We partnered with Maruchan to bring you this recipe. As always on The Woks of Life, all opinions are our own. Enjoy!
An Instant Ramen Upgrade
As I’ve talked about in other posts, instant ramen has a special place in our family’s collective consciousness. It was the first thing Kaitlin and I ever learned to cook. It was also the inexpensive meal my mom’s family would make when they first immigrated to the United States and times were tight. But instant noodles aren’t limited to what comes in the packet. We enjoy jazzing them up using a few additional ingredients. Case in point, these recipes:
Campfire Curry Ramen Pho Ramen Laksa Instant Ramen
But while all those recipes still involve making Instant Ramen as a soup, you can also make them into a saucy dish like this! My dad gets the credit for this recipe idea. Having developed our excellent (if we do say so) Korean Fried Chicken recipe, he wondered, why not make a soy garlic chicken ramen? We’re using Maruchan Gold Soy Sauce Flavor Craft Ramen Noodles here. The seasoning packet is actually a liquid—mostly soy sauce—making it a great marinade as well as a sauce. You’ll use one packet to quickly marinate the chicken, before dredging it in potato starch (for extra crunch!) and pan-frying it until crisp. Then just use the other packet to make the sauce for the noodles, along with lots of minced garlic and shallot, mirin, sesame seeds, brown sugar, vinegar, and gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste) for a little kick. The crispy chicken on top is the perfect complement. Ok, let’s talk about how to make it.
Soy Garlic Chicken Ramen: Recipe Instructions
Bring 6 cups of water to a boil for the noodles. Quickly coat the chicken using 1 of the sauce packets. (For instructions on how to debone chicken thighs, see this post, or the video on this page.) Then immediately dredge the chicken pieces in potato starch on both sides. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil, and pan-fry the chicken until crispy on both sides, about 5-6 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan, and set aside. To the pan you cooked the chicken in (over medium heat), add the shallot and garlic, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the shallots begin to turn translucent. Add the second sauce packet, mirin, sesame seeds, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and gochujang (if using). Simmer for about 3 minutes, until thickened. Meanwhile, add the noodles to boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and add the noodles to the pan of sauce along with the scallion. Toss to coat, and divide into 2 bowls. Top with the chicken, and serve.
