Instant ramen noodles were created in Japan in 1958 by Momofuku Ando and were initially seen as a bit of a luxury. Over time, they became an affordable and essential food worldwide. The simple air-dried noodle brick is a handy option, especially when there’s not much else to eat at home.
Recently, people have been elevating instant noodles by adding fresh ingredients and creative toppings. In fact, sales of instant noodles have increased by 50%, and TikTok is filled with over 22,000 posts tagged #ramenhacks.
Some of these ideas are simply twists on the classic ramen, while others are more complex—like Ken Yamada’s guide for making homemade ramen noodles, which requires a pasta machine and kansui powder. But for those who are hungry and short on time, here are 16 quick ways to spice up your instant noodles.
One viral TikTok trend, called TikTok ramen, is a simple yet tasty recipe that involves draining instant noodles and mixing them with butter, garlic, soy sauce, and a fried egg, topped with “everything bagel spice” (a mix of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and salt). How much effort you put into these noodles depends on how much time you have, but many of these tweaks are easy and worth trying.
A great addition to any ramen is quick-pickled vegetables, like carrots, cauliflower, or cucumbers. These take almost no time to make, and they add a lot of flavor and freshness to the noodles.
When modifying instant noodles, you also need to decide whether or not to use the included flavor packet. Some recipes, like Suzie Lee’s frankfurter and fried egg noodles, call for using the packet’s soup base, while others suggest making your own base. For example, a simple chili-garlic base can be made with ingredients from your pantry, or you can create a ramen bowl with chicken stock, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, ginger, and any leftover chicken or pork you have.
There are also recipes that take the noodles a bit further. For instance, Meera Sodha’s white cabbage ramen mixes drained noodles and cabbage with a peanut, beer, and gochujang dressing. Lara Lee offers tamarind mushroom noodles and soy pork and peanut noodles, both of which don’t require the flavor packets.
For more elaborate recipes, like Anna Jones’s autumn ramen with homemade chili miso, you’ll need to make the miso in advance, but it can last in the fridge for weeks. Likewise, Sodha’s caramelized onion and chili ramen calls for an “overnight soy egg,” so you need to plan ahead.
On the other hand, if you want something quick and easy, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s DIY pot noodle recipe combines fresh vegetables, dried noodles, ginger, garlic, chili, soy sauce, and a stock cube, all in a heatproof container. Just add boiling water for a fast lunch.
Ramen hacking is all about mixing traditions. Instant ramen noodles were originally inspired by Chinese food, but you can easily incorporate elements from other cuisines. Korean ramyun, for example, uses soy bean paste, prawns, chicken, and vegetables like spinach or sugar snap peas.
You can even get creative and try something totally different, like onion ramen inspired by French onion soup, or ramen carbonara, a trendy but controversial recipe. If you’re not a purist, you might also enjoy pea and pancetta ramen “risotto” or a pasta e fagioli made with instant noodles.
While some may object to these creative takes on ramen, they’re all fun ways to make instant noodles even more delicious and satisfying.
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