These garlicky ramen noodles are a super easy weeknight meal! They’re packed with flavor and you can make them in 30 minutes or less.
It’s time to elevate your average bowl of ramen to a whole new level! This winning recipe is perfect for a quick lunch or dinner (and the leftovers are fabulous!).
Simple Sauce with Lots of Flavor
The sauce in this recipe packs a punch with just a few key ingredients.
- soy sauce
- rice vinegar
- sesame oil
- chili garlic sauce
- a tiny bit of brown sugar
You can increase or decrease the amount of chili garlic sauce to make it more or less spicy, depending on how you like it. Even if you want a mild flavor profile, don’t completely skip the chili garlic sauce! It’s necessary for flavor, so even a small amount will do you a favor.
Ramen Noodles: What Kind to Use
Everyday ramen noodles (you know, the ones that come in plastic packets with powdered seasoning packets that are stocked in copious rows at the grocery store) work great in this recipe.Simply discard the flavor packets and cook the noodles as instructed on the package.
Other types of dried ramen also work great. I made this recipe with rice ramen (Lotus Foods brand, found at Costco) and it’s delicious!
If you use dried ramen noodles that come in a bulk package, use two ramen “blocks” about the same size as the grocery store ramen packages, or weigh out the equivalent (you’ll need 6 ounces of dried ramen total).
Optional Ingredients
The frozen peas and ground chicken (or turkey) called for in the recipe add a fresh, nutritious kick, but you can leave both of those ingredients out if you just want a simple, flavorful noodle dish.
Don’t skip the flavor enhancers, though: ginger, garlic, green onions… or the delicious sauce. If you do, you, me, and these noodles will feel very, very sad.
Noodles need all those amazing flavors to transform from simple ramen to something totally delicious!
The finished dish is simple and very tasty. Add chopped green onions and cashews at the end for a pop of color and a delicious crunch.
There are a lot of good things about this recipe, and one of them is that it comes together quickly and requires a lot of inexpensive, easy-to-find pantry ingredients.
Another reason to rave about these noodles is that the leftovers are absolutely amazing. And while we may have to differ on how to eat them (I always eat them straight from the fridge, I never risk reheating them in the microwave when cold leftovers are so delicious), rest assured that you will definitely want to find a way to stash the leftovers so you can eat them however you want and on your own.
Easy Spicy Garlic Ramen Noodles
Makes: 5 to 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 packages ramen noodles (3 ounces each), seasoning packets removed (see note)
- ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce (see note)
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken or ground turkey
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (or ginger paste or cubes, see note)
- 4 to 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 4 to 6 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
- Coarsely chopped cashews or peanuts
Instructions
- Follow the directions on the package to cook the ramen noodles until they are al dente in a medium pot of boiling water with a small amount of salt. Repeatedly drain, rinse with cold water, and repeat. Set aside.
- Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, chili-garlic sauce, and sesame oil in a small bowl.Set aside.
- In a 12-inch nonstick or cast-iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat and add the ground chicken or turkey. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook for another minute or so, breaking the meat into bite-sized pieces as it cooks.
- Add the ginger, garlic, and white parts of the green onions and continue cooking until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off excess fat, if necessary.
- Add the drained noodles to the skillet.
- Whisk the sauce to recombine. Combine it with the frozen peas in the skillet. Stir and mix, cooking over medium heat, until peas are heated through.
- Sprinkle with green onions and cashews. Serve immediately.
Notes
Ramen: I made this recipe with everyday ramen noodles and also with rice ramen (Lotus Foods brand, found at Costco). If using dried ramen noodles that come in a bulk package, use two ramen “blocks” the same size as typical supermarket ramen packages, or weigh out the equivalent (you’ll need 6 ounces of dried ramen total).
Chili Garlic Sauce: Reduce the chili garlic sauce, to taste, to make it less spicy, if needed.
Ginger: When it comes to ginger, there are several options that work in this recipe. Freshly grated ginger (freeze pieces of ginger and grate them, frozen, on small holes of a box grater—no need to peel). Ginger paste (often found in tubes in the refrigerated produce section). Ginger cubes (usually found in the frozen section; I also use frozen garlic cubes for the garlic called for in the recipe).
