Homemade Chicken Ramen

The ideal winter evening is beside a steaming bowl of gumbo, stew, or soup, or chicken ramen, and with this recipe from Fork Knife Swoon, you won’t have to break the bank or spend days in the kitchen to have restaurant-grade ramen.

This recipe is on the table in as quick as 90 minutes, yielding a ramen that’s easy, homemade, and in possession of a flavorful broth, roasted chicken, fresh vegetables, lots of noodles, and (of course) the soft-boiled egg.

Chicken Ramen Ingredients

2 boneless chicken breasts (skin-on)

1 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tsp sesame or vegetable oil

2 tsp fresh ginger (minced)

2 tsp fresh garlic (minced)

3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

2 tbsp mirin

4 cups rich chicken stock

1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms (or ½ cup fresh)

1-2 tsp sea salt (to taste)

2 large eggs

½ cup scallions (sliced)

2 packs of dried ramen noodles (3 oz/each)

Kosher salt (to season)

Freshly-ground black pepper (to season)

Optional: fresh jalapeño slices, for serving

Chicken Ramen Recipe 

  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F and begin by seasoning your chicken generously with salt and pepper. Melt your butter in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add your chicken (skin-side down), and brown your chicken until its skin is golden brown and releases easily from the pan (about 5-7 minutes). Flip the chicken over and cook for another 4-5 minutes, until the reverse is equally golden. Transfer the skillet to the over and roast for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the oven, transfer it to a plate, and cover with foil until you’re ready to serve.
  2. Heat your oil (preferably sesame) in a large pot over medium heat, until the oil is shimmering. Add your minced garlic and ginger, cooking it for a few minutes until it’s softenned. Add your soy sauce, mirin, and stir them in, combining it all. Cook for an additional minute, then add your chicken stock, cover the pot, and bring it all to a boil. Remove your lid, and let it all simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, adding your dried mushrooms at the end. Simmer gently for another 10 minutes, and season with salt, to taste.
  3. Fill a small pot with just enough water to cover the eggs you’d like to soft-boil, and bring it to a boil. Gently lower your (cold) eggs into the boiling water, and let it simmer for 7 minutes for a slightly-runny yolk or 8 minutes for a soft, but shapely yolk.
  4. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water, and when your egg timer rings, transfer your eggs to the ice bath to immediately stop the cooking process. Wait at least 5 minutes, or until they’re cool enough to handle, then carefully peel away the shell and slice them in half, lengthwise, setting them aside until you’re ready to serve.
  5. Finalize everything by chopping your scallions and jalapeño (optional), slicing your chicken into thin pieces, and setting them off to the side with your eggs. Add your ramen noodles to the boiling water, and cook them for just 2-3 minutes, until they’re soft, then divide the noodles into two large bowls. Add the sliced chicken and the ramen broth, top with scallions, jalapeño, and your soft boiled eggs, serving immediately.

Notes:

While store-bought chicken broth is fine, if it’s rich enough, chicken ramen is best with a dense, homemade broth. Additionally, ask your butcher to remove the rib bone from the chicken breasts while leaving the skin on, or use bone-in chicken, increasing your oven roasting time by 5-10 minutes. If in a hurry, a store-bought whole rotisserie chicken is fine, and it will but prep time in half!.

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