This slow cooker beef ramen casserole is the perfect weeknight savior for those nights when you don’t feel like making dinner. All you have to do is throw a few cheap ingredients in the pot and let it cook. The slow cooker really does a wonderful job of simmering the meat in a savory broth.
It takes pantry ramen noodles and turns them into a warm, comforting meal, without having to stand over a stove. It saves you from a frantic evening but you still get a hot meal ready to serve. And, there’s no chopping veggies, so you can relax.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
I think you will love the texture of this dish, with tender, flavorful ground beef clinging to the soft noodles. It’s the answer to those busy nights after soccer practice when you arrive home and are just too tired to fix dinner. The ground beef slowly cooks until it’s so tender that it seems to almost dissolve into the savory broth.
The great thing about this recipe is also how little clean-up is involved. Everything cooks in one pot, which means no dishes, pans or sauces to clean at the end of the evening. It makes your evening easy, without feeling like a chore.
What You Need
You will need ground beef, dry ramen noodles, beef broth, frozen mixed vegetables and soy sauce.
Ground Beef
Fresh ground beef adds a hearty and savory taste to the dish, adding flavor to the cooking liquid. It’s best if you crumble the beef into small pieces. You can use ground turkey if you’d like to use less fat. You may want to add more soy sauce since ground turkey is not as rich as ground beef.
Dry Ramen Noodles
These inexpensive noodles from the pantry are the perfect carb to give you the right amount of chewiness. The seasoning packets from the noodles season the broth. When you finish cooking, break the noodles into smaller pieces before serving to keep them al dente. If you don’t want to use the flavor packets, simply substitute a hearty beef bouillon cube and a dash of garlic powder.
Frozen Mixed Vegetables
I love throwing a bag of frozen veggies into dishes for instant color, fiber and crunch with zero prep. No need to defrost them! Just add them right to the simmering liquid so they retain some bite. If you’re not a fan of frozen peas and carrots, try frozen broccoli florets or even fresh sliced bell peppers.
How to Make It
Follow these simple instructions and let your slow cooker work its magic tonight.
Brown the Beef in the Slow Cooker
Place the raw ground beef into the bottom of your slow cooker along with the beef broth, soy sauce and the contents of the ramen seasoning packets. Use a wooden spoon to break the beef up into small, bite-sized pieces.
Slow Cook the Base
Place the lid on the slow cooker and turn to low heat. Allow the beef to simmer for 3-4 hours. Stir once or twice throughout if you’re near the slow cooker.
Add the Vegetables
Once the beef is tender and fully cooked, add the frozen mixed vegetables to the savory soup and stir. Cover and cook for 15 more minutes until the veggies are heated through but still have some bite.
Soften the Noodles
Break the ramen noodles into large pieces and place them on top of the liquid. Press them down gently with a spatula so that most of the noodles are submerged in the liquid. Cover and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes until the noodles are tender.
Stir and Serve
Stir the slow cooker casserole well to combine everything together and let it rest in the slow cooker for 5 minutes or so so the sauce can thicken. Ladle into warm bowls and serve.
My Best Tips
To avoid soggy noodles, only add the ramen noodles during the last 30 minutes of cooking. If they cook longer than that, they’ll absorb too much liquid and won’t hold their shape at all.
If you anticipate a long night, line your slow cooker with a liner before starting. The beauty of this trick is that you can literally pull the whole thing out when dinner’s over and you’re done scrubbing.
For folks who like a little spice, just have a bottle of sriracha or chili garlic sauce on the dinner table. This way the grownups can put in whatever amount of spice they want and the kiddos get theirs nice and mild.
Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient Beef Ramen Casserole.
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 packages dry ramen noodles save the seasoning packets
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 cups frozen mixed veggies
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Place the raw ground beef in the slow cooker and break it apart with a spoon. Add beef broth and stir in the reserved seasoning packets and soy sauce.
- Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until the beef is cooked, stirring as much as possible.
- Add the frozen mixed vegetables to the slow cooker and cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Break up the ramen noodles into chunks and place them on top of the liquid and press down to help them get under. Cover and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes or until the noodles are cooked.
- Stir the casserole, allow it to sit for 5 minutes to thicken, and serve.
Nutrition
Storage and Reheating
- To Store: Place any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing the leftovers of this recipe because the noodles will be mushy after defrosting.
- To Reheat: Gently reheat leftovers on the stove or in the microwave and add a little water or broth to loosen the noodles.
Serving Suggestions
- Simple salad with a light ginger dressing.
- Buttery dinner rolls.
- Cucumber slices with rice vinegar and sesame oil.
- Steamed edamame with flaky sea salt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ground turkey instead of ground beef?
You can, but since it’s lower fat, I would probably add an extra tbsp soy sauce to give it more flavor.
Do I need to brown the meat before putting it in the slow cooker?
Nope, it gets cooked right along with the broth which is why this recipe is such a time saver.
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