5 Awesome Spicy Noodles Recipes You Need to Try

Spicy noodles are one of the top meal staples in Asian regional cuisine. Not only that, but almost every East Asian country has some version of spicy noodles that you can find in both noodle carts and homes. 

This popularity is not for nothing. Spicy noodles are obviously a very versatile food, versatile enough to light up any basic meal. That last bit is exactly why we’re always coming up with new and diverse spicy ramen noodle recipes that we can eat every day. Here are our top five such recipes.

Spicy ‘Nasi’ Goreng Noodles

There are tons of spicy rice dishes that are a natural host for ramen noodles. Indonesian Nasi Goreng is a great example of this, and we even have Mi Goreng as the ideal alternative.

However, instead of just making do with mi goreng (for which we already have a delicious recipe), we decided to switch out the rice for noodles. 

Although mi goreng is an awesome dish, nasi goreng has a slightly different and less complex flavor. This is because of the contrast between shrimp paste and sweet onions that you don’t get with the tomato-sweet soy mi goreng combo.

Recipe Tips

Put cooked noodles instead of cooked rice in a recipe exactly 30 seconds after you’d normally add the rice. This is because rice can take a lot more direct heat as compared to noodles. The 30-second mark should help the noodles cook evenly without burning or becoming too mushy.

Try adding perfectly seasoned immi ramen instead of cooking ramen in a seasoned broth from scratch. 

This way, you save time and have the perfect amount of seasoning every time you make this dish (we know you’ll want to make it more often!).

Scrambled Chili-Egg Ramen

Well-cooked noodles have a slightly mushy texture that we don’t really like. However, it works perfectly when added to some scrambled eggs. The two textures become similar and the ramen broth seasons the eggs.

However, scrambled eggs are a little bland for a ramen dish, something we found out while trying out different ramen and egg combinations. That’s when we discovered that soft brined chilies are the perfect solution!

Cooking the eggs and chopped-up soft chilies helps them really blend together, creating the ideal addition to noodles.

Recipe Tips

For this recipe, look for large, milder chilies in a salty brine. Fermented or brined poblano peppers and banana peppers are great for this recipe because they absorb the brine better and become much softer than other, hotter chilies.

Try to get the longest aged peppers (because they’ll be the softest) and chop them very finely. You can also mince them completely if you want smoother scrambled eggs.

Add semi-cooked noodles at around the halfway point while cooking scrambled chili eggs. The egg will cling to the noodles and feel like a natural part of the recipe…(cont.)

Noodle Hash Browns

This recipe is a lucky accident that’s now sweeping across the US, and for good reason. It has everything that a traditional hash brown is missing, specifically some great seasoning.

Noodles naturally absorb a lot more sauce and liquid. They also store it better. This means that if you have cooked noodles with a soup or broth, you don’t need any other seasoning.

The best thing about noodle hash browns is that they have longer strands which are easier to handle as compared to grated potato which sometimes falls apart. Plus, they don’t have as much water content so they’re not as mushy in the middle as hash browns can be. 

Recipe Tips

Fry cooked noodles lightly on a flat surface with butter. Make sure the heat is on the lower end so that the noodles don’t stick.

The best way to go about this recipe is to start with dry ramen that’s still got all the seasoning in the packet. You can make this simply by cooking with less water than you normally would. 

Our Spicy ‘Beef’ immi ramen is a perfect fit here. It’s got that deep flavor that you want with a texture like hash browns. Plus, we feel that the broth reduces into a delicious and flavorful coating that stays on the noodles post-frying. 

Kung Pao Ramen

Kung Pao chicken is one of the best-known Chinese dishes around the world, so of course, adding spicy ramen to the recipe seemed like the right thing to do. 

This is one of those dishes that you’re guaranteed to find at an Asian street food stall. This is because the two component parts, noodles and Kung Pao chicken, are such a natural flavor fit.

Kung pao has an interesting texture because of the peanuts. When combined with noodles, you get the complete texture range. You get the crunch from the nuts, the medium bite from the moist chicken, and the softness from the noodles. Plus, the sauces coat everything so no need to worry about seasoning either.

Recipe Tips

We’ve found that cashew nuts also work great in this recipe. They’re sweeter and develop a deeper flavor when stir-fried. 

You can also use chicken thighs for even more flavor and a richness that you wouldn’t normally get with chicken breast. Chicken thighs are darker meat. They tend to be juicier especially when seared in a hot pan first, before cooking. 

Use lighter flavored ramen such as our Black Garlic ‘Chicken’ immi ramen to maintain original recipe flavors. You’ll still get a nice salty kick but it’ll not overwhelm the kung pao flavor. 

Vegan Pad Thai

Pad Thai is made with both rice and noodles. Imagine those bold flavors but with only spicy ramen in the dish and no rice. Oh, and delicious tempeh instead of shrimp to make it vegan-friendly!

That’s exactly what we wanted when we were thinking of a dish with all the traditional flavors but none of the meat. Luckily, we had ingredients that are perfect substitutes for each other.

Tempeh is crispy on the outside but has the familiar tofu softness on the inside. However, it carries even more flavor than tofu because of the crispy, seared outside. Plus, it’s got almost the same texture as shrimp, especially when doused in pad thai sauce.

Recipe Tips

Beefy flavors are a welcome addition to classic pad thai. Try adding our 100% plant-based Spicy ‘Beef’ flavored immi ramen to add both a spicy and umami touch while keeping the dish vegan. 

There are a few things you can do with this recipe with equally delicious results.

You can chop the tempeh into shrimp-sized pieces and use them just like you would with shrimp. You can have strips of tempeh and cook them in the noodle broth right before you add the noodles to the sauce. You can even tamarind sauce instead of ketchup for some extra tang.

Because it’s a versatile dish, you have tons of room to really explore.