Is Maruchan Flamin’ Hot Chicken Ramen Surprisingly Good or Just Another Spicy Gimmick?

Flamin’ Hot this. Flamin’ Hot that. It’s a Flamin’ Hot world, and we’re just living in it. At this point, if it can be Flamin’ Hot, it will be Flamin’ Hot. Wings. Doritos. Mountain Dew. Even the Taco Bell menu isn’t safe anymore. 

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And next up on this brand’s world domination: Flamin’ Hot Ramen. Flamin’ Hot Chicken Ramen from Maruchan, to be exact. If I seem deeply unenthused, I’m sorry, that’s just my face. Er, my voice. Er, my personality in general? Believe it or not—and this is a huge spoiler—I actually kinda loved this new Flamin’ Hot product. I know. I’m just as shocked as you. Let’s talk about it. 

New Instant Ramen!

Maruchan Instant Lunch Flamin’ Hot Chicken

Pros: This might be the very first Flamin’ Hot product (besides OG Flamin’ Hot Cheetos) that I truly enjoyed eating. It has a bold, deep heat that builds without detracting from classic Maruchan savory-umami chicken. Plus, this ramen cup has big pieces of corn mixed in. And corn is the only vegetable included, which I’m really not mad about.

Cons: Does this taste like Flamin’ Hot’s typical sour, citrid-acid-forward heat? Not really. Is that a bad thing? I mean, I put it in the cons, but… not really. But if that’s what you’re looking for, you might be missing out here. 

Verdict: I kept eating this, on an empty stomach, until it was all gone, knowing I would pay the price later. I mean, I was really hungry, but still. That’s about as good of a review as I can give a Flamin’ Hot product. Nice job, Maruchan. Nice job. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Maruchan

Rating:

8/10

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