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This quick and easy 30 Minute Spicy Miso Chicken Katsu Ramen is for those nights when you’re craving your favorite bowl of Ramen, but need it fast and made at home. All cooked in one pot, using healthy, pantry staple ingredients. This ramen is flavored with miso and chili paste. It’s creamy, spicy, and yes…filled with plenty of ramen noodles. Each bowl is topped with crispy sesame Katsu chicken for the best bowl of homemade ramen…even better than a restaurant! Best enjoyed on cold days, because there’s nothing better than a steaming bowl of ramen on a cold winter’s night.
I’m sure I’ve told this story a million and one times by now, but growing up there was a time when my mom and I practically lived on ramen (we called it Oodles of Noodles). I must have been in third or fourth grade because I know I got out of school earlier than my brothers.
I’m not going to lie, these were the school years that were my favorite. It’s no secret that as the only girl growing up in a house with five brothers, I craved my mom’s attention more than anyone. And trust me, her attention was hard to get. With six kids, she always had something to be doing. But when I was able to come home from school two hours earlier than my brothers (my school got out at 2:45 pm, but the middle didn’t get out until 4 pm) it meant that I had my mom pretty much to myself for two hours. Yeah, my younger brother Kai was home too, but he always entertained himself and never needed much. And then Red was just a tiny baby, so though he required attention, it honestly wasn’t much. Those were my two hours, five days a week and I loved them.
On the cold, rainy Cleveland days, I’d come home and my mom would make up ramen. We’d eat sitting by the fire while she worked away on whatever she was doing and I chatted her ear off…or just watched Gilmore Girls.
I know it doesn’t sound like much, but I loved that time. And to this day, I love ramen.
So do you see where I’m going with this? Ramen will always be a special dish for me. I love creating new versions every winter. This year’s version is hands down my favorite yet.
It’s all about the miso broth and that crispy sesame Katsu chicken. I’ve never done anything like it, but I am fully obsessed. The chicken on top really makes it that much more delicious.
Making this ramen is quick, start with the broth.
This is quick, but you have to know, the broth is really the star of this ramen. It’s so simple, but the combination of miso and chili paste is just something extra special. I like to use white miso paste and my favorite chili sauce is Gochunchag, which is actually Korean chili paste. But it’s SO GOOD.
Crisp up some bacon in a big Dutch oven. I use the bacon only for flavor, but if you prefer to not use bacon, you can just omit it from the recipe and instead use a couple tablespoons of olive oil or sesame oil.
When the bacon is crisp, toss in lots of fresh garlic, shallots, ginger, and a good pinch of chili flakes. We LOVE this ramen spicy, but you can, of course, use as little or as many chili flakes as you’d like. Once everything is super fragrant, just pour in some broth, add some miso, chili paste, and a touch of coconut milk. Let this all simmer for a few minutes.
Now, onto the chicken Katsu.
Yes, the broth is the star, but the chicken has a major supporting role. Really, it’s the broth and chicken together. They make for the best bowl of ramen.
I made sure to keep the chicken simple and easy. I used chicken cutlets, then simply breaded them in Panko and sesame seeds. Super simple, but atop the spicy broth…so delicious.
For the actual ramen noodles, I love using Brown Rice and Millet Ramen noodles (which you can find at Whole Foods and in many grocery stores). These taste just like real deal ramen noodles, but they are much healthier, gluten-free, and vegan. Also, I recommend storing the soup and noodles separately, then adding 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.
And of course, no bowl of ramen is complete without the toppings, they’re the best part after all, right? I do soft-boiled eggs, plenty of green onions, toasted nori sheets, and lots of chili oil.
Each and every bite is so good.
My two younger brothers, Malachi and Red have both been to Japan and enjoyed plenty of ramen while there. But Kai said that this bowl has been the only bowl he’s had since Japan that actually tastes like the ramen they had there. It’s creamy, but spicy, and the flavor is spot on. They also very much enjoyed the excess amounts of chili oil I put on their bowls. I love a little chili oil.
So, I took that as a pretty darn good sign that this is my best bowl of ramen yet. It’s honestly perfect and the best bowl for cold nights. So how are we feeling? Monday night ramen? Promise it will not disappoint.
Looking for more warming winter soups? Here are a few to try:
Healthier Italian Wedding Soup with Lemon and Garlic
Lemony Garlic Chicken and Orzo Soup
Creamy Gnocchi Soup with Rosemary Bacon
Lastly, if you make this 30 Minute Spicy Miso Chicken Katsu 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!
30 Minute Spicy Miso Chicken Katsu Ramen
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 867 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
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- 1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup coconut milk (or preferred milk)
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup white miso paste
- 2-4 tablespoons chili paste, to taste (I use Gochujang)
- 4 squares ramen noodles
- 4 cups baby spinach, chopped
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- soft or hard boiled eggs, for serving
- Toasted nori sheets, sesame seeds, green onions, and chili oil, for serving
Chicken Katsu
Instructions
- 1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, shallots, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 3 minutes. Pour in the broth, milk, and soy sauce, then whisk in the miso and chili paste. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes.2. Meanwhile, make the Katsu. Place the Panko and sesame seeds in a shallow bowl. Season with salt. Dredge both sides of the chicken through the Panko, pressing to adhere by using your fist to really pound the crumbs in. Place the chicken on a plate.3. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and season with salt. Slice into thin strips.4. To the soup, stir in the noodles, spinach, and sesame oil. Let sit 5 minutes or until the noodles are soft. 5. To serve, divide the noodles between bowls and ladle over the soup back overtop. Add the chicken. Top as desired with eggs, green onions, sesame seeds, and chili oil. Serve immediately.
Another amazing recipe! Will definitely be making again!
Hey Andrea,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed!! xT
Hi! I’m making this for just myself – will the ramen noodles last well as leftovers or would you recommend making the soup and then cooking the noodles in portions when ready to eat? Thanks so much!
Just re-read your post and saw you mentioned storing them separately – thanks!
Hey Kate,
I would store the noodles separately so they don’t soak up all of the broth. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Is there a substitute I can use for the white miso paste ? I’m having a hard time finding it?
Hey Beth,
You are going to want the miso paste for this recipe. Here is the link for the one that I use:
http://rstyle.me/n/csuh25b9wzf
Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
When I printed off the recipe it says that it can be made in an instant pot. Can you tell me how to adapt the instructions? I don’t want to mess it up.
Hi Michelle,
You can cook on high pressure for 8 minutes, but you are going to have to follow the instructions in step 2 for the chicken katsu. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
DELICIOUS! This ramen is so flavorful and quite easy to make. It’s very tasty as leftovers too. I will definitely be making again!
Hi Amber,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it!! Have the best day:) xx
This was sooooooo good!! I didn’t have everything the recipe called for but wanted ramen so I had to improvise a bit. I was nervous it wouldn’t turn out right but it was still amazing. We air fried the chicken breast – seasoned with salt, garlic powder, and bread crumbs. I had to use ginger powder instead of fresh. I didn’t have sesame anything on hand so omitted. And I subbed garlic chili sauce for chili paste and oil. Can’t wait to try the recipe again as written.
Hi Nita,
Fantastic!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan
This was a phenomenal at-home ramen! And easy too! I am kind of picky with ramen and have never liked DIY recipes I’ve tried. So glad I found this recipe. My fiancée loved it too.
Hey Monica,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a hit. Have the best week:) xx
This is unbelievable great! I’m new to your site and I am so glad I found Half Baked Harvest! You are an amazing cook and your recipes turn out so lovely to look at but also incredibly delicious. Like this Ramen for instance. Probably the best I’ve had. Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Hey Laura,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed!! ?xTieghan
This was so good and very easy to make. My husband and I both loved it! I saved the leftover broth to make a second batch. We ate this twice in one week it was that tasty! Thank you for the yummy recipe.
Hi Tiffany,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xxT
So soo goood. I made this for lunch today and we all loved it. Used leftover pulled pork instead of chicken, because that’s what I had on hand, but I’m trying the chicken next time.
My husband had the leftovers for dinner, and asked me to make this again tomorrow…that says it all!! 🙂
Thank you!!
Hey Lorena,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xxT
Can you use a brown miso instead of white? Would that impact the flavor negatively? This looks delicious!
Hi Connie,
That would be just fine for you to do! I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This dish is a doozie..so tasty, packed with flavor. Ramen expert in the house. Let’s of prep, do as much before hand if possible. Used whole milk and 3 packages of Ramen noodles (always listen to the expert, should have used 4 as instructed.) Each bite offered a new flavor, each yummy. Thank Tieghan!
Hey June,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxT
Absolutely fabulous! I followed the recipe, as written, and it was delicious. Definitely loved the egg –
Hey Tricia,
Awesome!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! xTieghan
We visited California and had some delicious spicy miso ramen at a ramen restaurant. I have been craving it ever since, so I found this recipe and tried it out! We absolutely loved it!! I will definitely make again!
Hey Lisa,
Awesome!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! xTieghan
Delicious!! I loved it and I loved that I made it from scratch!! I’m going to cut it down for two people as I’m a party of one, but I can’t wait to make it again! Thanks for a great recipe!
Hey Kristine,
Awesome!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! xTieghan