is made to eat with the local specialty in Emilia-Romagna, Italy as cotechino, a sausage stew with beans or lentils and Parmesan cheese.

Change up the usual sparkle from white or rose wines, and get Lambrusco’d. Another great alternative besides the default pairing with Asian food.

beef ramen noodle stir fry in a black nonstick pan with black chopsticks

From pan to table, these noodles could not be easier to make.

How to make it better @home

This recipe works best in non-stick pan so those noodles don’t stick, and you can stir them easily.
If you don’t have sweet soy sauce, substitute with 1/2 Tb soy sauce + 1/2 tsp sugar.
Most any kind of beef cut can be used as long as it is thinly sliced, about 1/8″ thick or less. Top round, flank steak, sirloin, etc. would be fine. To make slicing easier, it will need to be slightly frozen.
Leftovers heated in the microwave are pretty good too.
Try a whimsical pairing with Lambrusco, a sparkling Italian red wine.

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