Making ramen in the microwave is a quick and budget friendly meal. Learn how to easily cook these noodles in under 5 minutes and how to make ramen better.

 

If you are in a hurry, the microwave comes in handy to get food on the table fast like these easy microwave steamed carrots. Cooking ramen in the microwave takes less than 5 minutes from start to finish. Doesn’t get much faster than that!

Ingredients needed

Package of ramen – Use your favorite flavor like chicken, beef, shrimp, or vegetarian. You will need the noodles and the seasoning pack.

There are a couple of popular brands on the market, Top Ramen and Maruchan are two that you can typically find in the grocery store.

Water – Used to cook the ramen noodles. You can also substitute with chicken, beef, or vegetable broth for extra flavor.

How to make ramen in the microwave

*** This recipe is made for ramen with not much of a broth. If you prefer more of a soup or broth, be sure to use 2 cups of water.

1. Break the noodles. You can either break them up while they are in the package or remove them and break them up. Place the broken noodles in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Add water over the broken noodles.
3. Place the bowl in the microwave and cook for 1 minutes. Stir the noodles and cook for another minute. Stir again and cook for another 30 seconds – 1 minute depending on how cooked you like your noodles. Total cook time will be about 3 minutes.
4. Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave. ***The bowl will be hot. Stir in the seasoning packet.
5. Serve immediately while hot.

How to microwave ramen in a cup

1. Break up the ramen noodles.
2. Pour water in the cup and microwave for one minute.
3. Stir the noodles and cook in 30 second intervals until finished cooking.
4. Serve immediately while hot.

How to make ramen better?

• Broth: Instead of using the seasoning packet, try flavoring the broth with either Better Than Bouillon or using chicken or beef broth instead of water to cook the ramen.
• Vegetables: Try adding vegetables like green onions, mushrooms, sliced bell peppers or even spinach. Frozen vegetables work really well too. You can even mix in minced garlic and or minced ginger to add extra flavor.
• Protein: Top with cooked shrimp, chicken, cooked beef, pulled pork, tofu, diced ham, or a soft boiled egg for some added protein.
• Sauces: Try mixing in a little sriracha sauce, chili sauce, or fish sauce after it’s cooked. You can also mix in a tablespoon of butter for creamier noodles.

Homemade ramen seasoning

Don’t want to use the seasoning in the packet? No problem! Mix up this easy msg-free, homemade ramen seasoning blend to use instead of the packet.

Mix all of these ingredients together and stir into the cooked ramen noodles.

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 chicken bouillon cube, crushed
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Recipe tips

• Make sure to break up the instant ramen noodles before cooking. It makes them easier to cook and easier to eat.
• This recipe uses 1 cup water and there is not much broth. If you would like more broth, use 2 cups of water.
• When checking the noodles, they should be soft and wavy. If they are still crunchy, keep cooking in 30 second intervals.
• Total ramen cook time is about 3 minutes.
• Try using ramen noodles in recipes like stir frys and salads.
• Try elevating this easy recipe by adding different things like vegetables or protein to make your ramen better.

How to make ramen without a microwave

Don’t have a microwave? You can easily cook ramen by boiling water on the stove.

• Bring about a cup of water just to a boil in a saucepan on the stove.
• Place broken ramen noodles in a bowl. Pour boiling water over the noodles and cover the bowl.
• Let sit for about 3 minutes. Uncover and stir the noodles. Add in seasoning packet and stir to combine.

How to store

This is a meal that tastes best right after it’s cooked. If you really want to save it, let the ramen completely cool and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for one day.

Just note, the ramen starts to break down and the texture becomes different if it sits too long so after one day it isn’t very good.

More easy microwave recipes

• Microwave spaghetti squash
• Microwave cauliflower
• Microwave acorn squash

Did you make this recipe? Let me know in the comments below.