This easy spicy gochujang ramen noodles recipe keeps things simple & healthy but is absolutely delicious. Can be made with either ramen or udon noodles, making it a versatile recipe. You know what they say — easy to make, easy to love!
In this post you’ll learn:
- Why you will love this recipe
- Ingredients
- Instructions
- Tips for a Fail-proof Recipe
- Time-saving Hacks
- Storage and meal prep instructions
- FAQ
- More recipes like this!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- 🌶️ Flavor Explosion: The flavor-packed blend of spicy Gochujang sauce with umami soy sauce; they can never go wrong!
- 🍳 Easy-Breezy: This recipe is as simple as boiling water and tossing ingredients together – perfect for kitchen novices or if you just don’t want to/can’t spend too much time cooking!
- 💪 Easy but also Healthy: With whole wheat noodles and fresh veggies, you can make a comforting ramen bowl to be something nutritious too!
- 🌱 Vegan Goodness: Delight in a completely vegan dish that’s both kind to your body and the planet.
- 🎨 Customizable: Make it your own by choosing your favorite veggies, protein, and level of spiciness.
- 📢 Share the Love: Impress your friends and family with this recipe that tastes so delicious, people won’t know it’s actually so easy to make!
Ingredients
- Whole Wheat Ramen or Udon Noodles: For a hearty and satisfying base. Use whole wheat for more protein and fiber!
- Gochujang: This spicy Korean chili paste brings a fiery, bold flavor that’s essential for a kick.
- P.S. if you’re a fan of gochujang, also check out my 3-minute Gochujang Aioli recipe!
- Soy Sauce: A dash of this savory sauce adds depth and umami to your recipe.
- Garlic: Minced garlic contributes a fragrant, sharp kick that elevates the overall taste.
- Vegetable Oil (Olive Oil): A bit of oil to make your sauce glisten and just so it doesn’t stick to your pan!
- Green Onion: Thinly sliced green/spring onions add a fresh, mild crunch and a pop of green color.
For the optional veggies, I’ve chosen tofu and cherry tomatoes. Feel free to sub them with your favorite vegetables or whatever you have on hand!
- Tofu: Cube-shaped tofu chunks,serve as a protein-rich and satisfying option.
- You can also use thawed frozen tofu, which will have a texture that’s closer to that of a chicken for a plant-based alternative.
- Cherry Tomatoes: For a burst of juicy sweetness and vibrant color.
How to Make Spicy Gochujang Ramen Noodles
Prep the Veggies: Peel and finely mince the garlic. Cut the vegetables into bite-sized chunks.
Boil the Noodles: Cook the ramen or udon noodles according to the package instructions. One to two minutes before they’re done, drain them with a colander, rinse them with cold water, and set them aside.
It’s okay to take it out when it’s still a bit hard! You want to undercook it a bit since it will cook further before and after tossing it into the pan. And you don’t want your noodles to be mushy if it’s overcooked!
Whip Up the Sauce: In a bowl, mix the gochujang and soy sauce.
Sauté and Add Veggies: In a pan, sauté your garlic until golden for about 30-60 seconds. Then add the optional tofu (or any other hard vegetables) and stir fry for 5-7 minutes until golden brown.
Combine and Toss: Add the cooked noodles and the optional cherry tomatoes. If the noodles stick together because it’s too dry, add 1 Tablespoon of water at a time to loosen them up.
Pour and toss: Pour the gochujang sauce and turn up the heat to high for a smoky flavor. Toss it all together until the noodles are coated in that glorious spicy goodness, only for 15 to 30 seconds. Add a couple of splashes of water if they get sticky.
Garnish and Serve: Immediately turn the heat off afterwards, and sprinkle some sliced green onions and optional sesame seeds on top of your saucy gochujang noodles.
You can also drizzle some sesame oil or chili oil as garnish. Now, enjoy this bowl of quick & easy spicy gochujang noodles!!
Top Tips
Three tips about the cooking steps:
- Do NOT skip the step of mixing the sauce in a small bowl. This method ensures an even coating of your noodles with the delectable sauce.
- If you don’t mix it beforehand, the gochujang sauce will stick to only certain parts of the noodles, which trust me, is well worth that additional bowl you have to wash! 😉
- Since this recipe comes together quickly, be sure to prep all your ingredients and prepare the sauce before you begin cooking.
- This cooking technique is also called mise en place and you can read more about it in this Escoffier article!
- Remove the udon or ramen noodles from the boiling water 1-2 minutes before the suggested cooking time, as they’ll continue to cook when added to the pan later on. This prevents them from becoming overcooked and turning mushy!
And one tip about the ingredients:
- Feel free to adjust the quantity of green onions to your liking. If you like them, you can use the full sprig for each portion so that it becomes more of an ingredient rather than just a garnish.
Tight on Time? Try These Hacks
Tip #1: The first thing you can do is to make this a one-pot meal. This means that you can just use the same pot you cook your noodles in to stir-fry the garlic and vegetables. Then just add the mixed-in gochujang sauce to that same pot.
Be sure to cook your ramen or udon the first thing when you make this recipe. They will cook as you cut and prepare the vegetables.
Tip #2: The second tip is that you can cook and meal prep your vegetables beforehand. For the garlic, simply stir-fry it and store it in the fridge. This way, this recipe becomes as simple as making instant ramen noodles since it’s literally just boiling the noodles & mixing the sauce!
Storage and Meal Prep Instructions
Storage: Store any leftover Spicy Gochujang Ramen (or Gochujang Udon) in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should be consumed within 1-2 days to ensure the best taste and quality.
Meal prep: For meal prepping, cut and prepare the ingredients and the sauce beforehand. But just before serving, spend 10 minutes to cook so you get a fresh meal. It tastes so much better this way.
You can also choose to cook the vegetables beforehand so you only need to boil the Gochujang Noodles and mix it, which should only take 5 minutes once everything is prepared!
FAQ
No, I do not recommend freezing noodles.
If you’re tight on time, feel free to cut and prepare/even cook all the vegetables beforehand. This way, you only have to spend 5-10 minutes to cook the ramen and mix it with the sauce. See the “Meal Prep” section above for more details.
You can add spicy ingredients like Gochujang paste, red pepper/chili flakes, or hot sauce, and then mix it into your cooked noodles for a fiery kick.
Just be aware of how it might change the texture of your ramen noodles. For instance, red pepper flakes or chilli powder won’t usually change the textures of dishes. However, other hot sauces might make the sauce/broth thicker.
Absolutely! Gochujang is a great choice since it brings a unique, spicy, and slightly sweet element that pairs wonderfully with the other ingredients, creating a delightful, savory-spicy ramen gochujang noodles.
Yes, feel free to do so. But be sure to reduce, or even omit the soy sauce. Otherwise, your sauce will be way too salty.
Looking for more Easy Dinner/Lunch/Main Recipes?
For another spicy noodle recipe, check out my Creamy Tandoori Sauce Pasta recipe.
If you’re just looking for something spicy and not specifically noodle, this flavor-packed Tandoori Vegetables Platter is another favorite of mine.
For an easy lunch recipe, check out my Hummus Bagel (Sandwich + 4 Open-faced Options!), or my Rainbow Poke Bowl which uses this 5-Minute Easy Marinated Tofu.
Gimme more Asian(-inspired) Recipes!
Yessir! If you like Korean flavors, check out my 5-Minute Kimchi Aioli recipe, my 3-Minute Gochujang Aioli, or my Kimchi Sushi recipe. And for an easy and pretty Korean drink, I have this 5-Minute Strawberry Oat Milk recipe!
For other Asian(-inspired) recipes, I have more sushi recipes such as this Shiitake Roll, Kappa Maki (Cucumber) Roll, and Natto Rolls (Japanese fermented soybeans).
And speaking of fermented soybeans, check out this Indonesian Sticky Tempeh recipe (which is another umami-packed recipe), or this Authentic Vegan Jackfruit Rendang (Indonesian ‘curry’) recipe!
Easy Spicy Gochujang Ramen Noodles Recipe (or with Udon)
Ingredients
- 1 packet ramen noodle or udon noodle (use whole wheat for more nutrients)
- 1 Tablespoon gochujang
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- ½ teaspoon vegetable oil I used olive oil
- ½ to 1 sprig green onion thinly sliced
Vegetables of choice (OPTIONAL):
- ½ cup tofu cubed (100 grams)
- ¼ cup cherry tomatoes halved (5 pieces)
- sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
Prep Time
- Finely mince the peeled garlic and cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
- In a small bowl, mix the gochujang and soy sauce using a fork until you get a smooth sauce.
- Cook the ramen or udon according to package instructions. Turn the heat off about 1-2 minutes before it’s fully cooked, then drain and rinse with cold water.The noodles will continue to cook a little bit afterwards, so it's totally okay to take it out when it's still a bit hard!
Cooking Time!
- Add the vegetable oil to a heated pan. Once the oil is hot, add the minced garlic and stir fry on medium heat until the garlic turns golden for about 30 to 40 seconds.Be careful not to burn the garlic since minced garlic can burn easily as they are chopped finely.
- Then add the cubed tofu and stir fry on medium to high heat for 5-7 minutes, until it turns golden brown.
- Now add the cooked ramen and cherry tomatoes into the pan. If it gets too dry and the noodles are sticking together, add 1 Tablespoon of water to loosen up the noodles.
- Pour the gochujang sauce and turn up the heat to high to get that smoky flavor. Stir to coat evenly for about 15 to 30 seconds. Then immediately turn the heat off.
- Top with chopped green onions and optional sesame seeds, give it a good mix, and enjoy!
Notes
- Do NOT skip mixing the sauce in a small bowl.
- I know this is one extra bowl to clean but this ensures that your noodle will be coated evenly with the sauce.
- Be careful not to overcook the ramen noodles so they won’t get mushy. Take them out 1-2 minutes before the suggested cooking time since they will cook further because of the steam, and when you add them to the hot pan.
- Customize how many green/spring onions you want to use. This is a great recipe to add a lot of it so it becomes more like an ingredient, instead of just using it as a garnish.
- The recipe cooks quickly so you definitely want to cut all the ingredients and make the sauce before you start cooking.
- For storage, meal prep notes, and other time-saving hacks, read the post above!
