30-Minute Chicken Ramen Noodles

This easy chicken ramen noodles recipe is ready in 30 minutes. Give your instant ramen noodles a delicious makeover by adding veggies (bell peppers, spinach, basil), nuts, sesame seeds, and homemade Asian-style stir-fry sauce. This budget-friendly dinner is cheaper, faster, and tastier than packaged instant ramen or a take-out. It might become one of your family's favorite ways to cook ramen noodles!

Chicken ramen noodles - flexible and easily adjustable 30-minute recipe

Chicken ramen noodles is a simple weeknight dinner that uses everyday ingredients and is easy on a budget! Discard the flavor package and create your own meal out of packaged ramen noodles and ground chicken in just 30 minutes! This way, you know exactly what goes into your food. You can even make ramen noodles gluten-free by using gluten-free tamari sauce (or soy sauce labeled as such) and gluten-free brown rice ramen noodles.  The ground chicken is combined with lots of veggies (bell peppers and spinach) together with homemade Asian-inspired stir-fry sauce, ramen noodles, cashews, and sesame seeds. Faster than take-out, this chicken ramen is made entirely from scratch! And, you can easily adjust this flexible recipe to your preferences. Try this recipe and it might become your family's favorite way to cook ramen noodles!

Why you'll love it

• Everything is made from scratch, including the stir-fry sauce. Discard the seasoning packet and control exactly what you add to your chicken ramen noodles!
• Lots of veggies. This flavorful recipe featured simple ingredients and is packed with vegetables. It's a well-rounded meal that has everything: protein, fiber, veggies, and carbs.
• Faster than take-out. Everything is made in 30 minutes from scratch (including the Asian-style stir-fry sauce for ramen noodles). This recipe is flavor packed and is quicker on your table than a take-out!
• Budget-friendly. Ground chicken, ramen noodles, veggies, and homemade Asian-inspired stir-fry sauce are perfect everyday ingredients for a budget-conscious dinner.

Ramen noodles without seasoning packet

Making ramen at home is better and tastier than using pre-packaged stuff. The first step is to discard the flavor packet.  Then, elevate instant ramen noodles to the next level by making your own Asian-inspired sauce from scratch. The stir-fry sauce is made with garlic, sesame oil, low-sodium tamari sauce (or soy sauce), honey, freshly squeezed lime juice, rice vinegar, and red chili paste. The flavor combination is amazing, and the sauce takes only about 5 minutes.  This is one of the best ramen noodle recipes you can make at home. Tip: Make the stir-fry sauce while the rest of the ingredients are cooking (and while the noodles are boiling!) to save time.

What to add to chicken ramen noodles?

It's easy to elevate instant ramen so that it tastes fresh and homemade.  Here are some simple ideas:

• Discard the flavor packet and add your own sauce. It's easy to make your own homemade sauce for ramen noodles - follow the recipe instructions on the recipe card.
• Add fresh veggies. My favorites are spinach, bell peppers, broccoli, snow peas, snap peas, green beans, mushrooms, and green onions. They will make your dish much more vibrant and fresh.
• Add nuts and seeds. I love adding roasted cashews, peanuts, and sesame seeds.
• Add spice by using sriracha sauce, red curry paste, or roasted red chili paste. Or, simply use red pepper flakes.
• Use low-sodium soy sauce or tamari sauce to control the amount of sodium.

The ingredients

• Ground chicken. Use the ground chicken breast for the lean version. You can also use ground turkey meat or ground beef here.
• Bell peppers. I used 1 large red bell pepper.
• Greens. I used fresh spinach. You can also use frozen spinach - thawed and drained of any liquid. Or, use kale or arugula instead.
• Olive oil is used for cooking veggies.
• Minced garlic adds fantastic flavor and aroma to any dish!
• Honey adds a subtle sweetness to the stir-fry sauce. You can also use maple syrup or brown sugar instead.
• Low-sodium tamari sauce provides just the right amount of saltiness, without overwhelming the flavor. It can be replaced with low-sodium soy sauce. For a gluten-free option, make sure to check the labels.
• Rice vinegar can be replaced with apple cider vinegar.
• Lime juice. I used freshly squeezed lime juice to add more balance and flavor to the ground chicken ramen noodles. You can also use lemon juice.
• Sesame oil is super flavorful and is a great ingredient in Asian-style dishes.
• Roasted Red Chili Paste by Thai Kitchen is another ingredient in the homemade stir-fry sauce. You can use any other brand, or simply use red curry paste instead.
• Cashew nuts. I used raw cashew nuts which I roasted in the preheated oven at 350 F for 10 or 15 minutes.
• Sesame seeds. I used 2 colors (black and white) for the presentation. I also toasted the seeds in the oven for more flavor.
• Ramen noodles. I used 2 packages of rice ramen noodles that were labeled gluten-free. Each package was 2.8 oz - Lotus Foods brand.
• Fresh basil is for garnish.

How to make chicken ramen noodles

1. Toast the cashews and sesame seeds. Toast the nuts and seeds in the preheated oven at 350 F for about 10 minutes, until the nuts turn golden brown, and the sesame seeds turn a light golden color.
2. Cook ramen noodles. Then, bring a large pot of water to a boil. When the water starts boiling, add ramen noodles and cook according to package instructions.
3. Make homemade Asian stir-fry sauce by combining all sauce ingredients (minced garlic, sesame oil, low-sodium tamari sauce (or soy sauce), honey, freshly squeezed lime juice, rice vinegar, and red chili paste) in a medium bowl and mixing them.
4. Cook veggies. Cook sliced red bell peppers in olive oil, with salt and pepper in a large, high-sided skillet.
5. Cook ground chicken. Next, remove the cooked veggies to a plate. Add ground chicken to the same, now empty skillet, and cook until cooked through. Drain any grease.
6. Add spinach to the skillet with cooked chicken and cook until wilted.
7. Combine all cooked ingredients. Return the cooked bell peppers to the cooked ground chicken and spinach in the skillet. Then, add cooked and drained ramen noodles.
8. Add the homemade Asian sauce made with minced garlic, sesame oil, low-sodium tamari sauce (or soy sauce), honey, freshly squeezed lime juice, rice vinegar, and red chili paste to the skillet.
9. Sprinkle toasted cashews and sesame seeds on top. That's it! This simple and budget-friendly dinner is ready!

Toppings

Chicken ramen noodles are a well-balanced meal that features protein, carbs, and lots of veggies. It's quickly becoming one of my favorite ground chicken recipes. To take any ramen to a new level, try some of these (or all of these!) toppings:

• Chopped green onions or chopped chives
• Toasted nuts, such as cashews or peanuts
• Sesame seeds - use 2 colors (black and white) for presentation
• Sliced cooked egg
• Fresh herbs such as basil.

Can you make ramen noodles gluten-free?

• This recipe is easily made gluten-free by simply making sure that you use tamari sauce labeled as gluten-free or soy sauce labeled as gluten-free.
• Also, use gluten-free ramen noodles (I used rice noodles by Lotus Foods brands).
• Rice vinegar is usually gluten-free, but just in case you can use apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or red wine vinegar instead.
• I used red chili paste (Thai Kitchen brand). If you can't find it, you can use Sriracha sauce, red curry paste, or Gochujang sauce instead. Usually, all these are gluten-free, but always check the labels!
• The beauty of this recipe is that everything is made from scratch, so you control what goes into your food. Always check the labels.

What are the best ramen noodles?

I recommend using gluten-free rice ramen noodles that I like much better than regular ramen flavor-wise even if you are not gluten-free. They hold up better in a sauce and taste so good! You can even make this dish a day or two in advance - the noodles will not fall apart and they will keep their texture really well! You can also cook gluten-free rice noodles al dente to keep their texture. I used gluten-free rice ramen noodles - the Lotus Foods brand.

Cooking Tips

• Use only low-sodium tamari sauce or soy sauce. Regular tamari or soy sauce would be too salty. If using traditional or soy sauce, adjust the amounts so that your noodles are not overly salty.
• Do not overcook. Ramen noodles generally take only about 2 minutes to cook in boiling water. Watch cooking times closely and remove and drain them immediately.
• Ramen noodles are best on the same day. Once cooked, they tend to get mushy, so I don't recommend saving them for leftovers and reheating them later.
• Do not use the seasoning packet that came with the noodles. You will not need it for this recipe since you will be making your own stir-fry sauce, so you can just throw it away.
• Toast the nuts and seeds. I highly recommend roasting raw cashews and sesame seeds in the oven. They will acquire rich flavor and beautiful color, once roasted. Follow the recipe card instructions on how to toast nuts and seeds in the oven.
• Toppings. Serve chicken ramen noodles as is, or top with chopped green onions, or sliced cooked egg.

Variations and substitutions

What can you add to ramen noodles to make them taste better? This flexible recipe can be easily adjusted depending on what you have available.

• Ground meat. Swap ground chicken for ground turkey, ground beef, or ground pork.
• Different types of noodles. Obviously, this recipe is all about packaged ramen noodles. However, you can easily use rice noodles, egg noodles, spaghetti, or fettuccine instead! Just cook them according to package instructions and proceed with the recipe! Gluten-free rice noodles will work great, too.
• Veggies. My favorites are spinach, bell peppers, snow peas, snap peas, and mushrooms. You can also add broccoli, chopped carrots, chopped asparagus, cauliflower, green beans, or sweet potatoes. All these will work great with chicken ramen noodles!
• Soy sauce or tamari sauce. I recommend using low-sodium tamari or soy sauce otherwise your noodles might be too salty.
• Nuts and seeds. I love adding nuts to ramen. Cashews and peanuts are the obvious choices. Sesame seeds also add a nice, nutty flavor. Toast both cashews and sesame seeds in the oven for a richer flavor.
• Honey can be replaced with brown sugar or maple syrup.
• Substitute for red chili paste. I used red chili paste (Thai Kitchen brand). If you can't find it, you can use Sriracha sauce, red curry paste, or Gochujang sauce instead.

Storage and reheating tips

• Fridge. Chicken ramen noodles keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days. Because it's not a ramen soup recipe, but a noodle recipe with ground chicken, the ramen would generally hold up well refrigerated for up to 3 days, especially if you use gluten-free rice ramen (which I recommend!) and cook it al dente.
• Freezer. You can freeze this dish. In this case, don't cook the ramen noodles. Freeze only the cooked ground chicken with veggies and the stir-fry sauce. Keep the ramen unpackaged, and cook it only when you're ready to serve this.
• Reheat in the microwave oven for about 1 minute or a bit longer until warmed up.
• You can also reheat this in a skillet on the stovetop - in this case, briefly heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in the skillet and then add the leftovers on low-medium heat and reheat gently for several minutes. Add a little bit of sesame oil (or other cooking oil) and low-sodium tamari or soy sauce to thin out the sauce and to make sure that the chicken ramen noodles don't stick to the bottom of the pan.

Other ramen noodles recipes you might like

• Ground Beef Ramen Noodles with Mushrooms and Bell Peppers
• Vegetarian Ramen Noodles with Spinach, Mushrooms, Honey Cashews, and Sriracha Sauce

4.20 from 10 votes

30-Minute Chicken Ramen Noodles

This easy chicken ramen noodles recipe is ready in 30 minutes. Give your instant ramen noodles a delicious makeover by adding veggies (bell peppers, spinach, basil), nuts, sesame seeds, and homemade Asian-style stir-fry sauce. This budget-friendly dinner is cheaper, faster, and tastier than packaged instant ramen or a take-out. It might become one of your family's favorite ways to cook ramen noodles!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Servings 4 people

Calories per serving 712 kcal

Author: Julia

Ingredients

Nuts and seeds

• 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
• 4 oz cashews

Ramen

• 5.6 oz ramen noodles I used 2 packages (2.8 oz each of Lotus Foods brand gluten-free rice ramen noodles)

Asian sauce

• 4 cloves garlic minced
• ¼ cup low-sodium tamari sauce or low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon lime juice freshly squeezed
• 2 tablespoons red chili paste (I used Thai Kitchen brand)

Chicken and veggies

• 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 1 red bell pepper large
• 16 oz ground chicken
• 6 oz fresh spinach
• fresh basil for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions 

Toast nuts and seeds in the oven

• Toast cashews and sesame seeds on the parchment paper lined baking sheet in the preheated oven at 350 F for about 10 minutes.

Cook ramen

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add instant ramen noodles and cooked according to package instructions (usually between 2 and 5 minutes). Drain.

Make sauce

• Combine all sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir well to combine.

Cook veggies and chicken

• To a large, high-sided, heavy-bottomed skillet, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sliced bell peppers. Cook until just softened, about 5 minutes, on medium-high heat. Remove them from the skillet.
• Add ground chicken and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same, now empty, skillet, and cook, crumbling it until completely cooked through, occasionally stirring occasionally. Drain any liquid and fat.
• Add spinach to the skillet and cook until it wilts on medium heat.

Assembly

• Add cooked bell peppers back to the skillet.
• Add the sauce and half of the toasted cashews. Stir to combine.
• Add drained and cooked ramen noodles to the skillet with the ground chicken. Stir to combine.
• Season with salt and pepper, if desired, or simply add 1 more tablespoon of soy sauce (or tamari sauce) or more.
• When serving, top each bowl with toasted sesame seeds, the remaining half of toasted cashews, and fresh basil.

Notes

• Substitute for red chili paste. I used red chili paste (Thai Kitchen brand). If you can't find it, you can use Sriracha sauce, red curry paste, or Gochujang sauce instead.

How to make this recipe gluten-free

• Use tamari sauce labeled as gluten-free or soy sauce labeled as gluten-free.
• Use gluten-free ramen noodles (I used rice noodles by Lotus Foods brands).
• Rice vinegar is usually gluten-free, but just in case you can use apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or red wine vinegar instead. 
• I used red chili paste (Thai Kitchen brand). You can also use Sriracha sauce, red curry paste, or Gochujang sauce instead. All these are usually gluten-free, but always check the labels!

Nutrition

Nutrition Information

30-Minute Chicken Ramen Noodles

Amount per Serving

Calories

712

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

44

g

68

%

Saturated Fat

 

10

g

63

%

Trans Fat

 

0.1

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

9

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

22

g

Cholesterol

 

98

mg

33

%

Sodium

 

1728

mg

75

%

Potassium

 

1251

mg

36

%

Carbohydrates

 

51

g

17

%

Fiber

 

4

g

17

%

Sugar

 

13

g

14

%

Protein

 

33

g

66

%

Vitamin A

 

4942

IU

99

%

Vitamin C

 

54

mg

65

%

Calcium

 

124

mg

12

%

Iron

 

7

mg

39

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Disclaimer:

The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Keyword chicken ramen noodles

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