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This easy beef and noodles recipe is a homestyle favorite! It’s made in 30 minutes with pantry staples, and the rich gravy is a comforting treat you’ll crave again and again.
I think you’ll also enjoy my Easy Hamburger Gravy or Salisbury Steak next.
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
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- For the garlic, this press makes it easy to mince the cloves since you don’t need to peel them first. I store the rest of the garlic in a cute garlic saver.
- Here’s the skillet I use.
- Store dry pasta in one of these handy airtight containers.
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.
Helpful tips
- I like using lean ground beef for this recipe since you can skip draining the fat. There’s just enough to help make the gravy.
- While there’s no shame in opening up a can of “cream of” soup, it’s definitely not necessary here. Try my homemade gravy, and you won’t want to go back to recipes with canned soup.
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.
What to serve with beef and noodles
- I like to serve beef and noodles with a big slice of my Cheesy Garlic Bread or a dinner roll.
- It goes with pretty much any veggie side dish. Try my Honey Roasted Carrots or Simple Sautéed Leeks.
- A side salad is another great option. Try mixed greens with my Easy Homemade Ranch Dressing, a reader favorite.
Leftovers and storage
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days, but keep in mind the noodles may soak up more of the sauce the longer they sit.
- Reheat on the stove or microwave over low heat until warmed through.
- If freezing, I recommend doing so without the cooked noodles and cooking some noodles just prior to serving.
More comfort food recipes
If you made this simple beef and noodles recipe or have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below! You can also find me on Instagram to show me your creations.
Easy Beef and Noodles
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked egg noodles
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water for the egg noodles and cook according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, add the ground beef and onion to a skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, breaking the meat up as you go along, until it's nicely browned (about 10 minutes). Don't drain the fat unless you're not using lean ground beef (then drain a bit but still leave at least a couple tablespoons of it in the pan).
- Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and Italian seasoning, and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the flour and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring often (this cooks the raw flour taste out).
- Gradually pour in the beef broth while stirring until the flour has dissolved and scraping any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes (stir occasionally) or until the gravy has thickened to your liking. If it gets too thick, add in a splash more beef broth.
- Drain the cooked egg noodles, add them to the skillet, and toss with the beef mixture. Season with salt & pepper if needed and serve immediately.
Notes
- This dish is designed to be a very simple, inexpensive, quick, and kid-friendly recipe that uses everyday (mostly pantry) ingredients, and so it’s very easy to jazz it up if you’re looking for something more than the base recipe. Readers have added veggies in (try mushrooms or green peppers), upped the herbs and seasonings, stirred in some sour cream or cream cheese at the end, and even added a splash of wine.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Very good! I will definitely make it again.
Yay!! Thanks, Wendy!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. We appreciate you! Sounds delicious can’t wait to make it. Have a great day
Thanks, Joyce!! Let me know if you try it!! Hope you love it! 😀
Delicious flavors! Very easy to make too! Only thing different I did was I added 1 1/2 c beef broth and then added a half cup of milk.
So glad you liked this one!
Delicious and very easy to make!
Thank you!! Glad you enjoyed it!! 😀
I absolutely love this simple, comforting dish. I’ve made too many of your dishes to even count. This is my favorite site to find something delicious and fun, while mostly effortless and deceiving in the amount of time spent getting to the amazing end result. Thank you always!!
Aww you’re very welcome!! 😀
Delicious
Thanks, Connie! 😀
We have made this so many times! My family loves it! I cook as the recipe says, up the spices a bit. We serve it over Bob Evans mashed potatoes!
Thrilled to hear that, Lindsay! So happy it’s a family favorite in your home.
Any thoughts on how to make this a one pot meal?
You’d need more liquid, but I am not sure exactly how much as I haven’t tested – sorry!
You must serve with other things as 1 lb of beef and 2 cups noodles will be very small servings in order to feed 8 people with this. Looks delicious and I am going to make this, but I think my servings will be larger than yours. 🙂
Hi Stacy! This recipe has 4 servings as written (see top of the recipe card). I am not sure if you accidentally clicked on the 2X button? With that said, servings are definitely subjective and always just a ballpark guess since everyone eats a different amount.
I made this tonight for a house of little boys and they loved it!
Most pasta usually are heavy in dairy, I loved that this allowed for many different options! I added a touch of heavy whipping cream, and a 2 oz of cream cheese. Just to add a little cream.
I’m so glad it was a hit, Tamara!! Thank you!
I want to add mushrooms and sour cream. It will be like stroganoff. Maybe a little tomato paste.
Sure! Let me know how it goes, Ellen. 🙂
Just add frozen peas near the end and it’s perfect!
Thank you, Johnny!! 😀
I added some frozen peas and a splash of red wine. Served with some biscuits and a small salad. Really good, easy and cheap.
Glad you liked it!
Delicious! Made the recipe exactly as written, but with the addition of a green pepper and mushrooms. I did add a couple of drops of Gravy Master at the end and it was perfect! I’ll make this one again!
Excellent! Glad to hear it!