Instant Pot Ramen
A couple years ago I was fortunate enough to go to Japan. I travelled with a couple dear friends and we went to Tokyo, Kyoto, and this little town in the between called Hakone. It was one of the best trips of my life, hands down. Between the people, the sights and the food (most definitely the food) it was an amazing experience.
While were there we ate our weight in ramen. A couple highlights were Ippudo and Afuri (Afuri being my favorite with its yuzu scented broth). On that trip I discovered that ramen is my favorite bowl of food. You have a hearty broth filled with noodles, meat, and lots of flavor.
Since I (sadly) have no future plans of making it back to Japan soon, I thought I would come up with my own version of ramen that I can easily throw together. This is not the most authentic version of ramen, but it is a tasty version that comes together in less that 35 minutes. So until I can get back to Japan and eat all the ramen, this is going to be my go to.
Instant Pot Ramen
1lb bone in, skin on chicken breasts.
salt and peper
1 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
1 Tbs. fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken stock
3 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce, plus more for serving
2 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
2 packages ramen noodles
Serve with soft boiled eggs, sauted mushrooms, cilantro, scallions, sesame seeds and favorite hot sauce.
Set the Instant Pot to saute. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the sesame oil to the Instant Pot followed by the chicken breasts skin side down. Allow the chicken breast to brown for about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
Still on the saute setting, add the garlic and ginger. Cook for about 30 seconds. Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock. Add the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar.
Place the lid back on the Instant Pot and set the timer to manual for 20 minutes. Make sure the valve is placed in the sealed position.
Let the Instant Pot come to pressure for about 10 minutes naturally before trying to remove the lid. Remove the chicken and place in a bowl. Shred the chicken into bite sized pieces.
Add the ramen noodles to the Instant Pot and let them soften in the broth.
Assemble the ramen by laddling a large portion of broth into a bowl. Top with chicken and noodles, followed by your favorite toppings, such as soft boiled eggs, sauted mushrooms, cilantro, scallions, sesame seeds and hot sauce.
Taste for salt and add more soy sauce if needed, then serve immediately.
Makes about 4 servings.
**If you don't have an Instant Pot, use this method and increase the chicken stock to 6 cups.
In a Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the sesame oil. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and brown the chicken for about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the chicken and add the ginger and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds. Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock and add the soy sauce, vinegar, and chicken. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the ramen broth for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the chicken is cooked through and fork tender.
Remove the chicken and shred into bite sized pieces. Add the ramen noodles to the Dutch oven and let them soften in the broth.
Assemble the ramen by laddling a large portion of broth into a bowl. Top with chicken and noodles, followed by your favorite toppings, such as soft boiled eggs, sauted mushrooms, cilantro, scallions, sesame seeds and hot sauce.
Taste for salt and add more soy sauce if needed, then serve immediately.
Makes about 4 servings.