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Easy Ginger Chicken and Spinach Ramen, best for nights when you need a cozy but healthy dinner, but you’re craving your favorite bowl of ramen. This homemade ramen is simple and delicious. All made in the crockpot (instant pot and stove directions included), using healthy ingredients. It’s creamy, spicy, filled with veggies, chicken, and ramen noodles. Perfect for a cold night in after a long busy day.
We finally had our first snow on Saturday…cozy season has officially begun. It’s the time for mid-afternoon steaming mugs of hot chocolate, creamy pasta, chili, and soups for dinner.
So it’s my favorite time…sharing this ramen felt perfectly fitting for a chilly fall Monday. It’s the kind of ramen that’s so easy to prepare, so warming, and of course, delicious.
Let’s talk about the details
For this ramen, you can make it in the crockpot, instant pot, or on the stove. I’ve included directions for each, and either method works great! When I have the time, I love to cook the soup low and slow all day in the slow cooker.
It always makes the house smell so good. It’s also nice knowing early on in the day that dinner is basically ready to go.
For all three variations, the soup ingredients all go into one pot. They’re simmered together until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily.
Next, stir in a splash of coconut milk, which adds a heartiness and creaminess that I really love.
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.
The curry roasted squash
This is “extra”, but for me, ramen is really so much about the toppings. I love them all! And this squash just makes the soup extra special.
Toss cubed acorn or butternut squash with spicy curry powder and then roast away until the squash is soft and browning on the edges. If you use the crockpot, do this just before serving. If you’re making this in the instant pot or on the stove, roast the squash while the soup simmers.
Finish it up
Ladle the soup into bowls, then top with all of your favorite ramen toppings. For me, that means lots of curry roasted squash and a soft boiled egg. Then I finish with carrots, green onions, and lots of cilantro, plus toasted sesame seeds and chili flakes.
This ramen is perfect for any night of the week. Whether it’s cool and crisp, pouring rain, or a night where you want a healthy dinner and want it fast.
It’s warm, a little creamy, and the sweet-spicy squash on top really seals the deal. It is so good…and so easy. Thankful for easy dinners like this!
Looking for other soup recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Brie and Cheddar Apple Beer Soup
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken and Avocado Rice Soup
30 Minute Creamy Chicken and Parmesan Sage Dumplings
Lastly, if you make this Easy Ginger 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!
Easy Ginger Chicken and Spinach Ramen
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 357 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup red curry paste
- 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon Chinese 5 spice
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 3/4 cup canned coconut milk
- 4 squares ramen noodles
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 1 acorn squash – cubed, or 3 cups cubed butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon spicy curry powder
- kosher salt and black pepper
- soft or hard boiled eggs, for serving
- carrots, green onions, chilies, and cilantro, for serving
Instructions
Crockpot
- 1. In the bowl of the crockpot, combine the chicken, chicken broth, 4 cups water, soy sauce, curry paste, dried mushrooms, ginger, Chinese 5 spice, pepper, and honey, stir well. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-4 hours. 2. Before serving, preheat the oven to 425° F. On a baking sheet, toss together the squash, olive oil, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until tender.3. Crank the crockpot up to high. Shred the chicken. Stir in the coconut milk, and spinach. Then submerge the noodles in the broth. Let sit 8-10 minutes or until the noodles are soft.4. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with roasted squash and other desired toppings. Enjoy!
Instant Pot
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.2, In the bowl of the instant pot, combine the chicken, chicken broth, 4 cups water, soy sauce, curry paste, dried mushrooms, ginger, Chinese 5 spice, pepper, and honey, stir well. Cover and cook on 8 minutes. 3. On a baking sheet, toss together the squash, olive oil, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until tender.4. Release the steam and set the instant pot to sauté. Shred the chicken. Stir in the coconut milk and spinach. Then submerge noodles in the broth. Let sit 5 minutes, until the noodles are soft.5. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with roasted squash and other desired toppings. Enjoy!
Stove
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.2. In a large soup pot, combine the chicken, chicken broth, 4 cups water, soy sauce, curry paste, dried mushrooms, ginger, Chinese 5 spice, pepper, and honey, stir well. Set over medium heat on the stove and bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily.3. On a baking sheet, toss together the squash, olive oil, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until tender.4. Once done cooking, shred the chicken. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat. Stir in the coconut milk and spinach. Then submerge noodles in the broth. Let cook 3-5 minutes, until the noodles are soft.5. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with peanuts and toasted sesame oil. Enjoy!
Notes
Storing the Soup and Noodles: I recommend storing the soup and noodles separately. Then add the noodles just before serving. If you let the noodles sit in the soup, they will soak up all the broth and become very mushy.
Awesome! The flavor is amazing, and it has the perfect level of spice. I made this in the Instant Pot. This is an easy and quick recipe! I will admit that I missed the water as it wasn’t listed with the ingredients. I added it after the fact, and it worked out fine.
Hey Djienne,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks for sharing your review and making this recipe, I am so glad it was a winner! xxTieghan
This was a tasty and slightly different-tasting broth with very tender chicken, and I loved the roasted squash! Don’t skip it, it adds a great dimension. The only modification I’ll make when I cook this again is either reducing the red curry paste or the five-spice powder … both together seemed to clash a little in flavor and I ended up taking out some of the soup and adding plain broth to reduce the intensity. I think maybe 1/2 T of five-spice powder would suit me better next time.
Thanks for another great recipe!
Hey Holly,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend:) xxT
The broth came out great however I would recommend skipping the step where you boil them in the broth. My noodles are basically mush. They absorbed all of the broth.
If I make this again i would cook only the noodles I plan on eating and add them separately.
Hey Corinne,
Happy Sunday!! I love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for trying it out and sharing your feedback!! Sorry to hear about noodles! xTieghan
Made it today (on the stove) and it was really amazing!! Didn’t have the Chinese 5 spice so instead we only used star anise and cinammon and didn’t feel substancial difference. Also, we cooked the carrots in the soup and added some extra fresh mushrooms to increase its veggies. Highly recommended, it stays on our “to go” soups.
Hey Anne,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! Have the best week:) xT
This was amazing!! The sweetness from the squash was such a compliment to the broth and everything else. I messed up my recipe by accidentally over cooking the noodles just be careful not to do that!!
Hey Megan,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxT
So delish! The broth was amazing, just enough heat. I will add the butternut squash next time. I used your instant pot instructions, super fast and easy.
Hey Molly,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxT
I loved this recipe! So easy and so delicious! I did it in the instant pot on slow cook. I blended the broth before adding the chicken back in and used thighs instead of breasts. I had to use coconut soy sauce because my daughter has a soy allergy. My kids loved it too! Thanks!
Hi Katie,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear it was enjoyed. Thanks for sharing your comment! xTieghan
The BEST homemade ramen we’ve ever had! My husband is not a fan of soups and he LOVES it! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes with us!
Hey Melissa,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear it was enjoyed. Thanks for sharing your comment! xTieghan
This is one of my favorite Half Baked Harvest Recipes! It’s so easy, and SO delicious! My husband requests it frequently. I wasn’t sure about the squash the first time I did it, but it really adds such a nice touch and flavor! Sometimes we skip the squash.
Hi Emily,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
I have limited ramen noodle options at my local grocery store and grabbed 4 packs of the chicken flavored instant ramen – will this work and do I need to adjust the recipe at all since the noodles will be flavored (and salty?)
I made it tonight and I used the instant and just left out the flavor packets! Also left out the mushrooms because I am not a fan. I also added seasame seeds and a dash of toasted sesame oil! My husband added sriracha, Delish!! Wish I made noodles separate because they are too cooked to save for leftovers. Made in instapot for quick, yummy dinner.
Hi Courtney,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
Hey Ellen,
Totally fine to use that ramen, just don’t use the seasoning packets! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Made this romen last night and it was AMAZING! I choose to follow the stovetop, because time, and worried the flavor may be flat due to the shortened process but it was perfect. Full of flavor and a balanced complexity. Leftovers for lunch were just as delicious. Next time I will plan for the crockpot to test the difference. Thank you!!
Hi Erica,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! xxT
I made this tonight & it was a big hit. I left out the squash (because my family turns up their noses at any kind of squash). I also switched the red curry paste for green curry because I like it so much. I didn’t have the mushrooms, but I added some of Trader Joe’s Umami mushroom powder to get that flavor. Absolutely delicious – so much going on in that broth! Yummy!
Hey Kirsten,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I thought this was delicious. I used tofu and bean curd skin instead of chicken, and added dried Thai chilies, which I personally needed because I love spice. Next time I would cook the noodles separately. Will definitely make again!
Hi there,
Happy Holidays! Thank you so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!?? xTieghan
This recipes involves a few unique ingredients but it is so worth it! Absolutely delish and it made a ton! I couldn’t find dried mushrooms so I just roasted fresh with the squash. It was outstanding. I also used red curry powder because I could not find spicy. 10/10 would recommend and make it again. Putting it the crockpot was super ready!
Hey Emily,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Unfortunately this recipe just did not taste good to me. I think the reason was that red curry paste options and 5 spice powder options vary greatly in flavor and potency. I knew my 5 spice was potent so I used half of what it called for and it was still unbelievably overpowering. Additionally, I didn’t get a hint of curry flavor just spiciness in this. If I made this again I would try using the exact brands that were used here otherwise it just turned into a huge amount of food that we couldn’t get through. We used the crockpot for cooking it.
Hey Savanna,
So sorry you did not enjoy this recipe, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan