Classic Beef and Noodles
Best Beef and Noodles – This simple, comforting beef noodles recipe is made with buttery egg noodles simmered with tender, meaty pieces of chuck roast in a rich brown gravy. It’s a delicious one-pot pasta dinner dream that’s easy to make on the stovetop or low and slow in a crockpot!
Why We Love This Retro One-Pot Beef and Noodles
Just about any dish that involves Beef and Noodles is bound to bring some serious comfy-cozy vibes…
We have a lovely beef noodle soup here on the site, as well as two different versions of our beef stroganoff, a more refined version served with steak, and a slow cooker beef and noodles stroganoff. However, today’s recipe is a dressed-down beef noodles recipe, but just as robust and flavorful with fewer ingredients. While it might be simple, this is the ultimate comfort food that the whole family will love!
This is a stovetop recipe, but it can be altered to make it a crockpot beef and noodles recipe. No matter, you will still need to brown the meat and onions on the stove top first before placing them in the crockpot. (We add recipe adjustments below!)
Ingredients You Need
- Butter – unsalted
- Beef boneless chuck roasts – cut into 1-inch cubes (sub sirloin or beef stew meat)
- Onion – chopped
- Garlic – minced
- Onion soup mix packet – a convenient way to add spices
- Beef base + water – for a rich and savory gravy
- Dried thyme – an earthy fragrant spice to compliment the beefy flavors
- Extra-wide egg noodles – they absorb gravy without becoming mushy
- Fresh parsley – chopped
- Salt and pepper – to taste
How to Make Beef and Noodles
Cut the beef roast into 1-inch chunks and set aside. Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Set a large 6-quart pot (or dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the butter, chuck roast, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle liberally with pepper, but do not salt.
Brown the meat on all sides stirring regularly, about 5 to 10 minutes, until all the juices release then reabsorb into the beef.
Add the soup mix, beef base, 6 cups of water, and dried thyme.
Get the Complete (Printable) Beef and Noodles Recipe + Video Below. Enjoy!
Cover the pot with a heavy lid and simmer the beef for 30-40 minutes until the beef chunks are very tender. Make sure to stir every 5-10 minutes, so the beef does not stick to the bottom of the pot, then cover again.
Once the beef is fork-tender, add 2 cups of water and the egg noodles. Stir to coat the egg noodles in the broth, gently pressing them down so they are well covered but do not break them. (There should be barely enough liquid in the pot to cover the noodles.)
Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover the pot, stir the noodles again, and continue to cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the noodles are soft.
Once the noodles are cooked to al dente and most of the water is absorbed (so that the beef and noodles are coated in the gravy-like sauce) turn off the heat.
Stir in the parsley. Then taste, and salt and pepper if needed.
How to Make Beef Noodles in the Crockpot
It’s easy to turn this into a dump-and-go crock pot beef and noodles recipe after a quick sear! Get it going in the morning before leaving the house, or in the early afternoon on a lazy weekend.
To make it in the slow cooker, first, brown the beef and onions on the stovetop as directed above. Once the beef reabsorbs the juices, move the beef mixture into a large 6-quart crock pot. Add the onion soup mix, beef base, 8 cups of water, and thyme.
Cover and slow cook on LOW for 8-10 hours, or on HIGH for 4-6 hours.
Once the beef is fork-tender, stir in the egg noodles. Cover the crockpot again and allow the egg noodles to cook for 20 to 30 minutes until tender.
Stir in the parsley. Taste, then salt and pepper if needed.
Serving Suggestions
In this hearty dish, you already have your meat and carbs. All you need now is some veggies on the table!
And maybe some more carbs… A crunchy loaf of homemade garlic bread or yeast rolls are always a big hit for sopping up beefy gravy!
Saucy beef and noodles are delicious with just about any vegetable side. We love simple steamed peas or broccoli, air fryer asparagus or Brussels sprouts, or a rustic roasted vegetable medley.
For something more light and refreshing, you can’t go wrong with a crisp salad! Try our classic wedge salad, steakhouse-style Caesar salad, or crunchy rainbow chopped salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
The gravy will get thick as it cooks down, and will continue to thicken a bit as the noodles and beef cool.
To thicken the sauce further, whisk together a 1:1 cornstarch slurry of about 1 tablespoon cornstarch and cold water or broth. Slowly drizzle the slurry bit by bit into the pot while stirring, until the gravy reaches just the right thickness.
Absolutely! In this easy recipe, the egg noodles boil right in the pot with the beef and other ingredients. (Really, you can boil noodles in just about any liquid.)
For the best taste and texture, I suggest that you make this quick dish the same night as you plan to eat dinner… However, leftovers are delicious!
Leftover beef and noodles will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let them cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container and sticking them in the refrigerator.
Looking for More Retro Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Best Chicken Noodle Soup
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
- One-Pot Sloppy Joe Noodle Skillet
- American Chop Suey (American Goulash)
- One-Pot Sunday Gravy
Classic Beef and Noodles Recipe + Video
Video
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 pounds beef boneless chuck roasts cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 packet onion soup mix
- 4 teaspoons beef base
- 8 cups water divided
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 12 ounce extra-wide egg noodles
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cut the beef roast into 1-inch chunks and set aside. Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Set a large 6-quart pot over medium heat. Add the butter, chuck roast, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle liberally with pepper, but do not salt.
- Brown the meat on all sides stirring regularly, about 5 to 10 minutes, until all the juices release then reabsorb into the beef.
- Add the soup mix, beef base, 6 cups of water, and dried thyme. Cover the pot with a heavy lid and simmer the beef for 30-40 minutes until the beef chunks are very tender. Make sure to stir every 5-10 minutes, so the beef does not stick to the bottom of the pot, then cover again.
- Once the beef is fork-tender, add 2 cups of water and the egg noodles. Stir to coat the egg noodles in the broth, gently pressing them down so they are well covered but do not break them. (There should be barely enough liquid in the pot to cover the noodles.) Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover the pot, stir the noodles again, and continue to cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the noodles are soft.
- Once the noodles are cooked to al dente, and most of the water is absorbed so that the beef and noodles are coated in the gravy-like sauce, turn off the heat. Stir in the parsley. Then taste, and salt and pepper if needed.
this is such a classic and delicous dish, I cannot thank you enough for sharing this amazing recipe!