DIY Ramen Seasoning?
Most of the time, ramen is about simplicity and cheapness. But sometimes you want to get a sense of accomplishment by doing something yourself, such as making ramen noodle seasoning.
Melissa writes in and asks:
“I’m looking for recipes on how to make the actual instant ramen seasoning
packets. (Kind of like boullion, but with the distinct ramen flavors.)”
I know it sounds silly, but I’ve been looking online for this for years, and no
one seems to have any recipes online. All I’ve run across is other people asking for the same (so at least I’m not the only nut out there! 
).”
Print
October 19th, 2006 at 2:43 pm
I just use boullion cubes as a substitute, if I’m feeling saucy.
Just find out what’s in those maybe?
October 20th, 2006 at 4:22 pm
hi Melissa
here is one
Ingredients: (for 4 servings)
1.5 liters tonkotsu soup (1 kg pork bone, 2 liters water, 5-6 cloves of garlic, 1 onion), 4 packs chinese noodles, yakibuta (600 g pork rib, 1 cup soy sauce, 1/3 cup mirin, worstershire sauce, ginger), 200 g bean sprouts, 1 green onion.
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Cut tonkotsu into large pieces.
In a deep large pot, bring water to a boil. Add tonkotsu. To prevent meat from overpowering the flavor, make sure water is boiling before putting in meat.
Add whole: peeled onion and garlic cloves.
Remove Aku (foam) regularly, boil for 3 hours.
Filter through kitchen croth (or paper towel) placed on strainer.
Yakibuta (Nibuta)
Cut pork rib or any meat with fat into 4-5 cm pieces.
Put tonkotsu soup back into the pot and bring to a boil. Add meat and boil for 1 hour. Remove foam on top often.
When meat is tender, turn off heat and remove meat.
In a different pot, add together soy sauce, mirin, ginger slices and a few drops of worstershire sauce.
Add meat to this.
Turn meat over. Boil for 20 minutes. Allow flavor to seep in.
Cut meat into 7-8 mm thickness. Save remainer liquid for soup stock.
Toppings:
Wash bean sprouts and boil for1 minute. Do not over-cook. Drain.
Slice green onions thinly.
How to make:
Loosen Ramen noodles before adding to a large pot of boiling water. Cook 1-2 minutes to desired firmness.
In Chinese noodle bowls, put in 1-2 Tablespoons of soup stock.
Drain noodles. Place in bowls immediately.
Fill bowls 70-80% full with tonkotsu soup.
Garnish bean sprouts in the shape of a hill. Add green onions, then pieces of yakibuta
Add pepper to taste.
i hope you will like it:D
Martin Denmark
October 22nd, 2006 at 10:23 am
wow, complicated. Personally i just like regular ramen packet with additions of chili powder, cayenne, some type of hot sauce, red pepper flakes, and garlic. MMM spicy ramen.
October 22nd, 2006 at 10:03 pm
well, how about this– I have an ever-growing bag of unused flavor packs in my kitchen cabinet (i just don’t like them very much but can’t bear to throw them out). I’m not sure what’s in them, but I’d gladly mail them to you! And you can feel as though you’ve accomplished something, and will still have all the MSG added goodness of the real ramen packet
October 23rd, 2006 at 4:17 pm
well i heart the spicey ramen so i use like all spice like chillie powder and crushed peppers and stuff
October 23rd, 2006 at 6:14 pm
Here is how I do it.
3 cup water.
Chicken soup base or boullion. 1/2 to 2/3 of what is instructed on jar.
Soy Sause, just enough to color and then to taste.
Optional
Fresh Ginger
Fish Sause
Chili powder
Green Onion(do not boil)
Minced Fresh Garlic (for more flavor brown it if a fry pan)
October 24th, 2006 at 12:31 pm
I think that the real challenge would be de hydrating the broth once you’ve got it made.
Does anyone actually know how to do that without comercial equiment in a way that leaves you with a useable product?
October 24th, 2006 at 11:17 pm
There’s a seasoning (that I assume) that can be purchased across the USA called “Old Bay”. It’s extremely versatile and is dead on for fish, still good on meats like pork, beef and chicken. It reminds me of seafood. It’s very reasonable and much nicer than the combat packets you get within the ramen packages. Use it instead. This way you don’t have to feel guilty about throwing away a half packet of un-used seasoning.
I agree with the others here… I like spice and will throw in dry cayenne, red pepper or even a squirt of Sriracha hot chili sauce (chinese food section of the market). Jalapeno’s are easy to grow… plan ahead next spring. If you want to get wild, Tai chili peppers are also easy to grow but be careful! THEY are HOT! You can let them dry out in a box, crunch them up and use the seeds/rind to spice it up. Good luck!
October 25th, 2006 at 8:34 am
The “distinct ramen flavors” are 95% MSG. Most people use the letters “MSG” all the time as “something bad added to food that makes people sick”, but actually it’s just a white powder you can find in the spice rack of any grocery store. (By the way, the FDA claims there is no evidence that MSG makes anyone sick. I get pretty sick of the overused flavor, though.) The majority of any ramen flavoring packet is just MSG. Add to that a bit of powered chicken or beef bouillon and some dried onions, salt, some preservatives and anti-caking agents, and you are 99.9% of the way to the chicken or beef flavors. The “oriental” flavor has ginger. The “creamy” varities probably have arrowroot or similar to thicken the sauce. Actual cream is unlikely, so better use a vegtable oil based substitute for maximum authenticity.
October 27th, 2006 at 4:35 pm
powdered ramen seasoning would be hard on anything but an industrial scale.
i tried a little experiment. i took a regular flavor packet, used about a cup of water, and boiled it. i poured a little onto a plate and let it sit there for about 8 hours…. no power, but this slime that kinda crumbled. yuck.
October 30th, 2006 at 12:22 am
How I make my ramen:
I normally use one of the packets.
I add in some basil, curry, and hungarian paprika.
Then sometimes I might throw in some garlic and some onion minced.
Sometimes I’ll grade cheese on top of it whcih eventually melts but tastes very good, althought it really depends on the cheese. Watch out it’s kind of a funky taste with some. Haha.
After reading this page I wanna try some soy sauce in my ramen.
November 1st, 2006 at 11:18 am
Thank you all so much for your tips! Because of a medical diet, I can’t have the pre-packaged Ramen. I really miss it from my childhood. I’m hoping I can leave out the ingredients that I can’t have and still get a similar flavor. Believe it or not, MSG is one of the things I *can* have!
I appreciate all the tips, and will be sure to use the ones I can! 
November 1st, 2006 at 11:38 am
Oh, forgot to add, in response to Syrrys’ comment . . .
Yes, I agree! I think the only way to make an instant ramen flavoring packet would be to begin with all powdered/dry ingredients (such as dried carrots, onion flakes, boullion, etc.). It would only take a few moments to make. I guess it’s finding a yummy, authentic combination that’s the real challenge!
November 14th, 2006 at 4:45 am
add some Fire sauce from taco bell, one pack per cup noodle. Unless you like flame, if so 2 packs of fire sauce.
December 28th, 2006 at 12:59 pm
I usually add the seasoning and some chilli powder and even sometimes soy sauce.
January 31st, 2007 at 10:08 am
I use Lemon Pepper
February 13th, 2007 at 1:05 am
Ramen seasoning is chicken broth, made chinese-style (at least for chicken.) You can basically just make a regular chicken broth, with some minor differences:
1) Don’t let it boil, and skim frequently.
2) Use leeks, garlic, a knob of ginger as vegetables.
3) Add a significant level of pepper. (Sansho instead, if you can)
4) Add MSG along with salt. Alternatively use some kombu (kelp) instead of MSG, though this will alter the flavor significantly.
This won’t be exactly like instant ramen, mind you, it should actually be better.
Adding kombu will definitely make it more Japanese in style – I haven’t tried this but you often see seaweed in most ramen you order in a restaurant, so it stands to reason it would be good.
August 20th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
I like a mixture of vegetable oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, fresh chopped garlic and basil. It tastes a lot like the sauce you get with gyoza in Japenese restaurants.
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:35 pm
Oriental ramen -
2 TBSP onion powder, ground GINGER, garlic powder, black pepper
salt to taste – makes enough to store at later use.
Beef Ramen – same as above but no ginger and add beef bouillon.
Chicken Ramen – same as above but no ginger or beef, add chicken bouillon
Shrimp Ramen – boil shrimp in water for approx. 30 mins. Then add basic seasonings above, minus beef, ginger, and chicken.
March 21st, 2008 at 11:11 pm
i add cilantro chicken boullion granules cayenne and lots of chilula hot sauce
September 18th, 2008 at 7:20 am
Ingredients:
* 2 Tbs Onion Powder
* 1/4 Tbs Ginger Powder
* 1/2 Tbs Garlic Powder
* 1/4 Tbs Ground Pepper
*1/4 Tbs Chilli powder
* 1 tbs Vegetable Oil
* 1/4 Tbs MGS
* 1/4 Tbs Sugar
* 1/4 Tbs Sea Salt
January 16th, 2009 at 2:55 am
Whats really good is if you don’t use the seasoning, but cook the noodles and empty a can of clam chowder on top. Yum!
January 17th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Try some Better than Bouillon seafood (http://superiortouch.com/btb.htm), a dash of fish sauce, and some real veggies. Less salt, no MSG, and available in vegan options if you need. If you want the savory flavor of MSG, try some seaweed extract (or seaweed), which is where the MSG flavor originated.
June 11th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
We only have shrimp ramen at my house at the moment, and boy does that not sound appetizing! I made the noodles as usual (left them long) and drained water after cooking. I used onion powder, garlic powder, salt and some soy sauce for the seasoning. Definitely not as good as if I had Ramen’s beef or chicken seasonings, but I guess it will help my gargling stomach for now.
LOL
October 1st, 2009 at 9:22 pm
I boil the noodles, drain the water, then add 1 raw egg and stir fry. I add the seasoning as the egg cooks. Light black pepper is added later. This works best with Chicken and Beef flavors.
December 13th, 2009 at 2:21 am
It’s pretty much just curry powder and bouillon. I like a lot of water in my ramen (like an actual noodle soup) so I use a full flavoring packet and then add garlic, curry, and bouillon, and it’s almost identical.
January 7th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
I love ramen when i have migranes (like tonight)…it’s that kiddie food to me (since I now live on my own in an area where I can’t get real ramen).
1. boil ONLY the noodles
2. strain once they are 1/2 cooked
3. replace water with chicken broth/stock and fresh water
4. season to taste
5. add any veggies you like
that’s what i’m doing tonight. it helps take some of the addititves out of the noodles and then you replace some vitamins with the chicken broth.
i don’t use the seasoning packet in the ramen.
April 7th, 2010 at 7:48 am
I ate ramen soup in the korea and they added an egg to it when it was boiling, not bad . but my question is where can u buy the seasonig packets not the noodles. I add one packet to a glass of hot water, its seems to help upset stomachs and taste great to thanks ronnie
April 18th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
MSG is NOT good for you, it’s toxic! Right along with High fructose corn syrup and a bunch of other things that are FDA approved.
July 29th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
The best spices are the easiest. Use some Seasoned meat tenderizer season salt chili powder and crushed red pepper.
August 30th, 2010 at 6:11 am
onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, black pepper, salt. a tsp of each in a resealable container does wonders for me!
if you want chicken or beef, omit the salt and add 1 cube.
oriental: 1tsp of ginger
mexican: 1tsp chili powder + 1/2 tsp cumin
veggie: I can find it in my local grocery mart, deydrated veggies that I then chop in a coffee grinder to a powder.
creamy: 1tsp dry milk powder added at the end. you’ll need to save a little water from cooking in the bottom of the pot
also try adding lemon pepper seasoning to them noodles! it’s really nice!
you can find a lot of pre-packaged seasonings now, but if your trying to be a bit more healthy.. watch out for sodium!
lastly, my favorite way to make them! [ this is for 2-3 packs of noodles! ]
take 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup milk, 1 tsp butter and bring to just under boiling.
then, add 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder, salt and pepper to taste, and a small pinch of nutmeg!
if its not thick enough add more cheese! lol!
then just cook your noodles and toss with the sauce!
It’s absolutely delicious!