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Better For You Chicken and Spinach Ramen. Make this on nights when you want something cozy like ramen, but need something healthier too. This homemade ramen is simple and delicious. All made in the instant pot – with crockpot and stove top directions too. Made using wholesome ingredients and the simplest process. This dish is filled with veggies, chicken, and yummy brown rice ramen noodles. Wonderful on cold chilly nights.
I think I make a new ramen recipe every year, it’s my favorite dinner to make at home. Especially once the weather turns cold and the days begin to become shorter.
It’s so warming and comforting!
But the funny thing? There are a handful of recipes I turn to time after time because they’ve become staples in my kitchen. And this ramen is one of those staples! I created this recipe back in 2017 and I still make it to this day!
We just love it. It’s simple and super quick, wholesome, and most important of all, delicious. My mom and I actually crave the soup once the weather turns chilly enough for the first frost.
Originally when I created the recipe, using the Instant pot was all the rage. Do you remember when it was really having its moment?
I don’t use the instant pot as often these days, but I will say it does work nicely for this ramen. That said, I have provided the stove top and crockpot variations as well. As always, I want to make sure we can all enjoy a yummy, healthy, ramen dish like this!
Here the details
Nothing has changed about this recipe except that I’ll now often add honey-roasted squash to each steaming bowl.
Start out by cooking the bacon. Get it all crisped up. The bacon is used for flavor and nothing else. You’ll only need 2 strips, but of course, if you prefer to not use bacon, you can easily omit it.
From here, basically everything goes into the pot. I like to toss in the mushrooms, then fresh ginger and garlic. I then add red curry paste for heat and flavor.
For the liquids – broth, tamari (gluten-free sauce), and rice vinegar. Then mix in the chicken, dried mushrooms (they’ll add so much flavor to the broth), and acorn squash.
The acorn squash is “extra” and totally optional, but ramen is really so much about the toppings, I love them all! And this squash just makes the soup extra special.
The squash cooks in the broth, then pull it out and drizzle each wedge with honey, and place it under the broiler to crisp up. The roasted squash is such a great, sweet addition to a spicy ramen broth.
To finish, shred the chicken, then add the spinach and submerge the noodles into the broth to allow them to cook. It’s so nice not having to boil water for the noodles. For the noodles, I love using Brown Rice and Millet Ramen noodles. You can find them at Whole Foods and in many other grocery stores.
Ladle the soup into bowls, then top with all of your favorite ramen toppings, soft-boiled eggs, green onions, carrots, plus chili crisp sauce. Yum!
This dish is so flavorful and so simple. Thankful for easy dinners like this!
Looking for other soup recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Brie and Cheddar Apple Beer Soup
Slow Cooker Creamy White Bean Noodle Soup
Lighter Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
30 Minute Spicy Miso Chicken Katsu Ramen
Lastly, if you make this Better For You Chicken and Spinach Ramen, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Instant Pot Chicken and Spinach Ramen
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 548 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 strips thick cut bacon, chopped
- 2 cups sliced wild or cremini mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2-4 tablespoons red curry paste
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 4 squares brown rice ramen noodles
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- soft boiled eggs, chili crisp sauce, shredded carrots, and green onions, for serving
Quick Honey Roasted Squash (optional)
- 1 small acorn squash, cut into 6-8 wedges
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
Instant Pot
- 1. Set Instant pot to sauté. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, let cook 2 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, and curry paste. Cook another minute, until fragrant.2. Pour in the broth, 2 cups of water, the tamari, rice vinegar, chicken, dried porcini mushrooms, and sesame oil. If using, add the squash on top. Cover and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.3. Once done cooking, release the steam. Set the Instant pot to sauté. Remove the squash from the soup and place on a baking sheet. Set aside. Shred the chicken. Stir in the noodles and spinach. Let sit 5 minutes or until the noodles are soft. 4. To finish the squash, heat the broiler to high. Rub the squash with honey and season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Broil 2-3 minutes, until crisp. 5. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with roasted squash and any other desired toppings. Enjoy!
Crockpot
- 1. Cook the bacon in a skillet oven set over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of the crockpot. Stir in the mushrooms, ginger, garlic, and curry paste. 2. Pour in the broth, 2 cups of water, the tamari, rice vinegar, chicken, dried porcini mushrooms, and sesame oil. If using, add the squash on top. Cover and cook 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 hours high.3. Remove the squash from the soup and place on a baking sheet. Set aside. Shred the chicken. Stir in the noodles and spinach. Let sit 5 minutes or until the noodles are soft. 4. Finish as directed about through step 4.
Stove
- 1. Cook the bacon in a large dutch oven set over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, let cook 2 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, and curry paste. Cook another minute, until fragrant.2. Pour in the broth, 2 cups of water, the tamari, rice vinegar, chicken, dried porcini mushrooms, and sesame oil. If using, add the squash on top. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes, until the chicken has cooked. 3. When tender, remove the squash from the soup and place on a baking sheet. Set aside. Shred the chicken. Stir in the noodles and spinach. Let sit 5 minutes or until the noodles are soft. 4. Finish as directed about through step 4.
This recipe is a winner! I made it as directed and loved every bite. It’s an easy, quick meall
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe Vicki! Thanks for making it:) Happy Monday! xx
Super yum! Based on comments I added 6 cups of chicken broth and 4 cups of water and the ramen to broth ratio was perfect!
Hey Hailey,
Happy Monday!! 👻 I am so glad this recipe was tasty for you, thanks a lot for trying it out! xT
Holy Wow!! Followed this exactly and it turned out flawlessly. Did it in the Instant Pot. Couldn’t be more impressed with myself. Lol! Will be making this again and often.
Hey Darcey,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! 👻
This was so flavourful and easy to make. I did wish there was a little more broth to noodle ratio but will just have to double broth next time. Thanks again for another winning recipe.
Hi Sarah,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! 👻
I made this last night and it really hit the spot for a cool fall evening. Absolutely delicious. The next time I make it I’m going to cook the rice noodles separately because rice noodles absorb the broth for leftovers.
Hi Lisa,
Thanks so much for making this recipe!! I am so glad it was a hit:) Hope you’re having a great week! xT
Just will say everyone enjoyed it! Even my young boys!
Thank you!!!
Was curious if a bit of oyster sauce would be a good addition to this broth? I usually like how it goes with the flavor of mushrooms.
Sure, I bet that would be delicious!!
Hey Yohaira,
Wonderful!🤩 I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xT
I made this for my family last night. It was a hit! The only change I’ll make next time is to use fewer ramen packets – maybe 3 – since there wasn’t much broth.
Thanks!
Hi Sally,
Wonderful!🤩 I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xT
I made this recipe tonight and it was so good, and it was really easy to make! I’m looking forward to leftovers tomorrow! Bonus: for dessert I had one of your Halloween Monster Mash cookies! HBH is taking over my house 😬
Hey Tori,
Happy Wednesday!!👻 I truly appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed:)
My 7 year old daughter gave this one billion thumbs up 🙂 (her exact words)
Hey Hannah,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
Hello,
I made this last night in the instant pot and was so happy with it! It’s so simple and quick, I’m so impressed.
I topped it with roasted sesame seeds and peanut rayu. I didn’t like the texture of the whole dried mushrooms once cooked, so I took them out after cooking, sliced them and put them back in.
I only cooked 2 squares of noodles in the soup for 2 servings last night. I made the remaining 2 squares in water for the leftovers tonight. I can’t wait!
Hey Yasira,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Have a great Monday! xx
We made this with green curry paste tonight. Was really nice although spicier than I thought it would be, which we didn’t mind at all! Took the advice from another commenter and only cooked the amount of noodles we needed for our meal. Will use the other packets for our leftovers
Hey Laura,
Amazing!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
Your recipes never disappoint. We just made this and so easy and delicious! Thank you!
Hi Karrie,
Happy Monday!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try!🍁 xxT
I made this and it was WONDERFUL! We loved the flavor combination. I couldn’t
find the dried porcini mushrooms so I used fresh baby bella mushrooms. I just cut them into quarters and it was great. Will be making this on repeat.
So good!! Quick and delicious! This will go in the weeknight rotation for sure! Can’t wait to try your other Ramen recipes.
Do you use Thai curry paste or just red curry paste? I used Thai because I had it and it was so good
Thanks for the recipe
Morgan
Hi Morgan,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! I used a red Thai curry paste as well! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I have a question, do you peel the acorn squash after it is cooked?
Hey Theresa,
Yes, you can go ahead and peel the squash or just eat around the peel, totally up to you! I hope you love the recipe! xx
Hey Holly,
Happy Sunday!!🎃 I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed!
This was absolutely delicious. I added the chicken and bacon at the end for my husband. So so good without the meat for me and he loved it with the bacon and the chicken. Thank you for another amazing recipe.
Hey Sienna,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for trying it out! Have a great weekend! xx
Tasty recipe, will make it again but will cook the noodles separately and only add to the bowl when serving. The noodles softened very quickly and the leftovers are good but very mushy. The brown rice noodles are a good choice but need to be used immediately.
Hi Bev,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for trying it out! Have a great weekend! xx