Perfect Instant Ramen

Recipe from Roy Choi

Adapted by Jeff Gordinier

Updated November 24, 2024

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
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Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(11,521)
Comments
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Make some instant ramen. Slide an egg into the hot broth, then some butter. Crown the steaming noodles with slices of American cheese. Scatter a bunch of toasted sesame seeds and chopped scallions across the top, if you want to. Hardly a recipe! But for the chef Roy Choi, who gave it to The Times in 2014, doctored instant ramen is a taste of Korean-American straight-from-the-bag soul food. The butter, egg and cheese help coat the ramen noodles and deepen their flavor. “It’s our snack, it’s our peanut butter and jelly sandwich, it’s our bowl of cereal,” Mr. Choi said. “It’s something that has been a part of my life forever.” —Jeff Gordinier

Featured in: Ramen: A Quick Fix for the Soul

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Ingredients

Yield:1 serving

  • 1 pack ramen noodles with flavor packet

  • 1 large egg

  • ½ teaspoon butter

  • 2 slices American cheese

  • ¼ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

  • ½ scallion, green part only, thinly sliced on the bias, optional

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (1 servings)

56 grams carbs; 218 milligrams cholesterol; 608 calories; 11 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 32 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 2059 milligrams sodium; 24 grams protein; 2 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring 2 ½ cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the noodles and cook for 2 minutes. Add the flavor packet, stir, and continue to cook for another 30 seconds.

  2. Step 2

    Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the egg. Do not stir; pull the noodles over the egg and let sit for one minute to poach.

  3. Step 3

    Carefully transfer everything to a serving bowl, add the butter, cheese and sesame seeds and mix. Garnish with the scallions if desired.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
11,521 user ratings
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Comments

Barbara G.

I looked through all the readers' notes, and while many of their suggestions for other ways to prepare ramen sounded amazing, I wanted to know what was so remarkable about Chef Choi's version that the Times would share it. We prepared it without deviation. It was WONDERFUL. The broth soft-cooked the egg and melted the butter and cheese, which lightly coated the noodles. The impression I had was that of enjoying a rich cheese-omelet-flavored dish. We will absolutely make this again.

Peter

Okay. I love ramen and saw this a while ago and was: naw. American cheese? Hardly cooked egg? But tonight, I tried it. Oh, my God. Whatever is in "American cheese," -- it's not cheese -- melts instantly and alchemically gives the broth the lovely thickened rich texture of real ramen shop noodle broth. I don't know how it works and I don't care. Never eating instant ramen any other way again.

JJ

Decades ago, I taught Red Cross swimming lessons. Early morning sessions at our poor unheated community public pool. A version of this was my breakfast. I soon realized many of my students lacked a warm breakfast. I cooked one ramen packet w/egg and half a slice of cheese per student, each in a recyclable bowl. I transported it all in a cooler. You’d better believe it made a difference in these kids lives! Don’t be so quick to judgment.

Tara

Honestly the poached egg trick has not worked for me yet so I always end up doing it separately which has worked just fine. This is sinfully delicious. I never really liked ramen but this really takes it over the top. I need to try to find a lower sodium option or maybe use half the spice packet next time to assuage my guilt…

Vic

Add 2 frozen dumplings and cut garlic to the cold water before it heats up.

Agata

I used organic American cheese. It sort of clumped. Probably need true chemical velveeta type.

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Credits

Adapted from Roy Choi

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