Old El Paso Beef Birria Ramen Noodles

James found the Old El Paso Beef Birria Ramen Noodles at the grocery store and I had to try it. Old El Paso is a Tex-Mex brand through and through with their taco kits, tortillas, and seasoning packets. Putting their name on a ramen cup is a bold swing. I wanted to see if they pulled it off.

Produced in the United States.

What’s in the Package

This is a single-serve cup. Everything is already inside. It includes semolina wheat noodles, dehydrated vegetables including carrot, bell pepper, onion, tomato, and garlic, and soy protein bits. No separate packets. Distributed in the United States by General Mills.

How to Prepare It

Remove the lid, fill with water to the fill line, stir, and microwave on high for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Let the cup stand in the microwave for 2-3 minutes and then stir again.

How Does It Taste

The first thing that hit me when I opened it was taco seasoning. Not birria, but taco seasoning. The kind you’d shake out of a packet onto ground beef on a Tuesday night. The flavor follows exactly where that smell leads. It tastes like a taco bowl turned into soup. There’s a faint savory base, a little tomato, a little cumin, zero spice. Calling this birria is a stretch.

The noodles weren’t ramen noodles in any meaningful sense. They’re made from semolina wheat pasta, and they eat like it. Soft, flat, no chew. James and I both clocked it immediately that it’s closer to the noodles in a can of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup than anything you’d pull out of a Samyang or Nongshim package. The soy protein bits floating around didn’t help the situation.

How Does It Compare

This is in its own awkward category. It’s not really competing with Korean instant ramen. It’s not trying to be that. The closest comparison is something like a Western grocery store shelf product that wants to ride the ramen wave without doing the work. If you’ve had Maruchan or Top Ramen and found those too one-note, this is a step further in the wrong direction.

How to Level It Up

My honest suggestion is to grab a Taco Bell soft taco, empty the insides into the bowl, and call it a meal. At least then you’d have some real substance in there.

If you’re working with what you’ve got, drown it in hot sauce. Cholula, Tapatio, or Valentina will do more for this bowl than any thoughtful topping. Green onions on top, a squeeze of lime, and a dollop of sour cream are what the brand itself actually suggests.

Don’t waste good beef on this one. If you insist on adding protein, keep it simple. Even a handful of leftover taco meat would play well with what’s already in the cup.

Final Verdict

Old El Paso set out to make a Tex-Mex ramen and ended up making taco soup with bad noodles. The flavor isn’t offensive, it’s just completely misnamed. If you went in expecting zero spice and a taco-seasoning broth, you’d probably be fine with it. But the noodle texture alone is enough to keep me from coming back.

Where to buy Old El Paso Beef Birria Ramen Noodles

• Kroger
• Target
• Walmart