Let’s dive into the world of homemade ramen! These slurp-worthy ramen recipes save me tons of time in the kitchen, and always deliver on flavor. From the salty and savory kick of miso, the soul-soothing warmth of chicken broth, or the umami-packed goodness of shoyu, I made sure to cover it all.
Heads up home chefs! I didn’t need a culinary degree to start making restaurant-quality ramen. And I’m here to tell you that not every ramen broth needs to simmer for hours (or actual days) to achieve insane depth of flavor. A good bowl of ramen can definitely be made in a home kitchen with simple ingredients – some of which are probably already in the pantry.
I make my own ramen all the time because it’s easy, tastes way better than a bowl of instant noodles, and is so much cheaper than my local ramen joint. One of the joys of homemade ramen is the freedom to customize everything – from the size and texture of the noodles, the flavor and intensity of the broth, to the toppings. Some of the ramen recipes here have been inspired by flavors I’ve tasted in Japan, while others, like the ramen noodle coleslaw, were simply created out of my endless love for ramen noodles.
Let’s make some ramen!
Shoyu Ramen
Shoyu ramen hails from Tokyo and is served with a dark colored broth. But despite the color, this soy sauce based ramen is actually quite delicate. Aside from soy sauce, I use mirin, dashi, sake, and sesame oil. I like to top this ramen with green onions, nori, and a ramen egg. It’s my go to lunch! Total cooking time: 25 minutes
Classic Miso Ramen
Miso soup lovers should definitely give this one a go! I use either white miso paste or awase miso paste – which is a mixture of white and red miso paste – for the broth. What I like about miso ramen is that it pairs well with so many toppings! For this recipe I used napa cabbage and carrots that I stir fried with a little oil. However, feel free to mix it up. We should all use the toppings we prefer in our at-home creations. Total cooking time: 20 minutes
Miso Kimchi Ramen
My miso kimchi ramen recipe has the smokiness and umami of miso and the bright pungent funk from kimchi – rounded out with a dash of toasted garlic and scallion oil. I top mine with corn and fresh bean sprouts. This Japanese / Korean mash-up is a real winner! Total cooking time: 20 minutes
Spicy Miso Ramen
Miso ramen hails from Hokkaido – which is the northernmost main island in Japan. Unsurprisingly, the main flavor element in miso ramen broth comes from miso paste. And for this recipe, I use that plenty of awase miso – alongside heavy hitters like tobanjan and gochugaru to bring the savory heat. I also make a flavored oil to round out the soup. This may just be my favorite homemade ramen recipe! Total cooking time: 25 minutes
Shio Ramen
Inspired by traditional Hakodate ramen, my salt based ramen recipe is surprisingly full of flavor! Despite the clear broth, each bite is salty, savory, and nutty. I’m using fresh egg noodles for this recipe but you can use any type that suits you. I kept the toppings to a minimum: ramen egg, chopped scallion, boiled cabbage, and menma (seasoned bamboo shoots). Total cooking time: 25 minutes
Vegetable Champon
Champon is Nagasaki’s most popular noodle soup. And the southern Japanese love the traditional milky-white broth made with pig and chicken bones, thick noodles, and various meat, seafood, and vegetable toppings. Mine is a simpler and lighter version made with a mix of dashi and chicken broth – and topped with vegetables and crab sticks. Total cooking time: 30 minutes
Easy Chicken Ramen
I whip up chicken ramen when I want something quick, with the comfort-food-hug of mom’s chicken noodle soup. What sets my version apart from most chicken ramen in restaurants is that I rely on store bought chicken broth, soy sauce and mirin instead of boiling a pot of chicken bones for a full day. Similar flavor, less time! Total cooking time: 20 minutes
Rabokki
The only full-on Korean dish to make the cut here is an absolute banger. Rabokki is late night Korean street food made with rice cakes, fish cakes, and ramen noodles. I serve mine in a spicy sauce made of gochujang, gochugaru, anchovy stock, soy sauce, and sugar. It’s usually eaten late at night because it’s awesome after a few too many soju cocktails. This is my belly’s north star after a night at the bar with friends. Total cooking time: 20 minutes
Hiyashi Chuka
Hiyashi Chuka is a Japanese summer dish consisting of chilled ramen noodles topped with ingredients like tomato, cucumber, lettuce, sliced omelet, ham, charsiu pork, shrimp, seasoned bamboo shoots, green onions, and pickled ginger. I serve mine with a chūka-fū style dressing that’s sweet, nutty, and acidic. Don’t forget the Japanese hot mustard! Total cooking time: 20 minutes
Spicy Miso Tsukemen
Tsukemen are ramen noodles served with the dipping sauce on the side. The dipping sauce is a more concentrated version of ramen noodle soup broth and is meant to be used to dip the noodles – not to drink (although I won’t tell if you do!). Mine is savory, a little spicy, nutty, and jam packed with umami. Total cooking time: 25 minutes.
Easy Yakisoba – 焼きそば
Where’s the soup? Dry things out with my traditional yakisoba recipe. I pan fry egg noodles with a soy sauce based mix and top it all off with stir fried veggies and shrimp (but you can also use tofu or meat). It’s a childhood favorite of mine that I continue to love and devour to this day.
Total cooking time: 15 minutes
Vegan Tantanmen (Tan Tan Ramen)
This is my plant based version of the classic Japanese tantanmen. I used mushrooms to infuse the broth with plenty of umami, and a touch of gochuchang to add some heat. The result is a bowl ramen that’s sweet, savory, pungent, a little spicy and nutty. There’s nothing boring about vegan ramen!
Total cooking time: 25 minutes
Jajamen
Before Ben and I dialed back on meat consumption, we made this easy pork ramen recipe all the time. Korean hot pepper paste brings a smoldering heat. If hiyashi chuka is the perfect summery cold ramen, then this ja ja men recipe switches-up seasons and is ideal for fall. Ja ja men comes from the Chinese word zhajiangmian, which literally means fried sauce noodles. Total cooking time: 20 minutes
Ramen Noodle Salad
I remember the moment I realized ramen noodles are also great in salads! Mind blown. I use a simple combo of fresh tomatoes, corn, lettuce, eggs and bean sprouts. And my dressing is a mixture of soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey and sesame oil that brings the perfect balance of sweet and puckery tartness. Total cooking time: 15 minutes
Ramen Noodle Coleslaw
I made this quick and easy ramen noodle coleslaw recipe when my pantry was slim pickings, but I still wanted to eat well. I just combined a packet of dried ramen noodles, canned mandarin oranges, coleslaw mix and toasted almonds. And I mixed the seasoning packet (that comes with almost all instant ramen noodles) into the dressing. Nothing goes to waste!
Total cooking time: 15 minutes
Helpful Kitchen Tools
There’s no need to go crazy here. I make ramen with bare bones kitchen gear all the time. But here are a few tools that may come in handy when making these ramen recipes at home.
I was so glad to find this post! You are breaking my heart talking about all the delicious spots you go lol… we lived in Japan for several years and I still miss the food. Thank you for these recipes.
Thank you so much Lili! 🙂
Yum! I made this for dinner for my family last night and it was a HIT! My 2yr old daughter even gobbled it up. I plan on making another batch of the broth and freezing it into cubes so I can have it ready for a quick lunch.
I buy Ramon noodles by the case, and use many kinds of veggieis in them, carrots, celery, oinions Shrimp,cyan Pepper ,beef Broth . chichen broth, maybe even20 other items. I eat them about 3 times a week.I sorry about the spelling in a hurry.