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.
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.
what you’ll love about this easy chicken ramen
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.
Be sure to check out these other weeknight dinner favorites:
- Easy spinach and goat cheese pasta
- Ginger noodle soup with Swiss chard
- Lemony kale and white bean soup
If you make this ramen, be sure to tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #forkknifeswoon and leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it! Star ratings are especially helpful because they help others find my recipes too. xo, Laura
PrintSimple Homemade Chicken Ramen
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 2 Servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Saute, Pan-Roast,
- Cuisine: Japanese, American
Description
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.
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
Instructions
Cook the chicken: ¹
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.
- Melt the butter in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook until the skin is golden brown and releases easily from the pan, about 5-7 minutes. Flip the chicken over and cook for another 4-5 minutes, until golden.
- 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.
Make the ramen broth:
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for a few minutes until softened. Add the soy sauce and mirin, and stir to combine. Cook for another minute.
- 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.
Make the soft-boiled eggs:
- Fill a pot with enough water to cover the eggs, and bring to a boil. Gently lower the eggs (still cold from the fridge) into the boiling water, and let simmer for 7 minutes (for a slightly-runny yolk) or 8 minutes (for a soft, but set-up yolk).
- 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.
Assemble the ramen bowls:
- Meanwhile, chop the scallions and jalapeño (if using). Slice the chicken into thin pieces. Set aside. When the eggs finish cooking, add the ramen noodles to the boiling water.
- 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!!
Notes
¹ Ask your butcher to remove the rib bone from the chicken breasts (leaving the skin on), or use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and increase the oven roasting time 5-10 minutes, as needed. You can also cut your ramen prep time in half by using a store-bought whole rotisserie chicken, simply slice off as much as you wish, and add to the ramen.
Keywords: ramen, chicken ramen, homemade ramen, easy ramen, japanese, soup, dinner, noodle, broth, quick, healthy
I’d like to try this, but I notice you mention that you used a “rich chicken broth,” and I’d like some more clarification on that. Particularly, are you actually using chicken broth, or chicken stock? And then, is it store bought, or homemade? In the case of store bought, is there a specific brand you prefer? And if you do homemade, what recipe do you use? Thanks! I look forward to trying this one out.
Hi, Joana! I suggest using a rich chicken stock. Homemade is always best when it comes to soup, but most of the time for this recipe I use store bought. There’s not a specific brand you need to use (you can use something like Pacifica stock or go higher end like Bonafide), but I’d definitely look for stock or bone broth vs regular broth which doesn’t have as much flavor. When I make my own, I don’t usually follow an exact recipe (it tends to change somewhat with what veggies we have at the time), but it’s similar to Ina Garten’s which you can find online or in any of her cookbooks. Hope that helps!!
I use two cartons of Campbells no salt added chicken broth + 1 cup water, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar. Cut up 2 carrots, 2 celery ribs, 2 bay leafs, 6 cloves of garlic; halved, 1 tsp thyme or 1 sprig, 1 tbsp whole peppercorns and 1 tbsp dried parsley. Bring to a boil and then turn to the lowest setting to simmer. Now add about 1kg bone in, skinless chicken thigh and simmer x 3-4 hours. Take chicken out and chop to bite size. Strain broth. This is delicious, rich broth to make her ramen soup without roasting the chicken. Cheers!
★★★★★
Thanks for the tip, Krista!!
Great flavorful recipe and easy to make! Only thing I changed was I used portbella mushrooms because I couldn’t find shiitake. I would definitely make this again…and again…and again!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, LisaKay!! Glad to hear the portabellos worked great too 🙂
This recipe was terrible! No flavor to broth. We even added seasoning at the end, but couldn’t save it! I do not recommend.
★
Well, everyone’s tastes are different, but did you follow the recipe exactly? I ask because I found it highly flavorful and I definitely don’t like a bland ramen. Each flavoring step is important: salt and pepper the chicken prior to putting in the skillet with the butter, use the exact amounts of garlic and ginger, unless you prefer more of either. Perhaps yours were old? I had to use white mushrooms as I didn’t have shitake (which are more flavorful). And I cut the amount of soy sauce by 1/2 T because it wasn’t the low salt version snd I didn’t want too much salt flavor.
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Judy! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
I should have halved the soy sauce as I didn’t have low sodium either! Mine was salty, so ended up adding extra water but so good! Also did not do chicken- super thin sliced prime rib seared to crispy and some shrimp- was phenomenal!
Yum! Sounds great with the different proteins 🙂 Thanks, Annette!!
This turned out really good!! But the recipe didn’t yield that much broth? Maybe I had bigger bowls? But it yielded one serving as opposed to two. Should I double up the measurements next time when it comes to the broth? Other than that minor issue, everything else worked out perfectly. Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
It’s hard for me to know exactly why the ratio felt off, but you could certainly double the broth if you prefer!
Hi Judy! I loved the recipe any suggestions on why I lost broth. My ramen ended up being Japanese spaghetti. But amazing all the same!!
★★★★★
Hi, Riley! Did you by any chance cook the ramen noodles in the broth instead of a separate pot? They will absorb a ton of liquid that way. Glad it still tasted good! 😉
Hi, Abby. I’m surprised to hear you didn’t find this to be flavorful, because not only is it a widely popular recipe, but it’s made with a lot of strong flavors: browned chicken bits (which I suggest seasoning generously), butter, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, mirin etc. The dried shitakes alone add a ton of umami flavor. Also, as I note, using a high-quality rich chicken stock makes a big difference too vs a basic broth. And while it’s not clear if you followed the recipe exactly, or maybe just have different taste preferences, I’d also like to remind you that there’s a real person behind this recipe/blog and there are kinder and more helpful ways to offer constructive criticism.
Ive sent a request to make this to my fav chef, Chez Trevor aka my hubby. Sounds so delicious Laura, thx for sharing!
Thanks, Tiffany! Enjoy!
I absolutly loved this now i did make the broth with chicken bulion flavoring amd because of that it was extremely salty but even with that the flavor was amazing next time il try with a low sodium broth i also used white mushies as shitake wasnt in stock at the local markets they soaked up and added a great flavor all the same definite 5 star i will be making this again soon hopfully not as salty >.< but that was my fault for the extra salty flavoring
★★★★★
Thank you, Xander!! Yes, chicken bullion can be super salty! Glad you still enjoyed!!
We also found this to be very bland, you are not alone with that thought. Not sure how to tweak it to fix it but this was a let down.
This was so simple but flavor packed! Was a hit with my family! We’ve made this several times since stumbling upon this recipe!
★★★★★
Thank you, Melissa! So happy it’s become a fave 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! Loved this soy based chicken ramen. I used udon noodles and added a tiny bit more ginger than the recipe called for and added a tablespoon of jalapeño at the start because I always like a broth with a slight hum of heat. Also added enoki mushrooms right at the end. Delicious!! Thanks for sharing this recipe. It’s so easy so I will definitely add it to our regular rotation of quick and healthy weeknight dishes.
★★★★★
Yay! Thanks so much, Liz!!
My husband is the one who usually cooks in our small family, but when I did this he went on to saying I should do this in big batches so we can host a winter ramen party. 🙏🥰
★★★★★
Love that! Thanks so much, Ellie!!
Made this for me and my brother. Turned out amazing. Super easy to prepare and cook, cheap if you already have some of the ingredients. Will definitely do this again. Thanks!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Rhys!! So happy it was a hit 🙂
Did not care for this at all. Does not taste even remote similar to traditional ramen. I won’t be making it again. Sorry.
★
Damn, sometimes people just can’t shut their mouths instead of being rude. Maybe you weren’t keen on the recipe but you only had to say it wasn’t that similar to a traditional ramen.
★★★★★
I wasn’t being rude, I was being honest. This blog is open to reviews, so I gave mine. You’re a hypocrite and a troll.
I appreciate your feedback, Rachel. While we all have our own perspectives and enjoy different flavor profiles, it’s important to share all of them, not just those that are positive. So thank you for sharing.
You just don’t have good taste. The least you could do was give it one star instead of being petty about it.
★★★★★
I’m allergic to mushrooms, is there something I could substitute it for? I love ramen I just dont wanna die to eat it hahahaha.
Thanks!
Ha! Yeah, not worth that 😉 You can just omit the mushrooms. They add flavor and umami to the broth, so just make sure to use a good, flavorful chicken stock. Enjoy!!
Some thinly sliced tofu and a pinch or two of msg will make up for the texture and the umami.
Hi, John! Thanks for the tip!
There is no “oil” in the ingredients, there is in Stage 2. Which and how much?
Sorry, my mistake, I was looking for just “oil” and I missed “sesame or vegetable oil.” Too rush.
Enjoy!!
Was super delicious and quite easy. I also added some thinly sliced red capsicum, bok choy and field mushrooms (I used tinned shitake mushrooms) I just pan fried chicken breast and skipped placing in the oven. Would be interested to know the calories per serve. Thank You!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Trina!!
I was craving ramen and found this recipe. It hit the nail on the head and more! Very delicious. Topped my bowl off with Sriracha for some heat. My two-year-old enjoyed her own little bowl, as well. I doubled the recipe because I always enjoy leftovers. Very good! This will be a staple in our home.
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Jenelle! Love that it was a hit with your daughter too 🙂
Every Korean drama has a delicious ramen moment. so I wanted to know how to make it and how it tastes. thank you for this amazing recipe. definitely will try it and I will tag you on my food page(@myplate_cafe) on Instagram. see you soon…
★★★★★
Thanks, Ruwini! Enjoy!!
My boyfriend made this for our date night and it was AMAZING! Thank you. So, so yummy!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, K!!
Great recipe. Delicious, adaptable and speedy. We keep coming back again and again!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Ellen!!
I always find making ramen to be a bit of a frantic juggle as I only have a single hob. Do you think this could be mitigated by pre-cooking and freezing the broth and mushrooms for future use? Not sure how the mushrooms will fair during freezing.
This is more a storage/accessibility suggestion more thank anything. Thank you for the recipe, it’s fabulous!
★★★★★
Thanks, Rod! I haven’t frozen this ramen, but the broth should be fine to freeze (including the mushrooms). I would probably wait to add the chicken, and definitely the ramen noodles and egg etc. until serving though for the best texture. Enjoy!!
Great, easy recipe that had wonderful flavor. Will probably mix it up. I sautéed some sweet potato and blanched broccoli to add extra nutrition, but that’s the beauty of ramen–whatever you like. Thanks!
★★★★★
Thank you, Julie!!
This is my go to ramen recipe. My 3 year old loves it and eats it all and we just had my 9 month old try it for the first time and he loved it too! I always add more veggies and usually I just use chicken stock but other than that I stick to the recipe and it comes out perfect every time. Thank you!
★★★★★
yay! Thanks so much, Jackie!
This recipe is great as is but I did use low sodium broth, coconut aminos in place of soy, and boneless skinless chicken to make it a bit healthier! My whole family loves this and there is never leftovers!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Sabrina!!
I found it lacking a bit of veggies so I added some to broth while cooking making it just a bit more flavourful. Other than that it was delicious and super easy thanks 🙏
I often cook on the weekends to give my wife a break. I decided to try a ramen recipe for something new and unusual. This recipe was the best! Easy, very satisfying and very, very flavorful. My late teen and early 20s kids insisted that this recipe be placed in ‘The Book’ (a notebook where I keep my best recipes). Thank you Laura!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, BJ!! So happy it’s such a hit with the whole fam 🙂