Chicken Stir Fry with Ramen

Printable version

Ramen noodles are a staple on college campuses and kitchens of the less well-to-do because they cost about $1.64 for a three month supply. Although they are cheap, I still think they're tasty. I am willing to buy cheap noodles, but lunch meat, well, that's another story. I'll just say I'll never buy bologna at the Dollar Tree - which is exactly where I purchased the ramen noodles I used in this delicious recipe. I wanted to use the noodles as a substitute for rice in a simple stir fry I was putting together as a dish for around twenty people.

I kept it very simple – four ingredients. I could have added more but this was really one of those situations where I thought I could come up with something that even the most inexperienced cook could make and be proud of their creation.

I'm pleased to say that this recipe was not just a simple dish for a simple cook, but a simple dish with rock star flavor! I inhaled a bowl of this after it was finished. This is a great item to have on the counter for a weekend meal.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Chicken Stir Fry with Ramen

I loved eating ramen noodles when I was in college and I still enjoy them today – who cares if they are a poor man’s food – they’re delicious and seem to absorb just about any type of flavor they're surrounded by. I made a spicy ramen soup a while ago and it, along with this, are two of my favorite noodle recipe from the past year.

I decided to make a ramen dish after my last pantry purge. A few weeks back I was putting away groceries and was having trouble finding room for a can of soup. I knew I had to get rid of some things. One of the items taking up space was a near-full 12-pack box of ramen noodles. When I volunteered to make a dish for a gathering at the local church, I knew I could wipe out most of the noodles. I used 6 packages, but still have another four left from a $1 box – they have to be the most economical food of all time!

Eat well, cook often ...


THE RECIPE

Chicken Stir Fry with Ramen

Serves 16 to 20; 1 hour
4 lbs Chicken thighs, cut in chunks
5 medium Green peppers, cut in strips
1 bottle Stir fry sauce (12 oz)
6 pkgs Ramen noodles (3 oz each)
3 Qrts Water
Sriracha sauce (optional)

Ramen noodles
Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add ramen noodles. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes then remove from heat. Let rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes, allowing ramen to absorb some or most of the water. Drain if necessary.

Make stir fry
In a large pan over medium-high heat sear chicken in a little olive oil in batches, cook until almost cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove to a bowl. Add more oil if necessary, then sauté green pepper until soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Return chicken to pan and cook until chicken is fully cooked.

Finish
Add ramen noodles and stir fry sauce to pot and mix until well combined. Cook until heated through. Remove from heat, place in bowls and serve with sriracha sauce.

Spicy Ramen Pepper Steak

Printable version

I bought a bundle of ramen noodles recently at the Dollar Tree as an impulse buy. I thought it would be fun to incorporate them into a tasty soup or salad. When I was in college I loved ramen noodles, not just because they were cheap, but for their flavor. When I worked at Bloomberg News they offered them for free at the snack bar and it seemed like I  ate a bowl or two a week for the three plus years that I worked there.

I wanted to take these noodles to a new level though. I decided to go with a pepper steak theme.

I started by browning the steak. Once it was just barely cooked through I remove it from the pot and started the aromatics – red pepper, onion, jalapeno, fresh ginger and garlic. Once they were soft I returned the steak to the pot with 5 cups of chicken broth and two tablespoons of sriracha sauce. Yup, TWO tablespoons! I brought it to a simmer, then added three packages of noodles. I threw away the little flavor packets that come with each bundle of noodles. After a few minutes they  were ready to eat, just as if I were making them between classes or returning home for a snack after a night of debauchery back in college.

I couldn’t get enough of this dish. I absolutely destroyed two bowls before I could even get the pictures for this blog done. It was a great beef and noodle dish with a hint of Asian flavor from the ginger. The sriracha added enough heat to give it an addictive quality.

I think this is a great dish for a party and really shows how delicious ramen noodles can be – rather than just a cheap meal for college students.

BEHIND THIS BITE

I learned something about ramen noodles when I made this dish – they don’t stop absorbing liquid. The first bowl of this recipe I consumed was like a soup. The second was more like noodles with a little broth - the next day it was just noodles! All the flavor was there, so nothing was lost - except the heat.
As the noodles soaked up the broth it also soaked up the spice and made it less potent. The first couple of bowls really packed a nice punch with the sriracha, but the next day, with the liquid gone, the heat was really tame. My mom tried a spoonful when it was fresh off the stove and she complained that it was too spicy. She took a container to one of her friends who likes hot stuff. She ate it the next day and had the same experience as me - the heat disappeared with the broth! There was some spice but not like in the beginning. Even I thought it was spicy when I first tried it, and as my family knows, my mild is usually another man’s hellfire - so needless to say, it really had some kick at the start.

I can’t wait to make this dish again, the recipe makes a large amount, so I think it will be a good dish to make for our first get together at the family camp ground – which should be opening in the next few weeks – weather permitting.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Serves 4 to 6; 30 minutes
1 lb Sirloin, sliced thin
2 C Red pepper, chopped
1 C Red onion, diced
1 Jalapeño, seeded, sliced
2 tsp Ginger, minced
1 Tbs Garlic, minced
5 C Beef broth
2 Tbs Sriracha
3 packages Ramen noodle, seasoning discarded

Brown steak; Sauté vegetables
In a large pot over medium heat sear steak until just cook through, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove and set aside. Add a little olive oil to pan and sauté onion, red pepper, jalapeno and ginger until soft. 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more.

Add broth, steak; finish
Add broth, sriracha and return steak to pot. Bring mixture to a simmer. Stir in noodles, break up if desired, return to simmer and cook 3 minutes or until noodles are soft. Remove from heat. Spoon into a bowl, garnish with cilantro and serve.