Instant ramen noodles are the perfect late night food! This is a quick guide on how to dress them up.
Hi! Iโm Ben โ Carolineโs husband. Iโm the lucky guy who gets to try out the recipes Caroline creates. I love my job as test stomach and I love her food. Iโm not a chef, far from it, but on the days Caroline is out with girlfriends or takes a rare day off from the kitchen, Iโll roll up my sleeves and crank up the kitchen burners. A guy has gotta eat, right?
One of my favorite guilty pleasures is ramen bowl noodles of all sizes and flavors.
Depending on what you do with them, they can hit all those savory, spicy and rich notes you would expect at a noodle stall in Bangkok (who doesn’t love Thai food) or any ramen shop in Japan.
But sometimes it’s better to spend $1.09 at the bodega for a cheap package of ramen noodles and rummage through the fridge for toppings, than to drop a couple grand on Expedia and travel across the world when youโre just a little hungry. My personal favorite toppings are a poached egg, some type of chili sauce, and a dash of fish sauce.
The best part isโฆ No matter how you dress them up, thereโs no wrong way to do this.
How To Dress Your Instant Noodles
- Use some leftover cooked chicken, pork or beef. Shred it, slice it, donโt be shy. Weโre talking drunk, comfort food here.
- Use a little Japanese curry roux. It will thicken the soup up and add a depth of flavor not usually present if youโre just relying on the spice packet that came with your noodles.
- Add a squirt of sriracha sauce to add some heat.
- Add some fish sauce to give your bowl noodles a Southeast Asian flair.
- Add some chopped cilantro or lettuce for more Southeast Asian flair.
- Add chopped scallions for a refreshing crunch.
- Add a poached egg to add creaminess.
- Add a ramen egg – we have an easy recipe for it here!
- Add a little gochujang or a few gochugaru flakes to give a Korean taste.
- Grate some parmesan or use shredded mozzarella cheese to make it decadent.
Additional Tips To Making Bowl Noodles Taste Even Better
- For those of us who like things more savory and less soupy, after cooking the noodles (but before adding the spice packet or extra ingredients) pour some of the cooking water out. Then add your ingredients. The result is far punchier (and less messy for your white shirt).
- I always try to leave the noodles a little on the al dente side. They will keep cooking in the hot soup.
Instant ramen bowl noodles
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1
- Category: Noodles
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Japanese
Description
This is my favorite way to eat instant bowl noodles.
Ingredients
- 1 bowl instant ramen noodles
- 1 poached egg
- Sriracha sauce
- 2 scallions (finely chopped)
- Shredded lettuce
- Ground black pepper
Instructions
- Grab some bowl noodles ( Top Ramen packages also work but you need to cook them in a pot first) andย follow the instructions on the package.
- Add toppings and a squirt of sriracha sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
Please refer to the post for additional topping ideas.
When do you add the egg?
Hi Paul! You can add the egg whenever you like, there are no rules for instant ramen! My favorite though is to lightly poach them and top the ramen once the noodles have cooked. It’s the best!
Just made this for lunch, thank you so much!
You’re welcome Raine!
Love instant noodles. My favorite is Ichiban noodles. I drop an egg in there and whisk it around with a fork. Bok choy, if I have it, and scallions for some onion flavor. I’ll have to try this version. I’m not a sriracha fan, though, but can find something else, I’m sure. Tiparos is also my preferred fish sauce. It’s what my family has used for forever.