On the menu tonight – Thai-Inspired Chicken Ramen!
This Thai-inspired chicken ramen started as a quick pantry meal and turned into something worth making again. The broth combines chicken stock with Golden Mountain seasoning sauce and fish sauce for savory depth, while ginger, Thai herb paste, and makrut lime leaves give it a fragrant Southeast Asian character. Sriracha brings the heat, and a squeeze of lemon at the end wakes up the entire bowl.
This isn’t traditional Japanese ramen, nor is it intended to be an authentic Thai noodle soup. It’s a quick fusion-style noodle bowl that borrows techniques and flavors from both—and it comes together in about 20 minutes.
Thai-Inspired Chicken Ramen
A quick, deeply savory chicken ramen with Thai seasonings, ginger, makrut lime, chile, and a bright finish.
Ingredients
- • 2¼ cups water
- • 1½ teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base
- • 2 teaspoons Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce (yellow cap)
- • ½ teaspoon fish sauce, plus more to taste
- • 1½ teaspoons Gourmet Garden Thai Seasoning Stir-In Paste
- • ½ teaspoon ginger paste
- • 2 makrut lime leaves, lightly torn or bruised
- • 1 teaspoon Sriracha, plus more to taste
- • 1 package instant ramen noodles, seasoning packet discarded
- • ½–1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed
Instructions
Add the water and chicken base to a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring until the chicken base has completely dissolved.
Add the Thai seasoning paste, ginger paste, and makrut lime leaves. Gently simmer for 4–5 minutes.
Avoid a hard boil. This short infusion gives the ginger and herbs time to flavor the broth while the bruised lime leaves release their intensely fragrant citrus oils.
Stir in the Golden Mountain seasoning sauce and ½ teaspoon fish sauce.
Taste the broth. It should be assertively savory at this point, since the noodles and egg will soften the overall intensity. If necessary, add a few additional drops of fish sauce, but resist the temptation to add too much—the fish sauce should deepen the broth without dominating it.
Stir in the Sriracha.
Add the ramen noodles directly to the gently simmering broth. Cook according to the package directions, usually 2–4 minutes, gently separating the noodles as they soften.
Begin checking them early. The noodles should be tender but retain a little spring; they'll continue to soften in the hot broth after cooking.
Once the noodles have finished cooking, remove the pan from the heat and discard the makrut lime leaves.
Stir in ½ teaspoon lemon juice and taste.
Add additional lemon juice a little at a time if the broth needs brightness. The goal isn't necessarily to make the soup taste strongly of lemon; the acidity should sharpen the chicken, chile, and aromatic flavors already present.
Taste one final time and adjust with Sriracha for heat, Golden Mountain for additional savory seasoning, or a few drops of fish sauce for deeper fermented umami.
Transfer immediately to a bowl and garnish as desired.
Notes
Makrut lime leaves: These are sometimes sold under the older name “kaffir lime leaves.” Tear or bruise them immediately before adding them to the broth to help release their aromatic oils. Unless very finely sliced for a preparation specifically intended for eating them, the whole leaves are generally removed before serving. Watch the salt: Better Than Bouillon, Golden Mountain seasoning sauce, and fish sauce all contribute salt. Start conservatively and make final adjustments only after tasting. Don't overcook the noodles: Remove the soup from the heat as soon as the noodles reach the texture you want. They'll continue absorbing liquid and softening while you finish and serve the bowl. Adjusting the broth: If it tastes flat but already salty enough, try additional lemon before reaching for more seasoning. If it tastes weak rather than flat, add a small amount of Golden Mountain. For more heat, add Sriracha; for additional fermented depth, add fish sauce a few drops at a time.
