Ramen noodles are king in the weeknight dinner hack department. We’ve tossed them into creamy chicken soup, transformed them into sophisticated carbonara, and even packed them into buns for burgers, but this take on classic beef and broccoli might be our favorite. Thinly sliced steak and tender broccoli join those unmistakable noodles in a savory ginger soy sauce for an all-in-one dinner that’s sure to become a weeknight classic.
The steak:
Freezing the flank steak until it’s nearly solid before slicing is the best way to get those thin strips of meat. Use a sharp knife and make sure to slice against the grain, i.e., across those long fibers of meat that stretch across the steak. Flank steak is lean and tends to be chewy if it’s not cut properly, so this is crucial.
The prep:
Like any stir-fried dish, it’s important to make sure you have all your ingredients cut and measured before turning on the stove. We all love shortcuts, but trying to chop broccoli while stir-frying steak is a surefire ticket to a stressful kitchen experience, as well as a pan full of burnt steak. Take advantage of the steak’s marinade time to chop the ingredients, boil the noodles, and make the sauce—and if you’re not done when the steak’s 15-minute marinade is up, just let it ride in the marinade until you’re done. An extra 15 or 20 minutes won’t hurt.
Storage:
Beef and broccoli ramen is best eaten fresh, but if you have leftovers, they can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days and reheated in a covered dish in the microwave. Since the noodles will continue to absorb the sauce as they sit, the leftovers won’t ever regain their original saucy glossiness, but they’ll still taste just as good. Honestly? Maybe even better.
Did you try making this? Let us know how it went in the comments!