For Instant Ramen That's 10X Better, Boil It In This Liquid Instead Of Water

Instant ramen is simple, affordable, and delicious in ways few other foods can hope to match. A staple of college dorms as much as family pantries, ramen is an easy way to have a filling and flavorful meal in just minutes. If you have ever had proper ramen from a restaurant to compare it to, you know just how elevated it can get. Somewhere in the middle, you can upgrade your instant ramen, so it's still pretty simple but even more flavorful. One of the easiest ways to do this is by swapping the water in the recipe for chicken broth.

If you want to go all out, you could make your own chicken stock from scratch, but since this is instant ramen, we want to keep things easy. Store-bought chicken broth is a great choice, and different brands offer subtle flavor and seasoning variations you can play with. We ranked 16 different boxed chicken broths to give you a head start on choosing which ones sound best. Some have a lot of sodium, which you might want to avoid in ramen, especially if you're using the included seasoning packets. But others are made with herbs and seasonings that can add bold flavor dynamics to give boring ramen a new dimension.

Using broth was one of our ideas when we suggested ways to seriously upgrade your ramen. It's also one of the easiest. All you need to do is boil the broth, add the noodles, and prepare exactly as you normally would.

You can step up your ramen game even further by building depth of flavor on top of that chicken broth. Start by sauteing some aromatics in your saucepan. Onion and garlic are great choices, but you can use any vegetables you want. You could also brown pieces of actual chicken. Just be sure you get caramelization, though. You want the bottom of the pan to develop that brown crust, or fond, so you can deglaze it with the broth. Now you're tripling down on flavor with rich, savory umami. It may not be traditional for ramen, but it's a delicious addition that bridges Eastern and Western approaches to broth making.

Mushrooms are a great choice for anything where chicken is the main flavor. Cremini, shiitake, oyster, or even button mushrooms would add an earthiness and umami to your ramen. You can even add dry mushrooms to the broth for a flavor boost.

If you want to focus on those Asian flavors, a splash of soy sauce or even a small amount of fish sauce can add some complexity and savory depth that works nicely with chicken broth. Whisking in some white miso paste with a bit of ginger and sesame oil can create a vastly different dish than your traditional ramen, too.

You can also boost your chicken broth ramen after it's cooked with a few tasty additions on top before serving. Cooked chicken would obviously be a great addition, and that includes crispy, fried chicken. A scattering of scallion or green onion adds a fresh, crunchy element, and even a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds can bring new flavor and texture.