Chicken Katsu Ramen

You already know ramen’s going to be a big, delicious bowl of comfort. But then Chicken Katsu Ramen comes along with its crispy chicken cutlet adding irresistible crunch, and suddenly, you have a new go-to meal. I can’t stop thinking about this combo of hot, slurpy noodles, miso-rich broth, and crispy, crunchy, panko-fried chicken.

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The Chicken Katsu is really the star here; a thin chicken breast breaded in panko and fried until golden. It’s crisp but not greasy, and when you slice it and serve it on top of steaming broth and noodles, it provides jus the right textural contrast.

I love to make a batch of Chicken Katsu and use it a few different ways. I’ll serve it over ramen one night, tuck it into a sandwich the next day for lunch, and then maybe have it with a bowl of rice with a drizzle of sweet-savory katsu sauce another night.

The broth for this ramen is quick to make. It’s just chicken stock, miso paste, soy sauce, and sesame oil, but it brings enough umami to make it taste like you cooked it for hours.

And don’t skip the egg. A soft-boiled egg turns this into a real ramen shop experience, even better if you use a marinated Ramen Egg. Eggs add richness, silkiness, and a little bit of luxury to the bowl.

Ingredient Notes

The ingredients you need to make Chicken Katsu Ramen aren’t fancy or hard to find. Miso paste is the only one that you might not find at the supermarket, depending on where you live. Here is what you need to know about the ingredients.

• Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breast. You can buy chicken cutlets or you can slice your own. Either way, you want to pound them thin so they cook evenly and stay juicy.
• Miso paste: There are different types of miso paste with varying intensity of flavor. Paler miso paste will be milder in flavor and very dark miso paste will have very strong flavor. I usually use shiro miso (white miso), which is the mildest, for making ramen. If I want more intense flavor, I’ll use awase miso (mixed miso), which is a cross between white miso and the more intensely flavored red miso.

How To Make Chicken Katsu Ramen

Despite the multiple components, you can pull this together in about half an hour. Here’s how:

1. Pound the chicken breasts until even, then season with salt and pepper.
2. Set up a breading station with flour, egg, and panko. Coat each piece of chicken in that order.
3. Heat oil in a pan and fry the chicken until golden and crisp. Set it aside to rest before slicing.
4. In a pot, stir together chicken broth, soy sauce, miso paste, and sesame oil. Let it simmer.
5. Cook the ramen noodles as directed on the package, then drain and divide them among the bowls.
6. Pour the hot broth over the noodles.
7. Top each bowl with sliced katsu, green onions, and a soft-boiled egg, if using.

More Ways to Use Ramen Noodles

Ramen noodles are more than just soup-bound. Their springy texture makes them ideal for stir-fries and saucy bowls, too. If you’re looking to kick things up with some heat, check out the Kimchi Fried Noodles or the Spicy Garlic Beef Noodles. Or toss them with Garlic Chili Oil Sauce, Korean Black Bean Sauce, or Ginger Scallion Sauce. You can also use ramen noodles in cold dishes, like a Cold Sesame Noodles or Ramen Salad, or swap them into stir-fry recipes that usually call for rice noodles. They hold up to strong flavors and don’t fall apart, which is exactly what you want in a weeknight dinner.