Best 6 Spicy Noodles Recipes
One of the great things about ramen is that it’s a blank slate. A packet of noodles is just that – noodles – and you can dress them up any way you like. The complete dish can be savory, salty, sweet, and yes, spicy.
A spicy ramen doesn’t just fill you up. Done correctly, it also warms you up with a wave of sinus-clearing heat. But there are many ways to achieve this. Do you want spicy chicken? A vegetarian dish? A creamy or sweet undertone?
No matter what you’re looking for, Mike’s Mighty Good has got you covered. Here are six of our most delicious spicy noodle recipes for you to try.
1. Coconut Curry Ramen
The key to any good recipe is contrast. And as far as contrasts go, sweet and spicy are about as different as two flavors can get. Our coconut curry ramen recipe combines the two, and the result is as satisfying as you might expect. It’s also not as spicy as some of the more potent recipes
The standard recipe calls for chicken, along with a garlic chicken ramen pack. This adds a healthy dose of protein, and makes the meal more filling. That said, vegans and vegetarians can always substitute with a vegetable ramen cup and leave the chicken out. The dish will still be outstanding.
2. Spicy Cheesy Ramen
Anyone who’s ever eaten a burrito knows that cheese tastes amazing when you give it a little kick. That’s the concept behind our spicy cheesy ramen recipe. American cheese provides a rich, savory flavor, while a bit of milk makes the broth smooth and creamy. If you’re a fan of cheese, you’re going to be pleased.
Sriracha and red pepper provide kick, and the Mike’s noodle base makes for a tastier base than most other ramens. Not only that, but vegans can still enjoy a spicy cheesy ramen bowl. You just have to use the vegan version of the recipe, which substitutes vegan cheese and omits the milk.
Want to shop the best instant ramen out there that's made with ridiculously rich broth, simple ingredients, less sodium, and steamed not fried organic noodles? Try the Mike's Mighty Good cups and pillow packs. We recommend starting with the cup best-sellers kit which has 4 of our flavors: Chicken, Spicy Beef, Pork Tonkotsu, and Vegetarian Vegetable.
3. Korean Fire Noodles
Korean fire noodles combine spicy chili and Gochujang sauce with salty seaweed to create one of the spicier recipes on our list. Meanwhile, kimchi helps to balance out the heat, so you actually end up with a pretty well-rounded dish.
One of the nice things about this recipe is that you’re in command. As written, it calls for one tablespoon of Gochujang sauce. That’s enough for you to feel the heat, and it’s a great place to start for most people. But if you want an even spicier meal, feel free to add some more. Your eyes will be watering, but for many people, that’s a good thing!
4. Spicy Chicken Ramen
There’s an old joke that the chicken is the only animal never to have died a natural death, and while that’s an exaggeration, it’s certainly true that most people like chicken. So why not kick that chicken up a notch, and make a bowl of spicy chicken ramen?
Sriracha and cayenne pepper provide the heat, while red bell pepper, carrots, and baby bok choy provide a medley of vegetable flavors. Shitake mushrooms add additional texture, and compliment the chicken well. And just like our other spicy recipes, you can always add more spice if you want a hotter ramen bowl.
5. Creamy Spicy Miso Ramen
Along with ramen, miso soup is one of the most popular dishes on the planet. Using Mike’s miso ramen as a base, you can make this creamy spicy miso ramen recipe in just a few minutes. This recipe has less kick than most of the others, but it’s spiced with red pepper flakes, so you can make it as spicy as you want.
Green onions, furikake, and cremini mushrooms provide texture and flavor. Top it with a soft-boiled egg, and you’ll also get plenty of protein. Whatever you do, though, make sure to only use unsweetened soy milk for the broth. Sweetened soy milk will overpower the rest of the dish, and make the whole thing taste cloyingly sweet.
6. Creamy Sriracha Ramen
Creamy sriracha ramen is another creamy creation, but with a chicken ramen base instead of miso ramen. Other than that, the main difference between the two recipes is how they get spicy. As its name implies, this recipe simply uses sriracha, which has its own unique flavor in addition to just being spicy.
Milk makes the broth creamy, while green onion and garlic add their own notes. There’s also corn, for texture and its own sweet flavor. Top off with red chili flakes to taste, and you’re ready to enjoy!
Key Ingredients for Spicy Noodle Recipes
Want to create your own spicy noodle recipe? There are any number of combinations you could come up with. But if you need somewhere to start out, here are some ingredients you’ll want to consider
First off, let’s talk about how you want to make your ramen spicy. Different peppers and sauces have their own unique qualities, and you need to think about that before you start using them in your recipes.
Red pepper is a good choice if you’re shaking your spice on top of the dish. The flakes provide color as well as heat, and because red pepper is milder than other peppers, it’s harder to go overboard by accident.
Chili pepper is the closest you’ll find to pure heat. It’s a lot more potent than red pepper, and typically comes in a powder that dissolves right into your broth. This makes it easy to incorporate, although it’s also easy to use too much if you’re not experienced.
Sriracha sauce is bright red, and has a similar amount of kick to wasabi. That said, it also has savory elements in addition to the spice. It goes great with eggs, chicken, or any recipe that’s both hot and savory.
Gochujang is another spicy sauce, but instead of being spicy and savory, it’s spicy and sweet. It’s bright red, and comes out more like a paste than a sauce. The main ingredients are red chili pepper flakes, fermented soybeans, glutinous rice, and salt.
If you want to add flavor more than spice, you’ll want to switch from spices to herbs. Garlic is a great example. With its unmistakable taste and aroma, it’s an excellent addition to many dishes. Garlic is also known for its immune-boosting properties, which is good news if you’re eating spicy ramen because you have a cold.
Onion is another great choice for flavoring your ramen. It’s not spicy, but the bite and sweetness can both compliment a spicy dish in its own way. Green onion is a bit milder, but provides a different texture. It can even be sprinkled on top of your ramen bowl as a garnish.
If you want to take the edge off a blazing-hot recipe, consider adding milk or soy milk. These will make for a creamier broth, which helps to mitigate some of the heat. Just make sure not to use sweetened soy milk, or it will come out far too sweet.
Cheese and vegan cheese are both great choices if you want to add a zestier, more savory flavor. A sharp cheese like cheddar or American will be more powerful, while a milder cheese like provolone will pair better with a creamier base.
Egg and chicken are both great choices of protein. Because they’re not as savory as beef or pork, they take better to getting spiced up. Tofu tends to be a poor choice for spicy dishes, since it has little of its own. If you want to make a spicy ramen with tofu, you’ll need to heavily season the tofu first.
As for vegetables, corn is a great choice for any spicy recipe. It’s not truly authentic Asian food, but it makes for a delicious Tex-Mex-ramen fusion dish that’s hard to beat.
