Spicy Beef Sausage Ramen (6 Ingredients)
This is my take-nothing-and-turn-it-into-something hack: a pack of ramen, a couple of spicy beef sausages, and a handful of pantry seasonings turned into a real meal. I brown the sausage first so the pan picks up all that beefy spice, then I cook the noodles in that same flavor and finish the whole thing with melty cheese on top. Six ingredients, one quick weeknight dinner.
The whole thing started with two leftover spicy sausages sitting in my refrigerator. Rather than let them go to waste, I built a dinner around them — six ingredients total, which is why I call this one the true definition of making something out of nothing. Nothing here is fancy: a ramen pack, whatever cheese is in the drawer, and three seasonings you probably already own.
If you steal one move from this video, make it the pan swap: after the sausage cubes brown, I set them aside but keep that pan — drippings, stuck-on spice and all — because that's what ends up seasoning the noodles. This one's for anybody staring at a nearly empty fridge on a weeknight; get the water boiling while you're still cubing the sausage, like I do in the video, and the whole thing moves quick.
Watch me make it — video from my YouTube channel
The recipe
Spicy Beef Sausage Ramen (6 Ingredients)
Ingredients
- 1 pack ramen noodles (with its seasoning packet)
- 2 spicy beef sausages (any sausage you like; cut into 3/4-inch cubes)
- cheese, to taste (any cheese you like — I use about one slice, broken up)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 of the ramen seasoning packet (I use the chicken flavor)
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley (plus more, to taste, for topping)
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
How to Make It
- Set a pot of water on to boil for the ramen.
- Cut each sausage in half, then cut into 3/4-inch cubes, and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the sausage cubes and brown them on all sides — this beef sausage is already fully cooked, so the goal here is just to brown it for color and flavor.
- Remove the browned sausage to a napkin-lined plate and set aside; keep the pan with its drippings.
- Add the ramen noodles to the boiling water and cook to al dente, about 2 to 3 minutes — the package says about 3; don't go past 3 minutes or they'll turn soft and soggy.
- Drain the noodles, straining out all the water.
- Return the reserved pan to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter, scraping up the sausage and seasoning stuck to the pan.
- Add the drained noodles to the pan.
- Sprinkle in 1/2 of the ramen seasoning packet.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper.
- Mix everything together (turn the heat down if the noodles start to stick).
- Turn off the heat.
- Stir the reserved browned sausage back in.
- Add cheese to taste, broken up over the top.
- Cover with a lid until the cheese is fully melted (or microwave it briefly).
- Sprinkle a little more parsley on top and serve.
Curtis's Tips
- This is all about taking nothing and turning it into something — a six-ingredient hack built around leftover sausage.
- Use any sausage you like. If spicy sausage is hard to find near you, check an international grocery store — mine are called "Jungle Gems."
- Save the empty pan after browning the sausage — the beef-sausage spice left behind on it is what flavors the noodles.
- Cook the noodles only to al dente; don't go past 3 minutes or they'll turn soft and soggy.
- If you don't like the ramen seasoning packet, skip it and just add salt instead. I use the chicken-flavor packet but only half of it, because they put way too much in there.
- Feel free to adjust to your own preference — the lemon pepper, parsley, and crushed red pepper amounts are just a starting point.
- Don't get discouraged if the noodles start to stick to the pan — that's just because they're wet; turn the heat down and keep adjusting.
- I break the cheese up rather than dropping a whole slice on, then melt it under a lid or in the microwave.
Why this works
Browning the sausage is less about the sausage — it's already cooked, so the goal is just to get it brown — and more about the pan it leaves behind. The butter goes into that same pan on medium heat and breaks down, lifting all the sausage and seasoning off the bottom, and the noodles get sautéed right in it. That's also why the noodles come out of the water at al dente: they're getting a second round of heat in the pan, so anything past 3 minutes in the pot ends up soft and soggy. And I turn the eye off before the sausage and cheese go back in — by that point nothing needs to cook, just melt.
- Butter — its real job is lifting the browned sausage spice off the pan and carrying it onto the noodles.
- Lemon pepper — the little hack I add on top of the half seasoning packet.
- Crushed red pepper — purely to add a little more spice; adjust to preference.
FAQ
Can I use a different sausage?
Yes — use any type of sausage you'd like. Mine started as two leftover spicy beef sausages in the refrigerator. If you can't find spicy sausage at your local grocery store, try an international grocery store — the one in my area is called Jungle Gems.
How spicy does this come out?
The heat comes from two places: the spicy sausage and the half teaspoon of crushed red pepper — and both are up to you. Feel free to adjust the ingredients to your own preference; a milder sausage and a lighter hand with the red pepper takes the edge right off.
What cheese should I use?
Any cheese of your choice — I mean that. What matters is how it goes on: I break my cheese up instead of laying the whole slice flat, then put a lid on and let it melt. Or pop it in the microwave — that works too.
Do I have to use the whole ramen seasoning packet?
No — I only use half, because I feel like they put too much in there. I went with the chicken flavor. If you don't like the packet at all, skip it and just add salt instead, and let the lemon pepper, parsley, and crushed red pepper handle the rest.
Why are my noodles sticking to the pan?
Because they're wet — mine stick in the video too, and it's okay. Don't get discouraged; just adjust and turn the heat down. Once everything's mixed, I turn the eye off completely — the sausage and the cheese don't need any more cooking.
Estimated nutrition, per serving (recipe makes about 1 servings): ~1112 calories · 31 g protein · 84 g fat · 58 g carbs. Computed from the ingredient list using standard reference values — an estimate, not a lab analysis; your exact brands and portions will vary.
