Ingredients

• 1 pound extra lean ground beef
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 heaping tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon sriracha sauce (or to taste)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 packages ramen noodles (discard seasoning packets)
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Chopped scallions (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

1. Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the meat is fully browned. If excess grease collects in the pan, carefully remove most of it.
2. While the beef cooks, bring a pot of water to a boil for the ramen noodles.
3. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the peanut butter, hoisin sauce, sriracha, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic until well combined.
4. Return the skillet to the stove and add the chopped red bell pepper. Lower the heat slightly if needed and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the pepper is tender but still has a bit of bite.
5. Since ramen noodles cook quickly (about 3 minutes), add them to the boiling water right as the red pepper goes into the skillet.
6. Before draining the noodles, scoop about 4 tablespoons of the cooking water and stir it into the skillet. Drain the noodles, then add them directly to the beef mixture.
7. Toss everything together until the noodles are evenly coated. Taste and adjust with additional salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with scallions if you like, and serve right away.

• Keeping fresh ginger in the freezer makes it easy to grate whenever you need it, and frozen ginger grates especially well with a Microplane or fine grater.
• Nutrition information is provided as an estimate only and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.