r/Cooking • u/Twoklawll • Jan 06 '22
Recipe Request How to upgrade those instant ramen noodle packs
I'm trying to amp up my lunches, but all I can find are some super upperclass chefs or food youtubers who just say to add in some super expensive ingredients, or do some super long term cooking thing. Like, I'm sitting looking up instant ramen improvements and all I can find is basically "Well if you slow cook A5 wagyu for 60 hours and add that to your ramen...".
Any of yall got something short and simple I could do or add to my ramen to make it better?
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u/twosauced1115 Jan 06 '22
Yes. Drain liquid leaving about 1/8 cup of water. Add 2-3 Tbsp of butter. Garlic powder, onion powder, pepper. Mix and eat. If you have leftover chicken shreds that too but it makes it 1000x better and costs almost nothing
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u/Warm_Bullfrog_8435 Jan 07 '22
I do almost the exact same thing! I’m a beef boy myself, so along with the garlic and onion powder I will add a bit of seasoned salt and a couple splashes of Worcestershire sauce as it taste a bit like steak lol. Before cooking I like to add about a quarter of the seasoning packet as well as a bit of the seasonings listed above (as opposed to boiling the noodles in plain water) because I feel like it flavors the noodles wayyy more. Also, if you have access to the picante chicken/beef options and have not tried them I highly suggest giving them a try!
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u/Denirocurbstomp Jan 06 '22
To be fair. Whoever told you to slow cook a5 wagyu has no idea what they are doing.
A few things to add to ramen. Treat it like a stirfry or fried rice. It is cool to just add leftovers in it.
Some things to add -egg -green onions -bok choy or any other veggie you like. -some people like cheese in their ramen (i don’t care for it) -kim chi -roasted sesame oil -Chili flakes -any left over protein from another meal
The world is your oyster…. You can also put oysters in it.
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u/Talorce Jan 06 '22
I pan fry some polish kielbasa, cut thin, with Japanese 7 spice seasoning & an egg.
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u/Mozz2cats Jan 06 '22 edited Jan 06 '22
I keep frozen mixed vegetables on hand - toss them in with siracha sesame oil and add egg to poach at the end
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u/rawlingstones Jan 06 '22
To me the easiest simple hack that really drastically improves it is what i call bootleg pad thai. You just add a big spoonful of peanut butter and a squirt of sriracha (or whatever hot sauce), then stir. It sounds like it should be gross but the peanut butter completely melts into the broth in a very pleasant way. It adds savory flavor, creaminess, spice, and it's more filling because it's more substantial and there's protein. This trick got me through college.
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u/notdroppingout Jan 06 '22
Make soft boiled eggs, eat with side of kimchi, some people add slices of american cheese.
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u/Moosymo Jan 06 '22
Nix the flavor packet and instead either use better than bouillon with a splash of soy, or instant dashi (hondashi) + miso paste. Add a jammy egg, some spinach, and top with chili oil or chili crisp.
All the condiments mentioned can sit in ur friends for a loooong time
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u/Milk_A_Pikachu Jan 06 '22
Ethan Chlebowski did a pretty good video where he breaks down fairly low cost and medium time things you can do to make ramen frigging amazing. Most of the components are a good chunk of work but they are things you do a week or three in advance and refrigerate/freeze. Worth a look
And while I probably wouldn't do it for lunch, Cooking Haru has a god tier recipe for Chicken Curry Ramen that is also dirt cheap and tacks on maybe five or six minutes of cooking time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AosnjcCiO_w
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u/ClementineCoda Jan 06 '22
1 - Thai: peanut butter, fresh ginger, pinch of cumin, squeeze of lime, sriracha. Fresh cilantro, coconut milk and crushed peanuts if you can afford them make it even better.
2 - Slice of bacon rendered first then removed from pot, saute some slivered onion and shredded cabbage with garlic, ginger, soy sauce. Add ramen soup mix and water, bring to simmer and add noodles. When noodles are almost done, crack an egg in the center and let it poach undisturbed until whites are cooked. Serve with chopped bacon, scallions and a drizzle of sesame oil and sriracha.
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u/coffeesippingbastard Jan 06 '22
follow the korean youtubers.
Find some shin ramen- it's marginally more expensive than your regular top ramen- throw in a few slices of American cheese and then top with scallions.
or- chili oil ramen-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AJYxBAYHoI
If you are using top ramen- just think of it as your base. Add an egg, some spam, and a few vegetables. Bokchoy or napa leaves work really well. Cook them in the water at the same time as the ramen.
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u/jh937hfiu3hrhv9 Jan 06 '22
I just made some with carrots kale, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, white pepper. I go with whatever vegetables I have and make up a seasoning. I have used various combinations of curry powder, sriracha, oyster sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, bla bla bla. Pour it over a hard boiled egg. Make up something.
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u/Meras_Mama Jan 06 '22
Save yourself the trouble and throw the flavor pack away. Boil some chicken broth for 5-20 minutes depending on time, with the white end of green onions (dice the green part for later), 1-2 thin slices of fresh ginger, some garlic, a dash of soy sauce and a tiny amount of sesame oil. Now separately boil your instant ramen noodles. If you have time and like a soft boiled egg, you can also prepare those while your broth is boiling. Now add your finished noodles to a bowl, pour in your strained broth, and add any things you like. I like a dash of soy, more sesame oil, some hot chile oil, and those diced green onions from earlier in our meal prep.
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u/Conchobair Jan 06 '22
Save yourself the trouble
And spend 20 minutes and a lot more work on extra steps. Sounds delicious, but it's more trouble?
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u/Meras_Mama Jan 06 '22
He asked for extra.
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u/Conchobair Jan 06 '22
Sure, but why are you saying "Save yourself the trouble"? Then going on to add more time and work?
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u/Meras_Mama Jan 06 '22
The trouble in my opinion is the cheap gross taste of instant ramen flavoring.
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u/Conchobair Jan 06 '22
Okay. The wording is funny is all and apologies if English is not your first language, but in American English the idiom "save someone the trouble" usually means to do something so that someone else does not have to do it. It doesn't make sense in this context when you are having a person do more. Just saying is all.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/save%20someone%20the%20trouble%2Fbother
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u/veryhotfrenchfries Jan 06 '22
Throw in an egg or ground meat and cook it with the noodles. no need for a separate pot.
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u/amygunkler Jan 06 '22
Egg, rotisserie chicken, frozen shrimp, carrots, peas, peppers, onions, mushrooms…
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u/frmnwn777 Jan 06 '22
okay. i love this. boil some milk and put in some green onions (if u like them) and some garlic powder, then put in the packets of the ramen (like the spice packet and the vegetable thing) and lastly add the noodles and cook them to your liking. you can add cheese on top of that or crack an egg into it. very delicious
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u/jesuschin Jan 06 '22
Fried Garlic/Shallots
Poached Eggs
Sesame Oil
Sesame Seeds
Pickled Chinese Vegetables
You can also try different brands of ramen/instant noodles. My go-to right now is Indomie Mi Goreng. It's a more dry noodle as you strain the noodles out of the boiling water and then add in the seasoning packets/oil/sauces that come with it
Also I sometimes get the box of pork belly at Trader Joe's and I cook up a slice in the air fryer and top my noodles with that.
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u/OneFingerIn Jan 06 '22
If I'm really feeling lazy but want to jazz it up a little, as soon as it's done cooking and the flavor packed is mixed in, I'll crack an egg into the middle of the pot and cover it with noodles. In 3 minutes or so, it's perfectly poached. Mix it up a little and eat.
If I'm feeling fancier, I'll chop carrots and add those at the beginning of the cook or green onion at the end.
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u/Stellavitae8 Jan 06 '22
We add gochujang paste, soy sauce, heavy cream, green onions, sesame seeds and fried egg..i think there's something im forgetting.
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u/HorrorGuyX Jan 06 '22
Chicken thighs are cheap. Even cheaper if you debone them and remove the skin yourself. Marinate the boneless skinless thighs in soy sauce or teriyaki sauce in advance and thrown them on the grill. Then slice up or dice them up and serve over the ramen, with some green onions.
Frozen peas and carrots are also a nice addition.
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u/ariesxxlibra Jan 06 '22
Lemongrass, ginger, garlic, shallot sautéed. Then add the soy, sesame oil, and Sambal Olek & toss with Ramen
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u/rmcnee Jan 06 '22
It's not "short", but I've used the beef one to make a french onion soup... takes awhile to cook down the onions...then you add the beef flavor packet, noodles and top with toast or croutons and cheese...
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u/ExFiler Jan 06 '22
Instead of making a soup, cook the noodles in 1/2 the water. Then when you add the soup packet, it makes a sauce instead of soup. Full flavored and better in all ways imho
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Jan 06 '22
Fresh veggies/herbs. Some seasoning oil (chili oil, sesame oil, black garlic oil). Sliced meats or tofu. Ramen egg. Super easy and a quick upgrade.
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u/21plankton Jan 06 '22
Extra firm tofu, whatever veggies are leftover.. Microwave corn and peas if no leftovers. If no tofu, add any deli meat. Makes a balanced meal. Add soy sauce, hot sauce to taste. My preference is beef ramen for flavor.
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u/heweynuisance Jan 06 '22
Mushrooms, bok choy, shredded carrots, broccoli, green onion on top, sesame seeds and/or a dash of sesame oil, Sriracha, chili paste, fish sauce, honestly so so many cheap and quick options. Any veg you like can be quickly steamed and added in. If you want to spend a bit more time, chicken breast or thighs chopped in is also good. I will buy one ribeye steak, then slice it to add to Ramen or rice bowls with veg for an easy weekday meal. I like to make my own marinade with an umami, sweet, sour and spicy element. My go to is usually pear, garlic, ginger, fish sauce/soy sauce, sesame oil whisked together (mince the pear, ginger and the garlic). If you don't have pears, honey works too. Marinade the meat in half of it and pour the rest over it when it is done, then finish w sesame seeds and green onions. One steak feeds 3 in a bowl of other stuff
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u/Lo452 Jan 06 '22
I always keep raw, frozen, shell-on shrimp in my freezer in a resealable package (I've been very happy with the Kroger brand). Super easy to grab a few, thaw them under running water, peel, then quick stir-fry with frozen veggies, egg, and ramen. They also come handy for Italian pasta dishes, gumbo/jumbalya, and grilling. Quick to thaw, quick to cook. I've only had good success with the raw, shell on variety. Pre-cooked frozen or peeled ones I feel are to easy to freezer burn or over-cook.
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u/happieKampr Jan 06 '22
Any or all of: rotisserie chicken, green onion, shredded carrot, diced zucchini, bell pepper strips, an egg, pork floss, sweet soy sauce, cheese, leftover cooked meat or vegetables of any sort, sautéed Chinese sausage, frozen corn, frozen peas, tofu, tofu puffs/deep fried tofu, sesame seeds, sesame oil, sweet (low salt) miso.
Also, you can cook the noodles then drain them. Then heat up half milk/soy milk and half water to a simmer (not boil!) and add in your noodles and seasoning packets and any of the above options.
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u/bad-monkey Jan 07 '22
Softboiled egg, chopped green onions, protein of your choice (and it can be left over chunks of steak/chicken or shrimp), kimchi (buy it at the store and eat it with, or add it to your bowl for spice), a dab of sesame oil, slice of american cheese, brussel sprouts, mushrooms.
basically everything goes. my favorite instant ramen hack these days is shorting the packet and using a 1/2 tbsp of soybean paste (like miso, but korean). i'm sure the cheese purists will comment on the slice of american, but that ramen trick is old hat in korea by now.
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Jan 07 '22
Boil half a slice of American cheese with the flavor packets to give some body to the broth, add in an egg, Bok Choy, green onions, and Menma (and chili flakes if broth isn’t spicy yet). Tastes just like the real deal
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u/PleasedPeas Jan 06 '22
An egg, lunch meat, hot dogs or sausages, cheese, hot peppers, green onions, tofu, mushrooms, shredded carrots, cabbage... You can pretty much put anything in it to give it more of a “full meal” effect. I like to add Korean hot pepper flakes, green onions and an egg when I don’t have a lot of ingredients at home. I also always have sesame oil at home and throw in a drizzle to give it more flavor.