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    Beef and Noodles

    October 7, 2026 / By Holly Erickson

    Old-fashioned beef and noodles is as comforting as can be. Shredded chuck roast gets a low-and-slow simmer, then stir in tender egg noodles for a dish that’s easy on the wallet and easy to love! 

    Bowl of homemade beef and noodles with chuck roast and thick egg noodles in savory gravy, a classic comfort food
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    Beef and pasta go together like nothing else, and my old-fashioned beef and noodles recipe is a simple celebration of that classic pairing. It’s definitely nostalgic for a lot of us (I think especially folks who grew up in the midwest!) and I love it in 2026 because it’s so easy and everyone in my house eats it up. 

    If your family loves pasta recipes like stroganoff and hamburger helper, beef and noodles will be an easy win. Chuck roast (relatively affordable cuts of beef FTW) gets a nice long simmer in beef stock until it’s fall-apart tender. Then, boil noodles in more beef stock and you’re pretty much done! It really doesn’t get much easier than that, right? 

    Ingredients to make beef and noodles in prep bowls: chuck roast, wide egg noodles, onion, garlic, tomato paste and beef stock

    Beef and Noodles Ingredients & Substitutions

    • 2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 2 -inch pieces
    • Egg noodles: Egg noodles are the classic choice, but you could mix it up if you want! Use gluten-free noodles to make it gluten-free. Other small pasta shapes would work, or some folks like to use thick, long pasta, like pappardelle. 
    • Beef stock: I wouldn’t swap all of this, but you could use chicken stock in place of *some* of the beef stock if you’d like a lighter beef flavor. 
    • Flour: Use gluten free flour blend if you want the dish to be gluten-free.
    • Onion & garlic: Of course! 
    • Seasonings: Tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning
    • The usual: Olive oil, salt and pepper
    salted and flour-dusted chunks of beef in a glass bowl, the first step in making classic homemade beef and noodles
    salted and flour-dusted chunks of beef being browned in olive oil in a large pot to make cozy beef and noodles
    tender beef cooking in beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning and bouillon
    tender beef cooked in broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire, onion and spices being shred with tow forks

    How To Make Beef & Noodles, Step By Step 

    Find the full detailed recipe instructions at the bottom of this page. 

    1. Brown the beef. Season the beef and coat it with flour, then brown it in a pan. 
    2. Sauté onion, garlic and tomato paste, then pour in stock, Worcestershire, and Italian seasoning. 
    3. Simmer the beef. Add the beef and bring it to a boil, then simmer for two hours. 
    4. Take out the beef pieces. 
    5. Cook the egg noodles in beef stock. Add more stock to the pot and crank the heat. When it is boiling, add the egg noodles and cook for 10 minutes. 
    6. Add the beef to the noodles. Shred the beef and add it to the pot with the egg noodles. 
    7. Dig in! 
    raw egg noodles being added to a pot of tender chuck roast in a thick gravy to finish making homemade beef and noodles
    Homemade beef and noodles in a pot, with chuck roast and wide egg noodles in a savory sauce, sprinkled with parsley

    How To Freeze Beef and Noodles

    Freeze the shredded beef and broth but do not freeze the egg noodles! They turn mushy in the freezer. Aside from that issue, the beef itself freezes very well! Freeze the beef and broth in an airtight container for up to 3 months, then cook the egg noodles directly in the broth once you’ve warmed it up and brought it to a simmer. TLDR? Freeze the beef, not the noodles!

    Homemade beef and noodles in a pot, with chuck roast and wide egg noodles in a savory sauce, sprinkled with parsley

    Tips for Success

    • Try cooking this in a slow-cooker or Instant Pot instead of on the stove top! Instant Pot cuts the total cooking time down significantly compared to the stovetop version.
    • Want the beef sauce to be thicker? Use a corn starch slurry or a roux 1:1 mixture of flour and butter. I normally just do 1 tablespoon each. Mix together until smooth, it forms a small base used to thicken soups, gravies, and sauces. Just add it to the sauce and stir while simmering.
    • Add herbs. Toss a bay leaf or a sprig of fresh thyme into the broth while it simmers for extra depth of flavor.  
    • Brown the beef in batches so that the outsides get truly seared and caramelized. Overcrowding the pot will steam the meat, and trust me, you’ll be sad. 
    • Keep the broth at a gentle simmer while the beef cooks. A hard boil makes the meat tough instead of tender.
    • Check the beef for doneness starting around the 2-hour mark. It's done when it shreds easily with a fork, and cooking times can vary depending on how big you cut the beef chunks. 
    Bowl of homemade beef and noodles with chuck roast and thick egg noodles in savory gravy, a classic comfort food

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    Bowl of homemade beef and noodles with chuck roast and thick egg noodles in savory gravy, a classic comfort food

    Beef and Noodles Recipe

    Published October 7, 2026

    By Holly Erickson

    • Serves:  6
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  2 hrs 45 min
    • Calories:  508

    Description

    This classic Beef and Noodles recipe is an easy one pot dinner! Beef is braised until so tender it shreds with a fork and egg noodles cook right in the braising liquid absorbing all that beefy flavory. This hearty comfort food dinner is perfect for chilly nights, Sunday supper, or an easy family meal.

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      Ingredients

      • 2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 2 -inch pieces
      • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
      • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
      • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
      • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
      • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
      • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
      • 8 cups beef stock
      • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
      • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
      • 1 teaspoon beef or chicken Better Than Bouillon, (optional)
      • 16 ounces wide egg noodles
      • Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
      • Minced fresh flat leaf parsley, (optional)

      Method

      1. Season the beef all over with the salt and add it to a large bowl. Sprinkle the flour over the beef and toss until evenly coated. 

        salted and flour-dusted chunks of beef in a glass bowl, the first step in making classic homemade beef and noodles

      2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, working in batches, add the beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and continue with the remaining beef, adding more oil if needed. 

        salted and flour-dusted chunks of beef being browned in olive oil in a large pot to make cozy beef and noodles

      3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the Dutch oven. Once the oil is glistening, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring,  for 1 minute more, or until it starts to darken. 

        tender beef cooking in beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning and bouillon

      4. Add 6 cups of the beef stock, the browned beef, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and the bouillon if using. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 2 to 2½ hours, or until the beef shreds easily with a fork. Using tongs, transfer the beef to a rimmed baking sheet. Use two forks to shred the beef into 1-inch pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat. 

        tender beef cooked in broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire, onion and spices being shred with tow forks

      5. Add the remaining 2 cups of beef stock to the Dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the egg noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the shredded beef. Season with salt to taste.

        Homemade beef and noodles in a pot, with chuck roast and wide egg noodles in a savory sauce, sprinkled with parsley

      6. Divide among 6 bowls and serve sprinkled with pepper and parsley, if using. 

        Bowl of homemade beef and noodles with chuck roast and thick egg noodles in savory gravy, a classic comfort food

      Notes

      To make in an Instant Pot: Season the beef all over with the salt and add it to a large bowl. Sprinkle the flour over the beef and toss until evenly coated. Using the sauté setting, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in an Instant Pot. Once the oil is glistening, working in batches, brown the beef on all sides, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Heat the remaining oil in the Instant Pot. Once the oil is glistening, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about another minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until darkened, about 1 minute more. Stir in 6 cups of the beef stock, the browned beef, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and bouillon. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure manually. Transfer the beef to a rimmed sheet pan and shred into 1-inch pieces using two forks. Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add the remaining 2 cups of the beef stock and bring to a boil. Add the egg noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the shredded beef and season with salt to taste. Serve topped with the pepper and parsley, if using.

      To Make This in A Slow-Cooker: Season the beef all over with the salt and add it to a large bowl. Sprinkle the flour over the beef and toss until evenly coated. Brown the beef and sauté the onion and garlic as directed, then transfer everything except the noodles to a slow cooker along with the stock, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and bouillon. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef shreds easily. Shred the beef, then stir in the noodles and remaining stock and cook on high until the noodles are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

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      Nutrition Info

      • Per Serving
      • Amount
      • Calories 508
      • Protein 46 g
      • Carbohydrates 49 g
      • Total Fat 15 g
      • Dietary Fiber 1 g
      • Cholesterol 112 mg
      • Sodium 2325 mg
      • Total Sugars 3 g

      Beef and Noodles

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