Looking for delicious, gourmet-tasting Ramen recipes? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve scoured the internet for the best cheap, delicious Ramen noodle recipes.
Of course, ramen noodles are often a staple of the low income diet. At a price of just pennies per pack, these dehydrated noodles are cheap and easy to make. However, their sodium-laden flavor packets can get awfully boring after a while!
Banish your ramen boredom with these delicious recipes – or use the ideas below to create your own. Got a favorite recipe we didn’t include? Let us know in the comments!
ONE Ingredient Ramen Recipes
Egg-Drop Ramen is made by cracking raw eggs into your simmering Ramen soup as you whisk it quickly. The eggs will cook in the broth into a delicious egg-drop soup.
Hawaiian Ramen is easily made by dumping a can of crushed pineapple into a pork-flavored Ramen pack.
Soup cans are excellent additions to Ramen recipes! With a single can of soup, you can transform your Ramen noodles into Tomato Ramen Soup, Cheddar Broccoli Ramen, Cream of Chicken Ramen or some other variety.
Orange Chicken Ramen is simple and delicious. Just add a little Panda Express Orange Chicken Sauce to your Ramen noodles when they’re done cooking… and enjoy! This sauce can be found at your local Panda Express or Walmart.
Meat and Ramen Noodle Recipes
There are SO many delicious Ramen noodle recipes that include meat.
Breakfast Ramen includes eggs, bacon and sliced tomato for a delicious breakfast flavor. The author at One Two Simple Cooking suggests substituting greens instead of bacon for a vegetarian alternative.
Cheesy Tuna Ramen combines tuna, cheese and cream of mushroom soup into a thick and creamy sauce for your ramen noodles.
Chicken Thai Noodle Bowls add stir fry vegetables, peanut butter, cooked chicken, bamboo shoots, peanuts, green onions and more to create a colorful, flavorful bowl of yummy Ramen goodness.
Chicken Yakisoba features a sweet, salty, tangy, spicy sauce. This recipe, by Budget Bytes, is reasonably affordable and includes cabbage, onion, carrots, broccoli, ginger, chicken, sesame oil and more.
Chicken & Mushroom Gravy is a delicious invention by Nerdy Mamma that her kids love!
Chicken Chow Mein isn’t exactly a Ramen noodle recipe. Although this variation is not authentic, Ramen noodles are still delicious in this recipe by Recipe Tin Eats.
Chili Cheese Ramen is an unusual spin on two common favorites. Ramen is a great filler item, so adding ramen can help extend more expensive ingredients and make your meal more filling.
Ham & Cheese Ramen is an easy way to use extra lunch meat! Add thin ham slices and cheddar cheese to your cooked pork-flavored ramen for a flavorful ramen noodle recipe.
Ramen Scrambled Eggs can be made with eggs, sausage, bacon and any other items you like! Just mix in some cooked, drained ramen to help extend those more expensive ingredients and reduce the overall cost of the meal.
Taco Ramen includes diced tomatoes, spicy taco seasoning, cheese, corn, and your choice of chicken or beef. If you like cilantro, throw in some of that, too!
Sub the sauce packet for more fun flavors in your Ramen recipes!
Broccoli Peanut Butter Ramen uses a shredded broccoli slaw, peanut butter and green onions to add color and flavor to your Ramen dish.
Cacio e Pepe Ramen uses Ramen instead of spaghetti noodles and dresses your Ramen noodles with olive oil, butter, and shredded Parmesan or Pecorino cheese.
Sesame Peanut Butter Noodles incorporate sesame oil, peanut butter, honey and green onions into a unique Ramen blend.
Spicy Ginger Ramen uses Chinese chili peppers and ground ginger to add some serious burn to your Ramen!
Spicy Ramen Mac & Cheese uses pepper jack cheese, sriracha sauce and plenty of dairy to smother the noodles with a smooth but spicy cheese sauce. The trick? Only cook the noodles for a minute so they don’t fall apart in the sauce!
Spicy Korean Chili Dressing adds sweet heat to your standard Ramen dish with Spicy Korean Chili Seasoning and some honey or agave nectar.
Sick of Ramen noodle soup? Try these!
Asian Coleslaw Salad dresses green onions, coleslaw mix, sesame seeds, almonds and Ramen in a delicious Ramen-seasoned sauce.
Asian Ramen Salad blends uncooked Ramen noodles with shredded cabbage, carrots, onions and more! Although this certainly isn’t as cheap as standard Ramen, it’s a delicious treat!
Prison Nachos mix cooked Ramen noodles with sausage, chili, onions and cheese. Eat it with chips for a low-cost Nacho alternative.
Ramen Rice Krispies are easier to make than actual Rice Krispies treats. Substitute the crunchy cereal with crunched up Ramen and save yourself some money!
Ramen Trail Mix comes in many forms. Here are a few we found:
Make Your Own Ramen Recipe!
Ramen is a meal easily adapted to your individual tastes and preferences. Create your own unique Ramen noodle recipe using a combination of these ingredients below!
Eggs are a delicious and nutritious addition that add protein to your Ramen. You can add them in hard boiled, soft boiled, egg-drop, poached or fried forms.
Meat adds substance and protein to your Ramen, too! Thin-sliced meats, like flank steaks, can be added to the soup and cooked in a matter of seconds. Cured meats like ham and bacon are also great additions. Precooked leftovers, including sausage, chicken, steak and even jerky, also reheat quickly in the soup.
Cheese can also melt in delightful ways when added to hot noodle soups. Even sliced American cheese can add a flavorful spin to your ramen meal.
Nuts and seeds are also great in Ramen! Add chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, coconut milk or even peanut butter for a fun flavor change. Personally, I favor a dash of sesame oil in my Ramen recipes.
Herbs and spices like ginger, garlic and green onions can transform your mundane Ramen into something truly delicious.
Fresh vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas, snow peas, and carrots typically have to be cooked longer in a separate pan. If you cook them in your noodles, you’ll likely end up with mushy ramen.
Quick cooking vegetables like spinach, bean sprouts, cabbage, watercress and scallions can be added immediately before serving.
Frozen vegetables are best thawed under warm water and added to your soup shortly before serving.
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Nicole Thelin
Nicole is the founder and lead researcher of Low Income Relief. After a personal experience with poverty and homelessness following her husband's sudden medical discharge from the U.S. Army, Nicole discovered the life-changing impact of community resources. This experience ignited her passion for empowering others to navigate similar crises. Nicole launched her writing career at age 16, working for various newspapers and publications. Her commitment to in-depth research and accessible content has been recognized by Google for Publishers and other industry leaders. For over 20 years, she has applied her investigative skills to uncover the most helpful, up-to-date information on benefits programs and community resources, ensuring Low Income Relief maintains the most extensive resource databases available.