Crispy Ramen Chips
These fried Ramen Chips are an umami-packed savory snack that turns curly instant ramen into addictive crispy noodles that can be eaten like potato chips. They'll last for weeks in a sealed container, and you can break them into smaller pieces; add some peanuts, almonds, cashews, or macadamia nuts to make for a protein-packed kid friendly snack mix. This ramen snack is also a great way to add crunch to a salad or a sandwich.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Most instant ramen noodles have been fried once to make them cook faster. This makes them rehydrate more quickly, and the porous texture makes them very good at soaking up seasonings.
- The dry seasoning packet that comes with instant ramen noodles provides a good base level of flavor, but you can spice them up with any dry spices or herbs you like.
- Once you've seasoned them, they can be deep fried or baked to crisp them up again.
Ingredients for Ramen Chips
- Instant Ramen Noodles - any instant noodles with a separate dried broth packet will work. I recommend using one with fried noodles (curly and light in color) as these will cook much faster than air-dried or fresh noodles.
- Seasonings - In addition to the soup packet, you can spice the noodles up to taste with spices or herbs like curry powder, chili powder, garlic powder, ginger powder, mushroom powder, black pepper, Sichuan pepper, etc.
- Vegetable oil - Whether deep frying the noodles or oven / air frying them, you'll need some vegetable oil to get them crisp. You can also add a bit more flavor by using some toasted sesame oil.
How to Make Ramen Chips
The first thing you need to do is rehydrate the noodles enough so the brick of ramen can be separated into individual noodles. You can do this by boiling them on the stove or by putting them in a bowl and pouring boiling water over them.
Once the noodles are pliable, drain them well and transfer them to a bowl and sprinkle on half the dry soup mix. You can also stir in other seasonings here like chili powder, curry powder, black pepper, etc. If you are using an air fryer or oven, you'll also want to mix in a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the mixture.
To deep-fry the noodles, heat an inch of oil in a deep pot (shallow pans will boil over) to 340°F (170°C).
Fry the noodles in batches until they are crispy and golden brown. You may need to flip them over once if there are any noodles sticking out of the oil. The bubbles will get smaller as the noodles crisp, indicating they're ready.
Drain the ramen chips on a paper-towel-lined rack and let them cool completely before serving or storing.
Other Easy Snack Recipes
FAQ
Ramen chips were invented by Oyatsu Company ("oyatsu" means "snack" in Japanese) in 1959 as a way to upcycle crumbs of ramen noodles leftover from the manufacturing of instant ramen. They've since become a classic snack in Japan, coming in various flavors, but you can make them pretty easily at home using almost any package of instant ramen.
I recommend using fried noodles (the cheap instant ones like Shin Ramyun, Maruchan, Sapporo Ichiban, Indo Mie, etc.) because they cook much faster and absorb the seasoning better than fresh or air-dried noodles. That being said, any ramen noodles with a powdered seasoning packet will work for this.
As long as the ramen chips are fried until crisp and allowed to cool completely before being stored in a sealed container, they will last for weeks in a cool, dry place.
Preheat your oven to 340°F (170°C). Boil the ramen noodles until they're no longer a solid brick. Drain well and mix with half the seasoning packet (or to taste) and a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Mix the noodles well until they're uniform in color, and dump them out onto a parchment-paper-lined sheet pan. Spread the ramen mixture out into a thin, uniform layer. Bake the ramen until the noodles are golden brown and crispy (about 25-30 minutes). Let them cool completely and break into manageable pieces.
The same method as the oven method will work, but you will want to get some perforated parchment paper for your air fryer, or the noodles will stick to the basket.
It all depends on the instant ramen noodles you use to make the ramen chips. Check the label to ensure you're starting with plant-based ramen if you want to make vegan or vegetarian ramen chips.
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
- 1 pack instant ramen
- vegetable oil
Instructions
- Boil the noodles until they become flexible enough to separate into individual strands. Drain the noodles well.
- Toss the ramen with half of the dry soup packet or to taste, and then add any additional seasonings you'd like, such as curry powder or garlic powder.
- Heat 1-inch of oil in a deep pot (to prevent spills) to 340°F (170°C) and fry the ramen in batches until crisp.
- Drain on a paper-towel-lined rack and cool completely before serving.
Who's Actually Reading This?!? says
Never drink and TikTok!🤣
Marc Matsumoto says
😆
Paula Stearn says
Hi Marc!
I’m reading this! 😂
It sounds EPIC!!!
I’m Definitely making this!! 😁😋
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks, I hope you enjoy it Paula!