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
Wonderful flavor, simple and the roasted chicken I used lends a savory note that just cannot be denied! Thank you
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Chris!!
I was afraid to try something so different but the instructions were easy and the family said make it again. Thank you so much for this one!!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Jenifer! So happy to hear that 😊
Love this recipe! My sister sent it to me a couple years ago, and we have been making it at home once every couple months. My stepson requests it and he is kind of a picky eater. We made a couple changes to the recipe, using sriracha instead of jalapeños and sometimes adding a couple other toppings to make it our own. But we all love it so much! And the broth is always enough for us to make three bowls! We only double it if we want leftovers the next day or two.
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Kim!! So happy it’s a fave 🙂
I use this method of cooking the chicken breasts for salad as well. So good!
★★★★★
It’s my favorite way too! Thanks so much, Tracy!! 🙂
This is definitely going to be a family favourite in our house now! We had ramen for the first time at a Japanese restaurant recently and wanted to have a go at making it at home. This recipe surpasses what we had in the restaurant, and we REALLY liked the ramen at the restaurant. Love love love.
★★★★★
That makes my night! Thank you so much, Amy!! 🙂
This recipe gets a SHINING 5 star review from me and not only because my fiancé and I love the ramen and it’s made it into the weekly rotation. The ramen is fantastic but as someone who has been struggling forever with cooking chicken (scared to undercook it so it always ends up over cooked) the method for cooking chicken breast in this recipe has changed my life! No joke- I now cook my chicken this way for pasta, sandwiches, meal prep, it’s literally the only way we cook chicken now. Thank you for an amazing recipe!!!!
★★★★★
Oh, that makes me so happy!! Thanks so much, Scout! 🙂
This was so delicious and perfect for a very chilly night. My family had to wait awhile as I was unorganized and the aroma was driving them crazy. I used all the ingredients as listed but added some fresh asparagus and finely chopped carrots as I had them and fresh cilantro if desired. I served it like a buffet and the family could make their own bowls. I wasn’t sure my 7 yr old granddaughter would like it but she loved it. Big hit here! Will make again. Some advise, follow the chicken directions or use a rotisserie chicken. Mine were boneless and skinless and a bit bland. I tripled the recipe for 6 people and it was perfect! Yes to the sriracha!
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Mary!! I’m so happy to hear your whole family loved it 😊
The best! My whole family loves this meal and they’re incredibly picky!
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Ansley!!
Yolk*
I love this ramen recipe! I usually double the recipe to make 4 servings and it’s amazing for leftovers. I add two ingredients that really add some amazing flavor.
For 4 servings, I add 3-4 tablespoons of white miso paste and 1-2 tablespoons of Gochujang (Korean chili paste). Whisk it in and BAM!
Thanks for the recipe 🙂 will be using for years to come.
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Gracie!!
Wow. I can’t say this enough… this is a great recipe and a total crowd pleaser. Variations: I used soy free sauce, frozen mushrooms and marinaded the egg overnight in liquid aminos & Mirin.
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Mel!!
If you dont like mushrooms- just leave them out. You don’t need them. I tried putting them in and taking them out to add to the broth flavor. Still tastes very mushroomy to me.
★★★★
WIll it taste as good if I use refrigerated ramen noodles- I had bought a package.
Sure! They may have different cooking instructions than dried noodles, so just check the timing. Enjoy!!
This recipe was great! It was my first time making ramen so I was a little daunted, but this recipe made it so simple. I didn’t have shiitake mushrooms so I left those out, used leftover chicken that we had already cooked (heated it up in the broth as the broth cooked), and I used seasoned rice vinegar with 1tsp sugar instead of mirin. We loved it! Already looking forward to making it again.
★★★★★
Yay! Thanks, Mikala! So happy it was a hit 🙂
I really can’t cook and I was able to make this. It ended up being really easy to make and tasted fantastic. I highly recommend every ramen lover try out this recipe.
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Ellen!!
Wow thanks
For the recipe
Totally recommend this easy recipe! Tastes very similar and nearly as good as some ramen I had at Japantown in San Francisco. Definitely don’t skip the mirin. It was so quick. Recommend adding a soft boiled egg on the side of the bowl!
★★★★★
Its okay. Dried mushrooms hav3 to be soaked overnight…
★★★
Hi Nes! The mushrooms do not need to be soaked overnight, they cook right in the broth. As I mention in the recipe notes, you can also use fresh shiitake mushrooms if you prefer.
I am impressed! Overall, it was wonderful. I ended up adding about 40oz of stock (added more because some of it would cook off) and letting it simmer for a couple of hours. I added the mushrooms and scallions from the beginning and slow cooked them in it as well. I personally think this is more of a base and it allows you to tweak it however you’d like. Next time I’m going to spice it up with cayenne pepper. I highly recommend this recipe!
★★★★★
Thanks, Darold!!
Thanks so much, Hannah!!
This came out super yummy!! I didn’t even have sesame oil or mirin, which I’m sure would’ve made it taste even better and more authentic, but it still came out great and tasted really similar to the kind you get at a restaurant!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Michelle!!
Getting into the naruto vibe with this nothing better than watching naruto and eating ramen
Thanks, Liam!!
Excellent recipe. I added salt and spices to the broth as well as kimchi. I also boiled the broth in the same pot as I cooked the chicken for extra flavor. Was delicious
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Re!!
Best thing I’ve cooked in a long time, and my girlfriend absolutely loved it 👌
★★★★★
Oh, yay! Thanks so much, Gresh!