Description

This Ginger Glazed Chicken Ramen is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring tender, glazed chicken thighs served in a savory homemade broth infused with fresh ginger, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, and spinach. With a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and spicy notes, this ramen is elevated by the signature ginger glaze on the chicken and garnished with fresh green onions, making it an inviting meal for any ramen lover.

Ingredients

Scale

Ramen Broth Ingredients

8 cups chicken broth (reduced sodium)
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
3–5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
4 green onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces (optional)
1/2 – 1 tsp red pepper flakes

Glazed Chicken Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
3 Tbsp light brown sugar
2 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic

Vegetables and Additions

8 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, halved or sliced
5 oz baby spinach
1 Tbsp sesame oil

Noodles and Garnishes

12 oz ramen noodles
3 green onions, sliced

Instructions

Prepare the broth: Add all ramen broth ingredients to a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium or medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.
Cook the chicken thighs: While the broth simmers, season the chicken thighs with black pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken thighs for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.
Make the ginger glaze: Whisk together the remaining glazed chicken ingredients—light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, brown sugar, minced ginger, and minced garlic. Pour this mixture over the chicken thighs in the skillet. Cook down the sauce until it becomes syrupy and thick, turning the chicken occasionally to evenly coat both sides. This usually takes about 5 minutes depending on your stove.
Rest and slice chicken: Remove the chicken thighs from the skillet and place on a cutting board to rest for a few minutes. Then slice them thinly for serving.
Strain the broth: Once the ramen broth has simmered and developed flavor, place a large mixing bowl in your sink with a colander inside it. Pour the broth through the colander to strain out solids. Return the strained broth from the mixing bowl back into the pot and place on the stove.
Cook mushrooms and spinach: Add the shiitake mushrooms to the broth and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Then add the baby spinach and sesame oil and cook for an additional 3 minutes until the spinach wilts.
Cook the noodles: In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and cook ramen noodles according to package instructions, but reduce the cooking time by 1 minute to keep noodles slightly firm. Drain noodles and divide equally among 4 serving bowls.
Assemble the ramen bowls: Ladle the hot ramen broth with mushrooms and spinach over the noodles. Top each bowl with the sliced ginger glazed chicken and garnish with sliced green onions. Add any extra toppings of choice and serve immediately while hot.

Notes

Using reduced sodium chicken broth and soy sauce helps control salt levels without compromising flavor.
Lemongrass is optional but adds a subtle citrusy note to the broth.
Adjust red pepper flakes to taste depending on your preferred spice level.
Resting the chicken allows juices to redistribute, ensuring moist slices.
Cooking noodles slightly less than package instructions prevents them from becoming mushy once added to broth.
Feel free to add other toppings like boiled eggs, nori, or corn for more texture and flavor.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Soup
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Japanese

Keywords: Ginger Glazed Chicken Ramen, homemade ramen, chicken ramen recipe, shiitake mushrooms, ginger soy glaze, ramen noodles, comfort soup