Quick Homemade Ramen

February 26, 2014

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Quick Homemade Ramen in a bowl with soft egg and chopsticks.

Fresh vegetables? Quick and easy homemade broth? A soft-boiled egg and a pile of our favorite curly-cue packaged ramen noodles that remind us of college? That’s this homemade ramen.

If today is your day for an authentic Japanese cooking adventure, I highly recommend Nami’s amazing blog Just One Cookbook.

On the flip side, this recipe leans more in the direction of I-have-a-package-of-ramen-and-some-vegetables-can-we-make-lunch practical. Sort of healthy and fast and a little nostalgic (packaged ramen!) but also fresh-ly delicious with a ton of flavor.

In This Most: Everything You Need For Homemade Ramen

VIDEO for Making Homemade Ramen
Ingredients You’ll Need
How to Make Delicious Homemade Ramen
Favorite Products for Eating Ramen at Home
Ways to Dress Up This Ramen
Frequently Asked Questions About This Recipe
Favorite Ramen Cookbooks

Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?

The Classic Packaged Ramen, Reimagined

Controversial opinion alert, but there is a time and a place for a big warm pot o’ ramen noodles, complete with – I’m going to say it – the ramen seasoning packet. For me, that would be circa 2007 sitting on the floor of a small dorm room with millions of Christmas lights hanging up for no reason whatsoever, or on the couch at home during a rainy sick day home from work when that extra-salty broth hits just right.

But I’d like to try to encourage you to go to the Packaged Ramen + level with this recipe. I mean, when you can make your own yummy broth in 20 minutes? And it’s delicate and light and full of flavor, in a more fresh and veg-heavy way? That is the way to do it, says Adult Me.

If you are looking for homemade ramen noodles, here is a great recipe for the ramen noodles made from scratch.

Ingredients You’ll Need For This Recipe

It’s short one! It wouldn’t be easy homemade ramen without it.

Ramen noodles (our classic Maruchan package is all we need, sans the seasoning!)
Garlic and ginger
Broth (chicken or veg)
Dried shiitake mushrooms
Veggies like carrots or kale
All your favorite toppings like some panko, egg, chili oil, etc.

Now let’s get cooking!

How To Make Delicious Homemade Ramen

This might not follow the exact easy peasy directions on the back of a ramen packet, but the extra few minutes to make this simple-but-elevated ramen are more than worth it.

Stir-Fry Aromatics: Garlic and ginger, what a delicious duo. This is where the flavor is, friends.
Make Your (Easy!) Broth: Add some chicken broth and dried shiitake mushrooms for some umami punch.
Add Noodles: Cook your noodles right in the broth with some scallions (more flavor, please!).
Add Veg: Thinly sliced kale, shredded carrots, whatever you’d like! Cook until just tender.
Top It Off: Add some crunchy panko crumbs, a soft-boiled egg, chili oil, hot sauce, sesame oil, and/or soy sauce, whatever your heart desires.

Simmering some garlic, ginger, and dried mushrooms with your chicken broth makes for a great quickie “stock”. A good while in the pot will get some nice flavors going that will soon be soaked up by those noodles. And by good while, I mean 19 minutes, because the whole thing takes 20. The soft egg on top will get you all the Instagram likes, and the panko and extra chili oil or Sriracha will light your mouth up with joy.

At the end of the day, a deep bowl of bright veggies + flavorful broth + golden panko crumbs + soft-boiled egg + chewy, tangled noodles is not going to let you down. ♡

Favorite Products For Eating Ramen

Ramen Bowls

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Wooden Chopsticks

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Ceramic Soup Spoons

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The section contains affiliate links to products we know and love.

Close-up image of Quick Homemade Ramen with chopsticks and a soft egg.

Ways To Dress Up This Ramen

The beauty of this recipe is that it’s a (very very) blank canvas. You can add whatever you would like to make it your own and zazz things up!

If you want some direction, here are some options to think about:

Soft-boiled egg
Crunchy panko (see details in the FAQ below)
Scallions or chives
Sesame seeds
Toasted sesame oil
Corn
Chili oil
Nori (dried seaweed)
Gochujang and kimchi
Sriracha
Shredded chicken or thinly sliced beef or pork

Homemade Ramen: FAQs

How do I make the crunchy panko topping?

To make crunchy golden panko crumbs, heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the panko, stir for one minute or less, or until golden brown. Remove and place on paper towels to drain. You can also toss the panko with a little oil and toast them in the oven to get them golden and crispy.

I don’t like mushrooms. Can I leave them out?

Sure! You can swap just about any veggie in its place or leave them out entirely. We’d recommend still cooking with the mushrooms though to give the broth a nice umami flavor and then just remove the mushrooms before serving.

How do I make the soft-boiled egg to go on top?

Good news – this is super easy! Boil water on the stove in a pot. Add your egg straight from the fridge and put the lid on the pot. Boil the egg for 6 minutes. Remove the egg and plunge it into an ice water bath. Peel the shell off, cut the egg in half, and place your beautiful jammy egg on top of your ramen.

All I have is powdered broth. Can I use it?

Sure! Liquid broth levels up this recipe but you can skip the ramen seasoning packet and swap just about any powdered broth in its place. We like this powdered soup base. (Affiliate link)

My local grocery store didn’t have dried shitake mushrooms. Where can I find them?

Good news – you can order them online here. (affiliate link)

Have you used toasted sesame oil in this recipe?

Yes, we’ve used both toasted sesame oil and regular. (affiliate links)

Favorite Ramen Cookbooks

Ivan Ramen: Love, Obsession, and Recipes from Tokyo’s Most Unlikely Noodle Joint

Buy Now →

Just One Cookbook Essential Japanese Recipes

Buy Now →

The section contains affiliate links to products we know and love.

Source Notes: This recipe is what I make at home when I want to enjoy the grocery store 50 cent packaged ramen, but with a little more freshness and fanciness. True Japanese ramen is a work of art and is worth a) trying, if you have access to it! and b) learning more about it. In the Twin Cities I really enjoy Tori Ramen (their Bali ramen is my favorite). I also love the Ivan Ramen cookbook for a really interesting look at the ramen making and eating process (like… slurping is a good thing!). And like I mentioned before, Nami’s website Just One Cookbook is a great resource for authentic Japanese food.