5 Ways to Upgrade Your Instant Noodles
Instant noodles have been a much-loved student staple for years, providing a quick, tasty meal to anyone too busy or uninspired to cook anything more elaborate.
A no-fuss snack or dinner can be just what you want sometimes, but packet noodles have the potential to be so much more! Cup noodles really come into their own when you add a personal twist and upgrade your regular ramen and seasoning packet into a feast fit for any self-respecting foodie.
If you want to create the best instant ramen around, you’ve come to the right place! Learn how to make your instant noodles even better with our simple, instant ramen hacks.
What to Eat With Instant Noodles
Upon opening your packet or cup of noodles, you’ll likely find a mere seasoning or sauce packet to ensure your noodles deliver the flavour they’ve promised. So, to make a more substantial dish, you’ll have to get a little more creative with your additions.
Vegetables to Add to Ramen
It might sound obvious, but serving your noodles with an assortment of vegetables can be an easy and effective way to liven up your bowl.
Classic additions include things like:
- Spring onions
- Pak choi
- Chinese cabbage
- Peppers
- Carrots
- Spinach
- Bean sprouts
Mixing different textures – like crunchy water chestnuts with soft mushrooms – can also help elevate your quick snack into an enjoyable meal.
If you want to take this opportunity to try some vegetables that are outside of your typical choices, check out some of our favourite vegetables that are staples in Japanese cuisine.
Add Soft Boiled Eggs to Ramen
Adding egg to ramen is one of the easiest ways to upgrade your dish.
Although adding a soft boiled egg is one of the go-to options, you could also crack one straight into your broth for an instant poached egg or scramble some eggs to add to your noodles afterwards.
If you’re looking for a true exploration of authentic flavours, you could try making your very own ramen egg. This is a specially prepared boiled egg that is often used as a ramen topping in Japan.
To prepare ramen eggs, all you have to do is:
- Boil your eggs.
- Marinade them in soy sauce, mirin and sake overnight.
Add Sauces to Instant Noodles
If you’ve been unfortunate enough to come across bland instant ramen, you know how lacklustre packet noodles can be when they don’t come with the necessary amount of sauce.
This is where you’ll have to take things into your own hands and experiment with adding different oriental sauces or cooking oils to your noodles. Even just adding a hint of teriyaki sauce or a bit of sesame oil can bring out new, delicious flavours in your ramen.
For cup or packet noodles with a bit of extra bite, try adding:
- Sriracha or other chilli sauces for a fiery kick.
- Coconut milk to your broth for a creamy noodle soup.
- Peanut butter for a peanut satay flavour.
Jars of Asian cooking sauces like bulgogi or char sui will also work if you're after a more substantial meal.
The Best Meat to Add to Ramen
For a heartier meal, meat or meat alternatives can make deliciously satisfying toppings.
Slices of shredded beef or tofu can transform a simple bowl of noodles into a fully-fledged meal.
It’s often easier to prepare the meat separately, but you could also add it to the hot broth to cook – just make sure that any meat is thoroughly cooked before you serve it up.
Some popular meat toppings for instant noodles include:
- Teriyaki Chicken
- Shredded Beef
- Spicy Prawns
- Pork Chow Mein
- Tofu
- A combination of your choice!
Stir-Fried Instant Noodles
When you’ve exhausted the list of additional ramen ingredients, why not incorporate your noodles into another dish?
Using packet noodles to make an instant ramen stir fry dish can often be cheaper than purchasing other speciality or traditional noodles.
The classic Japanese stir fry, yakisoba, would be the perfect recipe to use in this instance. Just boil your instant noodles in water before draining and frying with an addictive yakisoba sauce to achieve a flavoursome and easy dish.
With these ramen hacks, you’ll be cooking up a storm in no time.
You can also discover which noodles are gluten-free to ensure all dietary needs are catered for.
If you can’t wait to get your hands on some instant noodles to try out some of these ideas, head over to our great selection of noodle packets to find all the best flavours and then some! Alternatively, you can shop below for some of our favourites. 
Written By:
Sara Yang
Sara is based in the UK but loves nothing more than creating and sampling dishes from all around the world. Her favourite is Asian cuisine and she hopes to inspire more people in the UK to try authentic East Asian dishes.
