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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.
This post was originally published on January 25, 2021
Could you use regular milk instead of coconut milk?
Hi Jess,
Yes, that will work well for you. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xTieghan
Made this last night – flavour was fantastic. Definitely watch your salt and follow Tieghan’s recommendation for low sodium broth. Mine turned out quite salty as I did not follow her instructions by using regular broth and I added an extra slice of bacon – not necessary!
Hey Mandy,
Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for making it. Have the best weekend! xT
I can’t find white miso paste near me and wanted to make this for dinner tonight. Could I use miso broth? Maybe half chicken half miso broth? I’m going to keep
Looking but thought I’d ask. Thanks!
Hey Erica,
Sure, miso broth would be a great option! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
What is your chilli oil recipe ? Making this tonight ! Can’t wait
Hey Nicole,
I do sesame oil, chili flakes, and garlic toasted on the stove for a few minutes. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I just made this delicious soup for dinner tonight and the family loved it!
Hey Bonny,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I made this a couple of weeks ago and my husband and I absolutely loved it! That chicken is addicting. I just topped with plain chili oil, but after watching your Instagram video, I want to try the chili oil you made! Can you give me a little run down of how you made it?
Hey Erika,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! I just use sesame oil with chili flakes and garlic for the chili oil. xTieghan
I can’t find miso anywhere. Any substitute options?
Thanks for all the amazing recipes. Being stuck at home due to weather and Covid… I have really upped my cooking game because of you!
I don’t know if there’s a Trader Joe’s nearby, but they have an amazing miso ginger broth that I’m using tonight.
Hey Susan,
I would just skip the miso, I like to order mine from Thrive Market. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Just made this tonight and it was delicious!I made the recipe as stated. You and Melissa Clark are badass women who feed my family well. My family thanks you!
Hey there,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thursday❄️ xxT
I made this January 3, it was delicious. I will make this again and again. I could not find white miso near me, but, Amazon had it and I received it the next day.
The millet and brown rice noodles are very tasty and hold up well in the soup. There are two of in my home and we were able to have a dinner and two lunches out of the broth. I just cooked some more eggs and noodles added it to my broth and Taa Dana, lunch.
I had never made soft boiled eggs, so, I learned how to do that as well. The eggs were so creamy and tasted so good with the broth.
Hey Janet,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thursday❄️ xxT
First time making Ramen ever. Wasn’t sure how it was going to go, but it came together nicely and was a hit!
Hey Heather,
I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for testing it out! Have a great week! xTieghan
Hi! Do you have any tips or instructions on how to make the egg yolk from the egg not too runny but not completely cooked? (Basically how the egg is cooked in ramen restaurants lol) thankyou!
Hard boil your eggs for 6-7 minutes and then when they’re done in the hot water, run them under cold water or put them in an ice bath to stop the cooking. They should turn out soft-medium boiled.
Hey Adriana,
Like a soft boiled egg? I like to place my eggs in a pot of water, bring to a boil, and boil for 3 minutes and that should be perfect for you. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
This was great! I’ve made most the ramen recipes on the HBH website and they are all awesome – this is no exception. So cozy for the start of the new year. Will absolutely make again!
Hi Sara,
Thank you so very much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
My son has been obsessed with ramen over the last year and we have been experimenting with different recipes and our own. This was a huge hit and the broth was awesome! Everyone was out of miso paste but found some miso concentrate for soups and it seemed to work fine.
Hey there,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it. Have the best week! xTieghan
I’ve made this one several times, it’s on regular winter recipe rotation. Thank you Tieghan!
Hi Lindsey,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy New Year!? xxT
This broth is ridiculously good!! I skipped the red pepper for my kids and added chili crisp to my bowl, but even without the spicy the broth is amazing
Hi Vicki,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy New Year!? xxT