Slow Cooker Beef Ramen

Forget instant soup—this Slow Cooker Beef Ramen transforms humble ground beef and quick-cooking noodles into a deeply savory, rich, and hearty dinner. Furthermore, the slow cooker does most of the heavy lifting, allowing the sweet and salty Asian-inspired sauce to infuse the beef, carrots, and bell pepper with flavor for hours. Therefore, this dish is not only incredibly easy to prepare but is guaranteed to be a comforting family favorite that requires minimal effort.

Ingredients & What You'll Need

Main Components:

• 1 lb. ground beef (sirloin recommended, 93/7)
• 2 packs ramen noodles (noodles only, discard seasoning packets)

Vegetables & Aromatics:

• 1 cup matchstick carrots
• 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
• 2-3 large scallions, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 cup beef stock

Optional for Topping:

• Sesame seeds
• Additional scallions for topping

How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Ramen

Follow these easy steps for a delicious, hands-off dinner.

Preparation and Sauté

1. Brown Beef: In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef until it is no longer pink. Once cooked, be sure to drain any excess grease from the beef before proceeding.
2. Load Crock Pot: Transfer the cooked, drained beef to the basin of a 6-quart slow cooker.
3. Add Vegetables: Add the matchstick carrots, sliced red bell pepper, and the roughly chopped scallions to the slow cooker, stirring them lightly with the beef.

Slow Cooking

1. Prepare Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the minced garlic, low sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, and beef stock until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Combine: Pour the sauce mixture into the slow cooker and stir everything to fully combine with the beef and vegetables.
3. Cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours. This process allows the flavors to deepen and the vegetables to tenderize perfectly.

Finishing and Serving

1. Add Noodles: Approximately 30 minutes before you plan on serving the dish, add the dry ramen noodles to the slow cooker basin. Crucially, discard the seasoning packets that came with the ramen—you only need the dry noodles.
2. Cook Noodles: Stir the noodles frequently during this final 30 minutes to ensure they are evenly coated in the sauce and cook through.
3. Serve: When the noodles are tender, the dish is ready. Serve the beef ramen hot in bowls, optionally topping with additional fresh scallions and sesame seeds for color and crunch.

Tips and Notes

• Spice It Up: For a dish with more heat, add 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes or a dash of Sriracha to the sauce mixture before slow cooking.
• Thickening the Sauce: This recipe creates a hearty, saucy ramen (not soup-like). If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can remove the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking or stir in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold water during the last 15 minutes.
• Vegetable Swaps: Feel free to use other quick-cooking vegetables like snow peas, sliced mushrooms, or thin strips of bok choy. Add these at the same time as the ramen noodles to prevent them from becoming mushy.