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
Unbelievably good
★★★★★
Thank you, Tom!!
My wife had major neck surgery on Monday and just got home Wednesday late afternoon… so we are not doing a traditional Thanksgiving dinner this year. I told her I would make her anything she wanted today… and this ramen is what she asked me to make. Today I substituted the chicken with duck breast – thanks for this simple, delicious recipe! It is delicious as is but also allows for additional, or different, ingredients based on what is on hand.
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Mike!! Hope it helped her feel a little better! It sounds delicious with the duck 🙂
Our new family favorite!
★★★★★
Yay! Thank you, Christina!
How many calories?
Hi Alex! I no longer include nutrition information on my recipes, but there are lots of online nutrition calculators if you’re interested! Happy cooking! 🙂
Made this for my family and they LOVED it!
★★★★★
Yay! Thanks so much, Michelle!
Made this tonight. My daughter said it was better than restaurant Ramen. And she loves Ramen. The recipe is wonderful. Lots of flavor even thought it doesn’t seem like a lot going into it. I did not change a single thing. I did take her suggestion and used a rotisserie chicken which saved time. We had enough broth left over for probably 2 more bowls. So leftovers is nice, since you really can just boil some noodles and call it a day. Will definitely be making this again. I feel Honored. My daughter took a picture of her bowl and shared it with friends.
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Janelle! I’m so happy it was a hit with everyone – and the photo at the end is definitely the ultimate compliment! 🙂
Hi what seasonings do your recommend throwing in? and when? to make it spicier!
I don’t want to use jalapeños.
Hi, Leanne! You could use any type of hot chili/pepper instead of the jalapenos for garnish or stir some Sambal Oelek (chili paste) into the broth after you’ve simmered the mushrooms. Lots of people also add sriracha at the end. Enjoy!!
It’s such an excellent recipe! Highly recommended.
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Daisy!!
One of the most delicious soups we’ve ever made! Definitely adding to the regular list. My husband requested I add bacon, so I sautéed right after the chicken, kept some of the grease in the pan and sautéed the garlic and ginger in that – delicious!
★★★★★
Thank you so much!! So happy it was a hit!
I make this recipe almost once a week for my fam and it is absolutely a family fave! Thank you!
Yay! Thanks so much, Jessica!!
This was delicious and so full of flavor! Thank you for this recipe, will be adding it to our weekly rotation!
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Kait!!
Is it also possible to use chicken breasts without skin?
Sure – just keep in mind that the cooking time may change plus or minus a couple minutes. Enjoy!!
I’ve used this recipe so many times lol I’ve been obsessed with ramen lately and was looking for ways to jazz it up, this has been my go-to lol thanks so much!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Kianna!!
Made it tonight, loved it, full of flavour, will definitely be adding it to my repertoire
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Zoe!!
This recipe is absolutely delicious! It has become my go-to for homemade ramen, and the broth is so good that you can mix up the toppings a bit and it still tastes amazing. I made it again for lunch today, as my roommate kept begging me to make some, lol.
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Dell!! So happy it’s become a fave 🙂
amazing chicken ramen noodle soup…
my question is we have extra broth left over how long is broth good for in the fridge for another meal…..thank you!
★★★★★
Thanks, Jamie!! You can save extra broth for 2-3 days covered tightly in the refrigerator. I try to store the noodles separately because they will absorb the broth over time. Enjoy the second dinner! 🙂
After preheating 375 the oven, do you change the cooking temperature in the oven or keep the same temperature to cook through the chicken? Can I use water instead of mirin or you have any other suggestion?
Hi, Yamin! The oven will stay at 375ºF the entire time the chicken cooks. As far as the mirin, it adds a subtle sweetness and tang which is a nice balance to the soy. You could try using dry cooking sherry. The alcohol will cook off, but if you’re avoiding alcohol completely, try rice vinegar with a pinch of sugar. Or you can just omit it 🙂 Enjoy!!
Absolutely amazing and delicious!!! I followed this recipe exactly as written for 3 servings. Hubby said we need to make this a regular. Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Yay! Thanks so much, Sadorah!!
I thought because I got store bought stock and noodles that this recipe would be so so but it was fantastic!! I used chicken legs/thighs because that is what I had, but other than that I followed the recipe and it turned out really really well!
★★★★★
Thanks, Molly! Glad you enjoyed!!
I had no experience making ramen when I found this recipe, and it did NOT disappoint! I would recommend maybe straining the minced garlic and ginger out of the broth (if you have picky kids), but otherwise, this turned out awesome and was a fun night of cooking for the family. Will definitely be making again!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Samantha!!