Step up your Top Ramen game.
It's never a bad time for ramen noodles.
Toho
But sometimes, you need to jazzthem up with a little something extra — an egg, some peanut butter, or even a punch of powerful kimchi. There's nothing wrong with taking an already delicious bowl of ramen and customizing it to make it even more filling and delectable. It's time to spice up your instant ramen game with these easy hacks.
1. Try the egg-drop method.
![38 Genius And Totally Do-Able Ramen Hacks That People Swear By (2) 38 Genius And Totally Do-Able Ramen Hacks That People Swear By (2)](https://i0.wp.com/img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2023-11/14/22/asset/bb6daa99f8f5/sub-buzz-2743-1700001960-1.jpg?downsize=700%3A%2A&output-quality=auto&output-format=auto)
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By beating eggs in a small bowl, and adding them to your broth (and giving it a good swirl) the eggs curdle to create an eggy, protein-based broth.
2. Slice up some green onion and sprinkle it on top for added flavor.
![38 Genius And Totally Do-Able Ramen Hacks That People Swear By (3) 38 Genius And Totally Do-Able Ramen Hacks That People Swear By (3)](https://i0.wp.com/img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2023-02/16/1/asset/cd9d85811106/sub-buzz-1724-1676512128-3.jpg?downsize=700%3A%2A&output-quality=auto&output-format=auto)
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Who doesn't love green onion? This is a classic addition to ramen to add a nice pop of color and additional flavor. Slice lengthwise or roughly chop and add to your bowl!
3. Add mixed veggies of your choice.
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By adding extra veggies, not only will your broth be tastier, but you'll have more fiber and a heart, filling meal. The boost of micronutrients is great as well!
4. Add bean sprouts for an extra crunch.
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These are perfect for people who need a little bit more texture in their soups. Bean sprouts are the perfect addition of texture and are packed with micronutrients like magnesium!
5. Add sesame.
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Sesame is god's gift to food. Drizzle some sesame oil on your ramen, and sprinkle sesame seeds on top to instantly make it taste 100x better. If you're up for it, try using tahini as well.
6. Make and add a ramen egg.
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You can find the recipe to make thisJapanese soft-boiled egg, known for its jammy yolk and umami flavor, here.
7. Swap your flavor packet for miso paste.
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The flavor packet is delicious, but a little bit unhealthy (you know it, I know it, we all know it — it's the sodium), so swap it for a scoop of miso paste –which is less unhealthy but just as delicious. Or hey, screw it, you could just have BOTH.
Miso ramen recipehere.
8. Make it creamier with some coconut milk.
A little coconut milk will make a wonderfully creamy soup! Or you can go the whole hog and make Thai coconut chicken ramen. Recipehere.
10. Throw in some fried tofu.
Want to beef up your ramen without, erm, adding any actual beef? Fried tofu is where it's at, my friends. Recipehere.
11. Grate some parmesan on top.
View this video on YouTube
12. "I like to add kimchi, egg, frozen vegetables and/or some meat with spices like garlic powder and chili flakes."
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13. Add peanut butter.
You can add a scoop on its own for a delicious nutty flavor, or make a delicious sesame-peanut butter sauce! Get the recipe here.
14. "Use broth, not water. Buy a carton of beef or chicken stock for a couple of bucks, then simmer that on the stove with some green onions, garlic, chili paste, peppercorns, and fish sauce. Throw your ramen brick in for a couple minutes and you're done!"
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15. "Microwave a mixture of peanut butter, soy sauce, coconut milk, ginger, Sriracha, and the spice packet (if it's anything but chicken). When the noodles are done, drain them and add it to the mixture. Boom, pad Thai."
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16. "Boil some frozen vegetables with a healthy amount of Sriracha in the water. Once the veggies get soft, put in the noodles."
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17. Mix in some butter.
Specifically, garlic butter. Kylie Jenner does it, so that's got to mean it's good, right? Get the recipe here.
18. "Don't put the seasoning packet in the water. Cook the noodles in water, then drain off 99% of it and then mix in the powder. It will actually flavor the noodles instead of the liquid."
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19. "Crack an egg into the boiling water to add some protein."
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20. "Add Hot Cheetos with Tapatio and half of a lime. Perfection!"
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21. "Put some canned corn and baby spinach in a bowl, then fold a nori paper in half and lean it against the wall of the bowl. Boil an egg for several minutes and cook your ramen separately. Once it's done cooking, add the ramen and egg to the bowl with few drops of soy sauce. Add chopped green onions and sesame seeds on top."
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22. Top it with chashu pork.
The most tender, melt-in-your-mouth pork ever – this is the classic pork you'll find in proper tonkotsu ramen. Make up a big batch and freeze it so you can add a few slices to your ramen whenever you feel like it! Get the recipehere.
23. Try your ramen without the broth.
If you want to try something different, you can make ramen yakisoba – boil your ramen for a few minutes, then drain it and fry it up with veggies and meat! FYI, you can make a really good yakisoba umami sauce with ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and Sriracha! Get the recipehere.
24. "Add a slice of cheese. It will melt into a creamy soup and you'll have bites of cheesy noodles."
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25. "Cook the ramen and drain, then mix half the seasoning packet with soy sauce and a couple drops of sesame seed oil. Set aside and turn the burner on high, and then cook some garlic, grated ginger, and dried red pepper flakes in oil. Then add stir-fry veggies and the remainder of the seasoning packet. Set that aside and scramble an egg or two. You can dump them out onto the veggies. Next, fry the noodles with the seasoning/soy sauce you mixed at the beginning for a couple minutes, then dump everything in. Stir fry ramen!"
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26. "Add Thai red curry paste, sliced bell pepper, and a splash of coconut milk. I usually sprinkle some garlic and ginger powder in, then add some basil/scallion/peanuts on top if I have some."
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27. "I always boil some canned soup on the stove and cook my ramen in that. It works great with any Italian or vegetable soup."
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28. "Sprinkle some uncooked ramen on top to add a crunchy texture."
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29. "In our house, we call this 'fancy ramen.' Add cilantro, green onions, white onions, jalapeños, and some cheap steak or sandwich grade roast beef. Throw an egg or two in if you're into it. Congrats! You've just made a ramen-pho dish in 10 minutes or less."
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30. "Add in a bit of cream of chicken. It's pretty simple but really good."
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31. "For cheesy vegan ramen, mix in nutritional yeast and some nut cheese."
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32. Add bacon.
Some chopped fried bacon will add salty flavour, and a crunchy texture. You can also add in some egg and cheese for "breakfast ramen." Get the recipe here.
33. "Add fresh green onion, black garlic oil, a soft boiled egg, some thin cuts of cooked chicken, a little miso paste, a splash of soy sauce, sh*take mushrooms, and bean sprouts. I also add Sriracha and/or some Szechuan chili oil on the side if I want to spice things up."
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34. "Adding beef/chicken base paste is hands down the best way to improve the flavor with the least amount of effort. It takes maybe a tablespoon of the paste to get the desired taste, and you can go a step further and add in a poached egg. If you’re really feeling like getting crazy, throw in some scallions."
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35. "Use the creamy chicken flavored ramen. Add an egg or two when the water begins to boil, then add the seasoning packet and 1-2 tbsp of cream cheese to the noodles when cooked. Mix thoroughly and enjoy."
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36. "I cut some sausage inside the bowl and let it heat up along with the ramen."
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37. "Get some frozen dumplings and pop 'em in while the noodles are cooking."
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—8uny
38. And finally, if you really wanna get creative: Make it a burrito!
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This article contains content previously curated by Emma Cooke, Kristina Bornholtz, and Farrah Penn. It was compiled by Lavanya Narayanan.