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This Easy Chicken Ramen can be made at home in about 30 minutes! Â A flavorful broth with chicken and noodles, and don’t forget the ramen egg!
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Let’s talk about ramen. Â And I’m not talking about the ten for a dollar packs beloved by college students the world around. Â I’m talking about the good stuff. Â It has been all the rage for quite a few years, but for some reason I had never bothered to get myself to a ramen house for a bowl until recently when my cousins invited me to try it with them. Â I had a feeling I would love it and I was not wrong.
A bowl of ramen is a total flavor bomb, filled with a rich, flavorful broth, tender meat, noodles, and topped with the crowning glory if you ask for it – the ramen egg. Â And there is a reason that ramen is so flavorful. Â It is pretty time-consuming to make a broth that complex. Â I have been craving ramen prettty much every day since the first time I had it, but there isn’t a restaurant convenient to my house that serves it. Â I thought about embarking on the task of making my own real, authentic ramen, but after reading a few recipes I decided that was best left for another time. Â What I really wanted was to be able to whip up a super flavorful soup but in not very much time. Â Oh, and I still wanted that ramen egg, it is EVERYTHING.
So, this is not an authentic ramen recipe. Â But it is a bowl full of flavor, and you can make it in about 30 minutes. Â Also I have made it four times in the past few weeks, soooo, I’ve been eating A LOT of it and am not sick of it yet.
This Easy Chicken Ramen is a bowl full of flavor, and you can make it in about 30 minutes.
I learned a few things while making this recipe, and the most important one is about the noodles.  I used fresh yakisoba noodles because I wanted that fresh noodle texture.  But here is the thing.  You can’t just cook the noodles in the broth and call it good.  I really wanted to cook them in the soup because that makes sense and I didn’t want an extra step of cooking noodles separately.  But the problem is that if you cook the noodles in the soup, they release a bunch of starch which thickens up the broth AND they start sucking up all the liquid in the soup.  Then you are left with a bunch of soggy noodles and a soup with hardly any broth.  It is not good.  I mean, it isn’t bad.  I still ate it.  But it isn’t ideal  Plus, if you reheat the leftovers the noodles pretty much dissolve.  Nope, best to just cook the noodles separately , then serve them individually and pour the soup over them.  Bonus points:  You are totally in control of your noodle portion.  Lots or just a few, it is your choice.
And let’s talk about the ramen egg. I now have an INSTANT POT RAMEN EGG RECIPE on the blog! For stovetop directions, I followed the instructions over at Just One Cookbook – except I subbed rice vinegar for mirin because that is what I keep on hand.  I marinated them overnight and then just reheated them in soup.  If you can’t be bothered with the marinating, you can just make a soft boiled egg and skip the marinating.  Or even use a poached or fried egg!  But really, I do recommend using an egg, it just takes the whole thing up another level.  And if you happen to have the time to make the eggs the night before and marinate them, it is really good.
If you have an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker, I have a recipe for the Ramen Egg in the Instant Pot HERE. You may also like my recipe for easy chicken ramen in the instant pot – see that recipe HERE.
Easy Chicken Ramen
Ingredients
For The Soup:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root
- 4 garlic cloves pressed or finely minced
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms stems removed and sliced
- 1/2 - 3/4 pounds baby bok choy sliced into quarters lengthwise
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1-2 packages fresh yakisoba noodles* one package is about 7 ounces. Use two packages if you like lots of noodles. Fresh noodles are usually found in the produce section of the grocery store
For The Ramen Egg**
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 3/4 cup water
Additional Toppings (Optional)
- sliced green onion
- cilantro
- chili garlic sauce
- sesame seeds
- lime wedges
Instructions
To Prepare The Ramen Egg:
- Whisk together the 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1/4 cup of rice vinegar and 3/4 cup water, set aside.
- Prepare an ice bath by filling a bowl with ice and water.
- Bring a pot of water to boil (make sure there is enough water to cover the eggs). When boiling, carefully lower the eggs into the water using a slotted spoon or spider. Reduce heat if necessary to keep the water just barely boiling. Cook for 7 minutes, then remove from pot and place eggs in the ice bath. Leave in the ice bath for 3 minutes. Remove from ice bath and gently peel (egg will be soft). Place peeled eggs in the marinade and make sure they are completely covered with the marinade. Leave in the marinade for several hours or overnight. If keeping longer, discard the marinade and store in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat the egg in the ramen broth (don't leave in the broth very long before serving or the egg will overcook).
To Prepare The Noodles:
- If using fresh noodles:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. When boiling, add the noodles and simmer for 3 minutes. Strain and rinse with cold water. Toss with just a little oil if necessary to keep them from sticking (mine already had a little oil on them, so I didn't need to). Set aside.
- (If using another type of noodle, follow package instructions)
To Prepare The Soup:
- Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant so that they don't burn. Add the chicken broth and 1 cup of water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, fish sauce, chili garlic sauce, stir to combine. Bring back to a simmer.
- When broth reaches a simmer, add the chicken thighs. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through and reaches a temperature of 165°F.
- Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks. Add it back to the broth along with the bok choy and cook for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.
To Serve The Ramen:
- In a bowl, place a serving of noodles, then pour the soup over them. Top soup with ramen egg, sliced green onions, cilantro and sesame seeds if desired.
Video
Notes
**The egg is optional but I really recommend it. If you don't have time to marinade the egg, you can just skip the marinading step. You can also serve with a fried or poached egg if you prefer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
*NOTES: Many readers love the broth as is. However, some people find it too salty. This may depend on the brand of ingredients being used and personal taste. If you find the broth is too salty for your taste, add 1-2 cups of water to the broth.
Ramen Egg adapted from Just One Cookbook
HELPFUL EQUIPMENT: Dutch Oven
Love this recipe! Made it again tonight (I think I’ve made it like 5 times now) and it just is so good! We love it! Thank you!
Thank you! I’m so glad you love it.
Our family found this recipe 2 years ago. We never leave comments on blogs. But we have to on this recipe because it is one of our all time favorite meals. Our daughter asked for it as her 13th birthday meal and we just had it as our New Years Eve meal. Thank you so much for creating and sharing the best ramen meal we’ve ever had!
I am so glad you commented, thank you!
This is so dang delicious and easy! I did use a soy ginger broth and added a couple extra cups. Otherwise followed everything else. Yum!!!
So glad you liked it!
I really never follow recipes exactly but this broth is perfect and THE ONLY one I don’t alter. I have made this ramen 10+ times over the last few years and just keep coming back to it.
It’s so rich and flavorful, I absolutely love it.
I tend to do a plain soft boiled egg to cut down on steps, which if you follow the timing is perfectly temped and still delicious. I also will switch up the protein to a tofu or finely chopped chicken.
All and all, THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE!!!
I’m so happy to hear that!
Very tasty!
This is amazing. We made it multiple times already and it’s even a big hit with the kids
I’m so happy to hear that!
One of my favorite recipes. We all loved it. Made as written. Thank you.
This was so delicious. Rave reviews from my picky family. I love that it didn’t require any speciality ingredients.
I’m so glad to hear that!
Absolutely delicious !!!! I made this with my daughter who is obsessed with the Raman packets in the store I figured I would try something healthier ! I left Out the spice only because she doesn’t like a lot of heat. She ate it in a flash! Thank you
I’m so happy to hear that!
Ok, I have not tried this recipe yet but I have to ask if you know of any replacement for the fish sauce and oyster sauce? I have not read through the comments so if others asked this already I apologize. But members of my family are allergic to fish and seafood. I would love for them to try Ramen but due to the allergies I have not found any to make. Thank you for the information.
Hi you can leave them out if you want, some readers have done that. I know there is also a vegan “oyster sauce” that does not have fish in it, so that might be worth looking into.
I really wanted to like this recipe. I should’ve listened to my instinct and not added soy and vinegar to it. I didn’t add the full 1/2 C either, just 1/4 C but even with that modification it just tasted like soy and vinegar. I couldn’t even use it. I would make it again but leave out the soy and vinegar.
Hi Ali, did you use low sodium soy sauce?
Excellent, but next time, I will use less soy sauce! I also added a pinch of sugar and some lime juice, as well.
Omg this is the best ramen recipe! I agree, be careful with the soy sauce unless it is low sodium. I added shaved carrots and some broccoli. Yum!! Wish I could post my pic here.
So glad you loved it!
I’ve made this a couple times now and it is a good basic recipe, however; it needs some modifications. The 1/2 cup soy sauce is way too much. You either have to add more broth to thin it out or just use less soy sauce. Also I like to add in some lemongrass to brighten the broth.
Hi Brittany – if you use regular soy sauce, not low sodium, yes, 1/2 cup is too much. The recipe calls for low sodium.
I’m jumping on this comment because I can’t find anywhere to post a new comment, sorry!
But to anyone reading this, this soup is AMAZING. I followed it exactly thanks to a trip to my local asian market, and I made it for my brother’s birthday dinner and the compliments were non-stop. Thank you so much for this Meghan! I never thought I’d be able to make restaurant style ramen and I am blown away.
I’m so happy to hear that you loved it!
I keep coming back time and again because my husband absolutely loves this recipe. My picky non soup eating kids not only dare to try it but REQUESTED A PLATE! I wish you could feel my excitement!
This is an amazing recipe and very customizable. I’ve made it with shrimp, mushrooms, and chicken. Always a hit.
Thank you very much for sharing it.
I am so thrilled to hear that! I also have a picky eater and I do know how exciting it is when they actually like something!
An amazing, easy ramen recipe! Take bad reviews with a grain of salt. I did make a few modifications based on my own preferences but overall amazing. For modifications, I added more mushrooms, poached chicken breasts separately with ginger, cut into slices, and added in when the recipe suggested adding in the bok choy. I added an extra can of chicken broth and more water (about 2 cups but tasted to my liking). I added less chili garlic sauce (2 tsp) and slightly less vinegar. Overall was amazing.
My 10 year old son wanted to make “real” ramen and this recipe was FANTASTIC! Thank you!
Yay, so glad your family loved it Jill!
My first attempt at Ramen and it was fabulous. I wish I could post a picture of my creation. Are use my own homemade broth and had to substitute baby spinach for the bok choy but beyond that it was pretty much it as directed.
So glad you loved it!
Gosh! Dear Meghan, I have recently searched the net in case of best ramen recipe and see this one! I would really appreciated your way to cook the noodles and also love so much ramen egg- its kinda favourite part of the soup!
Thanks Kristen!
We loved this recipe! My daughter wanted to have ramen one night and we stumbled on this recipe. Fantastic! Easy and satisfying. (and, the vinegar adds the PERFECT balance of flavor. Don’t listen to the critics.) 😉
Thank you Craig, so glad you and your family loved it!
Great recipe, I admit I didnt follow directions exactly so take my input as such. My Covid pantry isn’t as stocked as it used to be so I had to make a few substitutions. I used dried Shittake shrooms re-hydrated at the recommended weight ratio dividing fresh by 6. I had only a standard Bok Choy so julienned the stems and cut the leaves into squares. I only used 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce but not a big salt guy. Looked up the recipe an hour before dinner so just poached eggs soft. Had 1 6 oz package of soba noodles on hand but it all worked out, tasted very good and i will try to honor the recipe next time. I also agree Red Boat fish sauce makes a difference.
So glad you enjoyed it Derek!