If you’re an Asian kid like me – or have good taste 😉 – you probably grew up on Cup Noodles, Shin, Sapporo, Ichiran (these are packaged ramen companies incase you aren’t familiar with them).
While I still enjoy packaged ramen, nothing beats the authentic flavors you find in restaurants. There are certain ramen spots in Japan that I dearly miss and can never fully replicate at home, no matter how hard I try. Fortunately, it’s quite easy to create a delicious, restaurant-quality bowl of ramen in your own kitchen. And with the versatility and convenience of a rice cooker, you can make top-notch ramen at home.
As a side note: cooking the noodles in water prevents them from absorbing too much of the broth’s flavor, and helps to keep the broth’s taste pure and consistent. I don’t notice a significant difference when I cook ramen in the rice cooker with the broth, though, so don’t stress about that!
I used bone broth from Kettle and Fire which is packed with protein and collagen. Visit my link HERE and use my code KYRIETHEFOODIE for 20% off your order!
Recommended Rice Cookers
Using a rice cooker for this dish simplifies the cooking process and ensures everything is cooked to perfection with minimal supervision. It’s a great way to make a traditional dish more accessible, especially if you’re pressed for time or prefer a hands-off approach to cooking.
Key Features to Look For:
- Multiple Cooking Functions: Ensure it has settings for steaming, slow cooking, and possibly even baking.
- Non-Stick Inner Pot: Makes cleaning easier and prevents sticking.
- Timer and Keep Warm Function: Useful for planning meals ahead of time and keeping them warm until you’re ready to eat.
- Steaming Basket or Tray: Allows you to steam vegetables or cook other ingredients while the rice cooks.
I grew up using rice cookers from the brands Tiger and Zojirushi. Here are a few from them that I would recommend. I’ve linked a few options depending on how large of a rice cooker you need. On that note… let’s get cooking!
Rice Cooker Ramen
- Total Time: 25-35 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
Ramen cooked in a rice cooker is a convenient and delicious way to enjoy this popular dish. Simply add the broth, seasonings, vegetables, and protein to the rice cooker, then let it do the work.
Ingredients
- 5 cup bone/chicken broth (can substitute for water)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp hondashi (hondashi is a form of instant dashi – if you’re using standard dashi, use in place of hondashi and bone/chicken broth)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp miso paste
- 1 tbsp gochujang (optional; for spice)
- 2 servings ramen noodles
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- To a rice cooker, add your broth, garlic, ginger, and hondashi. Turn on Slow Cook setting for 15 minutes.
- Add in the ramen noodles (and corn if you are adding some) and close rice cooker lid. Turn on Slow Cook setting again and cook for about 5-6 minutes, or until noodles are cooked all the way through.
- Stir in soy sauce, miso paste, and gochujang until well combined.
- Divide the cooked noodles into serving bowls. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles.
- Add your desired toppings. Some popular options: sliced green onions, soft-boiled eggs, sliced cooked chicken or pork, nori seaweed, sliced bamboo shoots, corn kernels, spinach, mushrooms, etc. To cook the chicken, I simply grilled 1 chicken thigh (per serving) for 5 minutes on high heat on each side, with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce added after flipping twice (2 tablespoons total).
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
