How To Reheat Ramen – I Test 3 Methods

This article was updated on 28/07/2023 for clarity and to incorporate a new method I tested.

Have you ever prepared a delectable, but oversized, bowl of ramen noodle soup, and it was so good that you wanted to save the leftovers?  Regular soups are usually not a problem to reheat but ramen can be tricky.

Luckily for you, I’ve tried out three different reheating techniques to see which one results in the most delicious ramen. In a rush?

The best way to reheat ramen is on the stove. Heat the broth on the stove, while the rest of the ingredients come to room temperature. When the broth is hot, but not boiling, pour it over the noodles and wait 1-2 minutes for everything to heat up.

How I tested reheating ramen

Over the weekend, I got a bit carried away and ordered way more ramen than I should have. Hey, sometimes I get long-eyed when it comes to good food.

I wasn’t going to throw the ramen out, so I set about figuring out the best way to reheat it. I tried three different reheating methods:

• On the stove: Best method overall.
• In the microwave: Most convenient method.
• In the oven: Not the best choice.

Related: Can You Reheat Miso Soup?

Reheating ramen on the stove

Time: 4-5 minutes
Rating: 10/10

1. Put the ramen broth in a pot on the stove and heat it on medium heat until just below boiling point (don’t let it boil). Stir occasionally.
2. While the broth is heating, take your noodles, meat, and veggies out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature in your serving bowl.
3. When the broth is hot enough, pour it over the noodles/meat/veggies.
4. Wait a few minutes for the hot broth to heat the other ingredients.
5. Serve immediately.

The residual heat from the broth is enough heat the rest of your ingredients, and it won’t cook the delicate noodles any further.

A great tip is to warm your ramen bowl before putting all the ingredients into it. I do this by filling it with boiling water for 30 seconds. Then, when you pour the broth in, it doesn’t cool down too much.

This is also the reason I recommend letting the ingredients come to room temperature as you heat the broth on the stove. This way, they won’t cool the broth down when you combine them.

If you want to ensure the meat is piping hot, you can choose to microwave it for 30 seconds while you’re heating the broth, or heat it on the stove alone with the broth. The meat is less delicate than the veg or the noodles. You can also microwave any eggs you’re using for 10-20 seconds to warm them up.

Results: The stove is a more time-consuming method than the microwave, but for me, it was worth it. The broth was tastier and fresher. I always find that the microwave dulls flavors. Also, it’s easier to control the temperature of your broth and make sure it doesn’t get too hot.

Reheating ramen in the microwave

Time: 60 seconds
Rating: 9/10

1. Get all of your ingredients out of the fridge and place the broth in a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Microwave the broth in 30-second intervals until it’s piping hot. Avoid boiling it.
3. Remove the bowl from the microwave and add the noodles, egg, meat, and veggies etc.
4. Wait 1-2 minutes for everything to warm up in the broth.
5. Enjoy your Ramen.

Again, while the broth will warm your meat and eggs, they won’t become piping hot. 

If you want to ensure all the ingredients are piping hot, microwave the combined ingredients for an extra 20 seconds.

Results: This method was quick and convenient, and the results were good, but felt like the flavors of the broth were slightly muted. That said, if I was in a hurry I wouldn’t think twice about using the microwave.

Reheating ramen in the oven

Time: 10 minutes
Rating: 7/10

1. Get all of your ingredients out of the fridge and preheat the oven to 300F (150C) and then
2. Place the broth in an oven-proof dish and cover it with foil.
3. Heat the broth until just below boiling (around 10 minutes depending on portion size)
4. Add the noodles, egg, meat, and veggies and wait 1-2 minutes for everything to warm up in the broth.

Results: The ramen tasted fine, but this method was super slow compared to the other two options! I’d only use it if you don’t have access to a microwave or a stove.

How to store ramen

To store ramen you need to separate the noodles from the broth as soon as possible. If you leave the noodles in the broth, they’ll absorb the liquid and turn to mush. Store the broth and noodles (plus any meat and veg) in separate airtight containers in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Ideally, the noodles will never have been in the broth. Noodles that have not been exposed to any broth can last up to a week in the fridge. If the noodles have been in the broth and then removed, their shelf life reduces to 2 days (3 days maximum).

A great reason not to put all the noodles in the broth at the same time! If you think the noodles are too far gone, just store the broth and cook new noodles 

The broth will solidify in the fridge, but this is nothing to worry about. It will turn back to liquid when you start heating it.

Can you freeze ramen?

To freeze ramen, separate all the components as soon as possible and freeze them separately. Put the noodles, meat and broth in separate freezer bags and squeeze all the air out before putting them in the freezer. Cooked vegetables and eggs don’t freeze well, so it’s best to prepare fresh ones later.

The broth will last for up to six months in the freezer, while the noodles and meat will last for one month. 

I like to use freezer bags because you can easily get all the air out. Air exposure is the prime culprit of food developing that off-freezer taste! You can either squeeze all the air out with your hands or get a straw and suck the air out (like a human vacuum machine). 

How to thaw and reheat frozen ramen

To defrost your ramen, take the frozen components out of the freezer and let them thaw overnight in the fridge. Alternatively, you can thaw the broth and the meat in the microwave and submerge the noodles in warm water for 60 seconds. 

Once everything has thawed, reheat the broth in the microwave or on the stove until it’s hot, then pour the hot broth over the other components to heat them.

Never put frozen noodles in hot ramen broth, because you’ll cool the broth down too much.

Read Next: How To Reheat Pho

How To Reheat Ramen [Tested Methods]

I've tried out three different reheating techniques to see which ones best preserve the awesomeness of your ramen and bring it back to life.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: ramen, reheat ramen

Prep Time: 1 minute minute

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 6 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 person

Calories: 550kcal

Ingredients

• 1 serving broth
• 1 serving noodles
• 1 serving meat and veggies

Instructions

• Get all of your ingredients out of the fridge.
• Put the broth in a pot on the stove and heat it on medium heat until just below boiling point (don’t let it boil). Stir occasionally.
• While the broth is heating, arrange the noodles, meat, and veggies in a bowl.
• When it’s hot enough, pour the broth into the bowl with the noodles.
• Wait a few minutes for the hot broth to heat the other ingredients.
• Serve immediately.

Notes

Top tip: warm your ramen bowl before putting all the ingredients into it. 

I do this by filling it with boiling water for 30 seconds. This warms the bowl and means when you pour the broth in, it doesn’t cool down too much.

The same goes for the noodles and veg. 

Take all your ingredients out of the fridge and let them reach room temperature as you heat the broth on the stove. This way, they won’t cool the broth down.

If you want to ensure the meat is piping hot, you can choose to microwave it for 30 seconds while you’re heating the broth, or heat it on the stove alone with the broth. The meat is less delicate than the veg or the noodles.

You can also microwave any eggs you’re using for 10-20 seconds to warm them up.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 550kcal