15 Minute Spicy Ramen (2024)

Home Blog Cuisine Asian

Cheryl MalikPosted: 02/14/24Updated: 04/03/24

/5 32 Comments

Jump to Recipe

DFDairy Free

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This isn’t your cliché college-student ramen! Easy 15-minute spicy ramen topped with soft-boiled eggs, nori, and your choice of chicken, pork, or tofu is an incredible way to upgrade those cheap blocks of ramen noodles without breaking the bank. Super savory and loaded with umami, plus make it as mild or as spicy as you like.

🍜 What Makes This Recipe So Good

This easy spicy ramen recipe takes those cheap store-bought packets of dried ramen and turns them into a total restaurant-style meal. Rich broth, jammy soft-boiled eggs, and umami seasonings make this the perfect Japanese comfort food.
This recipe uses traditional Asian ingredients, like miso paste, nori, sambal oelek, and togarashi for an authentic taste. Though they sound fancy, most of these ingredients are easy to find at your local grocery or online.
Maybe best of all, this spicy ramen comes together in less than 20 minutes! Perfect for a lunch or dinner when you don’t have a ton of time and don’t want to do a lot of actual cooking, but want something tasty and satisfying.

🍲 About the Ingredients

Miso paste is a traditional Japanese seasoning. It’s made from fermented soybeans, salt, and kōji, which is a mold used in making soy sauce, sake, and other foods.
Sambal oelek is an Indonesian chili sauce or paste that frequently contains other ingredients such as ginger, rice vinegar, garlic, and lime juice. It adds the perfect kick to your ramen, and is easy to find in stores or to make your own.
Nori means “sea vegetable” in Japanese and is edible seaweed. It’s usually sold in sheets. If you’re a fan of sushi, you’ve definitely tasted nori before.
Shichimi togarashi is a seasoning blend made from 7 spices, usually red chili peppers, Japanese peppers, orange peel, sesame seeds, ginger, nori, and other seeds. If you can’t find any, you can use just black sesame seeds instead, although shichimi togarashi is typically available for pretty cheap online.

👩🏼‍🍳 Chef’s Tips

Take your spicy ramen to the next level by adding chicken, pork, or even tofu for an extra boost of protein.
You can actually make this spicy ramen without ramen noodles. Any thin noodle, even gluten-free noodles, will work. Shiritaki noodles and palmini are good options, too!
Use low-sodium versions of any ingredient you can or you might find this dish way too salty.
If you can’t find or don’t have sambal oelek, you can use Gochujang, chili-garlic sauce, red chili flakes, or sriracha. Sriracha will be a little sweeter, though, and may throw off the overall flavor of the dish.

🥟 More Delicious Asian-Inspired Recipes

Hibachi Chicken with Fried Rice and Vegetables
Tom Kha Goong (Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup)
Teriyaki Chicken (Whole30)
Egg Roll in a Bowl with Creamy Chili Sauce
Hunan Beef
Air Fryer Dumplings (From Frozen)
Wonton Egg Drop Soup
Instant Pot Orange Chicken
Healthy Soy Sauce Substitute Recipe (Whole30, Paleo)
Duck Fried Rice
Teriyaki Sesame Salmon Hibachi with Fried Rice and Vegetables
Best Ever Tom Kha Gai Soup (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup, Whole30, Paleo)
Lobster Fried Rice
Very Favorite Stir Fry Noodles (with Tofu or Chicken)
Healthy Lettuce Wraps – PF Changs Recipe (Whole30, Paleo)
Slow Cooker Tom Kha Soup (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
Asian Salad Dressing
Beef Negimaki

Hey – you’ve made it this far, so now we’re basically best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook, too!

5 from 24 votes

15 Minute Spicy Ramen

Prep:10 minutes minutes

Cook:15 minutes minutes

Total:25 minutes minutes

This 15-minute hack for 25¢ ramen packages gives you a perfect Japanese comfort food with ease.

Print SaveClick Here to Remove Ads

Ingredients

For the Spicy Ramen

▢ 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
▢ 1 cup water or 1 additional cup broth of choice
▢ 1 1-inch-long piece fresh ginger cut into 4 slices
▢ 2 cloves garlic peeled, smashed
▢ 1 tablespoon miso paste
▢ 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
▢ 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
▢ 2 teaspoons sesame oil
▢ 1 dash rice wine vinegar
▢ 2 blocks dried ramen noodles or 2 servings fresh ramen noodles

Serving Suggestions (All Optional)

▢ 2 large soft-boiled eggs halved
▢ thinly sliced scallions
▢ black sesame seeds or shichimi togarashi
▢ ½ sheet nori thinly sliced
▢ chopped chicken or shredded chicken, optional

Equipment

Large saucepan
Slotted spoon

Instructions

Place large saucepan on stovetop over high heat. Add 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1 cup water, 1 1-inch-long piece fresh ginger, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon miso paste, 1 tablespoon sambal oelek, 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and 1 dash rice wine vinegar. Stir well to incorporate ingredients, then bring mixture to boil.
Once mixture reaches rolling boil, immediately reduce heat under saucepan to medium-low. Simmer mixture 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 10 minutes, use slotted spoon to remove ginger and garlic pieces.
Add 2 blocks dried ramen noodles to saucepan and cook noodles in broth mixture until noodles are soft.
Once all noodles have softened, use slotted spoon to transfer noodles from saucepan to serving bowls, dividing noodles evenly between bowls.
Pour broth over noodles, dividing broth evenly between bowls.
If desired, top ramen with halves of 2 large soft-boiled eggs. Garnish with thinly sliced scallions, black sesame seeds, ½ sheet nori, and chopped chicken. Serve ramen immediately.

Notes

Sambal Oelek: If you can’t find or don’t have sambal oelek, you can use Gochujang, chili-garlic sauce, red chili flakes, or sriracha. Sriracha will be a little sweeter, though, and may throw off the overall flavor of the dish.
Ramen: Use the dried noodle blocksonly – don’t use the seasoning packets!
Chicken: You can also use pork or tofu instead of chicken if desired, or omit it completely with no replacements.
Sodium Content:The sodium estimate in the nutrition information reflects using low-sodium chicken broth and low-sodium soy sauce, and omitting the ramen seasoning packets.
Make it Vegan: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Serve with tofu instead of chicken if desired and omit the soft-boiled eggs entirely.

Perfect Soft-Boiled Eggs

Stovetop Soft-Boiled Eggs: Boil eggs 6 to 7 minutes. Immediately transfer eggs to ice bath and let eggs soak until cool enough to handle.
Instant Pot Soft-Boiled Eggs: Cook 1 minute on Manual Low Pressure, then immediately quick release steam and remove eggs. Immediately transfer eggs to ice bath and let eggs soak until cool enough to handle.
Air Fryer Soft-Boiled Eggs: Air fry eggs at 300° Fahrenheit for 7-9 minutes. Immediately transfer eggs to ice bath and let eggs soak until cool enough to handle.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1 serving, Calories: 562cal, Protein: 27g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 187mg, Sodium: 2480mg, Potassium: 468mg, Total Carbs: 59g, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 1g, Net Carbs: 56g, Vitamin A: 293IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 60mg, Iron: 4mg

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Meet Cheryl Malik

In addition to being a certified health coach, certified yoga instructor, and mom of 3, Cheryl is also the recipe developer, editor-in-chief, food photographer, and passionate foodie behind 40 Aprons. Having spent the last 10+ years as a food blogger, she's become known for her flavorful recipes, detailed instructions, gorgeous photography, and down-to-earth approach to food and cooking in general.

Reader Interactions

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Kathy says
Posted on 5/28/23 at 7:44 am
This was my first time making ramen after falling in love with it at a nearby restaurant. My husband and I absolutely loved it! Garnished it with eggs, onions, mushrooms and nori. No need to try other recipes, as this is now a favorite.
Reply
- Jessica | 40 Aprons Team says
  Posted on 6/1/23 at 2:29 pm
  So glad you and your husband loved this ramen, Kathy! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
  Reply
Kim says
Posted on 2/22/23 at 7:49 pm
Oh..My..Goodness! This is so good. I made it so fast, so easy…barely measured and it was perfect. Used Sriracha since I couldn’t find miso paste. And added Gochujang Chile Paste just for fun because I had it. I had to stop myself from tasting it before there wasn’t any left for the noodles. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Reply
- Jessica | 40 Aprons Team says
  Posted on 2/23/23 at 10:17 am
  The addition of Sriracha and Gochujang paste sounds delicious! So glad you enjoyed it!
  Reply
Nikki says
Posted on 1/11/23 at 1:24 am
I just made this for the second time this week. We love it! It’s sooo good and easy. This is definitely being added into our regular dinner meals. Thanks so much!
Reply
- Molly | 40 Aprons Team says
  Posted on 1/11/23 at 9:40 am
  That’s so great! Thanks so much for the review, Nikki!
  Reply
  - Nikki says
    Posted on 12/8/23 at 11:37 pm
    A year later and I can say we’ve probably made this a 100 times. Making it again for dinner tonight! You really are the best! Lol
  - Jessica | 40 Aprons Team says
    Posted on 12/10/23 at 9:23 pm
    We’re so glad it’s still a favorite!! 💛
Joanne N says
Posted on 12/11/22 at 8:40 am
Sooooo good! Such a quick and easy recipe! My whole family loves it! Serve with multiple add ins that everyone can customize to their liking.
Reply
- Molly | 40 Aprons Team says
  Posted on 12/12/22 at 2:06 pm
  So glad you enjoyed, Joanne! Love the add in options – like a spicy ramen bar! Thanks for the review!
  Reply
Kiersten says
Posted on 11/29/22 at 8:18 pm
Loved this recipe! I was wonder though, how much ginger is in an 11” knob? I had varied results with searches but ended up with just adding 1tbsp.
Reply
- Megan | 40 Aprons Team says
  Posted on 11/30/22 at 10:26 am
  Oh no, sorry for any confusion! It’s not an 11” knob, it’s one 1” knob, cut into 4 slices. It’s roughly equivalent to 1 ¼ teaspoons ground ginger.
  Reply
Maria says
Posted on 5/3/22 at 6:02 pm
Amazing recipe! I did the marinated ramen egg for mine and added slices of pork belly that we had roasted earlier in the week. The broth was so delicious- tasted like it took hours!
Reply
- Megan | 40 Aprons Team says
  Posted on 5/18/22 at 1:10 pm
  YUM, that sounds delicious, Maria! Thank you for the review!
  Reply
Marlen says
Posted on 4/23/22 at 1:12 pm
I’ve been wanting to try the recipe but haven’t been able to find any in stores. Which brand do you use or where can I find it
Reply
- Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
  Posted on 5/1/22 at 4:04 pm
  What exactly have you had a hard time finding in stores?
  Reply