Easy Beef and Noodles (2024)

Why you’ll love it

Like my Chicken and Noodles, this beef and egg noodles recipe is just good old-fashioned comfort food that’s affordable and no fuss. You need very few ingredients for this one to hit the spot. It has seasoned tender ground beef and is ready in a jiffy for a quick family meal that’s made on the stovetop.

This definitely is not a fancy recipe, and mysteriously that seems to be the best kind of meal for picky eaters! If you’ve got kiddos in your home, they will devour this ground beef and noodles with gravy made from scratch. It’s one of my favorites for when motivation to cook is lacking but you’re craving a cozy dinner fast.

What you’ll need

• Egg noodles – they’re the traditional choice for this recipe since they’re a hearty pasta that’s perfect to coat with the gravy
• Ground beef – I prefer at least 90% lean. We love ground beef for this one since it’s cheaper than other cuts but every bit as tasty.
• Onion and garlic – sweet (Vidalia) onions are my usual pick, but yellow is fine
• Worcestershire sauce – it’s a staple in my pantry and my secret weapon to impart tons of savory flavor in many recipes. Don’t skip it!
• Italian seasoning – a fantastic blend of dried Italian herbs like rosemary and thyme that you’ll find all in a single jar for convenience
• Flour – to thicken the gravy
• Beef broth – for even more rich, deep flavor

How to make beef and noodles

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

Boil a salted pot of water, and cook the noodles until al dente. In a skillet, add the ground beef and onion, cooking until the meat is nicely browned. Don’t drain the fat. Add in the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and Italian seasoning and cook for a minute. Stir in the flour and cook for another few minutes.

Gradually pour in the beef broth, scraping up any delicious brown bits from the bottom of the skillet, until the flour has dissolved. Cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gravy has thickened up. Drain the noodles, toss with the beef mixture, and season with salt & pepper to taste.

Substitutions and variations

• This recipe is designed to be inexpensive, quick, and kid-friendly. There’s endless ways to jazz it up if you are looking for something more fancy than the base recipe was intended to be.
• Try adding in some frozen mixed veggies or canned corn for a bit of color. Add in during step 6.
• You could stir in a couple handfuls of fresh spinach during the last couple minutes of cooking time.
• Readers have customized this by adding in mushrooms and/or green peppers, added in a splash of wine, and stirred in sour cream or cream cheese at the end.
• If using ground turkey or a leaner ground meat, you may need to add a tablespoon or so of oil or butter prior to adding the flour to help make the gravy.
• Feel free to swap the egg noodles with a different kind of pasta or even use rice.