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
Soooo good! My husband rated it a 10 and my mother in law thought it was delicious too!
★★★★★
Thanks for the recipe!! My hubby always loves the instant ramen until I found this super easy recipe. He’s always happy when I make it. Now he doesn’t eat the instant ramen anymore. Lol.
And I give you a Five Star!! The system will only give me a three
★★★
My family really loved the Simple Homemade Chicken Ramen soup!
★★★★★
Just getting over the flu and made this…and it definitely hit the spot! This was super delicious! Even my picky eater of a husband enjoyed it minus the scallions and mushrooms in his bowl. I too thought it was a little salty but I also didn’t use the low-sodium soy sauce but regardless it had awesome flavor and we will be making this recipe often! I also added 2 tbsp of siracha which I got from a different recipe and it was just so so so yummy!
★★★★★
Just made it. I had ramen when I was in Japan and nothing compared. This was good for me making ramen for the first time! A little bit Salty but that may have been my bad
★★★★★
Lovely recipe. We just made this for our New Years dinner and it was amazing. We just used thick udon noodles as the stores were sold out and finished it with a dash of Japanese hot seasoning. Yummy! Thanks so much for posting.
★★★★★
You never mention where to buy the ramen noodles. I hope you’re not using the kind you buy at Walmart with all the salt and MSG!
Hi, Dan! No, I don’t use the ones you’re probably thinking of (Top Ramen) – I usually buy organic ramen noodles made by Hakubaku, which I find at many grocery stores (Whole Foods, Fred Meyer, Safeway, Target…) or on Amazon (https://amzn.to/2KN4V5K). Hope that helps! 🙂
Hey! I plan on making 6 servings , do I leave the chicken in the oven for an hour , or 20 minutes? Thank you!
★★★★★
Hi, Jennah! The chicken will still be in the oven for about 20 minutes, but you’ll probably need to work in batches to brown it first in the skillet. So I would brown it in 2-3 batches in a large skillet, then transfer all the browned chicken (along with the pan juices) to a larger baking dish or sheet pan to finish cooking all the way through. Hope that helps, enjoy!!
Way to pimp my plain ramen noodels, I’m going to try this recipe just switching chicken to soya chunks.
★★★★★
Simple and delicious! Amazing how flavorful the chicken and the broth are. So impressed.
★★★★★
Thanks, Mitch!!
Surprisingly easy and very tasty! It’s not the Tonkatsu that I usually buy from the restaurant but it is incredibly delicious.
★★★★★
I am always on the hunt for new things to try and food blogs like this one never fail me! Thanks so much! This was perfect for a busy monday night. And just in time for that chilly fall weather 🙂
★★★★★
Thanks, Carrie!! So glad you enjoyed the ramen! It’s a favorite around here this time of year too 🙂
Delicious! Especially if you use the kimchi flavored Ramen noodles! I tried to get this five stars but it would only let me give two, so I didn’t give any.
Thanks, Cindi! Will have to try those kimchi ramen noodles!
(sorry about the rating – I’m working on resolving some issues the recipe plugin seems to be having!)
I want to try this recipe and I just have one question. how much chicken stock do i use exactly for it to be rich? i like cooking but i need the exact amounts and measurements to pull off a recipe I’ve never done before.
if you could get back to me that would be very helpful, thank you 🙂
★★★★
Hi, Rhianne! The richness just refers to the quality of the stock – you’ll want to use 4 cups of a homemade or prepared stock that has lots of flavor, instead of a thinner, milder chicken broth. Hope that helps!
Sam The Cooking Guy taught me to cook and I think he would LOVE this recipe. I grilled some boneless chicken thighs that were marinaded in an Asian concoction I put together. Adding some traditional Phõ toppings (Sriracha, hosin, basil leaves, Huy Fong chili garlic paste) takes this recipe to the next level. Awesome stuff and I agree that homemade stock is the way to go!!
I really loved this recipe. I made it with beef stock instead and it was wonderful. I think this would work with any stock. I did leave out the mushrooms as I’m allergic and soft poached an egg in the liquid before putting over the noodles and toppings. I would much rather make my own then buy the high sodium ones at the store.
★★★★★
Love this recipe! I was extra lazy so I used a premade rotisserie chicken, and it came out great!
★★★★★
Thanks, Emily!! I use rotisserie chicken for this 90% of the time… 😉
Hello. I was wondering do you need the instant ramen noodle’s flavoring packet with this recipe?
I have been looking up ramen noodle recpies and most of them all require that for the flavoring. However, I don’t want that in my food, I prefer all natural, all organic foods.
Oh no, definitely don’t use the flavor packet!! All of the flavor in this recipe comes from real ingredients. You can also find organic ramen noodles (I get them at Whole Foods and other well-stocked grocery stores). They might not be squiggly like the instant packets, but they’re probably healthier 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe!!
Thanks for the recipe, Laura!
My boyfriend said it was the best meal I’ve ever made for him!
He doesn’t like mushrooms so I omitted them. I also didn’t have any mirin so I skipped that as well.
Thank-you – great recipe!
★★★★★
That makes me so happy to hear, Alex! So glad you guys loved the ramen as much as we do!!
Thanks for the recipe, Laura! I made this with sea tangle noodles and bison heart.
P.S. Einstein considered his second greatest invention was adding an egg to soup so that it would produce a soft-boiled egg with no extra dishes to wash. I’d recommend anyone to try the same. 🍜 Eggs in the US come pre-washed, so no worries about chicken butt bacteria there.
Thanks so much, Michaela! I am so intrigued by your substitutions! What does bison heart taste like? 🙂
You’re welcome! Bison heart is technically a muscle, so it tastes like a lean roast. It could easily pass for one, and costs much less. 😋 It’s much easier to find chicken, lamb, or beef heart, but I used bison because I’m allergic to beef. It’s amazing when grilled. Trust me- It’s nothing like liver!
Hi! I’m doing a project on food and school and was wondering if I could use this beautiful picture in my assignment? Of course with credits given to the you, the photographer (: