The Best Ramen Upgrades (For That Instant Pack In Your Pantry)

Plain, straight from the pack instant ramen is so yesteryear. We are grown adults now! We can afford the finer things in life. And they don’t actually have to be that expensive. There are some smart and frugal ways that you can level up your instant ramen in a pinch. Everything we’re about to cover can actually stick around in your pantry and fridge for a while so you can use them anytime. That’s some great planning ahead! Here are the best upgrades for that ramen you’ve been passing up for far too long.

Videos by Sporked

Kewpie Mayo

Adding mayo to your ramen? Weird. Adding Kewpie, the Japanese mayo, to your ramen? That’s an authentic touch! Make a creamy broth by draining a bit of the water from your instant ramen and add in the flavor packets and a healthy squirt of Kewpie mayo to the mix. This creamy bowl of ramen could even use a dash of spice or salt to the mix. Would you look at that? That’s exactly what we have coming up next.

Fly By Jing Chili Crisp

We need some chili crisp to throw on top of our ramen. Is Fly By Jing officially Sporked’s favorite chili crisp? Unfortunately not. Please don’t tell them that though because I am a fan of the brand. If you do want our favorite then I certainly won’t stop you but I’m going with FBJ for this one for one reason. They have a ton of options! There’s the classic Sichuan chili crisp, a sweet and spicy sauce, or even an extra crunchy variety. There’s no way to lose.

Gimme Teriyaki Roasted Seaweed Snacks

Regardless of the route you choose to go with your ramen, a bit of seaweed is going to fit right into the mix. Just place it gently on top and take a few nibbles every time you bring a batch of noodles to your noggin. Like the chili crisp, technically Gimme’s teriyaki roasted seaweed didn’t top our ranking but considering the first place finisher was green tea flavored, I think this is a safer bet.

SPAM

Adding in a protein to your instant ramen makes it into an actually filling meal. That’s the good stuff that we’re looking for. A lot of proteins can’t just sit in your fridge for eternity so we have to go to the ultimate long-lasting protein: SPAM. Crack that can open, give it a little time in a pan on your stovetop, and plate it beautifully into our bowl of bountiful ramen.

Lucky Foods Spicy Seoul Kimchi

Kimchi is the ultimate “will last for centuries in the back of your fridge.” Should we be swapping it out at regular intervals? Sure. Will I ever do that? No. Not that we’re going to get that far with Lucky Foods Spicy Soul Kimchi. You’re going to be putting this onto everything, not just your instant ramen. It brings a level of heat that instantly levels up any food you’re digging into.