Instant noodles are perfect drunk food to have late at night – Dress them up however you like!
Ramen Bowl Noodles
Hi! I’m Ben – Caroline’s husband. I’m the lucky guy who gets to try out the recipes Caroline creates. I love my job as test stomach and I love her food. I’m not a chef, far from it, but on the days Caroline is out with girlfriends or takes a rare day off from the kitchen, I’ll 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 (or instant, like Top Ramen). Depending on what you do with them, they can hit all those savory, spicy (I have an addiction to sriracha sauce, you’ve seen my sriracha quesadilas?) 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 you’re 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 is… No matter how you dress them up, there’s no wrong way to do this.
PrintAdvanced tips:
- 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.
- Got some leftover shredded chicken from the delivery spot in the fridge? Nuke it and add it. Don’t be shy. We’re talking drunk, comfort food here.
- A tiny cube of Japanese Curry stirred in will thicken the soup up and add a depth of flavor not usually present if you’re just relying on the spice packet that came with your noodles.
Pour boiling water and cover for a few minutes.
Ideas for ingredients to add to your instant ramen noodles.
Poach the egg briefly in simmering water.
Instant ramen bowl noodles
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1
- Category: Snack
- Cuisine: Japanese, Noodles
Ingredients
- instant ramen noodles
- 1 large egg
- sriracha sauce
- fish sauce
- handful cilantro (chopped)
- 2 scallions (finely chopped)
- ground black pepper
- Japanese curry leftovers
Instructions
- Grab some bowl noodles ( Top Ramen packages also work but you need to cook them in a pot first) – I like the Paldo brand Spicy Chicken noodles from Korea – but whatever you can find will work).
- Follow the instructions on the package
- Then add:
- :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.
- :Got some leftover shredded chicken from the delivery spot in the fridge? Nuke it and add it. Don’t be shy. We’re talking drunk, comfort food here.
- :A tiny cube of Japanese Curry stirred in will thicken the soup up and add a depth of flavor not usually present if you’re just relying on the spice packet that came with your noodles.
Raine Mertz says
Just made this for lunch, thank you so much!
★★★★★
Caroline Phelps says
You’re welcome Raine!
mgueva says
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.