Japanese ramen is a noodle soup served in many regional and family styles, with wheat noodles, a seasoned broth, and toppings such as meat, scallions, and egg. This approachable shoyu ramen uses soy-seasoned chicken broth and tender chicken for a savory, satisfying bowl without requiring a long-simmered restaurant-style stock.
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs (about 200 g total)
- 8 cups (1.9 L) low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 lb (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 piece kombu, about 4 inches (10 cm) square, optional
- 4 dried shiitake mushrooms (about 12 g), or ½ cup (50 g) sliced fresh shiitake
- 1 thumb-size piece fresh ginger, about 2 inches (30 g), thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves (about 15 g), lightly crushed
- 2 scallions (about 30 g), cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces for the broth
- ½ cup (120 ml) Japanese soy sauce
- ¼ cup (60 ml) mirin
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) sake
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) granulated sugar
- 18 oz (510 g) fresh ramen noodles, or 14 oz (400 g) dried ramen noodles
- 1 cup (150 g) corn kernels, drained if canned
- 2 cups (60 g) baby spinach, optional
- 2 sheets nori (about 5 g), cut into quarters
- 2 scallions (about 30 g), thinly sliced for serving
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) toasted sesame oil, optional
- Chili oil or shichimi togarashi, to taste, optional
Instructions
- Prepare the eggs. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a steady boil. Lower in the eggs with a spoon and cook for 11–12 minutes, adjusting the heat so the water bubbles gently. For food safety, cook whole eggs until both the yolk and white are firm. Transfer them to cold water for about 2 minutes, then peel and set aside. This produces a firm-centered egg rather than the soft, jammy egg often served in ramen shops.
- Start the broth and cook the chicken. Put the chicken broth, chicken thighs, kombu, dried shiitake, ginger, crushed garlic, and broth scallions in a large pot. Warm over medium heat until steaming, then remove the kombu before the broth reaches a full boil; prolonged boiling can make it taste bitter or slick. Bring the broth to a gentle simmer and cook the chicken for about 18–22 minutes, turning it once if needed. Check the thickest part with a food thermometer; the USDA FSIS safe minimum for poultry is 165°F (74°C). Lift out the chicken when it reaches that temperature and set it on a clean plate. If using fresh shiitake instead of dried, add them now and simmer them with the broth.
- Make the shoyu seasoning. While the chicken cooks, combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring it just to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then cook for 2 minutes and remove it from the heat. This concentrated seasoning is called tare. Keep it separate from the broth so you can adjust each bowl to taste instead of making the whole pot too salty.
- Finish the broth and prepare the toppings. After removing the chicken, simmer the broth gently for another 10 minutes so the ginger, garlic, and mushrooms can flavor it. Remove and discard the broth scallions, ginger, and garlic. The shiitake can stay in the soup or be lifted out and sliced for topping. Slice the cooked chicken across the grain into bite-size pieces. Halve the peeled eggs and arrange the corn, spinach, nori, and sliced scallions nearby.
- Cook the noodles. Bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Cook the ramen noodles according to the package directions, usually about 2–4 minutes for fresh noodles or 4–6 minutes for dried ones. Stir gently to separate them. Drain well; do not cook them in the seasoned broth, because their starch can cloud it and make timing each serving harder. If using spinach, place it in a colander and pour a little hot noodle water over it to wilt, or stir it into the hot broth for about 30 seconds.
- Season and assemble the bowls. Put 1½–2 tablespoons (22–30 ml) tare in the bottom of each of four deep bowls. Add a quarter of the drained noodles, then ladle in about 2 cups (475 ml) hot broth per bowl and stir gently to distribute the seasoning. Taste a spoonful before adding more tare. Arrange chicken, egg halves, corn, mushrooms, spinach, and nori on top. Finish with sliced scallions, a few drops of sesame oil, or chili oil if desired, and serve while hot.
Tips
- Season the broth bowl by bowl. Soy sauces vary in saltiness, and tare is intentionally concentrated. Start with the amount in the instructions, taste the broth after mixing, and add tare in small increments. If the soup tastes too strong, dilute it with a splash of hot broth or water rather than adding more noodles.
- Look for the right noodles. Fresh ramen noodles are usually sold refrigerated in Asian grocery stores. Dried ramen noodles work too, but avoid seasoning packets and instant noodle cakes if you want the broth’s flavor to stay clear. Wheat noodles labeled ramen are best; Chinese alkaline wheat noodles are a reasonable substitute, though their texture and flavor may be a little different.
- Use kombu thoughtfully. Kombu is dried kelp and adds a gentle savory depth. It may be sold as kelp or konbu in Japanese grocery aisles. If it is unavailable, leave it out and add ½ teaspoon (2 g) instant dashi powder to the broth; check the label because some dashi is fish-based and may contain salt. The soup will still be savory but will have a slightly different seaweed-and-dashi character.
- Keep the noodles separate until serving. Noodles continue absorbing liquid after they enter the soup, so assemble bowls just before eating. Have toppings ready and warm the bowls with hot water if you like, then empty them before adding tare and broth.
Serving Suggestions
Serve each bowl as a full meal, with the toppings arranged on the surface rather than stirred in before serving. A small side of quick-pickled cucumber, Japanese-style cabbage salad, or steamed edamame gives the table a crisp contrast to the warm broth. Gyoza or a simple plate of blanched greens also pairs well, but keep side portions modest if the ramen is the main course.
Set extra tare, chili oil, sesame oil, and sliced scallions on the table so each person can adjust their bowl. Nori softens quickly once it touches broth, so add it at the last moment or let diners dip pieces into the soup as they eat. If you are serving children or anyone sensitive to spice, leave chili oil on the side.
Variations
For a richer bowl, stir 1 tablespoon (15 g) white miso into each serving of hot broth just before pouring it over the noodles. That makes the result more of a shoyu-miso blend, with a rounder, slightly sweeter taste; do not boil the miso vigorously, since that can dull its aroma. For a meat-free version, use vegetable broth, omit the chicken, and add tofu or extra shiitake. Use vegetable-based tare ingredients and check dashi labels if keeping the bowl vegetarian.
To make a more traditional pork-topped variation, replace the chicken with cooked sliced pork shoulder or leftover roast pork. If cooking a whole cut of pork specifically for this recipe, use a thermometer and cook it to at least 145°F (63°C), followed by a 3-minute rest. For a lighter topping, use extra mushrooms, wilted greens, bamboo shoots, or bean sprouts. You can also replace corn with thinly sliced sautéed mushrooms or add a little grated fresh ginger at the table.
If mirin is unavailable, use 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water plus 2 teaspoons (8 g) sugar in its place; the tare will be less fragrant and slightly less rounded. If sake is unavailable, replace it with an equal amount of water. These swaps keep the seasoning balanced, although the finished bowl loses some of the subtle aroma of the Japanese cooking ingredients.
Storage and Reheating
For best texture, store broth, chicken, eggs, and toppings separately from the noodles. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in covered containers. The cooked broth, chicken, and eggs keep for 3–4 days in the refrigerator; cooked noodles are best within 1–2 days because they soften as they sit. If the noodles are already in the broth, the soup is still usable, but the noodles will be much softer by the next day.
Reheat broth and chicken on the stovetop until steaming, then check that leftovers reach 165°F (74°C). Add a little water or broth if the soup has concentrated during storage. Reheat only the amount you plan to eat, and cook a fresh portion of noodles if you have them. Do not reheat nori in the broth; add it after serving. You can freeze broth and cooked chicken for up to 2 months for best quality, but freeze them separately from eggs, vegetables, and noodles. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of ramen is this?
This is a home-style shoyu ramen, meaning the broth is seasoned with soy sauce. Ramen has many regional and personal variations in Japan, including different broths, noodles, and toppings; this version is designed to be practical with chicken broth and a short simmer rather than to represent every style.
Can I make the broth ahead?
Yes. Make the broth and tare up to 3–4 days ahead and refrigerate them separately. Store the chicken in a covered container with a little broth to help it stay moist. Reheat the broth and chicken to 165°F (74°C), cook the noodles fresh, and assemble the bowls just before serving.
Can I use instant ramen noodles?
You can use plain instant ramen noodles if that is what you have, but discard the seasoning packet so it does not compete with the shoyu tare. Cook the noodles in a separate pot, drain them well, and check the package timing; instant noodles may cook in only a few minutes and can turn soft quickly.
Why is my ramen broth too salty?
The tare is meant to be concentrated, and adding all of it at once can over-season a bowl, especially when using regular-sodium broth or a salty soy sauce. Begin with 1½ tablespoons per bowl, taste, and dilute with hot broth or water if needed. Next time, use low-sodium broth and add tare gradually.
Can I make this without kombu or shiitake?
Yes. The soup will still work with chicken broth, aromatics, and tare. Kombu and dried shiitake add extra savory depth, but you can omit either one; if you use instant dashi instead of kombu, check its ingredients for fish or other allergens and reduce the tare if the dashi is salted.
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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes
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