Make instant ramen that tastes just as amazing as the real deal! It’s quick, cheap, and ridiculously easy—all you need are a handful of pantry items to elevate your noodle soup into a satisfying, protein-packed meal.
I’ve shared several authentic ramen recipes on the blog, but I also know that sometimes we need speedy and no-brainer versions like this 10-Minute Instant Ramen Recipe because life gets busy. This one is dedicated to my son, who just started college and will need all the emergency cooking hacks to keep him fueled.
When you have moments that call for instant ramen—regardless of the reasons—I know this recipe scores high on comfort and will keep your belly very happy. Now, you just need to get to the pantry, grab a handful of ingredients, and get cooking!
Why You’ll Love This Easy Ramen
- Quick to make — You can cook it from start to finish in less than 10 minutes! It’s seriously easier and faster than take-out.
- Affordable and flexible — It uses common staple ingredients from your fridge and pantry, and you can modify and bulk it up as you wish.
- It has a great boost of protein — We know the importance of eating enough protein in a meal, so I want to pass on that knowledge to my kids too. Even with instant ramen and a simple recipe like this, you can easily amp up the nutritional value by adding quality proteins and probiotic-rich fermented food (like kimchi) to the dish.
- Tastes just as good as the ramen served at your local restaurants — A bowl of ramen can easily cost from $15 to $25 right now, and some are not even on point with flavors. A homemade instant ramen like this recipe can easily rival the flavors because you can adjust the seasonings and toppings to your taste!
Please note that I’m not advocating for my son to eat this every day, but on occasions when he needs a quick, warm meal, he knows how to make a better instant ramen bowl.
Ingredients for This Recipe
- Instant ramen — You can use either Shin Black or the original Is it Ramyun? by Nongshim, a Korean brand. Their instant noodles have the perfect thickness and chew.
- Green onion/scallion
- Albacore tuna (packed in olive oil) —Trust me, the rich flavor of tuna melds well with spicy ramen like this. Canned tuna is an excellent pantry item, and it is also packed with Omega-3 fatty acids and other important nutrients.
- Kimchi — This fermented cabbage makes everything taste better, so make sure you have a jar with you at all times!
- Egg — Not only does it add a rich creamy texture and protein, but the addition of egg (a good source of protein) will also make you feel fuller.
- Sesame oil and sesame seeds — Toasted sesame oil adds a lovely nutty aroma, while sesame seeds add a punch of texture. I recommend keeping these in the pantry, but you can still make the ramen without them if you run out.
Substitution Tips
You can certainly use and experiment with other ingredients as well.
- Swap the protein — Instead of an egg and canned tuna, you can use tofu, ground beef, pork, leftover rotisserie/shredded chickenor shrimp. You can fry the tofu and the ground beef/pork in the same pot. For the shrimp and the chicken, just throw them into your noodle water for a few minutes, and you’re good to go!
- Thinly sliced shiitake mushroom — If you happen to have shiitake mushrooms with you, throw them in!
- Add a dose of fiber — Leafy greens like spinach or bok choy, precut veggies such as shredded carrots, or frozen vegetables like broccoli or sweet corn kernels are always welcome.
How to Make Instant Ramen
- Add water to a saucepan, cover, and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add the packaged seasonings.
- Add the canned tuna and mix well. Bring it to a boil again without a lid.
- Once boiling, add the dried noodles. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Using chopsticks, submerge the dried noodles in the soup and loosen them up.
- After 2 minutes, add the kimchi and stir. Crack an egg and let it cook. Drizzle the sesame oil right before the timer is up.
- Sprinkle some green onions. When the timer beeps, transfer the noodles to a bowl.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion. Serve with extra kimchi on top or as a side dish. Enjoy!
Tips to Make the Best Instant Ramen
A 10-year-old might already know how to make instant ramen, so is it possible to mess up instant ramen? While you can’t go wrong with making instant ramen, I’d like to share some simple tips that can help beginner cooks make the best bowl.
- Measure and use the right amount of water. Too much or too little water will result in off-balance flavors.
- Use a timer so the instant ramen noodles don’t overcook or undercook. Mushy noodles are a no-no. You want the noodles to have an al dente bite.
- Crack the egg toward the end and let it cook without touching it, so you’ll get a perfectly set egg with a jammy yolk.
Complete Your Meal
Along with instant ramen, you can always serve quick side dishes such as Bean Sprout Namul, Cucumber Salad, Chilled Tofu (Hiyayakko)a pack of Korean seaweed, and steamed rice.
Easy College Meal Series
With our son off to college and needing to prepare many of his meals on his own, I decided to start this College Meal Series featuring simple, cheap, and easy recipes all in one place.
We bought this Dezin Electric Cooker for him so he could cook without a stove in his dorm. It’s a lifesaver since it offers various functions, such as sautéing, simmering, boiling, stir-frying, etc. I highly recommend it to college kids or anyone living in a small apartment.
With this versatile pot, my son can cook his favorite Japanese fried rice, hot pot, pan-fried Teriyaki Chickenone-pot Napolitan, one-pot Japanese Curry, his favorite Hayashi Rice, and a superb instant ramen recipe like this!
All the recipes I share in this Series will be friendly even to the most novice cooks. You can simply use your saucepan or frying pan instead of the Dezin. These recipes are also perfect for those seeking cheap and quick dinner ideas. For this series, I’ll be using many shelf-stable, pantry ingredients.
I hope you enjoy this 10-Minute Instant Ramen Recipe. Don’t miss the video which my son actually cooked following my recipe. You can see the video on Instagram!
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Gather all the ingredients. I use an electric pot for this recipe and others in the 10-Minute Meal series. You also could use a regular saucepan on the stove.
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Cut 1 green onion/scallion diagonally into thin slices.
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Add 500 ml water to an electric pot or saucepan and cover with a lid. Bring it to a boil on medium-high heat or Mode II (600W) on the electric pot.
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Once boiling, sprinkle in the seasoning packet(s) from the ramen package.
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Drain ¼ (5-oz) can albacore tuna (preferably packed in olive oil) and add to the pot. Mix well and bring it to a boil again, uncovered.
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Once boiling, add 1 package instant ramen noodles. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Using chopsticks, submerge the dried noodles in the simmering soup, flip them once, and loosen them up. When boiling strong, reduce the heat to medium heat or Mode I (250W).
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After 2 minutesadd 2 Tbsp kimchi and stir.
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Crack 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) onto the ramen noodles and let it cook in the simmering soup without touching it, about 2–3 minutes. Right before the timer is updrizzle in ½ Tbsp toasted sesame oil.
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Sprinkle on some sliced green onions. When the 5-minute timer beeps, transfer the noodles and soup to a large bowl.
To Serve
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Sprinkle with ½ tsp toasted white sesame seeds and extra green onion on top. Serve with extra kimchi on top or in a side dish. Enjoy! This recipe is best consumed as soon as you prepare it, so I don’t recommend keeping leftovers.
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