Easy Saucy Ramen Noodles Recipe
A quick and flavorful recipe for Easy Saucy Ramen Noodles featuring chewy noodles tossed in a rich, savory, and slightly spicy sauce made from soy sauce, dark soy, chili garlic sauce, and a hint of sweetness and tang. This versatile dish includes sautéed tofu or veggies and is garnished with sesame seeds and scallions, perfect for a comforting and satisfying meal in under 30 minutes.
- Author: Mia
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Noodles and Protein
- 2 servings dry instant ramen noodle cakes (around 140 g total) or other noodles of choice
- 10 oz extra firm tofu, veggies, or mushrooms of choice (sliced)
Sauce
- 1 cup water or vegetable broth
- 5–7 tbsp soy sauce (adjust to taste)
- 1.5 tsp dark soy sauce (optional, for color)
- 2–3 tbsp corn starch
- 1–3 tbsp sugar, maple syrup, or other liquid sweetener (adjust for desired sweetness)
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar, white vinegar, or lemon juice (adjust for sourness)
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 1/2 tbsp chili garlic sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
Toppings
- Chopped scallions
- Sesame seeds
- Prepare the Sauce: Mix all the sauce ingredients thoroughly until well incorporated. Feel free to tweak the sweetness, saltiness, sourness, and spiciness according to your preference. Set the sauce aside. Note that using chili garlic sauce will give a reddish tint.
- Boil Noodles: Bring water to a boil in a small pot over high heat. Add the ramen or your noodle choice.
- Half Cook the Noodles: Cook noodles for 2-3 minutes less than package instructions until they are still chewy with a good bite. This prevents overcooking later when mixed with the sauce.
- Drain and Rinse: Drain noodles and optionally run them under cold water to stop cooking and remove excess starch. Set aside.
- Sauté Protein and Veggies: Heat a pan over medium-high heat with a little oil. Sauté sliced tofu, mushrooms, or vegetables until cooked to your liking, about several minutes.
- Simmer the Sauce: Stir the sauce again to redistribute any starch that may have settled. Pour the sauce into the pan and simmer over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously until it thickens.
- Add Noodles to Sauce: Add the partially cooked noodles into the pan with the thickened sauce.
- Toss Noodles in Sauce: Mix well to ensure noodles are evenly coated with the sauce.
- Final Cooking: Cook over medium-high heat for around 3 minutes to allow noodles to absorb some sauce and thicken further.
- Adjust Seasoning: Taste and add more soy sauce, sweetener, or pepper as needed.
- Garnish and Serve: Top the noodles with chopped scallions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately while hot for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- The sauce ingredients can be doubled if using more noodles or vegetables to keep the dish saucy.
- Using vegetable broth instead of water can add more depth to the sauce.
- Running noodles under cold water stops extra cooking and removes surface starch to prevent clumping.
- Adjust sweetness and sourness in the sauce according to personal preference using sugar, maple syrup, rice vinegar, or lemon juice.
- Dark soy sauce is optional and mainly used to enrich color.
- Minced garlic is optional but adds extra aroma and flavor.
Keywords: Easy ramen, saucy noodles, vegetarian ramen, tofu noodles, quick noodle recipe, stir-fried ramen, Asian noodle dish, spicy garlic noodles