Spicy Ramen
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My homemade spicy ramen is a quick fix for your savory cravings. Featuring elevated instant ramen and flavorful, spicy broth, these cook in just 10 minutes.
How do you make your stock-standard instant ramen package taste like it’s from a restaurant? Make my famous spicy ramen recipe! Sure, you can buy this pre-packaged, which involves adding hot water, but it’s full of preservatives and artificial flavorings.
In my elevated, homemade version, I make a simple yet flavorful broth with a handful of pantry staples and some aromatics. Once you boil the noodles in this broth instead of water and seasoning packets, you’ll have the most slurp-worthy, flavorful dish in less than 10 minutes.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Pleasantly spicy. If you LOVE spicy food, this ramen recipe will not disappoint. The warming broth provides pleasant heat.
- Sweet, salty, acidic, spicy, and umami flavors. My simple yet powerful seasoning mix hits all the senses.
- Budget-friendly. Instant noodles, a few spoonfuls of chili paste, pantry staples, and a couple of fresh veggies are all you need to make this recipe work.
- Ramen is the perfect dish to customize. I sometimes add sliced leftover chicken; my partner loves shrimp, and we both amp each bowl up with any leftover veggies in our fridge.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Broth was absolutely delicious, also have never thought to add tomatoes into my ramen ***** 5 stars🤩!! New lunch recipe” – Izzy
Key Ingredients
- Dried ramen noodles. Use only the noodles, not the seasoning mix. Fresh ramen will work, too, but you will need to simmer it in the broth for an extra 2-4 minutes, or as per the package instructions. Mine says 3 minutes.
- Vegetable broth. Instead of water, I love using vegetable broth for more flavor. I like to use an organic, all-natural one with minimal flavor add-ins.
- Sesame oil. I like to add a dash of sesame oil for richness and flavor. A little goes a very long way, so be mindful when adding it.
- Onion and garlic. Red onion adds great flavor and body to the sauce, and garlic boosts it further.
- Tomato. Tomatoes and anything spicy are a fabulous combination. I used cherry tomatoes as the base, as they are sweeter and balance the strong, spicy flavor well. Regular canned tomatoes also work.
- Sambal oelek. The ‘spicy’ element. You’ll find this hot Indonesian chili paste in any supermarket (it’s sometimes labeled chili garlic sauce). Other sauces can work too, including sriracha or chili oil. If you don’t want things super spicy, opt for a mild chili sauce.
- Soy sauce. For the umami flavor and to balance out the spicy elements. Use tamari for a gluten-free option.
- Rice vinegar. You want to balance the heat with the acidity of rice vinegar. It isn’t as overpowering as other kinds of vinegar.
- Brown sugar. Like vinegar, sugar balances the heat and adds a subtle sweetness.
- Green onions, sesame seeds, and boiled eggs. Simple yet must-have toppings for any good bowl of ramen.
Recipe variations
Use leftover protein. If you have any leftover meat, use it in the ramen. It’ll warm up in the broth and flavor it at the same time. I usually use chicken breast, shrimp, pork, or even firm tofu.
Toss through more veggies. I love adding bell peppers, cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, mushrooms, or carrots.
Use different broths. I used vegetable broth to keep the overall dish vegetarian, but feel free to use chicken, beef, or even fish broth.
Use other noodles. Don’t feel limited by the noodles you use. The broth works beautifully with rice noodles, soba, udon noodles, and even buckwheat noodles.
How to make spicy ramen
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Sauté the veggies. In a soup pot or small saucepan, sauté sliced onions, garlic, and tomatoes, then add the chili sauce. Continue cooking until the onions become translucent.
Step 2- Make the sauce. Blend the cooked mixture with broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar until smooth.
Step 3- Boil the noodles. Transfer the broth to a saucepan, bring it to a simmer, and cook ramen noodles until al dente.
Step 4- Garnish and serve. Finish the noodles with sesame seeds, spring onions, and soft-boiled eggs, and serve hot.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Adjust the spiciness. Start with the amount of chili paste in the recipe, then add more to taste. I love spicy food, so I usually finish my bowl with an extra pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes.
- Let the broth simmer. Even though this is a quick recipe, I always let the broth bubble away for a few extra minutes. It gives the tomato, garlic, and spices time to meld together for a richer, more ramen-like flavor.
- Skip the seasoning packet. My spicy ramen broth has plenty of flavor on its own, so there’s no need for the seasoning or oil packet that comes with the noodles. Save it for another use or simply discard it.
- Cook the noodles separately if making leftovers. If I know I’ll have leftovers, I cook and store the noodles separately from the broth. They stay springy rather than soaking up the liquid overnight (which would soften them further).
More noodles recipes
Spicy Ramen
Video
Ingredients
- 2 packets ramen noodles seasonings discarded
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 tablespoons chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- In a non-stick skillet to pan, add the sesame oil and place over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and tomatoes and cook for a minute, before adding the chili sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
- Transfer the mixture into a blender, along with the broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and brown sugar. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the broth into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once simmering, add the ramen noodles and cook until al dente.
- Top with sesame seeds, green onions, and soft boiled eggs.
5* rating for this recipe!!! Brilliant idea to blend everything for the broth … I usually leave veg cut into small.piecrs .. my family loved it! Thanks Arman you’re a true star!!! ❤️
Aw, thanks so much Adriána. Yes, blending it gives it that smooth and silky texture, which coats the noodles so well!
Incredible!!! Such a yummy base. I recommend getting the fancy ramen packs. Makes all the difference.
I love to hear that, Abigail- it really does elevate the classic bowl of ramen 🙂
This recipe is absolutely delicious!
Thanks so much for the lovely feedback, David- glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Broth was absolutely delicious, also have never thought to add tomatoes into my ramen ***** 5 stars🤩!! New lunch recipe
Your recipes are outstanding!!!
Aw, thank you Sandra. Hope you enjoyed the ramen!