Easy Homemade Ramen Bowls {Best Ramen Recipe}
Looking for the best Ramen recipe to make at home? These Easy Homemade Ramen Bowls let you make restaurant-worthy soup in the comfort of your own kitchen.
Ramen bowls at home—who doesn’t love that?
This easy and approachable homemade Ramen recipe remains a reader favorite after all these years. To be able to enjoy a big comforting bowl of your favorite Japanese soup in the comfort of your own home is some kind of bliss! We aren’t all fortunate enough to have access to restaurants that offer this good stuff. So having this simple recipe up your sleeve is awesome. The ingredients list includes accessible ingredients you can get at your local grocer and the process couldn’t be more simple.
But first—what is Ramen?
You’ve certainly heard people joke about Ramen being a food staple for broke college students. But today, Ramen joints are popping up in Western cities everywhere, attracting even the most haughty of food snobs. So, what the heck is it—a meal for cheapskates or nosh for the posh? Both, really. Traditionally, Ramen is a Japanese noodle soup made with a rich-flavored broth, then topped with an assortment of meats, vegetables, and a soft-boiled egg. In Japan, Ramen is dubbed a fast food and it’s made available in tiny restaurants and late night street carts. But no matter where you’re slurping your Ramen, whether it be in a shoddy college dorm or that chic new Ramen bar in town, comfort is the name of the game with this coveted soup.
What are the different styles of Ramen?
If you’ve ever had the privilege of slurping up real-deal Ramen, then you’ve been exposed to the various types. The menus are always full of options and the differences in tastes and broth-textures are notable. When you decide to make your homemade Ramen bowls, you might want to check out different varieties for some inspiration! Here are some of the most popular types:
Shoyu
This is the most common style of Ramen. Shoyu is the Japanese word for soy sauce, and that’s exactly what’s simmered into the base of this broth. The result is a light-bodied broth that is brown and clear, unlike the more milky and opaque tonkatsu broth. Intrigued? Check out my recipe for Spicy Shoyu Ramen.
Shio
Another light broth—in both body and flavor—is shio, which means salt. This simple broth is golden in color and is made up of chicken or fish bones.
Miso
If you’ve had miso soup, then you’re familiar with this cloudy and complex broth. Made with fermented soy bean paste, miso can be white or red in color. The broth is packed with umami and feels thicker on the palate than the lighter broths used for shio or shoyu broths. If this sounds good to you, check out my Miso Ramen.
Tonkotsu
Full-bodied, fatty, and satisfying, the tonkotsu broth is the richest of them all. It’s made up of simmered pork bones which break down during the cooking process and release collagen, which makes a broth so thick it’ll coat the back of your spoon! The broth is often fortified with pork or chicken fat. So if you’re ordering yourself some Tonkotsu Ramen from a menu, know that you’re in for an indulgent treat.
Is Ramen healthy? Or is Ramen bad for you?
There are articles out there that label Instant Ramen as packaged death—but I’m not into fear mongering. Especially with food. With anything in life, moderation is key. My advice is to trash the flavor packet that comes with your Instant Ramen and make your own broth, like in this recipe. That way, you’re dodging shitty additives, preservatives, and you’re avoiding all of that unnecessary sodium. Instant Ramen noodles themselves are lacking in nutritional content, so building your homemade Ramen bowls with proteins and vegetables is important. To make your bowl even better, use homemade Ramen noodles if you have access to them. Sadly most of us don’t, but it’s cool. Just toss that squiggly brick into some boiling water and make up for it in other wholesome ingredients.
Some ideas on what to put in your homemade Ramen bowls.
One of the most noticeable things about a big bowl of Ramen is the ingredients piled on top. Here’s a list of Ramen ingredients you can use to top your noodles:
- Soft-boiled egg with a jammy yolk
- Narutomaki (fish cakes; you’ve likely seen them. They’re the thinly-sliced rounds with pink spirals in the middle)
- Enoki mushrooms
- Nori (dried seaweed)
- Bamboo shoots
- Bean sprouts
- Corn kernels
- Scallions
Finally, here’s how to make yourself some tasty Ramen bowls!
As you can see, when it comes to at-home Ramen, you’ve got options. But you might be wondering, what are the best things to put in Ramen soup? I kept this recipe approachable. It’s great as is, and if you feel like getting creative, use this recipe as a base! A lot of readers have tweaked this recipe to make it their own and I think that’s fantastic. Feel free to share your creations in the comments below.
Ramen ingredients:
- Sesame oil
- Olive oil (or avocado oil)
- Garlic
- Fresh ginger
- Chicken or vegetable broth
- Rice vinegar
- Low sodium soy sauce
- Sriracha or hot chili garlic sauce, like Sambal Oelek
- Shredded carrots
- Shiitake mushrooms (optional)
- Scallions
- Sesame seeds
- Soft-boiled egg
Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, you’ll add the garlic and ginger, and simmer until fragrant. Then, add the rest of the veggies you want to cook—in this recipe, the carrots and mushrooms—and cook them until they soften up. Transfer the broth to the pot and add the rice vinegar, soy sauce, and Sriracha. Give the broth a good stir to combine the ingredients. Let the soup simmer for about five minutes, then give it a taste and add more soy sauce or Sriracha if needed. (This depends on how salty and spicy you want it.) While the soup simmers, cook the Ramen noodles in a separate pot as per the packages instructions. When done, drain, rinse under cool water, place into your soup bowl, and set aside. Once the broth is ready, spoon it over the noodles, then garnish the bowl with whatever you please.
Equipment you’ll need:
- Saucepan
- Microplane, this is a great tool to grate your ginger and garlic to a nice paste!
- Sharp knife
- Cutting Board
- Wooden spoon
- Colander
Accessories you might consider for digging into your Ramen bowls:
- Japanese Style Ramen Bowl
- Chopsticks
- Wonton soup spoon, the best way to slurp up that homemade Ramen broth.
Is this a vegetarian Ramen?
As long as you use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and ditch the egg, yes! In fact, since most brands of soy sauce are vegan friendly, this recipe could easily count as vegan Ramen bowls with those same changes.
How to make a Ramen egg to complete your ramen bowls.
Everybody loves that custardy soft-boiled egg sitting in their Ramen broth. It just might be the best part of the bowl. Luckily preparing it is very simple. Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add the egg, and time it for five minutes. While the egg is boiling, get an ice bath ready in a bowl big enough to cover the egg. When the egg is ready, carefully transfer it from the boiling water to the ice bath and let it cool for about a minute. (The ice bath prevents the egg from cooking further once removed from the hot pot.) Finally, lightly crack and roll the egg on a cutting board, peel it, and slice it in half.
Here are some more easy homemade Ramen bowls to try:
Hope you enjoy!
If you plan on making this recipe, be sure to snap a pic and tag us on Insta! @killing__thyme.
Get the Recipe:
Easy Homemade Ramen Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced (optional)
- 4 cups Chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 TBSP rice vinegar
- 3 TBSP low-sodium soy sauce (more to taste)
- 1 TBSP Sriracha sauce (more or less, depending on your heat tolerance)
- 2 3 oz portions of Ramen (discard the flavor packets)
Toppings
- Sliced scallions
- Sesame seeds
- Shredded carrots
- Soft-boiled egg
Instructions
- Heat sesame oil and olive oil in a medium-large saucepan over moderate heat (see notes). Add garlic and ginger, and simmer until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Do not brown the garlic, or else you'll get a bitter flavor.
- Add the carrots and mushrooms if you're using them, and simmer until they soften, about a minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the broth, Sriracha sauce, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Stir, and bring to a simmer; let it go for about five minutes. Taste, and adjust heat and taste to your liking by adding more Sriracha and soy sauce if needed.
- While the broth simmers, cook the Ramen noodles in a separate pot as per the package's instructions. (You could cook the noodles in the broth directly, but that makes for a messy transfer to a bowl. It's much easier to transfer drained cooked noodles to a bowl and spoon the broth over top.) Once the noodles are tender, drain and rinse under cool water, place into a soup bowl, and set aside.
- When the soup is ready, spoon the broth over the noodles. Allow to cool. At this point, make your soft-boiled egg if you're garnishing with one, and add the rest of your toppings to serve.
Soft-Boiled Egg
- Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the egg(s), and let them boil for five minutes. In the meantime, prepare an ice bath in a bowl. Once five minutes are up, remove the egg(s) and dunk them into the ice bath for about a minute to cool them off enough to handle. Then, lightly crack and roll them on a flat surface, peel, slice in half, and place on top of your Ramen.
130 Comments on “Easy Homemade Ramen Bowls {Best Ramen Recipe}”
Truly appreciate the way you made this delicious recipe. Everything is so nicely described that really helped me.
I’m so happy to hear this, Ripon! Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback :)
This has become my go-to rainy day soup! Or sick day soup, and I spice it up a little extra.
Thank you so much for creating such a bomb ramen recipe that can easily be made at home! This is my sixth time making it and I figured it was time I leave a rating and comment :)
I’m doing a personal cooking challenge and your ramen dish was tasty! I wrote an article about your dish here.
https://marychang-10894.medium.com/homestyle-ramen-4b0e9a6d4774?sk=0f2235715b81fbc8e966bcb40d351803
Thanks Mary! Good luck with the challenge, that’s so fun! :)
Absolutely delicious! Super easy to make, I’ve made this a bunch of times!
So happy to head this, Maddie :)
I’ve made this recipe several times already, and each time it’s a hit! Love the simplicity and versatility of it: once I made it with mushrooms, once with peppers etc. Basically any veggie goes. As well as pretty much any asian-style noodles.
Thank you for this gem!
I’m so happy to hear this, Esya!
Could I use beef broth instead of chicken broth?? I’ve tried it with chicken broth but I’m curious if beef broth would be good too
Hi Alex! You could definitely try it out with beef broth. You’d get a much beefier flavor profile of course, but it could work! I’d be curious to see how it turns out. Please let me know if you try it :)
Yum!
I made this recipe and loved it. I added thin sliced pork tenderloin, because I had it, and it was excellent.
Sounds like a delicious addition!
Your ramen bowl looks so colorful & irresistible.
Ramen perfection! I love all the great flavors in this. Can’t wait to give it a try!
This is really easy! So good and delicious, perfect for weeknights!
Everyone loved this ramen! I skipped the sriracha for the little ones and it was still delicious. This one’s a keeper!
Oh yes, the spice is optional thankfully. I’m really glad it was a hit!
Loved this recipe! Such a great quick dinner option for us! Shiitake is our favourite mushroom ever, so definitely recommend this! Will make again! :)
Awesome to hear!
Nothing like this ramen bowl to end the day.
A family favorite in our home! Amazing flavor!
Made this yesterday and making it for dinner again tonight! This is such a great ramen recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Jaella!
Been making this once a week for over a month so I figured it was time I left a review! I love spicy so I’ve been adding extra Sriracha and it’s so so good. Such an amazing broth. I could just drink that! I love how hearty this is without even needing meat.
Mirabelle! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it. Extra Sriracha sounds perfect :)
I love making my own spice mixes and it’s easy once you start. My own “usual suspects” are onion pwdr, garlic pwdr, 5 pepper mix, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, Morton salt.
Very rarely until recently, I have to switch out the cayenne for the regular black pepper because my Northern grands can’t handle much heat. But I’m getting them there.
So ramen noodles in still teaching my sin how to make them with bone broth made from all sorts of pieces, like pork trotters or the succulent bone from a country ham.
Slow going but it’s a worthwhile journey!
I have made this many times now and the my kids, wife and myself LOVE this meal. And not just us, we have made it for family and friends and it’s always a big hit. Pork goes well with it if you are looking for meat to add. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!
Don! This makes me so happy. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback. I bet throwing some pork to the mix makes it even better! Can’t deny the flavor from fatty meats. I’ll have to do that the next time I make it :)
Super delish and great to make with my ramen-loving teenage son. We did not have low sodium soy but the results tasted great. We used Dynasty Maifun rice stick noodles which worked out perfectly.
What a fun thing to do with your son! I can’t wait to do the same with mine. He’s 2.5 so he helps as much as he can ;)
I’ll have to try it with the rice stick noodles you mentioned! Thanks so much for popping in with feedback :)
This was delicious. I also added bok choy and spinach for more veggies and tofu.
I love the addition of bok choy! It’s so perfect in soup. Also love that you used tofu. Thanks for popping in with feedback :)
I love how easy and delicious this is!! Perfect for chilly nights!
Nothing better on a chilly evening!
Wow what an awesomely delicious lunch this made and it was so easy!
Happy to hear it, Claudia!
This is surely a bowl full of deliciousness.
Thank you!
Ramen is just so perfect for the weather! Would love to try this soon! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Keep me posted, Maria :)
We’ve been getting some wonderfully cool and crisp days here in the South, totally appropriate for this!
This is total comfort food for me. So easy to make too.
Super easy!
Oh, I didn’t know making Ramen is so easy – and I just realized I have everything at home, just need to get the noodles, nomnom! Lovely recipe.
Thanks, Heidi :)
This ramen bowl looks so delicious! An egg is perfect in it.
It’s the best part ;)
Here in Italy, it’s difficult to find restaurants that serve ramen bowls so I usually make my own and like you suggest I ditch the flavour packet that comes with the noodles and make my own broth! This recipe was super. My hubby loved it too. Will be repeating very soon!
So happy to hear this, Jacqueline! I hope a good Ramen joint pops up near you soon. It seems like it’s becoming a more popular concept here since I first started making this recipe. But in the meantime, I’m thrilled to know this recipe can fill the void!
Homemade soups are the best. This ramen is no exception. It’s definitely going on my “must make” list.
Hope you love it, Julie!
Loved This Ramen Soup! So delicious and easy to make. I will be making this again!
Glad to hear it, Michelle!
Absolutely delicious! We used shrimp at the last minute to quick cook and it was fab.We used 3 tbsp Sriracha and it was just devine!
Ouu someone likes it spicy! I love it! :) So glad it worked out. I love that you used shrimp!
I loved this ramen soup! I have tried a lot and this one is by far my favorite! I tried it with the veggie broth and add some coconut cream on top!
Love the idea of coconut cream! Thanks for popping in with feedback :)
WOW this is incredible! I’ve never made homemade ramen and it was so much easier than I thought it would be–and delicious!
Yes! It’s so simple, which is so nice. I’m really happy you enjoyed it.
I’ve always loved Tonkotsu the best – so rich and hearty! Nothing beats homemade ramen though. A million times better than anything from the store!
Tonkotsu is the bomb, absolutely. I also love shoyu.
Oh my goodness, my kids love ramen! This is a meal we can all enjoy!
Love hearing this!
These easy Ramen bowls were a huge hit for dinner! I love all the ingredients and how easy it is to make too.
So glad you enjoyed it, Sharon!
We LOVE ramen in my house and this recipe is so satisfying. Turned out great!
I’m so happy to hear this, MJ!
I could not love this recipe more! So much flavor!!
Yay! This makes me so happy :)
Ramens are my go-to meals any time of the day! Gonna try this soon! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome! Hope you love it. Keep me posted!
Lovely soup. Looks warming and comforting for winter days. I’m going to give your recipe a try.
Can’t wait to hear what you think!
This ramen was wonderful! Thank you for the recipe!
You’re so welcome, Kristen! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Ooh, now I’m craving ramen! This looks awesome and easy too – thanks!
Let me know if you try it :)
Ramen is total comfort food and these bowls look amazing.
Thanks Dannii :)
This was a spectacular recipe! Thank you for explaining the different types of ramen soup bases to me! I had a tough time picking one out but I ended up picking Shio and loved it!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you found it helpful. Ramen comes in so many different forms. Gotta try them all ;)
This is absolutely delicious! I love that it’s such a crowd pleaser for the whole family
Thanks, Shadi! I’m glad the family loved it.
I loved this recipe! It was something new for us and turned out amazing!
I’m so glad, Mindee!
This ramen turned out delicious! The jammy eggs are my favorite, and they cooked so perfectly.
Yesss the jammy eggs are my favorite part. My husband doesn’t like them, so whenever we eat Ramen in a restaurant, I get his :) I’m really glad you enjoyed this!
Funny, I wasted a bunch of time making this more complicated version of at home ramen from Bon Appetit thinking hey, it’s Bon Appetit, it’ll be worth it, and NOPE. It was awful. I should have known when it called for tomato paste. Then I stumble upon this here food blog and bam. This at home ramen is the one. Easy to do, simple ingredients, and most importantly, it taste like freakin’ ramen. THANK YOU.
You know, I’ve encountered this with so many recipes: make something posted by a big name company or food celebrity and it’s mediocre at best. (Though I’ve had great results with Melissa Clark, Giada, and Tyler Florence.) I find food blogger recipes to be so much more approachable and friendly—they know their audience. Just us regular folks at home. Less about trying to impress or be super technical. I’m really really glad you found this recipe and enjoyed it, Anna!
My favorite thing to make for lunch while working at home!
Awesome! Glad to hear it, Dan.
Yessss! Mike’s daughter here. I see he’s already commented but I wanted to come and rate and comment to say that this is amazing and I foresee myself making it A LOT. It’s such an easy and comforting meal.
I’m so you both loved this recipes so much! Good luck with your studies and hey, you can boast to your peers about how you can up your dorm-room Ramen game ;)
I’ve been making these bowls for a while now. I never comment but I figured I should to let you know this is my absolute favorite way to eat Ramen!
I really do appreciate the comments and ratings! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave your thoughts, Ruth :)
My daughter is in town visiting from college this weekend. I made this for us for lunch and it was a hit. She thinks I’m a culinary genius now! She saved this recipe and said she will be making it back at her dorm with her friends. Thanks for the great soup.
This is so awesome, Mike. Time with your kids away at college is precious, and I’m flattered you picked my recipe to make for her! So glad it was a hit :)
We love this recipe! I’m just wondering since my husband is pescatarian, could we add shrimp? And what would be the best way to go about adding it? Thank you so much for such a delicious and easy recipe!!
Hey Zoe, I’m so glad! And yes! If you want to add shrimp, I’d suggest cooking it in the pot you plan to cook the soup in first. Season it however you’d like. Once they’re cooked, remove the shrimp and set them aside, then proceed with the rest of the Ramen recipe. Don’t wash out the pot! The leftovers in there from cooking the shrimp will just add extra flavor. Let me know how it goes! :)
Best ramen recipe I’ve found yet! Thank you! -Ginny
You’re so welcome, Ginny!
I appreciate this ramen recipe *so* much. After developing a gluten allergy, I thought ramen would be out of my reach, but no more! I was intimidated by the idea of making my own ramen, but Dana’s made it completely approachable and a total cinch. I’ve already made this a few times. Now, I’m just playing with different broths and spice levels to get it just to my taste. Simple, yet really hits on all those warm, rich, umami notes you look for in a ramen. Thank you for helping me enjoy one of my favorite foods again by making it myself!
Comments like this make my day, Lindsey! I’m so glad you can still enjoy Ramen. No one deserves to be robbed of that deliciousness ;)
I LOVE this recipe and have made it multiple times! I’m thinking of mixing up a paste with some of the ingredients and keeping it in the fridge for easier prep.
Thanks so much for the feedback, Diane! I love that you’re so into it. Let me know how the paste goes if you come up with one, that’s a great idea!
This was a big hit for dinner tonight! I added chicken and broccoli. It’s a keeper for my recipe pins!
Hi Wendy!
I’m so glad this was a hit for you. Thanks so much for stopping by with feedback. I really appreciate it! Happy Ramen-slurping :)
Can you use other noodles found in the Asian section if the grocery store?
Hey Julie, absolutely. I often use soba noodles, and recently used vermicelli. Just check the cooking instructions on the package and go as directed.
My hubby loves ramen, we definitely need to try it at home! This looks so delicious, yum!
Thanks, Kim! I hope you both love it. Keep me posted!
Such a perfect dish for staying warm on these cold days! Especially with those scallions! :)
It’s funny, if I go to make this and realize I don’t have scallions, I don’t make it. I can’t. They truly complete the dish for me.
I’ve been intimidated to make my own ramen at home but now I’m thinking I might have to try it!!! It looks SO GOOD!
I love that you’re thinking of trying it! Keep me posted :)
Yum! This sounds perfect for the cold weather we have been having. Such wonderful flavors!
Right? I’ve had it with winter! (Says the Canadian-born gal living in the South… what right do I have.) This is definitely soothing for this time of year. But I do whip this up in the summer, too ;)
Can you believe I have never been to a ramen bar!? Insane, I know! But now I confess I’d rather just make it at home, this looks so delicious!! Your pictures are absolutely gorgeous, as well – as usual!
Hey — I hadn’t been to a Ramen bar until I moved to Raleigh! Where I grew up, there weren’t any. But if you stumble upon one, I highly recommend you give it a go. SO GOOD. But yes, trust me, as someone who loves to curl up with comfort food, I love enjoying a big bowl of this stuff at home too. That’s what inspired this.
Thanks so much for the lovely compliment! Let me know if you try this out :)
Did the recipe change? My husband requests this fairly often and cooking it felt very different this time. I feel like I was missing mushrooms and rice vinegar. Also didn’t there used to be more soy sauce?
Hi Whitney! I did just alter the recipe to be a bit more “pantry staple” friendly and have less sodium. The previous version would have had you adding shiitake mushrooms with the carrots, prior to adding the broth. You can still add a TBSP of rice vinegar! I found that a lot of family/friends would ask if it was necessary, since they didn’t often have it on hand. It’s an option. And as for the soy sauce, it used to call for 1/4 cup. I use just less than that now, but if that’s your preference, by all means! Hope this helps.
Hey Whitney! Just an FYI — I added in the old ingredients/steps to the recipe here as optional so you can more easily stick with the old recipe <3
I have come back to this recipe numerous times. The flavors come together to make such a great broth! Thank you for sharing. This recipe has taken the place of regular chicken noodle soup in our house.
Hey Jennifer!
I’m so glad to hear this. This is totally the go-to soup in our household these days, too. It’s even great when you’re feeling under the weather! I might have to make this for lunch tomorrow. Now I’m craving it. Haha :)
Both version look, chicken and egg, look delicious… I couldn’t make up my mind which I’d like to eat more. :)
Thanks, Adina! In that case, Have the egg AND the chicken :)
I thought it was mazeman at first but then I noticed the soup. It looks super savory and tasty.
Thanks, Annie! Savory is a great way to describe it.
I can definitely see how it could resemble mazeman, too. The broth is covered by all of that goodness.