Jordan Myrick
Justine Sterling
Buldak ramen has a cult following—and for good reason. After tasting 14 Buldak ramen flavors, we can honestly say these are some of the best instant noodles you can buy. But you gotta like your spice. Sure you can handle it? Allow us to soak our tongues in some milk. Okay. Now we’re ready. Let’s get into our ranking of all the Buldak ramen flavors.
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- Buldak Corn
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Corn isn’t a bad Buldak ramen flavor, but it’s definitely not one of the best Buldak flavors. It’s just not a flavor that had me wanting to slurp down the entire bowl of noodles. It tastes like the classic Buldak spicy hot sauce packet that comes with all of these noodles mixed with Fritos. I feel like this flavor of Buldak noodles could be delicious if you added in a can of chili and shredded cheddar cheese. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Buldak Tomato Pasta
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This is one of the less spicy Buldak ramen flavors. It tastes like Buldak spicy sauce mixed with SpaghettiOs and dried basil. It sounds weird—and it is. These would really hit the spot if you were high. That being said, I’ve never been high because I am a professional adult who doesn’t do drugs and would certainly never mention doing drugs in an article I was writing if I did, in fact, do drugs. Don’t worry and please don’t fire me. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Buldak Stew Type Spicy
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We couldn’t quite pinpoint what this Buldak flavor tasted like. There’s a hint of sweetness and a good dose of heat. But aside from that, it didn’t have a strong punch of flavor. If you snag a packet of this flavor, go ahead and doctor it up with some punchy ingredients. But otherwise, there are better Buldak flavors out there. — Justine Sterling.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Buldak Curry
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Curry Buldak ramen noodles are nice! I think the spice blend definitely works well with the classic Buldak ramen spicy sauce. It does feel a little one-note and maybe like it is missing something. I want some rotisserie chicken in it to make a more complete Buldak ramen meal. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Buldak Habanero Lime
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Think posole (the traditional broth-based Mexican soup) meets the spicy Buldak ramen you know and love. It’s tangy and tart and tasty, but I’d top this with a bunch of cilantro and even more fresh lime juice to mask some of the citric acid flavor. This is a fun departure from the Buldak spicy sauce. I would buy these noodles over and over again. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Buldak Carbonara
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In our original taste test of Samyang Buldak ramen flavors, the Buldak Carbonara took the top spot. We were delighted by the creamy cheesiness paired with the spicy Buldak sauce. But, upon retasting it, it came across as a bit bland when compared to the next entry. It’s still very good and we all kept going back for bites. But if you’re looking for the best Buldak Carbonara, our next entry is the Buldak ramen for you. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Merc / World Market
- Buldak Cream Carbonara
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We loved the original Buldak Carbonara in our initial taste test of all the Buldak flavors—but it was overshadowed by the Cream Carbonara in our most recent taste test. It’s super creamy, both sweet and savory, and much spicier than you might think. The packaging makes it look like a mild pasta dish you’d give to a child. But it’s not playing around. This flavor is great on its own, but could also serve as a delicious base for mix-ins. Throw some frozen peas and crispy bacon into the pot for a super-satisfying meal. And, pro-tip, cut down on the water a bit to make it even richer and creamier. — Justine Sterling.
- Buldak Spicy Chicken
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It’s a classic! How could Buldak’s spicy chicken flavor not rank near the top? We love Buldak ramen because we love the signature spicy sauce. With this flavor, that’s what you get. If you’re looking for spice that still feels enjoyable, grab a package of these Buldak noodles. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Buldak Cheese
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This is pizza ramen. It’s cheesy (though not cheesy enough for some of the team) and a little bit sweet in a tomato sauce-y way. And it’s shockingly spicy. Seriously, this may have been spicier than the 2x Spicy Buldak ramen in our most recent taste tests. It definitely is not the best cheese-based Buldak spicy ramen flavor. But you should still buy it if there are no other cheesy Buldak noodles available to you. It’s unique and slurpable. — Justine Sterling & Jordan Myrick
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Buldak 2x Spicy
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This Buldak ramen flavor is very spicy (duh). Even the taste testers on our team with a high spice tolerance acknowledged that these Buldak noodles are spicy. I really like the taste of this flavor, but I don’t think most people could actually eat an entire package of it. That said, if you can handle some spice, it is worth trying because there’s way more flavor than just “spicy.” There are flecks of seaweed that add tasty savory umami notes to the Buldak spicy ramen. — Justine Sterling & Jordan Myrick
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Buldak Tom Yum
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This new Buldak flavor really came out swinging. The broth is bright, tomatoey, and tart (I’d add a spritz of lime to really bring the tang, though). The noodles are springy. There’s just enough heat to add to the flavor. It’s the best Buldak ramen if you’re looking for noodle soup. And it’s a worthy addition to the full line-up of all the Buldak flavors. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Buldak Jjajang
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I love these Buldak noodles inspired by the Korean black bean sauce noodle dish jjajang. This Buldak ramen flavor has a little sweetness and is definitely nowhere near as hot as some of the other flavors. This is also one of the few versions of Buldak ramen that didn’t mostly taste like the Buldak spicy sauce. I would definitely buy these noodles again. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Buldak Kimchi
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This is my go-to Buldak ramen flavor. I stumbled upon it because it’s always on sale at the World Market near me. I bought these noodles because they were discounted, but I wasn’t really sure how they’d stack up next to the other Buldak noodles. Luckily, they still rank near the top of the list for me. They really bring the kimchi flavor, which goes great with the Buldak sauce. I add even more kimchi to these Buldak noodles and it’s pure heaven. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Buldak Quattro Cheese
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Buldak Quattro Cheese is delicious and definitely cheesier than the cheese flavor. It’s like Kraft mac and cheese mixed with Buldak noodles. While it didn’t take the top spot in our initial Buldak ramen taste test, it handily won the award of best of the best Buldak ramen flavors in our most recent taste test. What a difference a couple of years makes! We’re not totally sure what changed, but we were all wowed by the intense cheesy flavor and excellent backbone of spice that makes your nose run. It’s a totally unique Buldak ramen flavor that everyone needs to try. — Justine Sterling & Jordan Myrick
Credit: Merc / Amazon
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Vinz Karl
Joe Rumrill
Flavors to try-
SWICY
Yakisoba
Birria
Taco
Sweet & Spicy Korean Chicken
I eat these noodles far too much so I appreciated this list. I also appreciate this article is a year old nearly so perhaps some things have changed. However, this isn’t all the flavours. Quite a few missing.
Rose, 3x, there is a soup/stew based noodle one as opposed to all these dry ones, Sweet & Spicy, Taco, and definitely more. I saw 3 flavours I had never seen before recently but haven’t gone back to the shop to try them yet. According to the all reliable internet there are/have been over 20 flavours launched.
Cheese is my favourite and it is pretty spicy. 3x is too much for me. I had to stop buying that 🙂
I saw online there’s a “Rosé” flavor as well. Why is it not on this list? Anybody tried it?
I’ve tried it and it’s one of my favorite flavors. It’s not super spicy, but has a sweet, tomatoey flavor.
You didn’t try the Rosé buldak
Have you tried it? I wonder if it’s…interesting.
I have SO MUCH buldak product in my home. It is my autistic comfort food. Corn is hands down the best flavor second to the black bean, when you add a craft single and some more original bildak sauce, and huy fong chili garlic sauce. I have a very high tolerance for spice. I think tomato is my third favorite (after adding extra sauce and diced tomatoes), and then the 2x spicy 😊 Though it is for sure hard for me to keep any specific flavor as my favorite. I can say I keep nearly a full pack of 5 of each flavor on hand, as well as their other products and typically 2 bottles of each sauce 😅 looking to buy 3x spicy soon, since nothing spicy has been spicy enough for me anymore, lol. Buldak is so underrated by people.
Good post! Thanks for the serving suggestions.😄
these are the best noodles ever!!!!!1
My husband and I tried Buldak for the first time yesterday. We wanted to try more flavors and found your article. So helpful and insightful – we will be trying your suggestions soon! Thanks, Jordan!
Litterally my fav flavour
How did you not include Stew Type. That is by far the best flavour
I’m sad that they phased out the Mala flavor, Chinese inspired with sichuan peppercorns, it was a really unique taste experience. The OG or Habanero Lime are my go to now.
I saw it recently in Laos. May be a regional thing?
I bought a five-pack of Spicy Chicken based on this list and I was not prepared for the rise in heat. Real good, but holy smoookes.
Cheese is the only one that is always sold out at my local asian market. The workers often don’t even let it hit the shelves before it’s gone.
Also you forgot the 3x spicy one.
The article is titled “every flavor…ranked”, but it seems like you’re missing a couple flavors here: stew (I bought stew to try the other day), mala (numbing spice, one of my favorites), and naengmyeon (cold noodles, which is only available in summer I believe).
If some of these are (permanently) discontinued, it might be helpful to mention so.
I haven’t been able to find the Mala for years, I believe it was discontinued around 2021? The stew and cold types aren’t that different, same OG base flavor that you add more water or ice cubes to. Others not mentioned but likely harder to find or discontinued as well x3, light, cream carbonara, jjamppong, rose, rose flat noodles, and topokki flavor.
They also missed the cream carbonara flavor
Sorry Amber but i’m not buying it. The stew and cold types aren’t that different?!! They sure do and it tells you did not try them.