We all have fond memories of nights up late in the dorm room, munching on ramen noodles. Even in your dorm room, you probably learned that hot sauce was a great way to spice up your noodle bowl. If you’re a fan ofspicy ramen, you probably have a few favorite recipes in your back packet.
We like to think thatMike’s Mighty Good ramen is the best on the market. But even the most delicious, amazing, outstanding noodles can’t save you from an excessive amount of heat. So what do you do when you’ve added too much hot sauce, chili powder, or other spice? Let’s talk about some effective methods, along with some tasty spicy ramen recipes.
4 Ways to Make Spicy Ramen More Mild
It’s easy to make your noodles too spicy. One extra splash of hot sauce or an added dash of pepper can turn a delicious ramen bowl into a disaster. Or maybe you tried a new recipe and it was spicier than you expected! Here are four easy ways to turn down the heat and salvage your meal.
1. Sugar
This one is a no-brainer. It’s easy, and everyone has it in their kitchen. The beautiful thing about sugar is that it goes well in pretty much any recipe. Sweet and sour and sweet and spicy are some of the most popular flavor combinations in Asian cuisine. The ramen will still be spicy, but the sugar will take the edge off of it.
You don’t just have to use white granulated sugar, either. Any type of sugar will do. Brown sugar, honey, or even corn syrup will do the trick. Add a little bit at a time and taste as you go so you don’t overdo it.
2. Acidity
Acidity helps to balance out spice. Think of ingredients like lemon juice, lime juice, and even vinegar. Orange juice can even be a creative choice, and gives you a great combination of sweet and sour.
3. Milk
Milk is a popular ingredient in many ramen noodle recipes. It makes your bowl creamy, rich, and smooth in a way that few other ingredients can. It’s also a well-known way to moderate spicy food. Anyone who’s ever drank a glass of milk after eating some chicken wings knows how effective it can be.
If you’re vegan or lactose-intolerant, don’t worry. Soy milk, almond milk, and other milk alternatives can be just as effective. They also add different flavors to your noodles, so you can mix things up by changing between them.
4. Cheese
Cheese is our favorite way of moderating spicy ramen. It’s easy to add after the fact, since you can just lay a slice or three over the top.
Any type of cheese will do. You can use cheddar if you want a powerful, cheesy flavor, or Swiss for a bolder, slightly bitter flavor. Or you can add a couple of American cheese singles for a more casual feel.
Regardless of the type, cheese is creamy, gooey, and stringy, and it’s just plain delicious. Even if your ramen isn’t spicy, cheese is never a bad idea.
Spicy Ramen Recipes
If you’re a fan of spicy ramen, you’re probably on the lookout for some new recipe ideas. Here are a few of our favorites to get your creative juices flowing.
Creamy Spicy Miso Ramen
Everyone lovesmiso ramen. So why not take a miso ramen and make it spicy? We start with our savory miso pillow pack, which is essential. It’s rich and savory and you can combine it with anything. We wanted something with plenty of kick, so we decided to throw in some gochujang sauce.
To keep things reasonably mild, we added soy milk. Not only will it dial down the heat, but it will also contribute a nutty flavor that goes well with just about anything. You can swap in some regular milk if you want, or use another milk substitute like almond milk. As for other ingredients, go wild! You can add any vegetables or protein you like.
Spicy Korean Beef Ramen
This recipe starts out with a packet of savorybeef ramen. Sambal and chili oil provide plenty of heat, along some chili paste for extra punch. This is already spicy enough. But if you want an even spicier ramen bowl, you can use a Mike’s Mighty Good spicy ramen pack. Keep your fire extinguisher handy – this dish is blazing hot!
Spicy Cheesy Ramen
To understand the appeal of this recipe, look no further than the name. It’s spicy. It’s cheesy. It’s ramen. What else do you need to know?
We mix milk into the broth while it’s boiling. Then when it’s cooling off, we blend in some sriracha and hot sauce, with garlic and red pepper. American cheese goes over the top, and melts down into the rest of the mix. It creates a gooey, creamy sauce that’s too tempting to resist. It’s also easy to adjust the amount of sauce you add and control how spicy it is.
Vegan Spicy Cheesy Ramen
We just talked about spicy cheesy ramen, but there’s also avegan ramen option. It’s pretty straightforward. Instead of using regular milk, you just use a plant-based alternative. Combine this with vegan cheese and vegan sriracha, and you’ll have everything you need.
Whatever you do, it’s essential that your plant-based milk is unsweetened. Sweetened milks can create off flavors that will ruin your recipe.
Spicy Shrimp Ramen
Who doesn’t love a delicious bowl of seafood ramen? Shrimp is easy to cook in your microwave or a steamer, and it goes well withkimchi ramen. Garlic, sriracha, pepper, and chili oil provide heat, and a dab of honey sweetens the pot. Garnish with some cilantro and other vegetables, and you’re ready to chow down!
Spicy Chicken Ramen
Our spicy chicken ramen is very spicy. Gochujang sauce, chili paste, sriracha, and hot sauce all contribute to the flavor. You can increase or decrease your quantities as desired to get the perfect level of spice.
Rabokki Ramen
Rabokki ramen isn’t just ramen. It’s a Japanese-Korean fusion dish meant to imitate tteokbokki, which is a popular Korean street food. The Korean version consists of layers of rice cakes soaped in soup broth, with layers of fish cakes and gochujang paste in-between.
We skipped the fish cakes, but otherwise rabokki ramen is more or less the same. We even added a poached egg, which replaces the protein lost from the fish cakes and adds a gooey, yolky appeal.
Coconut Curry Ramen
This recipe provides an irresistible combination of sweet and spicy flavors. We start by cooking a garlic chicken ramen pillow pack in a mixture of broth and coconut milk. Once the noodles are done, we add curry paste for heat as well as that unmistakable curry flavor. Fried ground chicken absorbs a lot of the heat, and makes a tasty combination when mixed with the coconut milk.
Start With the Best Noodles
No matter what kind of spicy ramen you fancy, you should start with a good quality organic ramen noodle. This means thinking outside the big box store. The ramen you buy off the shelf is boiled in oil, which adds off flavors and changes the color and texture. The flavor packets are also heavy on salt and light on real seasoning.
Mike’s ramen is made in the traditional Japanese way, with a slow steaming process. It takes longer than flash-frying, but you end up with a much better noodle. You can’t cut corners and expect to get the same high-quality food. Our flavor packets are made with a variety of seasonings, like a chef would use in a restaurant. You’re not just getting a little baggie of salt. Add some protein and a few vegetables, and you’ll have a complete meal.
