Thai red curry ramen noodles are what you want to eat when you’re looking for a fast and cozy dinner. Creamy, spicy, full of vegetables, chicken, and noodles: perfect for filling up and relaxing after a long day.
Recipe highlights
- Chewy noodles in a spicy, creamy, nutty broth with tender chicken and vegetables, this is the kind of instant ramen you dream of.
- This is the creamiest broth you’ve ever had. It sticks so well to the noodles and the toppings and makes everything so flavorful and delicious.
- This recipe is incredibly fast, and if you have an instant pot, it’s even faster thanks to pressure cooking. You add everything into your pressure cooker/instant pot, wait for it to come to pressure, let it do its thing for 5 minutes while you boil and drain some noodles, and you’ve got dinner.
- Because this recipe is for two and because there isn’t that much liquid that goes into the pot so even if you don’t have an instant pot the whole thing is done in just a few minutes.
Thai red curry ramen is the perfect pantry noodle
Do you ever get home from work (or school, or wherever) and are just exhausted? The thought of cooking is absolutely draining and all you want to do is order in? I have to admit, part of me (the lazy potato part) is pretty tempted by uber eats/doordash/postmates or whatever food delivery service is out there. I’m a little embarrassed to be an adult and be admitting this, but I have horrible eating habits. I let myself get incredibly hangry, so much so that I can’t even contemplate cooking. Sometimes, even the thought of waiting for delivery is too much. I’ve eaten most of a family size bag of chips, calling it a night, too many times to truthfully admit >_<
Thankfully, Mike and I are pretty good at grocery shopping (well, Mike is, I tend to vibe shop; he uses a list) so we almost always have ingredients in the fridge. We also usually have a lot of leftovers and that helps too. On the odd occasion when there’s nothing in the fridge and I want to make something practically instant, I always think of soupy noodles. I know what you’re thinking: soup takes forever. It really doesn’t! I think my noodles in soup habit comes from eating lots and lots of packs of instant noodles/instant ramen in high school. Instant noodles are fast – heck, they’re even called instant! I still indulge in instant noodles sometimes, but if I want to be a bit healthier and homemade, this is what I make.
Thai curry ramen ingredients
- Thai red curry paste – Store bought Thai red curry paste is the star of the show. Forget homemade in this case, store bought is the way to go.
- chicken stock – The bulk of our soup is easy store bought chicken stock. Go for low sodium so you have more room to adjust the seasoning to your taste.
- coconut milk – creamy coconut milk, the kind that come in cans, not the refrigerated stuff in the dairy case. Our favorite brand is Aroy-D.
- sesame paste – Chinese sesame paste gives this ramen and nutty, creamy, roasted note. More on this below, but you can also sub tahini.
- garlic and ginger – a classic aromatic combo that gives heat, sweetness, and so much flavor.
- chicken – I used chicken breast here just because it cooks so quickly, but you can use any part of the chicken. Thighs are always a good choice but they do take longer, so be sure to add some pressure cooking time.
- vegetables – rounding out this ramen bowl are a bunch of vegetables making it complete meal. Spinach, bell peppers, and mushrooms add fibre and nutrients.
- seasoning – For me I think the 1-2 tbsp of Thai curry paste is more than enough seasoning, but if you don’t think so, then I recommend fish sauce. Using fish sauce to season this ramen gives it a depth of flavor and authenticity. Of course, if you don’t have any in your pantry, salt and pepper always works.
How to make Thai curry ramen on the stove
Making these noodles is so simple. All you need to do is simmer the stock until the chicken is cooked, then shred the chicken, add the spinach and noodles, and you’re done!
1. Bring chicken stock, coconut milk, sesame paste, red curry paste, garlic, ginger, chicken breast, and mushrooms to a simmer over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.
Note: if you have an instant pot, you can do this step on high pressure for 5 minutes, then quick release and follow the rest of the instructions as usual.
2. When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the broth and shred or slice, set aside.
3. Add sliced peppers and spinach to the pot. Cook briefly until the spinach wilts. The peppers will still have some bite. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with fish salt, salt, or more curry paste as desired.
4. Ladle the broth and vegetables into two deep noodle bowls. Top with cooked ramen noodles and chicken. Finish with cilantro and lime if desired, and enjoy!
How to make Thai curry ramen on the Instant Pot
This recipe was originally made (and blogged!) for the instant pot. They’re not as popular anymore but we still have ours. I prefer the version the instant pot makes, to be honest. If you too have not yet thrown away your instant pot, the recipe steps are all the same, but you just throw everything into the instant pot for 5 mins and do a quick release instead of slowly simmering your chicken.
Once that’s done, you just shred the chicken as normal in step 2 above, and add the spinach in, and you’re done! The instant pot version looks like this:
What is Thai red curry paste?
Red curry paste is a seasoning paste made from dried chili, garlic, lemongrass, shallots, galangal, makrut lime, coriander, and cumin. It’s the base of many Thai dishes. You can make it at home by soaking the dried chilis then pounding everything together. Or, you can buy a tub or can from the grocery store. Red curry paste is incredibly flavorful and a super helpful back pocket ingredient that can level up your cooking game.
I love Aroy-D Thai red curry paste – it has a pretty simple ingredients list: chilis, garlic, lemongrass, shallots, salt, galangal, makrut lime, coriander, and cumin. Pretty much like what I would put into a curry paste if I were to be making it myself. Also incredibly popular is Mae Ploy brand.
Sesame paste vs tahini
You can buy Chinese sesame paste in Asian grocery stores and online. It’s similar to tahini but has a deeper, more roasted pronounced sesame flavor. The difference between Chinese sesame paste and tahini is what kind of sesame seeds are use. In Tahini, the sesame seeds are hulled and lightly toasted or untoasted, whereas as Chinese sesame paste is made with unhulled, toasted sesame seeds.
What brand of noodles should I buy?
I like chow mein noodles (the fresh kind, usually sold near the tofu) or instant ramen on the thicker side like Nong Shim’s Shin Ramyun. I just feel like they have the right kind of bite to stand up to this creamy flavorful soup.
What else can I make with Thai curry paste?
I hope you get a chance to try this recipe. It’s a spicy, creamy, nutty, noodle-y bowl of comfort. There’s a little bit of spice from the red curry paste, richness from the coconut milk, and a satisfying depth from the sesame. So, so good.
noodles five-ever,
xoxo steph
15 Minute Thai Red Curry Ramen Recipe
Thai red curry ramen noodles are what you want to eat when you’re looking for a fast, creamy, spicy, full of vegetables and chicken dinner.
Serves 2
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock no sodium preferred
- 14 ounce coconut milk (1 can)
- 2 tbsp sesame paste or tahini, or nut butter of choice
- 1-2 tbsp red curry paste depending on spice preference
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 1 inch ginger peeled and thinly sliced
- 1-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup mushrooms sliced
- 2 portions instant ramen cooked and drained
- 1 bell pepper red preferred, sliced
- 2 spinach
- 2 wedges lime optional
- 2 sprigs fresh cilantro optional
- Bring chicken stock, coconut milk, sesame paste, red curry paste, garlic, ginger, chicken breast, and mushrooms to a simmer over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.Note: if you have an instant pot, you can do this step on high pressure for 5 minutes, then quick release and follow the rest of the instructions as usual.
When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the broth and shred or slice, set aside.
Add sliced peppers and spinach to the pot. Cook briefly until the spinach wilts. The peppers will still have some bite. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with fish salt, salt, or more curry paste as desired.
Ladle the broth and vegetables into two deep noodle bowls. Top with cooked ramen noodles and chicken. Finish with cilantro and lime if desired, and enjoy!
Estimated nutrition assumes you consume all the soup. If not, subtract about 200 calories and 30 grams of fat and saturated fat (or an appropriate percentage).
Nutrition Facts
15 Minute Thai Red Curry Ramen Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 785
Calories from Fat 540
% Daily Value*
Fat 60g92%
Saturated Fat 35.2g220%
Cholesterol 32mg11%
Sodium 1268mg55%
Potassium 1369mg39%
Carbohydrates 43.3g14%
Fiber 5.5g23%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 27.5g55%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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