Perfect Instant Ramen Recipe (2024)

I poach the egg first, set it aside and add on top at the very end. I do NOT understand why so many people feel compelled to comment on this recipe when they are never going to make it. No one cares about your inane opinions about why this is not a healthy recipe (seriously, NO ONE) and how you make your own seasonings etc. The fake cheese is a great addition and when I have some, I now always add it. I also add the entire evil death-bringing flavour packet, plus extra salt-ridden soy sauce. YUM

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.

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.

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.

Spot on comment, Jen! Comment on the dish that's published not the dish one created. It should be a habit to try the original recipe first, comment, then adjust.
It's also hysterucal when people give a recipe 5* & comment about how great it looks, how they can't wait to try it etc. I want to know how it tastes, I can see it looks good. Comment after you make it.

Good grief. Where does the recipe suggest it's healthy? Food shaming is tiresome. Throw some kale in the bowl to rescue it.

I've been making this since an Army veteran friend who'd been stationed in Korea showed me how. He used the zippy hot Korean Ramen. Tasty! It's hilarious to me that anybody is still disparaging processed cheese. Ask any chef and they'll tell you that their mother's mac and cheese was the best and she always used Velveeta! Relax for Heaven's sake! There's a place for everything at the table! Even American Cheese!

How can anyone resist a NYT-endorsed recipe involving both ramen and American cheese?! It has to be funny or outrageously delicious, either way a win. Result: a nice cozy meal for a solitary evening, when the people who sneer at ramen aren't home. After adding the egg, I covered the pan & let it sit for 3 minutes, not just 1. Egg turned out perfectly poached. And, yes, those slices of cheese-oid substance really do emulsify into the soup: a tiny miracle. Uncomplicated, yummy.

At about $.33 a pack in some stores, ramen is the comfort food of the poor. At many a breakfast, lunch and dinner ramen has filled the bellies of those who have no alternative. As a nurse in a big public hospital I have encouraged my patients for many years to add a beaten egg, any left over chicken or other protein and any vegetable to make a decently nutritious meal. Frankly, cheese never occurred to me but then, why not?

Toss away the flavor packet - it is mainly salt anyway. Use your own home made broth and spices. I like to add minced ginger and thinly sliced garlic. I also like to add green vegetables, whatever I have on hand, like spinach, scallions, napa cabbage, bok choy, bean sprouts, or pea pods. Yummy and turns a snack into a meal.

Oddly, I had all the ingredients for this in the house last night (I don't usually have American cheese, but it was left over from a burger night) and more importantly, no boyfriend at home to judge my dinner choices. I made as directed, and oh man, this was fantastic! So ridiculously, goopy good. I also added some Frank's hot sauce for a bit of sour snap. I gotta say though, it's adorable how hard the "ewww, don't use the flavor packet; add lots of vegetables!" people are missing the point.

Right up to putting the bowls on the table, I thought I probably won't be making this one again! But, 2 bites in and we were both loving the unexpected flavors. All the hullabaloo re the seasoning packet - how often do you really use it? I don't make ramen that often, so I go for it unless I have a packet of something in the freezer to add flavor (which I usually do). Go for it, it's not going to kill you. And this dish is worth it! Thanks.

Shredded chedar works also

Got a cold? You need this. Cold outside? You need this. Hungover? Drunk? Think your life can't possibly get any better? You need this.

Followed the recipe, shockingly good. Could add sliced sausages for more army base stew-ness. Next time I plan on pouring boiling water over the noodles in a bowl. If the egg doesn’t poach satisfactorily, I might throw it in the microwave. Had edamame on the side; good pairing.

Can't believe how amazing this turned out! I added everything as per recipe but also added chilli flakes, and some shiritake furikake! Loved it. If anyone wants healthier option, simply add healthier ramen. It's about what's the end product than ramen itself.

Hit it with a few shakes of Sriracha at the end and make your smile even wider.

For the vegetarians in the audience, a slice or two of Violife Cheddar Slices does a decent job of subbing for the American cheese although it doesn’t melt quite as well. Regardless, this recipe is magic!

Just threw this together in a desperate attempt to feed myself at midnight from an empty fridge and pantry. Wow! It isn't my favorite noodle shop ramen but it also cost <50 cents to make and can easily pass as a close cousin to my favorite bowl. And if I added more protein, a bit of chili crisp, and the toasted sesame seeds recommended here, it'd be even more glorious. My skeptical sons tried it and they approve. 5 stars.

I followed the recipe pretty closely, although, from a prior attempt at this recipe that I thought had too much liquid I only used 2 cups of water. Since I didn’t have American cheese, I used shredded cheddar cheese, as suggested by another commenter, which tasted good, but didn’t seem to do as much to thicken the sauce. Thing I added was a bit of kimchi, which added both spice and vegetable.

I made this once and will try again, but ran into a snag. I'm a vegetarian and none of the instant ramen packets that I can find in a local store are vegetarian (even the soy sauce flavor has beef in its packet). So I bought ramen noodles and then used regular vegetable stock for broth... and it's too bland, it needs SOMETHING to give it more oomph. I probably won't make this again until I have something (like leftover dressing from some other Asian dish) to throw in.

I don’t have American cheese or any other highly processed cheese and can’t try the original (though I would find it highly entertaining). Has anyone tried it with hard aged cheeses and is it even worth it to try?:) or should I make the extra effort to find processed stuff?

I can see how the cheese added a nice taste; however, I found it too watery. Ate the noodles, tossed the broth- wouldn’t make it again. Or, if I did, would reduce broth to 1 cup.

Add a bit of peanut butter.

This was as delicious as I imagined when I first saw this recipe six years ago. Do it! Your taste buds will thank you.

I followed this to a T but the egg was still hard for quite some time. What did I do wrong?

Made with vegetable Mr noodles, used just 2 cups water (per Mr noodles instructions), added some chili crisp paste, and I let the egg poach for longer because I didn’t want it to be toooo runny. That meant the noodles also kept cooking and the cheese didn’t melt as much as it could - however it was still delicious!! I’ll adjust in the future by removing the noodles from the heat and adding the egg and cheese much sooner 👍🏻

Seriously? Throw out the"flavor packet" - it has so much sodium it'll kill you. Forget all if the butter and cheese and go for something healthy. Take those Ramen noodles add some spices and shine dehydrated vegetables and add hit water and have a healthy lunch that won't kill you

I made this exactly according to the recipe the first time, and loved it for it’s comforting taste and ease to pull together with ingredients I usually have on hand. Made it for the 6th time this winter, and added pea shoots for a taste of spring. Also tried it with a Koyo Lemongrass Ginger ramen packet, instead of chicken.Yes, it’s not what we’d expect for a NYT recipe, but it’s an opportunity to customize it, make it yours with what you have.Cheap, filling, and cozy on a cold winter night.