I remember a weeknight when I wanted something fierce and comforting after a long shift, and the way the kitchen filled with a smoky, sweet heat as I mixed the sauce is what made me hooked on my quick Buldak Ramen Recipe, it became my go-to when I had little energy but wanted bold flavor.
Why You’ll Love It
This recipe is fast, fiery, and forgiving, perfect for busy evenings when you want big Korean flavors without a lot of fuss, it works for solo dinners or sharing with a friend who likes heat, and the components are easy to swap so you can make it milder or meatier depending on what you have in the fridge.
Serves 2
Prep Time: 10 minutes |
Cook Time: 12 minutes |
Total Time: 22 minutes
Ingredients
- 200 g fresh or dried ramen noodles (about 2 servings)
- 250 g boneless chicken thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean red chili paste)
- 1 tablespoon gochugaru or Korean chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil for frying
- 600 ml water or chicken stock
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons sliced scallions for garnish
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the chicken by seasoning lightly with a pinch of salt and pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Bring 600 ml water or stock to a simmer in a medium pot. Add the eggs and cook 6–7 minutes for soft yolks, then transfer to ice water and peel. Keep the water simmering for the noodles.
- In a small bowl, whisk together gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, and sesame oil until smooth. Taste and adjust heat or sweetness.
- Heat neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add chicken pieces and sear until browned and cooked through, about 5–7 minutes. Reduce heat and stir in half the sauce to glaze the chicken, cook 1–2 minutes more. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Cook the noodles in the simmering water for the time on the package until just tender, reserve 100 ml of the cooking liquid, then drain.
- Return the skillet with chicken to low heat, add the cooked noodles, remaining sauce, and a splash of reserved noodle water to loosen the sauce, toss quickly until noodles are evenly coated and glossy.
- Divide into bowls, top each with a halved soft-boiled egg, scatter sliced scallions and sesame seeds, place wooden chopsticks across the bowl and serve immediately.
Recipe Variations
- Vegetarian Buldak Style: Replace chicken with pan-fried tofu cubes and use vegetable stock, add a splash of mushroom soy for umami.
- Cheesy Buldak: Add a handful of shredded mozzarella on top and broil briefly until melted for a creamy counterpoint to the heat.
- Seafood Twist: Swap chicken for peeled shrimp, reduce cook time and finish with a squeeze of lime for brightness.
- Low-Carb Version: Use shirataki or spiralized zucchini noodles, shorten sauce quantity to maintain intensity without extra carbs.
Make Ahead: You can make the sauce mix up to 3 days ahead and store it in an airtight jar in the fridge, pre-cook and cool the chicken up to 24 hours ahead and reheat in the skillet with a splash of water before tossing with noodles, soft-boiled eggs can be cooked and refrigerated peeled for up to 48 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this less spicy How to reduce the heat without losing flavor, halve the gochugaru and add a touch more brown sugar or a splash of mirin to keep balance, you can also use less gochujang and add a teaspoon of tomato paste for depth
What noodles work best for buldak ramen, fresh ramen or alkaline noodles are ideal because they hold sauce well, but good quality dried ramen or instant noodles also work in a pinch
Can I use pre-made buldak sauce from a packet, yes you can use store-bought buldak sauce to save time, reduce added chili if it already tastes very hot and add a bit of sugar or soy to balance
Is this safe to store as leftovers, store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days, keep sauce and noodles together and reheat gently with a splash of water to restore texture
Buldak Ramen Recipe
This recipe is fast, fiery, and forgiving, perfect for busy evenings when you want big Korean flavors without a lot of fuss, it works for solo dinners or sharing with a friend who likes heat, and the components are easy to swap so you can make it milder or meatier depending on what you have in the fridge.
Ingredients
- 200 g fresh or dried ramen noodles (about 2 servings)
- 250 g boneless chicken thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean red chili paste)
- 1 tablespoon gochugaru or Korean chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil for frying
- 600 ml water or chicken stock
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons sliced scallions for garnish
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the chicken by seasoning lightly with a pinch of salt and pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Bring 600 ml water or stock to a simmer in a medium pot. Add the eggs and cook 6–7 minutes for soft yolks, then transfer to ice water and peel. Keep the water simmering for the noodles.
- In a small bowl, whisk together gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, and sesame oil until smooth. Taste and adjust heat or sweetness.
- Heat neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add chicken pieces and sear until browned and cooked through, about 5–7 minutes. Reduce heat and stir in half the sauce to glaze the chicken, cook 1–2 minutes more. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Cook the noodles in the simmering water for the time on the package until just tender, reserve 100 ml of the cooking liquid, then drain.
- Return the skillet with chicken to low heat, add the cooked noodles, remaining sauce, and a splash of reserved noodle water to loosen the sauce, toss quickly until noodles are evenly coated and glossy.
- Divide into bowls, top each with a halved soft-boiled egg, scatter sliced scallions and sesame seeds, place wooden chopsticks across the bowl and serve immediately.
Conclusion
This buldak ramen approach keeps things quick and reliable for busy nights, the focused prep and simple ingredients let you dial heat and richness to your liking while still delivering the smoky sweet kick that makes the dish memorable, give the sauce a trial on a small portion first, then tweak salt and spice until it fits your weeknight rhythm, you can make it again and again and still find small ways to improve the flavor.
