Bouncy instant ramen noodles cooked in a luscious creamy cheesy sauce with runny egg, green onions and garlic. This super quick and easy kujirai ramen is a great snack or meal ready in 5 minutes!
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What is Kujirai Ramen?
Kujirai Ramen is a simple Japanese ramen hack that features chewy ramen noodles cooked in a creamy broth with an egg, melting cheese, green onions and garlic.
It's surprisingly flavourful and only takes 3 minutes to cook in one-pan with minimal ingredients! That's why it's become so popular on social media!
This fast ramen recipe is ideal for a busy weeknight meal or for anyone looking for a fast, cheap and delicious noodle dish like college students!
You can also elevate this ramen hack by adding cooked sausage, spam, ham, bacon, minced beef, pork or chicken, tofu, vegetables and more! It's very versatile.
Where did Kujirai ramen come from?
Kujirai style ramen originates from a Japanese comic or manga and has become wildly popular for its ease, minimal ingredients, and tastiness!
The character in the comic uses a smaller amount of water to make his ramen along with the seasoning and now this idea is trending with all sorts of variations.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Soup-Based Instant Ramen: ideally any spicy instant ramen that comes with a soup seasoning packet works the best! I recommend the brands Jin Ramen or Shin Ramen. You can find soup-based instant ramen at many Asian grocery stores.
- Large Egg
- Sliced Cheddar Cheese: Either American cheddar cheese slices like Kraft Singles or quality cheese will work. Or substitute with Swiss or mozzarella cheese slices.
- Cold Water
- Green onions
- Garlic
Expert Tips
- Prepare ingredients in advance because the cooking process is fast and you want to avoid overcooking the instant ramen.
- Do not overcook the ramen! Al dente ramen noodles take only about 2-3 minutes to cook.
- Low-medium heat is key because we are only cooking this ramen in very shallow water to produce a creamy sauce. Thus medium-high heat will quickly evaporate the water creating for less sauce.
- Add cheese and green onions after egg cooks. This prevents the cheese from burning allowing it to emulsify with the ramen water to create that creamy sauce.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Kujirai ramen:
- In a large shallow pan, add cold water, instant ramen soup seasoning, instant dried vegetable flakes if available, and garlic. Bring to a rolling simmer over low-medium heat. Do not turn heat past this or it’ll evaporate the water quickly.
- Once the water comes to a rolling simmer, add instant ramen. Cook instant ramen on each side for about 20-30 seconds.
- Loosen instant noodles and create a hole in the center.
- As soon as noodles are loosened, make a well in the center and crack an egg into it. Once the egg whites are opaque, add sliced cheese on top of the noodles and green onions.
- Cook noodles for another 1 minute until cheese has melted and mix to enjoy!
Storage
- This dish is best consumed immediately.
- Leftovers will last up to 2 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
- Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing kujirai ramen or cooked instant noodles in general as they will become soggy.
Pairing Suggestions
Kujirai ramen serves well with:
- kimchi
- miso soup
- cooked protein of your choice
- Korean cucumber salad
- beansprout salad
- Korean spinach
- gyeran mari
- fish cake stir fry
FAQ
Kujirai ramen is best enjoyed fresh as cooked instant noodles will become soggy over time. However, if you want to make this in advance, cook it up to 2 days in advance and store the sauce separate from the cooked noodles in separate airtight containers. To reheat, microwave or reheat the the noodles and sauce in a small pot over medium heat until hot.
Yes! You can also make Kujirai ramen microwave friendly by following these instructions:
1. Simply add water, instant ramen with the seasoning, dried veggie flakes and garlic (optional) into a large microwave safe bowl.
2. Cover it with plastic wrap. Heat it for 1 minute on high. Carefully peel back the plastic wrap and watch for steam.
3. Then loosen the noodles and make a well in the middle. Crack the egg into the well and poke a hole in the yolk (to prevent it from exploding).
4. Cover with plastic wrap again and poke some more holes into the plastic to allow the steam to escape. Microwave for another 2-2:30 minutes.
Uncover and layer on the cheese and garnish with green onions. Enjoy!
I would not recommend more than 2 slices per 1 pack ramen otherwise the sauce will be overly cheesy and thick.
📖 Recipe
5-min. Easy Kujirai Ramen
Ingredients
- 1 serving soup instant ramen (I recommend a spicy kind like Jin Ramen or Shin Ramen)
- ½ packet instant ramen soup seasoning that comes with the instant ramen
- 1 packet dried vegetable flakes that comes with the instant ramen (optional)
- 1 large egg
- 2 slices American cheese or regular cheddar/Swiss/mozzarella cheese sliced into half
- 9.3 fl oz. water cold
- 1 tablespoon green onion finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
Instructions
- In a large shallow pan, add cold water, instant ramen soup seasoning with dried vegetable flakes if available, and garlic. Bring to a rolling simmer over low-medium heat. Do not turn heat past this or it’ll evaporate the water quickly.
- Once the water comes to a rolling simmer, add instant ramen. Cook instant ramen on each side for about 20-30 seconds.
- Loosen instant noodles and create a hole in the center.
- As soon as noodles are loosened, make a well in the center and crack an egg into it. Once the egg whites are opaque, add sliced cheese on top of the noodles and green onions.
- Cook noodles for another 1 minute until cheese has melted and mix to enjoy!
Shannon
This was so good! Super easy to make and way better than just plain ramen. Definitely recommend!
christieathome
Hi Shannon! Thank you so much for making my ramen and for leaving such a kind review on my blog. Have a wonderful day!
Alex
So easy and tasty. I couldn't believe how simple and delicious this was.