Easy AND Delicious Shoyu Ramen From Scratch
Full of flavor but not excessively heavy, Shoyu Ramen is the perfect meal for any day of the week! This Japanese comfort food is made with soy-based, land and sea umami-based broth, slurpable noodles, and several toppings from juicy braised chicken thigh to sea-salty nori. This recipe for Shoyu Ramen is the key to unlocking the balance between restaurant-quality, from scratch, and realistic home kitchen ramen. Prepare to make this recipe time and time again after your diners fall in love with this soul-warming Ramen!
What is Shoyu Ramen?
Shoyu Ramen is a popular Japanese noodle soup that can be found in restaurants across Japan as well as the U.S., and the kitchens of aspiring home cooks such as yourself. Shoyu, the Japanese word for soy sauce, is the main seasoning for this soup. Everyone has their recipe for the broth; ours is a two-part broth composed of a chicken broth with mushroom, ginger, carrot, garlic, and onion, combined with umami-rich dashi.
Shoyu Ramen can trace its roots back to a 20th-century ramen shop in Japan. It likely evolved from a similar Chinese dish and uses Chinese-style wheat noodles in a soup aligned with Japanese taste. Of the four main ramen types, the use of Shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) distinguishes this one from the rest. Usually, a sweet and salty tare contains shoyu. This recipe uses a tare made from shoyu and mirin to flavor a soup of slurpable noodles swimming in a homemade broth topped with a variety of accompaniments.
Why Will You LOVE Shoyu Ramen?
Shoyu Ramen is one of my favorite types of Ramen due to its salty-umami flavor profile and lighter mouthfeel than other varieties such as tonkatsu or miso ramen. An icon of Japanese cuisine, Shoyu Ramen represents culinary innovation combined with the classic comfort of a steaming bowl of noodles. Today, it is a very popular dish that people all across the world enjoy.
In addition to being a treat for the senses, this recipe is healthy too! Although some versions of Ramen can be quite heavy and aren’t the most nutritious dishes, this is not the case for this Shoyu Ramen. Instead of using a very fatty and robust tonkotsu broth, Shoyu Ramen uses a lighter and more refined land and sea stock. But being lighter does not mean it’s lacking flavor in any way, on the contrary, this stock is full of umami, and it makes the dish very satiating! Chicken thighs provide a good balance of protein and fats, and are SUPER flavorful. This dish is sure to please both the taste buds and the body!
Components of Shoyu Ramen
There are five main components of Shoyu Ramen: tare, broth, noodles, aromatic oil, and of course, several topping options. Each of these components plays a vital part in making this dish what it is. Understanding these parts is the key to crafting a slurp-worthy bowl of Ramen.
1. Tare
Tare, a Japanese soy sauce-based seasoning and sauce, is used in several Japanese dishes. In this case, I use the tare to season each bowl of Ramen. A simple mixture of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar make up the tare in this recipe. If you’re wondering what soy sauce to use, Kikkoman works great, or if you’re feeling fancy you can buy this Artisnal Shoyu on Amazon.
2. Broth
A delicious bowl of Ramen starts with a delicious broth, and you can’t beat homemade. I have a super flavorful recipe for the Perfect Shoyu Ramen Stock. A liquid-gold chicken stock and an umami-packed dashi make up this broth. Although this recipe takes a long time, it’s mostly inactive time. Plus, you can easily make this delicious broth ahead of time for quick meals.
3. Noodles
As mentioned before, Ramen is a bit of a Chinese-Japanese fusion dish. Likewise, Chinese-style wheat noodles are the perfect choice for Ramen. While the noodle’s thicknesses may vary, the use of kansui is what sets ramen noodles apart. Kansui, a mixture of sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate gives the noodles their signature elasticity, color, and texture. If you are making ramen, you MUST have noodles containing kansui, or it’s just not the same. Trust me on this one. Luckily, you can easily buy ramen noodles from Amazon, or your local Asian grocery store. If you’re feeling like putting in some extra work, you can also make your own Ramen Noodles From Scratch.
4. Aromatic Oil
Aromatic oil is a delicious part of ramen that I believe is often overlooked, and I don’t know why. Fat is one of the best transmitters of flavor, so infusing aromatics into fat can be much more effective than adding directly to the broth. See, all of what we “taste,” are aromas. If you want to learn more about this, Ethan Chlebowski has a great video that goes into detail on this topic. Moreover, aromatic oil is a very customizable and versatile element of Ramen. I offer a spicy garlic chili oil. This oil will taste great on most things, such as char siu bao, or this Creamy Curried Butternut Squash Soup.
5. Shoyu Ramen Toppings
Ahh, Ramen toppings…where to start. While the amount of ramen toppings is seemingly endless, I added some of my favorites and must-haves to this recipe. Specifically, chicken thighs are the main protein, and other toppings include jammy eggs, nori, crunchy bamboo shoots, and meaty seared mushrooms. For maximum flavor, the chicken thighs are cooked in two stages; first, a slow soy braise, followed by a quick sear over ripping high heat. Please, don’t skip the second step! Searing the thighs gives you the beautiful browning, a.k.a. delicious goodness!
Easy AND Delicious Shoyu Ramen Recipe
Time:
60 min.
Yield:
8 servings
Ingredients
Broth + Noodles
- 8 c. of the Perfect Shoyu Ramen Stock (can use store-bought, but it won’t be the same!)
- 720 g. dried ramen noodles, freshly cooked according to package instructions
Aromatic Oil
Chicken + Tare
- 3 lbs. chicken thighs
- 1 c. of soy sauce
- 1/2 c. of mirin
- 8 tbsp. of sugar
Seared Mushrooms
- 1 lb. baby bella mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
- Neutral high-heat oil (peanut, canola, vegetable)
- A generous pinch of salt
- 3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
Other Toppings
- 8 jammy eggs, halved to reveal the perfect golden center
- 1 bunch of green onions, thinly sliced on a diagonal
- 2 full-size sheets of nori, cut into 2×3-inch rectangles
- 8 oz. sliced bamboo shoots
Directions
Before Cooking
- Set the stock in a pot over high heat before you start cooking so it will be ready when you need it. Once it starts to boil, turn the heat to low. To ensure everyone gets a nice warm bowl of ramen, turn the heat back up to high just before serving.
Braising the Chicken
- To make the tare, combine the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a wok over medium heat. Stir to dissolve.
- Place the chicken thighs in the tare and bring to a simmer over medium heat, and place an otoshibuta, or similar device on top of the thighs to ensure that all the chicken is infused with delicious flavor. Cook for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken thighs reach an internal temperature of 153 degrees Fahrenheit, then rest in aluminum foil for 10 minutes.
- Run the tare through a grease strainer and reserve for seasoning the broth later.
Note: You will probably have more tare than you need for 8 servings, but the tare stores well and can be used again!
Mushrooms
- While the chicken thighs are resting, you can cook the mushrooms. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat, then coat the pan with a thin layer of oil. Place the mushrooms in the pan in one layer and sear for 3 minutes.
- Add the salt and garlic and stir-fry for 2 minutes, then remove the mushrooms from the heat. Because this method is minimally seasoned and focuses on the flavor of the mushrooms themselves, be sure to add plenty of salt to bring out their flavor. The best way to achieve this is by tasting and adjusting.
Searing the Chicken
- Next, sear the chicken thighs in batches to develop a beautiful browning. Once you have finished cooking the mushrooms, turn the heat up to high and add enough chicken thighs to fill the pan without overcrowding it. Sear for 1 minute on each side, then repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Once all the chicken is seared, cut it into 1-inch thick slices. Now all you have to do is assemble your bowls!
Assembly
- Begin by placing a few spoonfuls of tare in the bottom of a preheated bowl, followed by a generous helping of freshly cooked noodles and a ladle full of piping hot broth. Next top with a few slices of juicy chicken, deliciously savory mushrooms, a creamy and rich egg, crisp green onions, salty nori, and a few crunchy bamboo shoots. Finish it off with a healthy drizzle of one of the aromatic oils and you’ve just made one epic bowl of ramen!
- Eat quickly as ramen is best enjoyed steaming hot!
Easy AND Delicious Shoyu Ramen FAQs
Can I use chicken breasts instead of Chicken Thighs?
Of course you can, this recipe is very customizable! That being said, I strongly recommend you use chicken thighs. The fattier and more flavorful meat is perfect for topping a big bowl of Ramen! If you do substitute breasts, be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Can I Prepare Shoyu Ramen in advance?
You definitely can prepare several of the ramen components in advance. I almost always make the stock, eggs, aromatic oils, and tare ahead of time, and store them in the fridge. However, always make the noodles and chicken a-la-minute for the best texture and flavor.
How can I store Shoyu Ramen?
Eating Shoyu Ramen fresh will be the tastiest, but you can eat it as leftovers if stored properly. The noodles are not as good on the second day, so only cook as many noodles as you will eat. I suggest storing the other parts separately, and most will still be fine for about 5-7 days. The tare and aromatic oils can be kept for months in the fridge; their flavors intensify!
Can I Freeze Shoyu Ramen For Later?
Yes, you can! And no, you can’t. Don’t freeze the noodles and toppings because their quality will diminish. The stock, on the other hand, can be frozen in an airtight container and defrosted for a quick meal.
Where Can I Buy Ingredients for Shoyu Ramen?
You can buy most of the ingredients for Shoyu Ramen at your local supermarket. If not, it’s a good excuse to visit your local Asian Market! But if you don’t have access to an Asian Market, you can also purchase ingredients such as Shoyu, dried ramen noodles, and mirin on Amazon.
