Next Post
Sweet and Salty Teddy Bear Snickerdoodles.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
Quick and simple 30 Minute Caramelized Shallot Beef Ramen Noodles. For those nights when you’re craving spicy Asian inspired noodles, but just can’t make it out to your favorite spot in town. Crispy caramelized beef, chicken, or pork, tossed in a sweet, spicy, and tangy honey soy sauce, mixed together with brown rice ramen noodles, shallots, garlic, and a little butter too. Not only are these noodles delicious, they’re also made easily, using pantry ingredients and frozen meet, and ready to eat in 30 minutes. Oh, and did I mention that these quick-cooking noodles can easily be made vegetarian? Yep, perfect weeknight cooking for all!
Ok, so I know these noodles have some color going on. And I know that produce is a little hard to come by these days, but please do hear me out. These ramen noodles are the pantry staple recipe we all are looking for right now.
For one, how many of you have at least a few bags of Ramen on hand (brown rice ramen is my favorite)? And if not ramen, how many of you have some kind of noodle on hand? All of you I hope!
And how many of you have either frozen ground beef, chicken, or pork in the freezer? Again, hopefully a good amount of you (assuming you eat meat).
And lastly, how many of you have a pantry full of spices and soy sauce? Please, say ALL of you.
If you have these items, you have everything you need to make some form of these noodles. So you see? This is our new “pantry recipe” and it’s truly so delicious. What’s not to love about a saucy buttery bowl of ramen noodles with caramelized shallots and crispy beef. It’s all good things in a bowl.
Here is the story.
This recipe was inspired by the 15-minute garlic butter ramen noodle recipe that I have in the HBH Super Simple cookbook. I recently shared a photo of these noodles on Instagram and it’s safe to say that it’s a well-loved recipe.
When I returned home from LA last week and things really started to escalate with the Coronavirus, I made these noodles. Not only was this a comforting recipe to make on a stressful day, but I had everything on hand. And, let’s be real, the dish just sounded so good.
Salty, buttery, tangy, and heavy on the noodles. Instead of thinking twice, I just created the recipe. It turned out just as good as I had imagined so I knew I needed to share the recipe. It’s (hopefully) going to be a go-to pantry staple recipe for you all.
Here are the details.
As you can guess, this recipe comes together fast and easy. Start with the beef.
First off, I want to say that you can use ground beef, chicken, or pork for this recipe. I just happened to have ground beef in the freezer. I also want to note that these noodles can easily be made vegetarian by using a mix of chopped vegetables, details on that below.
Moving along. Caramelize the shallots in a bit of oil. If you have sesame oil, use that, if not, just use a bit of olive oil. Now, toss in the meat, a little garlic, plenty of ginger, a pinch of cinnamon, and black pepper too. Cook this all together until the meat is browned. Add soy, plus chili paste, and a drizzle of honey to help balance the heat. Continue cooking this all together for a bit longer…
Meanwhile, cook the ramen. This literally takes five minutes tops.
Ok. Time to finish it up.
Toss the ramen in with that crispy caramelized meat. Add a touch of butter and a sprinkle of either fresh basil or cilantro. Toss and finish with some freshness by adding carrots, green onions, and a sprinkle of toasted peanuts or sesame seeds.
This is a fusion of Asian meets Italian. And while it’s a little bit odd, it’s also a little bit delicious. Sure, the greens on top are now a little harder to source, but just use what you have the easiest access to. As long as you’ve got the noodles and a little sauce, this is going to be great.
What kind of Ramen noodles?
Personally, I love using brown rice ramen, which is vegan and gluten-free. I know it might be hard to believe, but these really do taste just like the ramen noodles we loved as kids…just much healthier. You can find these noodles online either on Amazon or Thrive Market. Or you can purchase them at Whole Foods, Costco, and in many grocery stores as well.
Of course, you can also use whatever your favorite brand of ramen is. Or whatever you’ve got on hand in the pantry. You won’t need any seasoning packet for this recipe.
Alternatively, you can just use noodles. Meaning regular pasta. Any kind of long cut noodle/pasta will work well here. So again, make the recipe work for you, and use what you got!
Want to make this vegetarian?
I totally understand. Making these noodles vegetarian is SO easy to do. Just replace the meat with a mix of mushrooms and chopped cauliflower. Directions are listed in the notes section of the recipe.
Me personally? I prefer this vegetarian version, but either option is truly great.
And feel free to be creative here. I’m sure a mix of mushrooms plus zucchini, or mushrooms plus eggplant, would all be great! I will say that I do think you should use mushroom within the vegetable mix, as they add a really nice “meaty” flavor and heartiness.
So, what do we all think? Easy enough for tonight? Do you have most of the ingredients on hand? Can you make it work?
Fingers crossed!! Hoping to see lots of Instagram stories with these noodles tonight. Yes, I’m that excited over this recipe. It’s comforting, easy, and just what we all need these days.
Hoping you guys all enjoy this!!
Looking for other ramen ideas…try these.
If you make these 30 minute caramelized shallot beef ramen noodles, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
30 Minute Caramelized Shallot Beef Ramen Noodles
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 456 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil, or extra virgin olive oil
- 4 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 pound ground beef, chicken, or pork
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated (or 2 teaspoons garlic powder)
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated (or 2 teaspoons dried ginger)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (optional)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2-3 tablespoons chili paste (sambal oelek)
- 3 squares brown rice ramen noodles
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup fresh basil or cilantro, roughly torn
- 1/4 cup toasted peanuts or sesame seeds
- carrots, green onions, and limes, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the shallots and cook until the shallots begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beef, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, if using, and pepper. Brown all over, breaking the beef up as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Pour in the soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce, honey, and chili paste. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the sauce coats the beef, about 5-8 minutes.2. Meanwhile, cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the ramen according to package directions, until al dente. Before you drain the noodles scoop out about 1/2 cup cooking water, drain.3. Add the noodles and 1/4 cup of the reserved water to the beef. Add the butter and basil, tossing to combine.4. Divide the noodles between plates. Top with peanuts (or sesame seeds), carrots, green onions, and fresh limes. Enjoy!
Notes
To Make Vegetarian: Instead of using 1 pound of meat, use 3 cups of finely chopped mushrooms (can be any variety or a mix of varieties) plus 1 cup of finely chopped cauliflower (or use an additional cup of mushrooms). Sauté the vegetables as directed to do so for the meat. The cooking times should be very similar, if not the same.
This was so good, perfect for the subzero temps we’ve been having. I used the noodles from two ramen soup packets, and added red bell pepper and broccoli to the pan when I added the beef. I used a little less soy and a little more ramen water as I did not have low sodium soy sauce. It came together perfectly. This was quick, easy, and absolutely delicious.
Hey Becca,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Happy Valentine’s Day❤️ xTieghan
Of all the meals we’ve cooked from your recipes (which have all been delicious) THIS was our favorite!! So flavorful!
Hey Claire,
I am so thrilled the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! Happy Friday! xTieghan
This recipe was good, but SO spicy, even to my husband who douses everything with hot sauce. I only added 1 tbsp of the sambal oelek chili paste, where the recipe calls for 2-3 tbsp. Would definitely proceed with caution if you’re spice-sensitive!
Hey Alana,
Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
Sooooo delish! I used chicken breast and was very happy with the result!
Hey Kara,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try. I am so glad that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
I love this recipe so so much! I made it for my family on New Year’s Eve and they could not stay away! I doubled the batch and it was gone very quickly! My husband and I are on whole 30 and I’m thinking of adapting this recipe. Do you think coconut aminos may be a good substitute for the soy sauce? Also spaghetti squash in place of the noodles? This may be a bit of a stretch, but I’m thinking of trying it!
Hey Sarah,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. I am glad you enjoyed it! I think both of those substitutes would be awesome:) xTieghan
Absolutely delicious!! I used soba noodles and added Bok Choy, broccoli and capsicum with the meat for some extra veg. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly. So so good.
Hey Liv,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week:) xTieghan
This was easy, delicious, and boyfriend-approved! Thank you Tieghan!
Hey Eileen,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday! xTieghan
My hubby and I made several of your dishes last weekend and we all loved this one. We were surprised that one of our sons didn’t love it, perhaps his taste buds were off, who knows. Mine somehow ended up a little soupier than your photos. I will definitely try it again! Thanks again Tieghan!!
Hi Lailah,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Love this recipe! It’s on regular rotation in my house. Even my two year old gobbles it up. Thanks for sharing easy AND delicious recipes.
Hey Melissa,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Yet another delicious dish! It was hard not eating the entire batch. We added the optional ingredients such as shredded carrots, lime and green onion in the mix. Hours have passed and we are still going back to the container to eat more (as well, raving about how great it tastes). Thank you once again for another fave dish to repeat in the near future!
I made this tonight but it was so very salty. Absolutely loved the flavor and want to make it again but wondering how to cut it down. I did use fish sauce but that’s the only alternative I can think of.
I am really glad this turned out so well for you Liz! Thank you so much for trying this one! xTieghan
Could you sub spaghetti squash with the ramen noodles?
Hey Annie,
Sure that would work well! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was my favorite recipe I have tried of yours of all time! And I have tried a lot! Perfect for a cold, rainy fall day. I added a soft boiled egg which really took it to the next level. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I absolutely loved it! This will definitely be a new go-to.
That is so amazing to hear, Alexis! Thank you for trying this one! xTieghan
Very yummy! The entire family loved it! It has a nice kick to it!
Thank you Lisa! xTieghan
Wow! This amazing. We make about 2-3 of your recipes a week and this might be a new favorite. It’s a little spicy so next time I think we’ll do one TBSP of chili paste but wow, it’s delicious. Thank you!
Amazing! Thank you so much for trying this one, Mollie! I am really happy this turned out so well for you! xTieghan