Delicious Buldak Ramen Recipe: Unleash Your Inner Heat-seeker

Korean company Samyang Food is well-known for its spicy food products. One of the most famed products of the company is buldak ramen, which translates to fire chicken (bul/fire, dak/chicken). The name indicates the fiery flavor of the dish.

Buldak ramen has become a sensation among both Asian foodies and chili lovers. It has gained popularity worldwide, particularly among spicy food enthusiasts seeking flavorful eating experiences. Buldak ramen has become the subject of many social media challenges. Food contests are organized to determine who can eat the fiercest buldak ramen.

The ingredient responsible for the dish's spiciness is a sauce named gochujang, a Korean chili paste made from red chili peppers. Its spiciness can vary widely, but generally, it falls within a moderate to moderately high range. Some people find it milder than other chili pastes or sauces, like pure chili pepper extracts or hot sauces. So, remember that gochujang sauces in the market come in different spiciness levels, so it’s best to search for the one that is just right for you. Although the name might imply differently, the buldak ramen recipe does not include chicken meat or any animal protein as a standard ingredient. However, some variations of the brand may offer additional flavor options that include dehydrated chicken or chicken flavoring.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Pro Tips
• Buldak Ramen Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

1. For preparing the noodles

• Instant ramen noodles — 4 packs, about 4 ½ cups
• Water — 6 cups
• Salt — 1 tsp.

2. For the sauce

• Gochujang — 4 tbsp.
• Gochugaru — 1 tsp. (Korean chili powder mix)
• Garlic — 4 cloves, minced
• Soy sauce — 2 tbsp., low-sodium
• Brown sugar — 2 tbsp.
• Ground black pepper — ½ tsp.
• Salt — ½ tsp. 
• Vegetable oil — 2 tbsp.
• Onion — 1 pc., medium-sized, finely chopped

3. For the dressing

• Spring onions — 1 sprig, green parts, finely chopped
• Sesame seeds — 2 tsp., roasted

Instructions

For preparing the ramen noodles

1. Put water in a pot. Heat it on the stove on medium heat. Add the noodles and salt when the water comes to a boil. Follow the cooking instructions on the package.

2. Drain the cooked noodles and set aside.

Instructions for the sauce

1. Combine the gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, brown sugar, black pepper, minced garlic, and salt in a bowl. Mix until the sugar dissolves.

2. Put vegetable oil in the pan. Heat on medium heat. Add the chopped onions and, stirring occasionally, sauté until the onions become translucent.

3. Put the sauce ingredients in the pan and continue cooking on medium heat. Cook until the sauce thickens. Take the pan from the heat, then toss in the noodles. Mix and make sure that the noodles are covered with the sauce.

4. Put the noodles into serving plates. Sprinkle roasted sesame seeds and garnish with spring onions.

Substitutions

• Brown sugar — The same amount of honey can be substituted for brown sugar.

• Low-sodium soy sauce — If you don't have the low-sodium variety, you can use regular soy sauce instead. If you are going for regular soy sauce, leave out the salt when cooking since the sodium will provide enough saltiness.

Variations

• Load it with mixed vegetables — Buldak ramen is a straightforward dish with a handful of ingredients, but you can get creative with it. Adding two cups of mixed vegetables is a healthy way of doing that. You can use carrots, bell peppers, cabbage, zucchini, etc. Chop the vegetables of your choice into small cubes and sauté them with the onions.

• Serve it with eggs — It’s customary to serve ramen with a soft-boiled or sunny-side-up egg in Korea. You can poach the eggs if that’s your favorite. Prepare one egg for every serving and place it on top of the noodles.

Equipment

• Measuring spoons and cups

• Mixing bowl

• Spatula

• Stove

• Pot

• Pan

• Chopping board

• Knife

• Serving plates

Storage

• After cooling it to room temperature, you can store buldak ramen in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

• You can freeze the sauce of the ramen separately for future use. The frozen sauce can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. However, for best quality, it's recommended to use it within 1 to 2 months.

Pro Tips

• This recipe can use neutral vegetable oils, such as sunflower or canola. Sesame oil, which is common in Korean cooking, is also a good choice.

• We mentioned that gochujang comes in varying levels of spiciness. So, it’s best to check it before cooking. If you want the noodles to be mildly hot, adjust the amount of gochujang accordingly.

• If you want to deepen the flavor profile, add two tablespoons of mirin. This rice wine, mainly used for cooking, is a staple of Japanese cuisine. Mirin’s mildly sweet and acidic taste will add an extra taste layer to the sauce's spiciness. If you are using mirin, mix it with other sauce ingredients in the bowl.