Easy homemade chicken ramen, with a flavorful broth, roasted chicken, fresh veggies, lots of noodles, and a soft cooked egg. Inspired by traditional Japanese ramen, but on the table in under an hour.
The Honey’s parents are American ex-pats living abroad in Tokyo, Japan, and while visiting them over the last seven or eight years, he’s collected dozens of favorite eateries throughout the city.
There’s the best izakaya in Kichijoji, serving up casual Japanese pub food, and countless kiten-zushi restaurants, where my English-speaking Honey can choose small plates of freshly-made sushi from a moving conveyor belt without having to order in Japanese.
He always makes sure to buy at least one Pocari Sweat from a vending machine (think Japanese gatorade), and of course, there’s his favorite ramen shop in Shinjuku, a tiny, crowded restaurant with a line out the door. Paintings of pigs adorn the walls, and big, steaming bowls of pork ramen are served to hungry patrons at a single bar counter.
Real Japanese ramen, the kind that my Honey tells stories about, takes years and great skill to perfect. I wanted to create a simple ramen noodle soup that reminded him of Japan, but could be made quickly, with ingredients on hand.
I opted for chicken instead of pork, but kept the rest of the ramen vibe somewhat traditional: a killer chicken soup base with garlic, ginger, shitake mushrooms and soy sauce, filled with squiggly ramen noodles and slices of succulent chicken, and topped with fresh spring onions and a soft-boiled egg.
My version is on the table in less than an hour – and half that if you opt for store-bought chicken – and while it might not be completely authentic, it’s a flavorful, comforting soup just in time for the unmistakably crisp, chilly autumn weather that these first days of October have ushered in.
Simple Homemade Chicken Ramen
Easy homemade chicken ramen, with a flavorful broth, roasted chicken, fresh veggies, lots of noodles, and a soft cooked egg. Inspired by traditional Japanese ramen, but on the table in under an hour.
Prep: 15min
Total: 1h
Yield: 2
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts (boneless, skin-on)*
- kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to season
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tsp sesame or vegetable oil
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 4 cups rich chicken stock
- 1 oz dried shitake mushrooms (or 1/2 cup fresh)
- 1-2 tsp sea salt, to taste
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup scallions, sliced
- 2 (3 oz) packs dried ramen noodles
- optional: fresh jalapeño or chili slices, for serving
Instruction:
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the oven, transfer the chicken to a plate, and cover with foil until ready to serve.
- Add the stock, cover, and bring to a boil. Remove the lid, and let simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, then add the dried mushrooms. Simmer gently for another 10 minutes, and season with salt, to taste.
- Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water. When the timer finishes, transfer the eggs to the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Wait at least 5 minutes, or until cool enough to handle, then carefully peel away the shell and slice in half, lengthwise. Set aside until ready to serve.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes, until soft, then divide the noodles into two large bowls. Add the sliced chicken and the ramen broth. Top with the fresh scallions, jalapeño, and the soft boiled egg. Serve immediately. Enjoy!!
Easy Homemade Chicken Ramen Recipe
An incredibly flavorful homemade classic chicken ramen with authentic flavors, but easy enough to make for dinner! Topped with caramelized soy chicken and a ramen egg. This classic shoyu chicken ramen can be made in about 45 minutes, and 30 minutes for the easier version.You also have the option of marinating the chicken and ramen eggs overnight to increase flavor. EASY / INTERMEDIATE – This is an easy recipe, but has several components. It’s recommended to make each component separately the first time you make this, but afterwards it will easy to multi task and make components simultaneously. An easier version of the recipe is also included. US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Common Measurement Conversions. Weight measurements are recommended for accurate results.
Prep: 5min
Total: 45min
Yield: 4
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 120 kcal, Carbohydrate 19 g, Protein 4 g, Sodium 2021 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 10 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (Or mushroom dark soy sauce) (double the amount of light soy sauce (below) if you don’t have dark soy sauce)
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 garlic cloves (chopped finely)
- 4 pieces chicken thigh (boneless, skin off or on)
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce (or mushroom dark soy sauce) (or 1 tbsp light soy sauce + 1 tbsp water)
- 4 – 5 cups good quality chicken stock (preferably no sodium or low sodium)
- 4 stalks of spring onions (trimmed and cut in half)
- 4 – 5 cloves garlic
- 2 inch piece of ginger (sliced)
- 4 red chili (or 1 tbsp dried chili flakes (crushed red pepper) omit if you don’t like spicy food)
- ¼ cup light soy sauce
- ¼ cup mirin
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms (stems trimmed and sliced, or cut in half)
- 12 – 13 oz dried ramen noodles (or 4 portions (or 4 portions of fresh ramen noodles))
- 4 large eggs
- 2 bunches of spinach or 4 shanghai bok choy (or any Asian greens)
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Garlic
- 4 stalks of spring onions (sliced finely)
- Sliced radishes or bean sprouts
- Ramen eggs (marinated or plain)
- Chili garlic oil
Instruction:
- Slice the chicken and set aside.
- When the ramen base in Pot 1 has cooked for about 20 – 25 minutes, strain to remove the garlic, ginger, chili and spring onions (or only the spring onions and chili). Add the strained stock back into the pot and add the mushrooms, and let it cook for a further 5 minutes until the mushrooms have softened. The ramen base is now ready.
- Immediately place the eggs in cool running water or an ice bath for a few minutes. Peel and set aside until ready to serve. This can be done BEFORE you cook the ramen as well.
- Cover and microwave in 1 minute increments until the greens have softened, but not too wilted. Alternatively, you can heat a non-stick pan with a little oil, and pan fry the greens with soy sauce and garlic for about 2 – 4 minutes.
- Top with the steamed greens, sliced soy chicken, ramen eggs, spring onions, radishes and other toppings you like.