25 Recipes For Upgrading Your Ramen Noodles

This ramen take on classic beef and broccoli might be our favorite easy dinner. Thinly sliced steak and tender broccoli join those unmistakable noodles in a savory ginger soy sauce for an all-in-one dinner that’s sure to become a weeknight classic.

Get the Beef & Broccoli Ramen recipe.

While birria is traditionally a Mexican stew made with chiles and warm spices like cinnamon, it’s been popping up everywhere lately as tacos, and that’s the energy we’re bringing into this comforting soup. We recommend making this dish when it’s freezing cold outside and loud, boozy outdoor celebrations seem like lightyears away. Throw some chiles, bones, and meat in your slow-cooker and huddle under a blanket—in a few hours, you’ll have a hearty, slow-cooked, mash-up soup that’s perfectly balanced.

Get the Birria Ramen recipe.

We took all the classic flavor of a decadent spaghetti carbonara and added it to instant ramen noodles. Not gonna lie, we can't stop making this glowed-up ramen!

Get the Ramen Carbonara recipe.

Braised pork belly, aka a little slice of heaven, is the star in this amazing homemade ramen. Making ramen from scratch is pretty darn elaborate, but we promise your patience will be more than rewarded.

Get the Homemade Shoyu Ramen recipe.

Since we'll be flavoring the instant ramen noodles with your choice of pesto, it truly doesn't matter what flavor of ramen you purchase (we won't be using the seasoning packet). You can also use any pesto on hand, so long as you like it: Classic basil, roasted red pepper, or sun-dried tomato will all work nicely here. If you're a semi-homemade type of cook, store-bought pesto will do just great too!

Get the Pesto Ramen recipe.

When we're in the mood for something that has a bit more flavor than your run of the mill canned soup or packaged ramen, we turn to creamy chicken ramen soup. This recipe packs a flavorful punch and then some! You get some spiciness from the curry powder, a rich creaminess from the coconut milk, and a burst of citrus with a squeeze of lime.

Get the Creamy Chicken Ramen Soup recipe.

Mongolian beef is a popular American-Chinese takeout dish made with thin slices of flank steak, accompanied by veggies, spiked with ginger, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and scallions. Tossed with another nostalgic favorite, ramen noodles, this is instant comfort in a skillet.

Get the Mongolian Beef Ramen recipe.

This recipe was semi-inspired by the Chinese Chicken Salad at The Cheesecake Factory, where they use wonton strips and crispy rice noodles. Instead, we sub in a block of dried ramen—broken up, the crunchy, wavy noodles act as croutons just as well. Feel free to sub the almonds for cashews or peanuts too!

Get the Crunchy Mandarin Orange-Chicken Salad recipe.

Have fun customizing these ramen noodles with your favorite veggies and toppings. Try using frozen peas or halved snow peas in place of the bell pepper and carrot. Skip the egg and top with seared chicken or tofu, and try the whole thing topped with a smattering of everything bagel seasoning.

Get the TikTok Ramen recipe.

Great ramen comes in many shapes, sizes, and flavors but is most commonly known as the rich, creamy, porky version. This completely vegan version uses layers of umami-packed flavor to mimic the depth complexity of traditional ramen, and edamame for a protein boost. As a bonus, if you can multitask, it all comes together in about an hour, making this an ideal weeknight go-to.

Get the Vegan Ramen with Roasted Red Miso Veggies recipe.

Originating from Chinese Sichuan cooking, dan dan noodles were named for the carrying pole (aka dan dan) that street vendors used to carry baskets of noodles and sauce. While sometimes served as a soup in China, American versions are usually more saucy than soupy, and often include sesame paste, peanut butter, or tahini, like ours does.

Get the Dan Dan Noodles recipe.

We don't know how we didn't think of this dreamy savory breakfast earlier. Because of course, ramen is the ideal umami vehicle for cheesy eggs and bacon. If you love this, you'll really love our ramen carbonara!

Get the Breakfast Ramen recipe.

This picnic-friendly salad is always one of the first things to go, and it's easy to see why. There's plenty of crunch from cabbage, carrot ribbons, and toasted ramen noodles, and tossed in a sweet and sour dressing, this salad is hard to beat.

Get the Ramen Noodle Salad recipe.

Instant ramen is good for way more than just soup. It can be used to make ramen burger buns, an indulgent ramen carbonara, and now, a highly snackable savory party mix that's great for a midday snack, and even better with beer at cocktail hour. 😋

Get the Ramen Snack Mix recipe.

This quick and satisfying meal lands somewhere between savory instant ramen and creamy peanut noodles. Throw in your favorite raw veggies for a dish that's healthy, filling, and delicious. (The trifecta!) For a little extra oomph, whisk in part of a ramen flavor packet little by little, tasting and adjusting along the way.

Get the Warm Tahini Ramen Noodles recipe.

Instant ramen noodles and burgers are two of our ultimate nostalgic cravings. We fry up the ramen noodles into bun-sized discs to create an irresistibly crunchy alternative to a normal, fluffy bun.

Get the Ramen Burgers recipe.

What we love about this dish is that instead of ending up with a noodle soup, you get this semi-cooked, slightly crunchy noodle stir-fry that combines the best parts of munching on dry instant ramen (we all do it!) and eating pan-fried noodles. It’s like no amped-up ramen you’ve ever had before. Also, this recipe is made for tinkering: Add more veggies, throw a runny soft-boiled egg on top, nix the peanuts, spritz on more lime juice.... Choose your own Malaysian ramen adventure.

Get the Malaysian Ramen recipe.

This is one noodle soup you won't find in a can. We included shredded rotisserie chicken and all the comforting add-ins of your favorite comforting soup (plus a little lime!) to make this unbeatable ramen soup.

Get the Ramen Chicken Noodle recipe.

Anything goes in this "Everything Is Optional" chicken noodle soup recipe! All you need is to fill in the blanks of this formula (broth, vegetables, chicken, and aromatics) with your favorite ingredients, or simply with whatever you currently have on hand—no additional shopping trip required!

Get the Everything Is Optional Chicken Noodle Soup recipe.

We love how ramen is a great foundation for a solid meal, and not just one you eat in college. It's the perfect carb to incorporate into this stir-fry. We also love this with udon noodles too!

Get the Ramen Noodle Skillet With Steak recipe.