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Beef Ramen Noodle Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
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Beef Ramen Noodle Soup

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This Korean-inspired Beef Ramen Noodle Soup has tender braised beef, kimchi, noodles, and eggs in a flavorful beef ramen broth. The whole recipe comes together in one pot, too! If you love a cozy, flavorful beef ramen recipe, you’re going to love this easy noodle soup.

This easy to make beef ramen recipe is on-par with most of the restaurant bowls I’ve had lately for a fraction of the cost! I will always advocate for supporting your local restaurants, but sometimes it’s nice to make a steaming bowl of beef ramen noodle soup at home.

Beef Ramen Noodle Soup at Home

Ramen is one of my favorite types of soup! It’s a style of soup that we’re always riffing on for delicious noodle soup nights at home.

In this instance, the flavors are inspired by Korean cuisine! Bone-in beef simmered in a rich broth flavored with onion, garlic, ginger, and gochujang paste until tender. Then, we cook the fresh ramen noodles in the broth, top with kimchi, egg, and green onion and dig in!

While this recipe takes a bit of simmering time, it’s incredibly hands-off and perfect for any night of th week, You can also simmer the beef and broth ahead of time and assemble right before dinner!

This beef ramen noodle soup recipe is perfect for chilly weather and a cozy night spent at home.

Beef Ramen Noodle Soup

Important note: I don’t claim for this recipe to be an authentic ramen recipe. This particular recipe blends the flavors and textures of two of my favorite cuisines into a delicious fusion bowl of beef ramen noodle soup.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

One pot – On busy nights, who doesn’t love a one-pot recipe? Beef ramen noodle soup is easy to throw together in a pot on the stove and let it do it’s thing while you focus on other things. You’ll end up with a hearty and delicious beef soup with minimal effort on your part!

Slow cooking/pressure cooker friendly – Short on time? No problem! I’ve got instructions on how to get this recipe on the table even easier with the help of a slow cooker or pressure cooker. Scroll down for my alternative cooking methods!

Comforting – There’s nothing quite as comforting as a bowl of noodle soup, but we’ve made it even better! This Beef Ramen Noodle Soup recipe is so flavorful and rich without being too heavy. It’s the soup we turn to over and over again for cool nights.

Beef Ramen Noodle Soup

How to Make Beef Ramen Noodle Soup

As with all my soup recipes, I highly recommend investing in a 4-5 qt dutch oven! This piece of cookware does all of the heavy lifting in my kitchen and I love it so much! I’ve linked my favorite dutch oven below.

Tools Needed

Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Beef. I always use bone-in chuck for this recipe! I separate the bone from the rest of the meat and simmer it with the broth for extra texture and flavor. You can use boneless chuck or brisket for this recipe with similar results.
  • Beef bones. For added flavor, texture, and nutrition, I highly recommend adding beef bones! I buy bone-in chuck and use that, but you could also use beef neck bones or a couple of pieces of oxtail.
  • Aromatics. Onion, ginger, and garlic add tons of flavor to the soup base.
  • Gochujang paste. Gochujang paste is a fermented Korean chili paste widely available at most grocery stores, including Trader Joe’s. It adds a bit of tangy heat and is packed with flavor.
  • Beef broth. Use your favorite store bought beef broth here.
  • Ramen Noodles. I always buy fresh ramen noodles for this recipe! They have the best texture. You can find them at your local Asian market as well as stores like Whole Foods and Central Market. Otherwise, you can use dried ramen noodles!
  • Sesame oil. Before serving, I always drizzle some toasted sesame oil in the soup for extra flavor.

The Process

  1. Prep the beef. If using a large piece of bone-in chuck, cut the bone away and set aside. Cut the beef into 2″ cubes and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Sear the beef. Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef to the pot in a single layer (you may need to do this in batches). Sear until browned on all sides, then remove from the pot using a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate.
  3. Saute the aromatics. Add the diced onion, garlic, and ginger to the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and fragrant. Add the gochujang paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  4. Add the beef and broth. Add the beef broth to the pot and stir well to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and add the seared beef and beef bones. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 2 hours or so, until the beef is tender.
  5. Season and finish. Remove the beef bones from the soup and discard. Gently shred the beef, add the rice wine vinegar and sesame oil to the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You can simmer the noodles directly in the soup, or cook separately. Ladle the soup and noodles into bowls and top with chopped kimchi, soft boiled eggs, and green onions.

What is ‘Braising’?

This Beef Ramen Noodle Soup is technically braised before adding the noodles! Braising is a combination cooking technique that features both wet and dry heat.

First, you sear the chuck in the pot for flavor and color and then you add liquid to the pot and then simmer until tender over low heat.

The resulting meat is exceedingly tender. Braising is particularly effective for tough cuts of meat (brisket, chuck, pork shoulder, etc). Cooking tough meats low and slow in liquid allows the muscle tissue and collagen to slowly break down. The bones lend flavor and thicken the broth resulting in absolutely delicious Beef Ramen Noodle Soup!

Alternative Cooking Methods for Beef Ramen Noodle Soup

I love taking my time simmering the beef on the stove, but that’s not always feasible with time constraints. Here are some other methods for cooking up Beef Ramen Noodle Soup.

Slow Cooker – Use another pan or pot to sear the beef before adding it to the slow cooker. Seriously, don’t skip this step because it adds SO much flavor! Once the chuck is seared, add it to the slow cooker with the onions, garlic, ginger, gochujang, beef bones, and broth. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4, until the beef is very tender. You’ll have to transfer to a pot before cooking the noodles, or cook the noodles separately.

Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker – Follow the recipe as written, using the saute function on your instant pot. Let the pan get nice and hot before searing the beef using the ‘high’ setting for saute. Add the broth mixture, veggies, and herbs to the pot. Set the Instant Pot to ‘pressure cook’ for 50 minutes, with natural release. Remove the lid, then set the function to saute. Remove the bones and add the noodles and cook according to package instructions.

Beef Ramen Noodle Soup

Best Toppings for Beef Ramen Noodle Soup

Beef Ramen Noodle Soup is all about the toppings! The more, the better in my opinion. Here are all my favorite toppings options for ramen:

Soft boiled eggs. Anytime you visit a ramen restaurant, this is one of the most popular toppings! To make soft boiled eggs at home, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Gently lower eggs into the boiling water and boil for 6-7 minutes. Remove, peel, and add to your soup!

Chopped kimchi. Since this is Korean-inspired Beef Ramen Noodle Soup, kimchi is a must! It’s great for gut health and adds a tangy zing.

Herbs. I love topping my ramen with chopped green onions! You could also top with chopped cilantro or Thai basil.

Chili oil. Need some extra heat? Drizzle some chili oil or hot sesame oil over your beef ramen noodle soup before digging in.

American cheese. This is probably controversial, but I once had ramen topped with a slice of American cheese and it blew my mind! The cheese melts into the broth making it extra creamy and delicious. Highly recommend giving it a try if you’re up for something different!

Beef Ramen Noodle Soup

Storing, Freezing, and Reheating Beef Ramen Noodle Soup

Leftovers of beef ramen noodle soup will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container, but keep in mind that as time goes on, the noodles will soak up the broth and get puffy.

If you anticipate a lot of leftovers, cook the noodles separately, and store them separately. When you’re warming up individual portions of the soup, add some noodles before serving.

Ideally, reheat on the stove over a low heat. You could microwave it as well in small increments.

I don’t recommend freezing beef ramen noodle soup with the noodles as the texture will change, but you can freeze the beef and broth for up to 3 months.

Beef Ramen Noodle Soup

Next time you’re in the mood for a cozy soup, try this Beef Ramen Noodle Soup recipe! It’s one of our year-round favorites, and I know you will love it just as much as we do! If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!

More Noodle Soup Recipes to Try Now

Chicken Khao Soi
Quick Chicken Pho
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Miso Chicken Udon Soup
Wonton Noodle Soup

This post for Beef Ramen Noodle Soup contains affiliate links from which I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate links allow me to keep providing great recipes for free and I never recommend products that I don’t love and personally own.

Beef Ramen Noodle Soup
Main Dishes, Soup, Soups

Beef Ramen Noodle Soup

This Korean-inspired Beef Ramen Recipe has tender braised beef, kimchi, noodles, and eggs in a flavorful beef ramen broth. The whole recipe comes together in one pot, too!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Makes: 4 – 6 servings

Ingredients

Noodle Soup

  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil
  • 3 lbs bone-in beef chuck
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger
  • 1/4 cup gochujang paste
  • 8 cups beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce, optional
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 20 oz fresh ramen noodles
  • kosher salt
  • freshly cracked pepper

Toppings

  • soft boiled eggs
  • minced green onions
  • kimchi, chopped
  • sesame oil, for drizzling

Instructions

  • Prep the beef. If using a large piece of bone-in chuck, cut the bone away and set aside. Cut the beef into 2" cubes and season with salt and pepper.
  • Sear the beef. Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef to the pot in a single layer (you may need to do this in batches). Sear until browned on all sides, then remove from the pot using a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate.
  • Saute the aromatics. Add the diced onion, garlic, and ginger to the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and fragrant. Add the gochujang paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the beef and broth. Add the beef broth to the pot and stir well to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and add the seared beef and beef bones. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 2 hours or so, until the beef is tender.
  • Season and finish. Remove the beef bones from the soup and discard. Gently shred the beef, add the rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, and sesame oil to the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You can simmer the noodles directly in the soup, or cook separately. Ladle the soup and noodles into bowls and top with chopped kimchi, soft boiled eggs, and green onions.

Notes

See blog post for slow cooker and pressure cooker cooking instructions, as well as storage and freezing instructions. 

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