Quick and easy weeknight meals are not always something that is good enough to serve company or something your kids will not only eat but request. These Korean Beef Noodle Bowls are both! They are SO quick and easy, but also delicious and beautiful. You probably need to put them on next week’s menu immediately.
It doesn’t take long–the ramen noodles cook in minutes and the stir fried beef is the same. This can easily be on your dinner table in 30 minutes or less! Toss on some fresh cucumbers and green onions and it’s the perfect combination of hot and cold, sweet and savory, lots of different textures and flavors. Best. Dinner. Ever.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Sirloin steak – I also sometimes make it with ground beef.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil
- Soy sauce
- Water
- Sriracha sauce
- Sesame oil
- Brown sugar
- White onion
- Garlic cloves – Fresh is always best!
- Fresh ginger – Fresh is always best!
- Ramen noodles – Discard the seasoning packet.
- English or baby cucumbers
- Green onions
- Sesame seeds
- Gochujang sauce – If you don’t typically cook Korean food, you’ll also need Gochujang sauce. People ask me if it’s necessary. Yes, it is. I live in the sticks and I can find it at pretty much all my grocery stores (I actually have better luck at the Neighborhood Walmarts than the big Super Walmarts, but I can also find it at Kroger and Albertson’s.) It’s sweet. It’s spicy. It’s more kid-friendly than most Asian spicy sauces. You for sure need it in your arsenal.
How to Make Korean Beef Noodle Bowls
- In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, water, sriracha, sesame oil, and brown sugar. Set aside.
- Season thinly sliced beef with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add noodles and cook for 2 ½-3 minutes or until barely cooked through. Drain and rinse immediately in cold water.
- While water is heating to boil, heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. When hot, add the beef in a single layer and cook, stirring frequently, until it’s about ¾ done. Reduce heat to medium and add chopped/sliced onion, garlic, and ginger and cook until beef is cooked through and the mixture is fragrant.
- Whisk the sauce mixture one more time and then drizzle over the beef and onions. Turn heat to low and simmer while the noodles cook.
- When the noodles are cooked and the sauce has been added to the pan, add the drained noodles to the pan and toss gently to combine. Divide the noodles and beef among 4 bowls. Sprinkle with sliced cucumbers, chopped green onions, and sesame seeds and drizzle with a little (or a lot, if you want) Gochujang sauce.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days.
- While we love this meal with ramen noodles, feel free to make the beef and serve with rice, rice noodles, or zoodles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time?
Sure! I recommend making the beef and sauce and storing those in an airtight container in the fridge. Cook your noodles right before serving and toss it all together until heated through.
Can I make this gluten-free?
You can definitely find gluten-free ramen and use coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce. The gochujang sauce may be a harder thing to find gluten-free, but it does exist!
Korean Beef Noodle Bowls
These sweet, spicy, satisfying Korean Beef Noodle Bowls are on the menu at least twice a month at my house!
Servings servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound sirloin steak thinly sliced*
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 white onion, small thinly sliced or finely chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly minced or grated ginger
- 2 packages ramen noodles discard seasoning packets or save them for another use
- ½ English cucumber or 2 baby cucumbers thinly sliced (leave the peels on)
- 1 bunch green onions chopped
- Sesame seeds
- Gochujang sauce see note
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, water, sriracha, sesame oil, and brown sugar. Set aside.
- Season thinly sliced beef with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. When it comes to a boil, add noodles and cook for 2 ½-3 minutes or until barely cooked through. Drain and rinse immediately in cold water. (You can start the next step while the water is coming to a boil.)
- While water is heating, heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. When hot, add the beef in a single layer and cook, stirring frequently, until it’s about ¾ done. Reduce heat to medium and add chopped/sliced onion, garlic, and ginger and cook until beef is cooked through and the mixture is fragrant. Whisk the sauce mixture one more time and then drizzle over the beef and onions. Turn heat to low and simmer while the noodles cook.
- When the noodles are cooked and the sauce has been added to the pan, add the drained noodles to the pan and toss gently to combine. Divide the noodles and beef among 4 bowls. Sprinkle with sliced cucumbers, chopped green onions, and sesame seeds and drizzle with a little (or a lot, if you want) Gochujang sauce.
Notes
- You can substitute ground beef for the sliced steak if you prefer
- Gochujang sauce is absolutely essential. It’s sweet and spicy, but not as spicy as other Asian sauces. It’s delicious–probably my favorite spicy Asian sauce. Most grocery stores are carrying it now. If you can’t find it at your local grocery store, you can order it from Amazon.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
Nutrition
Calories: 408kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 69mg, Sodium: 1770mg, Potassium: 577mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 94IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 63mg, Iron: 4mg
Calories: 408kcal
Cost: $10
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Questions & Reviews
Made this tonight! Delicious. We cheated and I used the frozen steak-ums stuff designed for Philly cheesesteaks. It’s 100% sirloin and cooked up super fast. Thank for the recipe!
What recipe do you use to make the pickled cucumbers for this dish?
Hi Rhonda! A lot of times I just wing it, but my favorite recipe is this one!
This is SO yummy! Such a hit with my family! Thank you for sharing it!! And your tips to cook the ramen quick and rinse in cold water saves them from overcooking like I’ve had happen in other similar recipes. The flavors are superb! Thank you again!!!! 💗
My small grocery store has thinly sliced steak for cheese steaks.. would that work for this recipe?
Yes, that should work great!
Made this tonight for my family of me, husband and two young adult men. Everyone loved it! The Gochujang sauce was too spicy for me but the men loved it. The recipe didn’t make enough to feed the men as much as they wanted. Next time I will double it.
Delicious! Made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit with everyone. And quick and easy too! I’ve been watching The Chef Show and I want everything that Roy Choi makes. This satisfied my craving! Thanks so much!
This was sooooo good! A new favorite, thank you!