A bowl of Japanese ramen is basically four components you can mix and match. The broth gives it body, the tare (concentrated seasoning) sets the flavor, the noodles bring volume and texture, and the toppings add everything from a little crunch to a creamy yolk. I find ramen much easier to approach when you understand what each part contributes. You can start with a complete recipe, then adjust the components to build a bowl that's perfect for you.

The ramen recipes below cover soups and brothless bowls, along with toppings you can use across both. If making everything from scratch feels overwhelming, I'd start with the ramen eggs. They're a small project that teaches you how to get the yolks just right, and you can add them to a bowl of instant noodles while you work your way up to making the broth. You don't have to learn it all over one weekend.

Ramen Noodle Soup

Four of these bowls are on the table in 45 minutes or less, including a quick shoyu and a miso broth inspired by my time living in Sapporo. The tonkotsu and the creamy chicken ramen are weekend projects, simmered for hours until the broth turns milky.

Soupless Ramen

These use the same noodles without the soup, and every one is ready in 30 minutes or less. On a hot day, try the hiyashi chuka, chilled noodles under strips of cucumber, ham and thin omelette, or toss them in scallion oil with a spicy pork topping for mazemen.

Noodles and Stock

These three are for when you'd rather build a bowl from scratch than start from a store-bought pack. The noodles take about 80 minutes, most of it resting the dough, the stock is a creamy chicken base made from wing tips and bones, and the dashi takes about 4 minutes.

Ramen Toppings

Any of these can go on the bowls above, and most are made ahead, so they're ready when the noodles are. The soy-marinated eggs take about 10 minutes of work and eight hours in the marinade, while the chicken chashu is the big project, marinated, rolled and steamed over two days.

Instant Ramen Hacks

Every one of these starts with a pack of instant noodles and takes 15 minutes or less. One keeps the noodles in a bowl of soup, one tosses them with egg yolk and Parmesan into a creamy sauce, and one fries them into a crunchy snack.

More Ramen Recipes