13 of the best ways to upgrade instant ramen, according to chefs

Instant ramen is meant to be served piping hot, but allowing the cooked noodles to sit in the warm broth may cause them to be mushy by the time you’re ready to eat.

To avoid this, Rider suggested shortening the cooking time listed on the package.

“Undercooking your noodles by one to two minutes makes them perfect by the time you’re ready to enjoy them,” she told BI.

You can also prevent mushy ramen by draining the noodles immediately and rinsing them under cold water.

Romain Devanneaux, a chef at Chez Muffy in Quebec City, told BI that he never cooks the whole portion of noodles in a pack of instant ramen.

“I always keep a small amount of the uncooked noodles to place on top when it’s ready,” he said. “This brings a little crunchy texture to the dish.”

If you’d rather cook all your noodles, you can top your ramen with raw shredded carrots, tortilla chips, or even croutons to add a crunch.

Devanneaux said adding frozen herbs to ramen noodles is a quick and easy way to introduce flavor.

“When you see that herbs in your fridge have lost their freshness, mix them with olive oil and a dash of lemon juice and freeze them in an ice-cube tray,” he told BI. “These cubes are great when added to ramen noodles.”

One easy way to add some flavor and substance to instant ramen is to raid your fridge for leftovers.

“You can use leftovers like sliced ham or a fried egg from breakfast to make instant ramen a more complete meal,” Rider said.

Instant ramen is also a great way to make use of wilting herbs or garnishes, such as leftover basil or chopped green onion.

For the fastest and simplest way to boost the salty, savory flavor of instant ramen, add a splash of soy sauce.

“Soy sauce can enhance the flavor and complexity of the instant ramen,” Riley said. “If you prefer spice, throw in some chili sauce as well.”

Kang told BI that cooking instant noodles in broth instead of water makes for a more flavorful meal.

“Start with anything except water, like chicken or vegetable stock,” the chef said. “Even adding powdered chicken bouillon will help the soup taste less like the Styrofoam cup it came from.”

If you’re not in the mood for a noodle soup, you can transform instant ramen into a vegetable-packed stir-fry or salad.

“Stir-fry the cooked noodles with vegetables and sauce, or chill the cooked noodles and add a simple sesame-oil and rice-vinegar dressing with some shredded vegetables,” Kang said.

This story was originally published in May 2020 and most recently updated on August 28, 2024.

Read more:

• 5 hacks a professional chef uses to make restaurant-quality oatmeal at home
• 7 hacks chefs use to upgrade a can of soup
• 9 hacks you had no idea you could use eggs for
• 16 foods you’re probably slicing, peeling, and cutting all wrong