This easy Chicken Ramen noodle soup is the epitome of comfort food! Made with all the best, simple ingredients, like juicy chicken, a flavor packed broth, fresh vegetables, a soft boiled egg, and traditional ramen noodles. Our homemade chicken ramen noodles will have the whole family forgetting all about that college-favorite, instant ramen noodles!
The Best Chicken Ramen Recipe
Ramen… one of our all-time favorite recipes! We have perfected a Pork Belly Ramen and a slow cooker Beef Ramen, but now it is time for chicken’s day in the sun. This ramen bowl is what dreams are made of, especially during those chilly winter months! What we like most about this homemade ramen, among other things, is it is kind of a choose-your-own-adventure.
Once you have the broth made, you can choose exactly what you want to put in it. Don’t like mushrooms – don’t put them in! Want a poached egg instead of soft-boiled – let’s do it. Seriously, it’s your bowl of ramen – make it so you will love it or use what you have on hand!
Looking for More Ramen Recipes?
If you love them as much as we do, you definitely need to try our Curry Ramen!
What You Will Need
- olive oil – just a splash in the large pot to sauté the flavor starters for this chicken ramen soup.
- shallots, garlic, lemongrass, & ginger – this combination of amazing flavors is out of this world!
- chicken broth – option to pick-up your favorite store-bought chicken stock at the local grocery store or make homemade chicken broth.
- sesame oil, soy sauce, & rice vinegar – traditional ramen ingredients that add so much flavor!
- lemon juice – a little bit of acidity is alway a great addition to help amplify the flavors.
- kosher salt – simple seasoning that is a must when cooking any type of meat.
- bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs – we love the added flavor that these bring, but feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken breast too!
- ramen noodles – any noodle of choice will work great – soba noodles, rice noodles, or those traditional packages of instant noodles (just toss those flavor packets).
- butter – perfect for sautéing up those mushrooms!
- shiitake mushrooms – absolutely love the flavor these bring, but any mushroom would be delicious.
- chili garlic sauce – just a little for some added spice in the mix!
- green onions & carrots – love these fresh veggies for a pop of color and crunch.
- large eggs – nothing beats that slightly runny, jammy egg, but if it isn’t your thing feel free to skip it or make a poached egg or hard boiled egg.
- sriracha sauce & jalapeño – optional topping that will add a kick of heat.
- fresh cilantro – a light and refreshing topping that always hits the spot!
- sesame seeds & crispy chicken skins – optional ramen soup toppings that will take this easy recipe to the next level.
How To Make Chicken Ramen
The first step to making this classic chicken ramen recipe are to gather all of the ingredients.
Now bring a soup pot to a medium high heat, drizzle in the olive oil, add the shallots, then garlic, and finally the lemongrass and ginger. Move around until fragrant.
Next add the broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, lemon juice, and salt. Bring ramen broth to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add the raw chicken thighs and let them cook for about 15 minutes or until the internal temperature at the thickest part of the meat reaches 165 degrees F (use a meat thermometer).
While the chicken cooks, bring a large skillet to medium heat, melt butter, and sauté the mushrooms with a sprinkle of salt until they are soft. Transfer cooked mushrooms to a plate and set aside.
In the same skillet, add a splash of olive oil, the shredded chicken, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and some chili garlic sauce. Mix and move around the pan until warmed through. Option to hit the easy button and use leftover rotisserie chicken in place of the chicken thighs, if you want.
Finally bring the pot of flavorful broth back up to a boil and cook the noodles of choice until al dente according to the package directions. Then assemble the bowls with cooked noodles, rich broth, chicken, and any toppings you want!
Best Ways To Serve Chicken Ramen
These flavor-packed bowls of chicken ramen would be amazing with just about any of the toppings listed in the recipe card below. Other great options would be some bok choy, edamame, napa cabbage, or any other toppings you love! This delicious bowl of soup is perfect all on its own but it might also be great to have some crusty bread or grilled bread on hand to soak up that broth.
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Other Chicken Recipes You Might Like
Chicken Ramen Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Description
Our easy Chicken Ramen recipe is a delicious and flavorful bowl of soup that is perfect for cold weather!
Ingredients
Chicken Ramen:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons shallots, minced
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon lemongrass, grated
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ginger, grated
- 64oz chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- 6 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on
- ramen noodles
Sautéed Shiitake Mushrooms:
- 2–3 tablespoons butter
- 8oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- kosher salt
Crispy Chili Garlic Chicken:
- Shredded chicken (from chicken thighs above)
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
Add-Ins/Toppings:
- 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
- 1 cup carrots, julienned
- poached eggs OR soft-boiled eggs
- Sriracha
- fresh cilantro, chopped
- jalapeño, sliced
- sesame seeds
- crispy chicken skin
Instructions
- Make Broth: Add olive oil to large Dutch Oven and bring to medium-high heat. Add shallots and move around pan until fragrant, approx. 1 minute. Add garlic and move around for another minute. Add lemongrass and ginger and stir for 30 seconds then add broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, lemon juice, and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer.
- Boil Chicken: Add chicken thighs and cover. Let cook 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken thighs and place on a plate. Let cool slightly and then shred the meat. Cover broth and leave on low.
- Cook Shiitake Mushrooms: Bring a large cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and let melt. Add mushrooms and move around pan until they are soft, but firm. Add additional butter, as needed, and season with salt. Move to plate and set aside.
- Crispy Chili Garlic Chicken: In the same cast iron skillet, bring back to medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add shredded chicken along with 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar, and chili garlic sauce. Move around pan until chicken is warmed through. Feel free to place under broiler for a minute if you want to crisp up your chicken.
- Cook Noodles: Bring the broth back up to a simmer and add in the ramen noodles. Cook al dente per package instructions (see Notes).
- Serve: Divide noodles and broth between 4 bowls. Top with mushrooms, chicken, egg, onions, carrots, cilantro, jalapeño and Sriracha. Garnish with sesame seeds.
Notes
- Ramen Noodles: just note that keeping the noodles in the broth while storing will result in the noodles soaking up the liquid. If you feel like you will have leftovers, maybe cook noodles separately so they can be stored separately.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 oz
- Calories: 266
- Sugar: 3.3 g
- Sodium: 1530.7 mg
- Fat: 13.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.7 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 163.8 mg
Originally published November 3, 2016. Recipe has been updated and new photos taken.
B says
It was my first time making ramen, I was intimidated before but this recipe is easy to follow. I followed all the steps, garnished with the julienned carrots and green onions. This recipe is amazing and I’m happy that my children enjoyed it as well! Thank you for this recipe.
Erin says
So happy to hear that! Thanks for coming back to leave a review and rating – I really appreciate it!
Megan says
2 Teaspoons chopped garlic
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped garlic (another cup or so for garnish) << Should this be cilantro?
Erin says
Thanks, Megan!! Supposed to be 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro! (That’s what happens when you stay up until midnight working on a post…). Thanks for the catch! Fixed! ?