How to Turn Instant Ramen into an Instant Meal

Read closely, because I am about to tell you how to turn instant ramen into a meal. And when I say meal, I mean something that actually tastes like a home-cooked, balanced dish you’d happily feed to your family. This is more than just adding a soft-boiled egg to a Cup Noodle. 

These four “recipes” using instant ramen don’t taste cheap or easy but they are low cost, quick to prepare, and consist of mostly staple ingredients you keep in your pantry or freezer. I’m obsessed with these instant ramen recipes and I think you will be too!

Samyang Cheese Hot Chicken Ramen + Safe Catch Elite Garlic Herb Tuna + Trader Joe’s Ode to the Classic Potato Chip

Combine one of our favorite flavors of Buldak noodles, one of the best cans of tuna, and the best plain potato chips for a simple rendition of tuna noodle casserole. The brothless ramen is cheesy and the chips are crunchy. The tuna gives you a hearty punch of protein. Plus, the spice from the ramen makes this instant ramen tuna noodle casserole unique. This is so comforting and delicious.

Sapporo Ichiban Tokyo Chicken Momosan Ramen + Trader Joe’s Chicken and Cilantro Mini Wontons + Good & Gather Asian Style Salad Kit

Trader Joe’s Chicken and Cilantro Mini Wontons are some of the best dumplings you can buy at the grocery store. Tossed into the Sapporo Ichiban Tokyo Chicken Momosan Ramen with a handful of the Good & Gather Asian Style Salad Kit (sans dressing and toppings), this is a full meal. If you’re looking for vegetable-focused recipes using instant ramen, this one is for you!

Sapporo Ichiban Original Ramen Noodle Soup + Kikkoman Original Teriyaki Sauce + Good & Gather Crispy Chicken Breast Strips

Toss these tenders (the best chicken tenders according to our taste test) into the air fryer and get them extra crispy. Either place them on top or eat them on the side of your ramen with a drizzle of Kikkoman’s teriyaki sauce (our best teriyaki sauce). It’s like chicken katsu ramen and it’s one of my favorite instant ramen recipes.

Nongshim Soon Veggie Noodle Soup + Pacific Foods Creamy Tomato Soup + High Peaks Italian Style Plant-Based Sausage

Bring one of the tomato soups from our ranking of the best canned tomato soup to a boil and add the seasoning packet and instant ramen. In a separate pan, cook up some slices of one of the sausages from our best plant based sausage ranking. When the ramen noodles are cooked, add the veggie sausage. This is like the Spaghettios and hot dogs your mom would make you when you were growing up, except it’s elevated and vegetarian!