Easy One Pot Beef and Broccoli Ramen Noodles
This easy one pot beef and broccoli ramen noodles recipe is fast, flavorful, and perfect for a busy weeknight! You can easily use ground beef or leave it meatless, too.
Confession: my kids love ramen noodles. Second confession: I never buy ramen for them. Maybe it’s because I’m still detoxing 20 years later for all the ramen I ate in college, but I just can’t do it. {Thank you faithful church youth leaders and grandma who have gotten wind of this and buy my boys a case of ramen each year on their birthday.}
While I’m not the biggest ramen-in-its-purest-form fan, I don’t really have anything against using the squiggly little noodles in other recipes. If you’ve been around long enough, you probably remember this kicked up ramen noodles recipe. We’re still making it eight years later because it is so simple and good, and it’s the recipe that inspired me to try some different variations.
Because we are huge broccoli beef fans, I firstly wanted to figure out a way to combine quick ramen noodles + the flavors of broccoli beef. Can it be done? Oh yes, it can. And wow, is it delicious.
This meal is simple and fast
I’ve labeled it a 30-minute meal because it’s proven to be doable in that amount of time, but don’t stress if it takes you a bit longer. I tend to be a messy, fast, haphazard chopper (I mean, just have a quick look-see at all the asymmetrical pieces of beef and broccoli in the pan and you’ll see what I mean). If you are a more precise (ahem, neater) chopper than I am, it might take a bit longer.
Mostly, the point is that this is a super quick meal. It’s not necessarily a great make-ahead meal because it tastes best eaten right after it is made, but if you are looking for a meal that can be start-to-finish on the table fast, this is a great one.
Steak vs ground beef
The recipe calls for flank or sirloin steak. The meat cooks really fast in this dish, so keep those slices less than 1/4-inch! We have a freezer packed full of sirloin steak from our back pasture cows, so that’s what I grab for this dish (also, I just really like the classic Asian-style beef broccoli vibe).
But after making it a couple of times, I think it would transition really well to using ground beef (or even ground turkey). Kind of like this Korean beef or these Dan Dan noodles. A more humble approach perhaps but certain to be tasty. My recommendation: cook the ground beef in the sesame oil (flavor!!) and remove it to a plate after it has cooked; add it back to the pot in step #5.
Make it meatless
Along those lines, you could leave the meat out completely for an easy meatless meal. What about tossing in more veggies? Maybe sliced bell peppers, carrots, or mushrooms? Sounds pretty darn yummy, if you ask me.
The flavorful sauce brings this dish together. Sure, the ramen and broccoli and beef – it’s all pretty good, but the robust, flavor-packed sauce elevates the meal to straight up amazing. I’ve given some notes below in the recipe about substitutions for some of the Asian-style ingredients you may not have on hand, but if you’re willing to branch out, I’d encourage you to use the real stuff for a total flavor explosion.
Here are a few other recipes that use sesame oil, hoisin sauce, and oyster sauce if you want to be sure buying a bottle of it will be worth it. And perhaps while you consider, think of me chanting in your ear: do it, do it, do it! 🙂
-Recipes that use SESAME OIL
-Recipes that use HOISIN SAUCE
-Recipes that use OYSTER SAUCE
One Year Ago: Thin and Chewy Toffee Bits Cookies
Two Years Ago: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Three Years Ago: Double Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Four Years Ago: White Bean Chicken Chili
Five Years Ago: Classic Slow Cooker Chili
Six Years Ago: White Texas Sheet Cake
Seven Years Ago: Cheesecake Rice Pudding {Plus a Chocolate Version!}
Eight Years Ago: Herb Focaccia Bread
Meat: I haven't tried it, but I think this meal would work quite well with ground beef in place of the flank or sirloin steak. Low-Sodium: using low-sodium broth and low-sodium soy sauce might be important if you are worried about the overall dish being too salty. Hoisin or Oyster Sauce Substitution: If you don't have hoisin or oyster sauce on hand, you can think outside the box a little and consider using ketchup or BBQ sauce. It will change the flavor profile, but can probably be used in a pinch for a thick, saucy substitution. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.Easy One Pot Beef and Broccoli Ramen Noodles
Ingredients
Sauce:
Instructions
Notes
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This was delicious! It fed our family perfectly and I wouldn’t change a thing!
Do you think frozen broccoli florets would work?
Sure! They won’t need hardly any cooking time (just watch closely so they don’t turn mushy).
This was a really easy, really good recipe! I used ground beef because that’s what I had on hand, and I didn’t actually measure the meat or broccoli, but it all still worked out really well. The flavors were delicious, and it came together so quickly. Thanks, Mel!
Delicious and incredibly fast! My first time trying ramen and it was so worth the wait.
This is a wonderful recipe that is full of flavor. It is easy to prepare and comes together quickly once you get the prep done. I used a New York strip steak for the two of us and it was fabulous and tender, Watch the saltiness because the soy has a lot of salt in it. I used low sodium soy. Even my husband loved it and he is picky! Great recipe, Mel! Thank you!
Thanks so much, Betty!
I’ve made this twice already and it is a winner! This will be a family favorite for sure.
I’ve made this almost weekly since finding this recipe and it’s been a hit every time! I have only tried it with ground beef and it works great. I cook the ground beef first and just leave it in the pan when I add everything else. I love this kind of meal for weeknights!
Since making the beef and broccoli ramen about 6 weeks ago, my very picky 16 year old has requested them every week for dinner. I have tried a few variations, use bbq sauce (Paul Newman’s original) instead of hoisin sauce, (keeping it gluten free, soy free, and low sugar) . Ground beef was a bigger hit than the flank steak, and last night I was out of broccoli but wanted the vegetable component, so dumped in frozen peas at the end. NO left overs! And it is so easy and fast to make! I have been cooking and baking 30 years and yours if my favorite go to website! Thank you!
Thanks so much, Angela! Love all the additional details on this recipe – so helpful!
I can attest that this is delicious!! I was a little nervous to use ground beef, but it’s all I had so I gave it a go…and oh man. I think Ill use it every time! I also reduced the chicken broth to 3 cups and it was the perfect amount of liquid. Thanks Mel, you’ve done it again.
Thanks for the review, Natalie!
I just made this and it was SUPER salty. I’ve had the same problem with other recipes that you have. Any ideas or suggestions of how we could fix it? Thanks!
Hey Lindsay – do you use low-sodium chicken broth and soy sauce or regular?
To make this gluten-free friends we used gluten free soy sauce and rice noodles. Just made sure to not add the noodles until everything else was ready as they cook so quickly. SO DELICIOUS. Thank you so much for a wonderful meal we could enjoy as a family. Love love love you Mel.
Love your gluten-free notes, Katie!
This is quick and delicious!
Thanks, Kelsey!
This was delicious! it was an easy recipe to make on a late night. Thanks so much for a wonderful dish to quickly make when we wanted to eat something amazing on a long workday!
Thanks, Mandy!
Great recipe! It’s easy to make your own housin sauce if you don’t have any! I used sobs noodles because that’s what I had in hand and it turned out great (but kind of brown looking!
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/256166/homemade-hoisin-sauce/
Thanks, Lindsey!
This was excellent. I have made it twice but did make a note to reduce the chicken broth a bit next time as the amount that was left after cooking the noodles and broccoli was such that it diluted the sauce too much.
Thanks for the comment, Elsie! Glad you are loving this recipe.
Great feedback. Thanks, Elsie!
I made this with ground beef and it was very good! Thank you!! I love your one-pot recipes. I’ll definitely make this again. By the way — some of your recipes include a “serve this with…” I’m not exactly sure what I would serve along with this. Any suggestions?
Thanks for reminding me I left the “what to serve with this” off this recipe. I’ll add it! For recipes like this, I usually just go with simple fresh fruit or another steamed veggie as a side dish since the main meal already has protein, carbs and veggies!
This was so easy and absolutely delicious. We like things on the spicy side so I substituted spicy sesame oil and a little chili garlic paste. It will be a family staple. Thank you so much for your delicious food!
Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know, Ruth!
We loved this last night! (And we also adore the other ramen recipe – the ‘kicked Up’ one that we discovered on your site this summer!! ) THANKS
MEL!
Yay, Rachel! Made me smile reading this!
Made it tonight with ground beef. Can confirm: delicious! I used coconut aminos, millet & brown rice ramen and gluten free hoisin for my celiac husband and he loved it too! Thank you!!
So, so happy to hear this, Emily!
I used that same ramen too and it was fabulous! Thanks for another winner recipe Mel!
Awesome!! Thanks, Bonnie!
I made this tonight and tried your tip of using ground beef instead of flank steak. It was delicious and cut down on the prep time by not having to slice steak. I also used a bag of precut/prewashed broccoli for an extra time saver. I will definitely make this again!
Love these ideas and tips – thanks, Amy!
My kids love ramen too, and I don’t buy it often! I love beef and broccoli, yum. A while back I went through a “try all the noodles” phase in a search for the perfect Asian noodles for my chow mein. Though we like ramen, the texture doesn’t hold up as well as I’d like and gets too soft. Our very favorite noodles are Yakisoba that are specifically found in the refrigerated section at the store. Perfect size and texture! And cheater chopsticks for the win!
Costco has the BEST ramen noodles (no seasoning) made from rice if you want a healthier alternative!
I’ve seen those! Great idea!
Thanks for the suggestion.