Korean Spicy Ramen Noodles with Cheese

Name: Korean Spicy Ramen Noodles with Cheese
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 1 tbsp sesame oil; 2-3 cloves garlic; 1 tbsp gochujang; 250ml water; 1 packet of ramen noodles; 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce; Squeeze of honey; 70g grated mozzarella; Fried egg; 1 spring onion; Sesame seeds

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These Korean spicy ramen noodles take just 5 minutes to make and are finished with cheese to create a cheesy spicy noodle dish that you’ll be making on repeat. The cheese is optional for these spicy ramen noodles but they do mellow out the spice slightly and it works really well.

Korean Spicy Ramen Noodles with cheese and a fried egg on top

For a quick dinner, I often gravitate to noodles as they are just quick and easy and the sauce ingredients are what makes it a really delicious dish. This recipe is a true one-pan noodle dish, the noodles cook in the sauce so it's minimal washing up too. My Wagamama Pad Thai is so good, as well as these Quick Curry Udon noodles.

Why you will love these Korean Spicy Ramen Noodles:

They take 5 minutes. Definitely not more than 10 minutes as it literally relies on the time it takes to cook the noodles, which usually takes 3 minutes!
The flavour combination of the spicy Gochujang paste and the cheese is so good. Lots of Korean food includes melted cheese, which comes from American soldiers in the Korean war who would hand out American food and slowly these ingredients (such as cheese, hot dogs, spam) became incorporated into Korean cuisine.
It's easy to make when you have nothing in the fridge. This is a proper store cupboard recipe so you know you'll always have basically everything to make it!

You will need the following ingredients:

Ramen noodles (use the noodles from an instant noodle packet, just don’t use the seasoning packets that come with it)
Sesame oil
Garlic
Gochujang (this is a Korean fermented chilli paste. It’s savoury but sweet and definitely spicy too. You can use it on so many things so if you buy a tub for this, don’t worry it’ll get used up easily (plus then you can make these noodles on repeat).
Soy sauce (crucial for saltiness in this recipe)
Honey (to add sweetness to balance out the sauce)
Mozzarella (its mild flavour doesn’t dominate the dish with cheesy flavour but it adds the melty, gooey cheese that everyone loves)

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements

Substitutions and Variations:

Mozzarella: If you don't have mozzarella, cheddar would work but the flavour is stronger than a mild mozzarella so I would add a little less than you would if it were mozzarella. Same applies to red Leicester or gruyere for example.

Honey: A teaspoon of sugar will also work if you are out of honey. It's just for a touch of sweetness in the sauce to balance it.

Here's how to make Korean Spicy Ramen Noodles

Adding gochujang to a pan of frying garlic

ONE: Fry the garlic in sesame oil for a minute then add the gochujang and fry for another minute or so.

TWO: Add water to the gochujang and garlic.

THREE: To the water & gochujang, add the noodles. Keep flipping them and pushing them into the water until they soften. They should only take a few mins to cook.

Adding soy sauce to korean spicy ramen noodles

FOUR: Once the noodles are soft, season with the soy sauce and a squeeze of honey

FIVE: Then add the grated mozzarella and allow to melt.

SIX: Once all melty and delicious, top with a fried egg and spring onion - then serve!

Cooking Tips

Making the sauce: Gochujang is tangy, spicy, sweet and salty all at the same time. It's hard to describe until you have it but it's so delicious. By adding water to the pan directly, you keep this a one pan recipe as the noodles cook directly in the sauce. The starch released from the noodles thickens the sauce and makes it so good. So don't be alarmed if you think it's going to be a watery mess, trust the process!

Taste as you go: Obviously this is a short recipe but when it comes to seasoning, making sure you taste before and after adding the soy sauce and honey. If it needs more then add more! If you think it needs more spice, add chilli flakes or a touch more gochujang.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I substitute for different noodles?

Yes you can, just be mindful of the cooking time. Since these noodles bubble gently in a little water and eventually absorb the water to make a sauce, I wouldn’t recommend using straight-to-wok noodles as they won’t absorb the water. Dried egg noodles or rice noodles would work though.

Where can I buy gochujang?

It’s quite hard to miss these days, I think all major UK supermarkets will have some version of it in their ‘world food section’. Lots of supermarkets these days will also have a dedicated Asian food section too, so try there. Otherwise, you can order online too.

Similar Recipes You May Like

These Scissor Cut Noodles with Chilli Oil are a delicious noodle recipe that's a little different to the usual as they are homemade noodles, cut with scissors into these little chewy morsels. So good and a nice one to make that's a little different. For more brothy, soupy noodles, try my Easy Pork Ramen. It really is a cheat's version. And finally these Sesame Udon Noodles with Chicken will also be right up your street if you like this recipe.

Made this recipe and loved it?

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