This Korean-inspired Beef Ramen Noodle Soup serves tender braised beef, kimchi, noodles, and soft boiled eggs in a flavorful beef broth. The whole recipe comes together in one pot, too!
This easy-to-make 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 at home.
“So good! Great use of chuck and full of yummy Korean flavours. Kimchi is a must!” – Nick, So Much Food reader
Table of contents
This Is the Easiest Way to Make Homemade Ramen
Ramen is one of my favorite types of soup, and I’m constantly adjusting the flavors to use up whatever ingredients I have on hand for delicious noodle soup nights at home.
In this instance, the flavors are inspired by Korean cuisine! Bone-in beef simmers 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 the week. Just throw everything together in one pot on the stove and let it do its thing while you focus on other tasks. You’ll end up with a hearty and delicious beef soup with minimal effort on your part!
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 dish.
Required Equipment
The Main Ingredients (+ Swaps)
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities, and method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- 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 also 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.
How to Make Beef Ramen Noodle Soup in One Pot
Jenny’s Tip: As with all my soup recipes, I highly recommend investing in a 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven! This piece of cookware does all of the heavy lifting in my kitchen and I love it so much.
- Cut the beef into cubes. If you’re using a bone-in chuck roast like I did, you’ll need to cut the bone away (save it though! It’ll be going into the soup). Cut the beef into roughly 2-inch cubes and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Sear the beef until deeply golden. You might have to do this in batches, so don’t rush this process. If you overlap the beef in the pan, it will start to steam rather than sear.
- Sauté the aromatics. By cooking the onion, garlic, and ginger in the same pot that we seared the beef in, we’re keeping all of that delicious flavor in the soup.
- Return the beef to the pot and simmer. Stir in the beef bone, gochujang, seared beef pieces, and broth. Pop the lid onto the Dutch oven and simmer for about 2 hours (you want the beef to be very tender).
- Discard the bones and season After removing the bones, take out the pieces of beef (kitchen tongs are helpful for this) and shred them. Return the beef to the pot and stir in the rice wine vinegar and sesame oil.
- Boil the ramen noodles, then serve. It’s up to you whether you simmer the ramen noodles directly in the beef broth. I only simmer the noodles directly in the broth if I know for sure I won’t wind up with leftovers!
Jenny’s Tip: You can also simmer the beef and broth ahead of time and then wait to assemble right before dinner!
Our Favorite Toppings
Beef Ramen Noodle Soup is all about the toppings! The more, the better in my opinion. Here are all my favorite toppings options for beef 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 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!
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 Asian-Inspired Noodle Soups
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 Recipe
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.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- To make in a 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 Instructions
- To make in an Instant Pot: 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.
Storage Instructions
- To store leftovers: Leftovers 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.
Rate & Review This Recipe
Great flavor. I will definitely make this again, but boiling the ramen separately is an absolute must, otherwise all the broth gets absorbed in the process and this is no longer a soup.
So good! Great use of chuck and full of yummy Korean flavours. Kimchi is a must!
For just 3 people can I use short ribs instead of chuck roast
Yes!
Absolutely loved this beef ramen noodle soup! I followed your recipe and tossed in a spoonful of NoodleBomb ramen sauce towards the end. It added deep umami and richness without making it salty, and made the broth taste restaurant?quality. I’ll definitely make this again — thanks for sharing!