The Best Air Fryer Beef Ramen Stir Fry (Ready in 25 Minutes)

Why I Keep Making This Air Fryer Beef Ramen Stir Fry

I am not sure I can love this Air Fryer Beef Ramen Stir Fry more. Cooking it in the air fryer keeps things simple, and the sweet, savory, slightly spicy sauce makes it taste like something you’d order from your favorite takeout spot. There is nothing not to love about this recipe. YUM!

It’s a simple recipe that’s easy to follow, and every single person I’ve served it to has asked for the recipe. The ingredients aren’t exactly what you’d call traditional pantry staples, but if you love Asian-inspired dishes the way my family does, you probably already have most of them on hand.

If you’re wondering whether you can really make ramen stir fry in the air fryer without it turning into a mushy mess — yes, you can. The air fryer basket gives the ground beef a slight sear while it cooks quickly and evenly, and tossing in a splash of the reserved ramen water at the end keeps everything saucy instead of dry.

So skip your next take-out run for ramen and make this delicious recipe (or one of my other restaurant-inspired meals) at home instead.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s fast. From start to finish, this recipe takes about 25 minutes — faster than most delivery orders.
• It tastes like takeout. The peanut-hoisin-sriracha sauce hits that sweet, savory, spicy combo everyone loves about restaurant ramen.
• It’s budget-friendly. Ground beef and instant ramen are two of the most affordable proteins and noodles you can buy.
• It’s easy to customize. Add veggies, swap the protein, or dial up the spice to make it your own.

Ingredients and Supplies You’ll Need to Make Air Fryer Beef Ramen Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• Extra lean ground beef
• Creamy peanut butter (see notes)
• Hoisin sauce
• Sriracha sauce, or to taste
• Soy sauce
• Ground ginger
• Minced garlic
• Ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded
• Salt & pepper to taste

Supplies:

• Saucepan
• Spatula
• Colander
• Air fryer (Cosori Pro II)

What Kind of Meat to Use

For this recipe, we used lean ground beef, but if you want, you can always use ground turkey or ground chicken instead. Either way, it will still be delicious and a simple dinner your family will enjoy. I like extra lean ground beef here because it means less grease to drain out of the air fryer basket at the end.

Things to Add In

This is a basic beef and ramen recipe, but you can absolutely dress it up however you want. Here are a few of my go-to suggestions:

• Add frozen peppers and onions to the ground beef
• Top with sliced green onion
• Stir in frozen broccoli
• Mix in a frozen stir-fry veggie blend

How to Make Air Fryer Beef Ramen Stir Fry

Step 1: Preheat

Start by preheating the air fryer for 5 minutes at 380°F (193°C). You need that air fryer hot!

Step 2: Cook the Ramen

While the air fryer is preheating, cook the ramen according to the package directions, but leave out the seasoning packets.

Step 3: Cook the Ground Beef

Add the ground beef to the air fryer basket. If your air fryer has a removable tray, take it out first (see notes below). Air fry at 380°F for 4-5 minutes, stirring halfway through to break up the meat so it cooks evenly.

Step 4: Add the Sauce

Add the sauce ingredients — peanut butter, hoisin sauce, sriracha sauce, soy sauce, ground ginger, and minced garlic — to the ground beef.

Stir everything together until well combined.

Cook at 380°F for 3-6 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through and fragrant to your liking. Stir halfway through cooking to continue breaking it up. According to the USDA, ground beef should reach a safe internal temperature of 160°F.

Step 5: Add in the Noodles

Add about 3-4 tablespoons of the reserved ramen water to the meat. Air fry for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Remove from the air fryer and toss with the cooked ramen noodles. Enjoy!

Tips for Best Results

• No removable tray? You can cook the meat directly in the air fryer basket, or line the basket with tin foil to help contain the meat and drippings. Just make sure everything is thoroughly cooked either way.
• Drain the grease. If you’re cooking in a foil-lined basket, remove any excess grease before adding the sauce ingredients so the dish doesn’t taste greasy.
• No peanut butter? No problem. Leave it out and use just the hoisin sauce — it will still taste great.
• Reserve your ramen water. Don’t dump it all out — you’ll need a few tablespoons to loosen the sauce at the end.

Variations and Substitutions

Swap the ground beef for ground turkey or chicken, use tamari instead of soy sauce for a gluten-free version, or add a drizzle of sesame oil for extra depth. If you like more heat, double the sriracha; if you’re cooking for kids, cut it back or leave it out entirely.

Storage, Reheating, and Freezing

Store leftover Air Fryer Beef Ramen Stir Fry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30-second bursts, or warm it back up in the air fryer at 350°F for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through. This recipe also freezes well for up to 1 month — thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Air Fryer Asian Recipes

If you love Asian-inspired recipes as much as my family does, you’ll love these other easy air fryer favorites:

Easy Asian air fryer recipes:

• Easy Asian Beef and Veggies in the Air Fryer
• Asian Salmon in the Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Frozen Egg Rolls
• Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry

Frequently Asked Questions About Air Fryer Beef Ramen Stir Fry

Can I make this without an air fryer?

Yes. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, drain the grease, then stir in the sauce ingredients and cook for 3-5 minutes over medium heat before tossing with the noodles.

Is this recipe spicy?

It has a mild kick from the sriracha, but you control the heat. Start with less sriracha and add more to taste, or leave it out completely for a kid-friendly version.

Can I use a different noodle instead of ramen?

Yes — udon, lo mein, or even spaghetti noodles will work in a pinch. Just cook them according to the package directions and discard any seasoning packets that come with instant varieties.

What can I serve with beef ramen stir fry?

This dish is a complete meal on its own, but a side of steamed edamame, a cucumber salad, or frozen egg rolls rounds it out nicely.

Final Thoughts

This Air Fryer Beef Ramen Stir Fry is such a great way to change up your normal beef dinner rotation and enjoy bold Asian-inspired flavors without a takeout bill. It truly is simple and can be made in about 25 minutes. While this is a basic recipe, what would you add for your family?

Great Beef Recipes to Make in the Air Fryer

• Air Fryer Roast Beef Stromboli
• The Quick and Easy Guide to Air Fryer Roast Beef Dinner
• Air Fryer Beef Jerky
• The Best Way to Make Ground Beef in the Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Italian Meatloaf Bites with Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
• Air Fryer Homemade Hamburgers

Air Fryer Beef Ramen Stir Fry

Delicious Air Fryer Beef Ramen Stir Fry coming in hot and super tasty. Made in the air fryer and filled with tons of great flavor.

4.75 / 5 ( 4 Reviews )

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Serves: 4

Adjust Servings: 4

US CustomaryMetric

Equipment

• Saucepan
• Spatula
• Colander
• Air Fryer

Ingredients

• 1 lb Ground beef Extra lean
• 3 tbsp Cream peanut butter
• 3 tbsp Hoisin sauce
• ½ tbsp Sriracha sauce or to taste
• 1 tbsp Soy sauce
• ⅛ tsp Ground ginger
• 1 tsp Minced garlic
• 3 packages Ramen noodles discard the seasoning packages
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 380 °F.
• Cook the ramen according to package directions.
• Add the ground beef to the air fryer basket. If you have a removeable tray, take out the tray (see notes). Air fry at 380F for 4-5 min, stir halfway to break up the meat to let it cook evenly.
• Add sauce ingredients to meat. Stir to combine it together
• Set the air fryer for 380 °F for 3-6 minutes, or until meat is cooked through and fragrant to liking. Stir the meat halfway through cooking to continue to break it up.
• Add in about 3-4 tbsp of ramen water to the meat. Air fry for an additional 1-2 minutes.
• Remove and enjoy with ramen noodles.

Recipe Notes

Non-Peanut Alternative: Don’t Use Peanut Butter, will still taste great with just hoisin sauce.

If you have a basket style air fryer without a removeable tray, then you can cook the meat directly in the air fryer basket. Or, alternately you can line the basket with tin foil to help contain the meat a little more and not get any drippings. Just make sure everything is thoroughly cooked. Before adding the sauce ingredients, try to remove any excess grease if you are cooking in a basket lined with tin foil.

Nutrition

Calories: 668kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 39g | Sodium: 1914mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g

Recipe Adapted From: Salt & Lavender

Final Thoughts

If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Please leave a comment and a star rating below — your reviews help other readers find recipes worth making and they mean the world to a small business like ours. ❤️

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