There's something deeply comforting about a steaming bowl of ramen that just hits the spot on a chilly evening. This Homemade Chicken Ramen Recipe is my go-to when I want layers of flavor without fussing over complicated ingredients. The combination of caramelized soy chicken and umami-rich broth makes this dish truly special and worth every minute spent in the kitchen.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I honestly can’t say enough about how this Homemade Chicken Ramen Recipe strikes the perfect balance between rich, savory broth and tender, flavorful chicken. It’s the kind of meal that feels like a warm hug—you’ll find yourself making it again and again.
- Flavor-packed broth: Slow-simmered with fresh ginger, garlic, and mushrooms for that deep umami taste.
- Caramelized soy chicken: Marinated and roasted to perfection, delivering sweet and salty glazed goodness.
- Customizable toppings: From soft boiled eggs to fresh greens, you can easily tailor it to your preference.
- Simple yet impressive: It may look restaurant-quality but comes together in under 40 minutes with straightforward steps.
Ingredients & Why They Work
The magic here lies in pairing a rich chicken broth with caramelized chicken that's both tender and flavorful. The use of mirin and soy sauce layers in sweetness and saltiness, while ginger and garlic add fresh warmth. Picking quality ingredients really makes a difference.
- Chicken thighs: Juicy and forgiving, thighs stay tender after roasting and soak up marinade beautifully.
- Mirin: This sweet rice wine balances salty soy and helps caramelize the chicken glaze.
- Dark & light soy sauce: Using both adds depth—dark soy boosts color and richness, light soy keeps saltiness bright.
- Cayenne pepper: Just a touch for subtle warmth without overpowering the broth.
- Garlic & ginger: Essential aromatics that infuse the stock with comforting flavor.
- Chicken stock: Choose a good quality low-sodium broth so you can control seasoning and avoid an over-salty soup.
- Shiitake mushrooms (fresh and dried): These mushrooms pack umami flavor, elevating the broth’s savory depth.
- Ramen noodles: Fresh if you find them, but quality dried noodles work great and cook quickly.
- Eggs: Soft boiled or ramen-style marinated eggs add that silky richness that's signature to ramen bowls.
- Asian greens: I like yu choy or spinach—they add freshness and a pop of color.
Make It Your Way
One of the best parts about this Homemade Chicken Ramen Recipe is how flexible it is. I love swapping out the greens or playing around with different toppings depending on what's in my fridge or the season.
- Variation: Sometimes I stir in a spoonful of miso paste near the end for a deeper broth flavor—it's a game changer!
- Dietary tweak: For a lighter version, you can use skinless chicken breasts and simmer the broth longer for more flavor.
- Spice level: Adjust chili flakes or fresh chilies to your heat preference, or leave them out for a mellow bowl.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Homemade Chicken Ramen Recipe
Step 1: Marinate and Roast the Chicken
Start by mixing the marinade ingredients—mirin, dark and light soy sauce, cayenne pepper, and chopped garlic—in a bowl. I find marinating the chicken thighs for at least an hour (or overnight if time allows) really amps up the flavor. Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C) and line a baking tray with parchment. Arrange the chicken skin-side down on the sheet, spaced evenly. Roast for about 15 minutes, then flip the pieces, brush them with a brown sugar and soy glaze, and roast another 15 minutes until caramelized and cooked through. The key here is not to rush roasting time; if your thighs are larger, they’ll need a little extra cooking so they’re juicy inside without drying out.
Step 2: Build the Flavorful Ramen Broth
While your chicken is roasting, it’s broth time. In a large pot, combine chicken stock, fresh garlic cloves (whole or chopped), sliced ginger, spring onions, fresh or dried chili, soy sauce, and mirin. Bring this to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes to let the flavors meld. For extra umami, toss in dried shiitake mushrooms—they rehydrate and infuse the broth with an incredible depth. Remember to taste partway through and adjust salt or soy sauce if necessary. After simmering, strain out solids, add fresh shiitake mushrooms, and let them soften for another 5 minutes.
Step 3: Cook the Noodles and Prepare Soft-Boiled Eggs
In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and add your ramen noodles. I like to cook them for a minute less than package instructions because they finish softening in the hot broth, avoiding mushiness. Meanwhile, for the eggs, either marinate ramen eggs a day ahead or make quick soft-boiled eggs by gently boiling them for about 6-6½ minutes, then plunging into an ice bath. Peeling immediately after cooling keeps the eggs neat and silky—don’t skip that step.
Step 4: Steam the Greens and Assemble
While everything else is wrapping up, prepare your greens. I prefer yu choy lightly tossed with a drizzle of soy sauce, sesame oil, and thinly sliced garlic. You can microwave them in short bursts or quickly blanch in the broth for vibrant color and texture. Finally, it’s time to build your bowl—start with noodles, ladle over the steaming broth, add sliced caramelized chicken, steamed greens, halved soft-boiled eggs, and finish with your favorite toppings like scallions, radishes, and a drizzle of chili garlic oil for an extra kick.
Top Tip
Through making this Homemade Chicken Ramen Recipe several times, I’ve learned some nifty tricks to get it just right and super cozy every time.
- Perfect Chicken Texture: Don’t overcrowd the baking sheet when roasting—you want air circulating so the chicken caramelizes instead of steams.
- Simmer Gently: Keep your broth at a low simmer rather than a boil to prevent cloudy soup and to develop clearer flavors.
- Noodle Timing: Undercook noodles by a minute to avoid sogginess since the hot broth will finish cooking them in the bowl.
- Egg Cooling: Always shock eggs in ice water immediately after soft boiling to stop cooking and ensure silky whites without dryness.
How to Serve Homemade Chicken Ramen Recipe
Garnishes
For garnishes, I frequently lean on fresh sliced scallions because their crunch and brightness cut through the rich broth. Ramen eggs are my absolute favorite topping when I have the time to marinate them—they add a savory, velvety bite that's hard to beat. A few sliced radishes or fresh bean sprouts lend some texture contrast, and for heat lovers, a drizzle of chili garlic oil finishes the bowl perfectly.
Side Dishes
I like to pair this ramen with simple Asian-inspired sides like lightly pickled cucumbers or a small bowl of steamed edamame sprinkled with sea salt. These sides are easy and don’t compete with the strong flavors of the ramen, just complement the meal nicely.
Creative Ways to Present
For special occasions, I’ve served this ramen in individual deep bowls nestled on wooden trays, adding a small bamboo steamer of gyoza or potstickers on the side. Bright cloth napkins and chopsticks with rests really elevate the experience and make it feel like a restaurant-worthy celebration at home.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Leftover broth keeps beautifully in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store the chicken sliced separately to maintain its texture, and keep cooked noodles aside since they can get gummy if left in the broth. Reheat broth and chicken gently on the stove before assembling fresh bowls.
Freezing
I’ve frozen the broth successfully by letting it cool fully and placing it in freezer-safe containers. While the texture of the noodles and chicken doesn’t hold up well to freezing, the broth freezes and defrosts nicely for quick ramen later on.
Reheating
When reheating leftover ramen, I warm the broth gently over medium-low heat to prevent scorching. Adding the chicken towards the end keeps it tender. I prefer to re-cook fresh noodles rather than reheat to keep the texture spot on.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes, you can substitute chicken breasts; however, they tend to dry out faster. To keep them juicy, marinate well and watch the roasting time closely, removing them as soon as they are cooked through.
Ramen eggs need to be soft boiled and then marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, and a bit of sugar for at least 2 hours, ideally longer or overnight for deeper flavor. Be sure to cool eggs in an ice bath immediately after boiling to get that perfect texture.
While this Homemade Chicken Ramen Recipe is based on chicken stock, you can adapt the broth using vegetable stock and adding umami-rich ingredients like dried shiitake mushrooms, miso paste, and soy sauce to achieve a flavorful vegetarian or vegan broth. Keep in mind the caramelized chicken will be omitted or replaced with a plant-based alternative.
Dried shiitake mushrooms are a great substitute and in fact add more intense umami flavor as they rehydrate in the broth. Simply soak them in warm water before cooking, then add them to the broth to simmer and slice before serving.
Final Thoughts
I keep coming back to this Homemade Chicken Ramen Recipe not just for its comforting depth of flavor but because it’s such a satisfying cooking experience that feels approachable and rewarding. Whether you’re making a quick weeknight dinner or treating yourself on a weekend, this bowl is bound to become a favorite in your recipe rotation. Trust me, once you try it, you’ll be craving that perfectly balanced broth and tender glazed chicken time and again!
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Homemade Chicken Ramen Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 8 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Halal
Description
This homemade chicken ramen recipe features caramelized soy chicken roasted to perfection, a flavorful shoyu ramen broth simmered with ginger, garlic, mushrooms, and soy sauces, tender ramen noodles, steamed Asian greens, and customizable toppings including ramen eggs. A comforting and authentic Japanese-inspired bowl that is perfect for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Caramelized Soy Chicken Marinade
- 30 mL mirin (2 tbsp)
- 15 mL dark soy sauce or mushroom dark soy sauce (1 tbsp)
- 15 mL light soy sauce (1 tbsp)
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
- 4 pieces chicken thighs, boneless, skin off or on
Caramelized Soy Chicken Glaze
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 30 mL dark soy sauce or mushroom dark soy sauce (2 tbsp) or 1 tablespoon light soy sauce + 1 tablespoon water
Shoyu Ramen Broth
- 4 - 5 cups good quality chicken stock, no sodium or low sodium (1000 - 1180 mL)
- 4 spring onions / scallions, trimmed and cut into 3 inch pieces or halved
- 5 cloves garlic, whole
- 2 inch piece of ginger, sliced
- 4 fresh red chili or 1 tablespoon dried chili flakes (crushed red pepper), optional
- 60 mL light soy sauce (¼ cup)
- 60 mL mirin (¼ cup)
- 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed and sliced or halved
- 6 pieces dried shiitake mushrooms, optional
Ramen Noodles
- 4 portions dried ramen noodles or about 340 g dry ramen
Eggs
- 4 large eggs (for soft boiled or ramen eggs)
Steamed Greens
- 1 large bunch yu choy or spinach or any Asian greens
- Soy sauce, to taste
- Sesame oil, a drizzle
- 2 - 3 cloves garlic, finely sliced, to taste
Ramen Toppings (Optional)
- 4 spring onions / scallions, finely sliced
- Sliced radishes or bean sprouts
- Ramen eggs, marinated or plain
- Chili garlic oil
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken: Place the mirin, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, cayenne pepper, and chopped garlic in a bowl. Mix well to coat the chicken thighs evenly. If time allows, marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours for deeper flavor.
- Roast the Chicken: Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) and position the oven rack in the upper third. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange chicken thighs skin side down on the sheet, spaced evenly. Roast for 15 minutes.
- Prepare the Glaze: While chicken roasts, mix the brown sugar and dark soy sauce (or light soy sauce plus water) to create the glaze.
- Glaze and Finish Chicken: After 15 minutes, flip the chicken pieces and spoon the glaze evenly over them. Roast for an additional 15 minutes until caramelized and cooked through. Remove from oven and let cool before slicing.
- Make Ramen Broth: In a large saucepan, combine chicken stock, sliced ginger, whole garlic cloves, spring onions, chili (if using), light soy sauce, and mirin. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes to develop flavor.
- Add Mushrooms: After simmering, strain the stock to remove solids. Return the broth to the pot and add fresh shiitake mushrooms and rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms if using. Simmer for another 5 minutes until mushrooms soften.
- Cook Noodles: In another pot, bring water to a boil, then add ramen noodles. Cook noodles according to package instructions minus one minute (approximately 2 minutes if package says 3). Drain and divide noodles into 4 bowls.
- Prepare Eggs: For soft boiled eggs, bring water to a boil, gently add eggs and cook for 6 to 6½ minutes. Place eggs in ice bath immediately after cooking, peel and set aside. Alternatively, use pre-made ramen eggs marinated at least 2 hours prior.
- Steam Greens: Wash and chop yu choy or preferred greens. Place in a bowl with soy sauce, sesame oil, and sliced garlic. Toss and microwave in 1-minute increments until greens are tender but not wilted. Alternatively, pan-fry or blanch briefly.
- Assemble Ramen Bowls: Pour hot broth over noodles in each bowl. Top with sliced caramelized chicken, steamed greens, eggs, sliced spring onions, radishes or bean sprouts, and drizzle with chili garlic oil as desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Marinating the chicken for at least 1 hour improves flavor but can be done the day before for convenience.
- If dark soy sauce is unavailable, substitute with light soy sauce but reduce added salt elsewhere.
- Adjust chili quantity based on spice preference or omit if sensitive to heat.
- Dried shiitake mushrooms add rich umami to the broth but can be omitted.
- Soft boiled eggs can be made in advance and kept refrigerated for up to 2 days.
- Steaming greens in the microwave is quick, but pan-frying or blanching are excellent alternatives.
- Use fresh ramen noodles if available for a more authentic texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 1100 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg


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