How to turn instant ramen into pan fried noodles in 10 minutes

Long strands of twisty noodles swirled in a garlicky, buttery, sweet and savory sauce that's dotted with egg and sprinkled with crunchy seasoning? This ramen hack takes instant noodles to a whole new level in less than 10 minutes.

This ramen dish has gone viral thanks to the easy transformation of everyday ingredients — instant ramen, garlic, egg, soy sauce, sugar and everything bagel seasoning (yes, you read that correctly, everything bagel seasoning). I tried it for myself and now I'm going to share the ultimate noodle hack with you, along with an explanation of what each ingredient brings to the bowl.

Which ramen noodle to use is completely up to you. The first step in this recipe is to discard the seasoning packet, so use any variety you prefer, including chicken, beef and shrimp.

Just don’t overcook your noodles. Mushy noodles will ruin the dish. Since the noodles will continue to cook in the sauce, set a timer and cook the noodles for 45 seconds less than the suggested time.

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Butter. Churned cream adds sweetness and richness and helps create a satiny sauce. I prefer unsalted butter in this recipe since we get saltiness from the soy sauce and bagel seasoning. For a dairy-free meal, you can substitute olive oil or avocado oil.

Egg. Eggs add protein, heft and soft mouthfeel, which partners well with the slick noodles and crisp seasoning.

Garlic. Aside from the bagel seasoning, which is added just before serving, garlic is a major flavor component in the sauce. It’s aromatic and pungent and adds complexity to the sweet-savory dish. You can use fresh garlic, pre-minced garlic, dried minced garlic or garlic powder. Use as much or as little as desired. I used dried minced garlic because I love the “toasted garlic” nuance it brings.

Crushed red pepper flakes. The red pepper flakes in this dish are used to elevate flavor, not add a tremendous amount of heat. You can use as much or as little as you like.

Brown sugar. Sugar is added for sweetness to balance the saltiness of the soy sauce. I prefer brown sugar for its caramel-like quality and deep color, but you can substitute granulated sugar or honey.

Soy sauce. Since soy sauce is made with fermented soybeans and salt, it adds great depth of flavor and saltiness. You can use any variety, including low sodium. If you don’t have soy sauce or prefer a gluten-free option, you can use tamari or liquid aminos.

Everything bagel seasoning. While this might seem like an odd addition, it’s not. The Japanese often top their soups, rice, fish and other dishes with furikake, a seasoning blend consisting of toasted sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, salt, sugar and dried fish. Furikake is crunchy, salty and nutty and adds a wonderful umami flavor. Everything bagel seasoning is also crunchy, salty, nutty and made with toasted sesame seeds, so it’s an excellent way to achieve a similar taste and texture.

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This recipe serves one, but can easily be doubled, tripled or quadrupled. To add protein to this ramen (or to stretch it to serve more people), fold in grilled or roasted chicken, shrimp, pork, steak or tofu. You can also add vegetables.

Makes: 1 serving

Ingredients:

Instructions:

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