DIY Spicy Kimchi Beef Instant Noodles Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated Feb. 26, 2019
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DIY instant noodles made with fresh ingredients. Just add boiling water, and you've got lunch. . Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt. Video: Natalie Holt
2:30

DIY Instant Noodles With Spicy Kimchi Beef

Why This Recipe Works

  • All the convenience of a package of instant noodles, but with better ingredients and better flavor.
  • By keeping the scallions separate from the rest of the ingredients, you can stir them into the hot soup for bright, fresh, layered flavor.
  • Beef jerky reconstitutes into meaty bites in boiling water, while also adding flavor to the broth.

This pot of noodles, flavored with kimchi, mushrooms, and beef, can be made ahead and taken to work. Just add boiling water, seal it up for three minutes, add the contents of the fresh-scallion packet, and you've got a hot lunch ready.

Recipe Details

DIY Spicy Kimchi Beef Instant Noodles Recipe

Active 5 mins
Total 8 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons (60ml) high-quality beef base, such as Better Than Bouillon

  • 2 cups kimchi with juices

  • 4 tablespoons (60ml) chili-garlic sauce (more or less to taste)

  • 1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps

  • 4 ounces (110g) beef jerky, cut into 1/2-inch squares

  • 4 small nests rice noodles or pre-cooked ramen or Italian pasta (see note)

  • 1 cup thinly sliced scallions

Directions

  1. Divide beef base, kimchi, chili-garlic sauce, mushrooms, beef, and noodles between 4 resealable glass jars. Divide scallions between 4 small zipper-lock bags and seal bags, squeezing out all of the air. Tuck bags into jars and seal. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

  2. When ready to serve, remove scallion packet and add boiling water to the top of the jar. Seal jar and let sit 2 minutes. Open jar, stir in scallions, and serve.

Notes

Dry Thai or Vietnamese rice noodles can be used with no prep. Alternatively, use precooked and chilled ramen-style noodles or fresh Italian pasta. Cook the fresh noodles in boiling water for 1 minute, shock in cold water, drain well, toss with 2 teaspoons (10ml) oil until coated, then proceed with step 1.

Special Equipment

4 resealable 1-pint glass jars

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
294 Calories
9g Fat
39g Carbs
15g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 294
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 11%
Saturated Fat 3g 17%
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 2857mg 124%
Total Carbohydrate 39g 14%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 15g
Vitamin C 15mg 75%
Calcium 76mg 6%
Iron 4mg 24%
Potassium 513mg 11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)