It doesn’t get much more comforting and cozy than a steaming bowl of ramen—but add savory, subtly sweet white miso and you’ve elevated that comfort food classic to epic status. Garnish your Miso Ramen with your favorite fixings and slurp away with abandon!
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Instant flavor (without the instant flavor packet).
Filled with satisfying ingredients like chicken, noodles, eggs, and all the veggies, this miso ramen will fill you up fast—but not in a way that makes you feel heavy and weighed down. Just like my Crockpot Beef Stew and 15 Bean Soup, it’s exactly the kind of meal you want on a chilly day.
Miso adds a rich, nutty, and ever-so-slightly sweet flavor to this ramen bowl. Unlike the instant ramen seasoning packets filled with sodium and artificial flavors, miso adds umami, depth, and dimension to the broth. (You’ll love miso in my Miso Salmon too.)
There are a few steps for this miso ramen recipe, but each of them is quick (just 5 minutes of prep time!) and simple. It’s also ideal for meal prep, which means you can get a head start and then have dinner on the table lickety-split!
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Toasted Sesame Oil. Not to be confused with regular sesame oil! The toasted version has a fabulously nutty flavor that adds some complexity to this miso ramen bowl.
- Fresh Ginger and Garlic. Fresh is much more pungent than the dried-and-ground varieties.
- Hot Chili Pepper. Thai red chili, finger chili, or yellow chili—or use chili garlic sauce.
- White Miso Paste. Miso is a fermented soybean paste. You’ll find it in the refrigerated section at the grocery store, often near the tofu and vegan foods. It has a more nuanced flavor than soy sauce.
- Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Thighs. Instead of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, you can use bone-in skin-on chicken breast, or boneless, skinless thighs if you prefer. Pork is another option popular in ramen.
- Ramen or Soba Noodles. Yes, you can use those packaged dried ramen noodles you subsisted on when you were in college; just discard the seasoning packet. Fresh ramen noodles are even better if you can find them.
- Eggs. Soft-boiled eggs add protein and let’s be honest: they look pretty cool in a bowl of ramen too. Make them extra fast with Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs.
- Toppings. Choose a few or use them all: baby bok choy, fresh spinach, green onions, corn, bean sprouts, cabbage, sesame seeds, daikon radish, and Japanese pickles.
How to Make a Miso Ramen Bowl
Cook the Aromatics. Sauté them in a large pot until the shallot is softened, then stir in the miso. Cook until the miso darkens slightly.
Pour in the Broth. Add the broth in slowly, then scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze.
Cook the Chicken. Add it to the pot and simmer until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
Boil the Noodles. Use a separate pot so the noodles turn out perfectly al dente.
Soft-Boil the Eggs. Peel and slice them.
Shred the Chicken. Then, stir it back into the pot and add the frozen vegetables, if you’re using them.
Finish. Divide the noodles into bowls and ladle the miso ramen broth over the top. Add the eggs and toppings, then ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Make Gluten-Free Miso Ramen. Use zucchini noodles (which I also use in my Zucchini Pasta recipe), shirataki noodles, rice noodles, or soba noodles made without wheat flour.
- Add Some Whole Grains. For a little extra nutrition, swap the ramen noodles with whole wheat spaghetti or linguine.
- Make Vegan Ramen Bowls. Use a high-quality vegetable broth or mushroom broth instead of beef broth, skip the eggs and chicken, then add sliced shiitake mushrooms or cubes of firm or extra-firm silken tofu at the end of the cooking time. (This is the same kind of tofu you’ll find in traditional miso soup.)
- Use Your Instant Pot for the Eggs. Instead of boiling another pot of water, you can follow my Instant Pot Boiled Eggs recipe.
More Japanese-Inspired Recipes
Miso Ramen
Video
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Ingredients
For the Miso Ramen:
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons minced or grated fresh ginger
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium shallot minced
- 1 hot chili pepper such as Thai red chili, finger chili, or yellow chili, seeded and minced (optional, or sub 2 tsp. chili garlic sauce)
- ¼ cup white miso paste
- 8 cups low-sodium beef bone broth
- 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs*
- 9 ounces ramen or soba noodles** or two packages of seasoned ramen noodles; discard the seasoning pack
- 4 large eggs
- Optional: thawed frozen spinach corn, or other frozen vegetables
For Topping (choose one or add them all!):
- Chopped baby bok choy or fresh spinach
- Chopped green onions
- Corn kernels
- Bean sprouts
- Shredded cabbage
- Sesame seeds
- Grated daikon radish
- Japanese pickles
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, shallot, and chili pepper, if using. Cook, stirring, until the shallot is softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add the miso paste and cook, stirring, until it is slightly darkened, about 2 minutes.
- Slowly add the broth and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the chicken and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and registers at least 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Soft-boil the eggs***: Fill a large bowl with water and ice to create an ice bath. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. With a slotted spoon, gently lower in the eggs and return to a high simmer. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer (not a hard boil) and cook for 6 minutes. Immediately transfer the eggs to the ice bath. Let chill for 2 minutes, then remove, peel, and slice in half.
- When the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a bowl. Shred the meat with two forks, discarding the skin and bones. Return the meat to the pot.
- If using, add the frozen vegetables to the pot, stir, and let heat through for a few minutes.
- To serve, divide the noodles between bowls. Ladle on the soup. Top with the soft-boiled eggs and any other desired toppings.
Notes
- *Instead of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, you can use bone-in skin-on chicken breast, or boneless, skinless thighs; note that the ramen will be less rich and flavorful and the chicken’s cooking time will differ.
- **You can use any kind of noodle you like—just cook it separately, then serve the soup over the top of it. Whole wheat spaghetti or linguine is a good swap if that is all you have available.
- ***You can also soft boil eggs in your Instant Pot. See Instant Pot Boiled Eggs for a recipe.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftover miso ramen for up to 4 days; store the noodles and the soup in separate containers.
- TO REHEAT: Warm the soup mixture on the stovetop or in the microwave until steaming. There’s no need to heat the noodles, as the hot liquid will warm them up.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze the miso soup mixture for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating according to the instructions above.
Nutrition
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I tried making this last night for my mother’s birthday. My god it was so good the whole family loved it. For me the key here is using the best stock you can find/make, and all the flavors just add to the dish. Thank you so much!