Mayo ramen is a savoury Japanese instant noodle dish that combines the intense flavour of ramen with the richness and creamy texture of Kewpie mayo. It's been making waves on Tiktok recently, but you don't have to be famous to make it!
Do you love instant noodles but are sick of the same old flavour? Well, we have the perfect recipe for you that is sure to change things up. This creamy ramen hack from Tiktok will make your taste buds scream with delight.
With simple ingredients and an easy cooking process, this dish can be made at home by anyone. You'll never want to go back to regular noodles again!
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What is mayo ramen?
The original mayo ramen recipe involves combining a bowl of instant noodle broth with an egg, some Japanese mayo and finely grated garlic. These are all ingredients that are readily available in most refrigerators!
Why has it become popular?
The original creator was the popular YouTuber named Harapeko Grizzly (はらぺこグリズリー) from Japan who posted his "hack" online to share it with others across the world. It was later discovered by other content creators on Youtube as well as Tiktok. By the time you know it, this mayo ramen hack became viral and is now the craze among many instant noodle lovers.
The reason this hack became so popular is that it is a very easy and cheap way to make your home noodle dish more delicious! This noodle hack requires just a few ingredients but takes the standard broth from boring and bland into something creamy.
This hack may never compare to fresh noodles prepared at some of the best Japanese restaurants in town, but it surely is a quick and affordable way to transform instant noodles to as close to those rich fresh flavours as you'd like. So, if all you have is a packet or two on hand (and most households do!), this hack will elevate them enough so they don't seem quite so plain anymore!
What does it taste like?
Some have said that mayo ramen produces consistency and taste that is very similar to the tonkotsu ramen broth. Meanwhile, others say that the mayo ramen noodle dish is likened to the carbonara pasta dish.
As the beginnings of this meal started in Japan, the mayonnaise added to the noodle broth was the famous Kewpie mayo. The kewpie mayo helps feature a rich and creamy flavour to the noodle broth, which makes instant noodles taste just like long-simmered bowls of authentic noodle shops in Japan.
The most common questions when we first heard about this recipe were: “What does it taste like?” and “Is mayo good in ramen”?
After all, a recipe doesn’t become viral online unless it actually is tasty! The sharp gain in popularity of this recipe is social proof that mayo is good in ramen.
Calories
An average bowl of mayo ramen has a calorie count of about 500kcal. With the addition of mayonnaise and an egg, this noodle dish is high in both protein and fat content.
Ingredients
Most of the ingredients required to create this dish are usually stocked up in your home pantry and refrigerator. Hence, you will not need to plan a trip to the grocery store and can make this at home immediately!
Instant Noodles
If available, we recommend choosing a non-spicy broth version over a spicy one. This is so that the broth blends into a more rich and creamy one when mixed with the mayonnaise.
The original version used was the Nissin Sapporo Miso Ramen. However, feel free to use your favourite instant noodle packets that are tucked away in your pantry.
Mayonnaise
The Japanese Kewpie Mayo is a healthier version of regular mayonnaise, with only egg yolks and rice vinegar. The traditional recipe does not contain any sugar or additives as other brands do. To get the same taste as the original mayo ramen hack, make sure to get yourself a bottle of Kewpie Mayo for this.
However, for those currently outside of Japan, getting this brand of mayonnaise will be difficult. So, can you use regular mayo for ramen hack? Of course!
Adding normal mayo will result in a broth with a sweeter consistency. It will, however, not be as creamy and not have the same depth of ‘umami’ that the Japanese mayo adds to the broth.
Nevertheless, we still think it’s worth making mayo ramen with regular mayo. Give it a go!
Garlic
Make sure to chop, mince or grate the garlic finely before adding it raw into the hot noodle broth. This is important for two reasons.
Firstly it enhances the flavour profile of your dish. Secondly, hot water will not only cook but also mellow down any raw garlic taste that might be present in a sauce.
Topping
The perfect topping for this noodles recipe is a soft boiled egg. We recommend preparing the egg before cracking it open into the bowl before serving.
Some mayo ramen Tiktok recipes may also suggest cracking a raw egg into the broth and mixing it. That creates an even more eggy and creamy broth.
Just like other noodles recipes, you may also add other toppings to further diversify the creamy ramen hack. Protein such as tofu, fish cakes, shredded chicken or char siu would be great additions. Steamed vegetables like tender stem broccoli, mushrooms and spinach would also go well with this noodle dish.
Garnishing the bowl with chopped chives, seaweed and sesame will also create a perfect finish for the Japanese instant noodle with mayonnaise meal.
How to make Mayo Ramen
As mentioned, this mayo ramen recipe is easy to make and can be prepared in just 7 minutes!
- First, you make the tangy and rich sauce with the same ingredients you need for instant noodles. Start by mixing together in a bowl 1 raw egg, 1 tablespoon of kewpie mayo, one tablespoon of minced garlic (or more - taste depending!) and whichever spice pack comes included with your kit's noodles.
- Then, bring 500 ml water to a boil and cook the packet of instant noodles in a separate bowl. Follow the instructions on the packaging to cook perfectly.
- Once cooked, carefully pour half of the boiled water used to cook the noodles into the bowl of sauce. Mix the sauce thoroughly until it becomes a consistent creamy broth.
- Add the noodles into the broth, and complete the dish with any toppings you wish. Serve your mayo ramen and eat while it’s hot!
Cooking Tips
- If it is your first time, we recommend using a non-spicy flavoured ramen pack. Miso-base or chicken-flavoured instant noodles will work ideally to create a very creamy base.
- Make sure not to overcook the noodles! If left in the boiling water for too long, the noodles will become soggy and will lose the firm texture that most people like.
- Pour the water from cooking the noodles to make the broth. This not adds flavour to the soup but helps to also create a thicker consistency.
- Give your noodle dish a complete Japanese ramen finish by garnishing it with some nori seaweed strips, chopped chives and sesame seeds.
Mayo Ramen Recipe | Kewpie Mayo Creamy Instant Noodles Hack
Ingredients
- 1 pack non-spicy instant noodles
- 1 tablespoon Kewpie mayonnaise
- 500 ml water
- 1 pc egg, raw
- 1 pc egg, soft boiled
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- chives, chopped optional
- nori seaweed strips optional
- sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the garlic, Kewpie mayo, egg and instant noodles seasoning. Then, bring water to boil in a pot on a stovetop for cooking noodles. Cook the noodles according to package directions until done.
- Then, drain half of the hot water from the noodles before adding the other half portion of hot water into the sauce mixture to make the creamy noodle broth. Next, carefully add the noodles into the bowl of broth.
- Crack open the soft boiled egg into the bowl. Garnish the bowl with chives, seaweed and sesame seeds. Serve the mayo ramen and eat while hot!
Nutrition
Calories have been calculated using an online calculator. Nutritional information offered on Honest Food Talks is for general information purposes and are only rough estimations.
Does it work with spicy ramen?
In our recipe, we recommend using a non-spicy broth flavour as it helps bring out the fulfilling creamy taste of the mayonnaise. However, we know there are many of you out there who love spicy noodles!
Good news. It works well with spicy ramen too!
If you are wondering what it looks like, Ai Nhi on Youtube has made a lovely video recipe where she used the Korean Shin Ramyun instant noodles with spicy broth.
She also added mini sausages and other vegetable toppings which further adds variety to her noodle dish. Finally, she adds some shichimi (7 spice seasoning) to complete the spicy mayo ramen dish.
Conclusion
If you’ve been craving an upgrade to your instant noodles, this creamy ramen hack from Tiktok is just what you’ve been looking for! You only need a packet of your favourite brand of noodles and a few other common kitchen ingredients to make it work. It is quick to make at home and does not cost you a fortune to enjoy a bowl of creamy umami-goodness!
Did you try making your own bowl of mayo ramen at home? Share with us a photo of your bowl by tagging us on Instagram at @honestfoodtalks!
Looking for another viral dish to try making at home? Check out our tanghulu recipe that has gotten the attention of many ASMR enthusiasts!
Kio
Tried this at home the other day - its legit. Such a great ramen hack