This ramen stir fry doctors up packaged ramen noodles with a rainbow of fresh vegetables and an easy stir fry sauce made from pantry staples. This recipe is super adaptable to whatever veggies you have on hand and makes a great 20-minute weeknight dinner.
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Take a quick look around the blog and you’ll see that I love noodles! From Singapore noodles to vegan pho to vegan ramen, I love everything long and stringy!
But this ramen stir fry recipe is my most popular noodle recipe with over 5 million Pinterest views!
Can you use ramen noodles for stir fry?
Yes! Ramen noodles are great for stir fry. They’re quick-cooking and have a great chewy texture that makes them delicious in nearly every stir fry noodle recipe.
Ramen noodles are cheap and readily available in most supermarkets and corner stores.
You can use pretty much any brand of ramen noodle in stir fry. This recipe does not use the seasoning packet so the flavor you buy doesn’t matter.
How do you make ramen noodles for stir fry?
Ramen noodles are easy to prepare for stir frying.
Boil the noodles in hot water for about one minute until they separate but are not cooked all the way through.
The noodles will continue cooking in the pan with the sauce so it’s important to undercook them at this point.
Drain the noodles in a colander and run cool water over them to stop the cooking process.
Set the noodles aside while you prepare the other stir fry ingredients.
Ramen stir fry sauce
For this recipe I wanted to create a simple stir fry sauce recipe made from pantry staples.
Oftentimes, Chinese-style stir fried noodles get their wonderful dark colour from specialty sauces like dark soy sauce or oyster sauce that you may not have on hand in your kitchen.
My secret ingredient to avoid a trip to the Asian market is molasses.
Not only does molasses give the noodles the right colour, it also adds sweetness so you don’t need to add additional sugar.
What you end up with is a super-easy, 5-ingredient vegan stir fry sauce!
Ingredients you’ll need
This ramen stir fry recipe doesn’t call for any special or hard-to-find ingredients. You can also substitute any of the vegetables for whatever you have on hand or like better.
Ramen noodles: Two standard-sized packages of dried instant ramen.
Oil: You need a high-heat oil to stir fry. For example, vegetable, canola or sunflower oil. Do not use olive oil
Ginger, garlic and green onions: These aromatics form the flavor base of the stir fry.
Vegetables: Sliced carrots, broccoli, red bell pepper and zucchini. This combination is a great variety of flavours and textures.
Vegetable stock: Whereas most stir fry sauce recipes call for chicken stock, this vegan stir fry sauce recipe starts with a base of vegetable stock. Use low sodium stock if you prefer.
Soy sauce: I use a Chinese-style light soy sauce.
Molasses: This is the secret ingredient in the stir fry sauce for both color and sweetness.
Sriracha: For a touch of spice. Adjust the amount of sriracha to your spice preference. You can substitute for another hot chili sauce like sambal, if you prefer.
Cornstarch: This helps to thicken the sauce so that is nicely coats and veggies and noodles.
How to make ramen stir fry
This ramen stir fry recipe is easy to make and comes together in just 20 minutes.
Prepare all your ingredients: Like all stir fry recipes, it cooks very fast so you’ll need to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you start cooking.
Clean and chop all the vegetables. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce.
Cook the noodles: Bring a small pot of water to the boil. Add the noodles and boil for about one minute, or until the noodles separate and are al dente.
It’s important to undercook the noodles because they’ll continue cooking in the pan with the sauce.
Drain the noodles in a colander and run cool water over them to stop the cooking process.
Set the noodles aside while you stir fry the vegetables.
Stir fry the vegetables: You will need a wok or a large skillet to be able to fit all the veggies and noodles.
Heat the pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Start by flavoring the oil with the ginger, garlic and white parts of the green onion.
These will just need a few seconds to cook. Be careful not to burn them!
Now we’ll add the vegetables in order of hardness. Start with the carrot and broccoli. Fry, stirring continuously, until they begin to soften. Test the softness with a fork.
Then add the red pepper and zucchini. Continue stir frying until all the veggies are tender.
Add the noodles and sauce: When the veggies are cooked to your liking, toss in the noodles and the sauce.
Stir it all together well as the sauce thickens to coat the noodles and veggies.
Finally, stir in the green tops of the green onion and it’s ready to serve!
Substitutions and variations
Vegetables: Vegetable stir fry recipes are very adaptable to whatever you like or happen to have on hand. Here are some ideas for other vegetables you can swap out or add in addition:
Baby corn, bok choy, mushrooms, snow peas, water chestnuts, shredded green cabbage, edamame, bean sprouts, green beans, bamboo shoots, asparagus, cauliflower, etc.
Protein: If you want to add a “meaty” element, pan fried tofu, tempeh, soy curls, or a vegan chicken or beef product can be added.
Sauce: If you don’t want to make your sauce from scratch, you can use a bottled teriyaki sauce, stir fry sauce or sweet and sour sauce.
Toppings: In addition to green onion, sprinkle over some sesame seeds, chopped peanuts or cashews, cilantro, or add a drizzle of sesame oil.
FAQs
Yes, you can use chow mein or lo mein noodles, udon noodles, rice noodles or even spaghetti.
You can use gluten-free ramen noodles and tamari instead of soy sauce.
Firstly, don’t cut the vegetables too chunky or they will take longer to cook. Secondly, make sure the heat is high enough. Finally, you can add a splash of water to the pan to help the vegetables steam if they are taking a long time to cook through.
If your noodles have stuck together after draining, simply run them under some cool water to unstick. Give the colander a good shake to get off as much of the water as possible before adding the noodles to the pan.
Make ahead and prep tips
This recipe is great for meal prep because all the elements can be prepped in advance and ready to go in the pan for dinner.
Chop all the vegetables and store them in airtight containers in the fridge.
You can cook the noodles in advance. To prevent them from sticking together, drizzle them with a touch of oil. Store in an airtight container. If they end up sticking together, run them under cool water before frying.
Combine the ingredients for the sauce and store in an airtight container. Be sure to give it a good stir to dissolve the cornstarch before using.
Storage and reheating tips
Store leftover ramen stir fry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. I don’t recommend freezing as the texture will become mushy.
This dish can be reheated in the microwave or in a pan over medium heat until heated through.
What to serve with ramen noodle stir fry
You can serve ramen stir fry on its own as it’s a complete meal in itself. If you’re looking for more Asian-inspired recipes try vegan potstickers, vegetable spring rolls, or this Asian cabbage salad.
Ramen Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 2 packages of dried ramen noodles - $1.40
- 2 tablespoons neutral-flavoured oil - $0.24
- 1 heaping tablespoon of finely chopped ginger -$0.10
- 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped - $0.16
- 2 green onions chopped and white and green parts separated - $0.13
- 2 carrots peeled and sliced into rounds - $0.17
- ½ head of broccoli cut into florets - $0.65
- ½ a red pepper cubed - $0.58
- ½ a zucchini chopped - $0.33
For the stir fry sauce
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable stock - $0.11
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce - $0.15
- 1 ½ tablespoons molasses - $0.26
- 1 tablespoon sriracha - $0.08
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch - $0.06
Instructions
- Put a pot of water on to boil for the noodles. Meanwhile, chop all your veggies and combine the ingredients for the stir fry sauce.
- When the water is boiling, add the noodles and boil just until the noodles separate but are still chewy – just a minute or so. It’s important to undercook the noodles as they will continue cooking in the sauce. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking processes. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and white and light green parts of the green onions. Fry, stirring constantly, for 10-15 seconds or until soft and fragrant but not browning.
- Add the carrots and broccoli. Stir fry until beginning to soften. Add the red pepper and zucchini and continue stir frying until all the veggies are crisp-tender.
- Add the noodles to the pan and pour in the sauce. Simmer, stirring, until the sauce is thick and covers the noodles and veggies. Stir in the green tops of the green onions and serve.
Notes
Cecilia says
Made three of your recipes yesterday (ramen, puffs and lentil soup) and the three were great!
Thank you!
The video that keeps popping out is extremely annoying though and makes me think twice before coming back.
Alison says
I doubled the recipe and it turned out well. I added some red cabbage and tofu for protein. I think the molasses had a strong flavour so will probably add a little less next time. I prepped the vegetables and the sauce ahead of time so I was able to quickly put it all together when I got home from work.
Donna says
Want to make it even easier? I used Walmart frozen stir fry vegetables that I cooked in a small amount of oil till done, then added noodles and PFChangs prepared bottled sauce. Added some red pepper flakes. Nothing I like better is easy, fast and delicious.
Luthien says
What kind of molasses did you use? Sugar beet?
Melissa says
Lyle's black treacle. From their website: "Yes, all Lyle’s products are suitable for vegetarians. All Lyle’s products are suitable for vegans except Lyle's Dessert Syrup - Chocolate flavour, which contains skimmed milk powder and sweetened condensed milk."
AMy says
It was yummy. I'm not a big ole fan of siracha so I might add a bit less next time. However, that will be over the objections of my family! : )
Jenn says
Yum! I loved this and so did my picky kids. What a great, quick recipe with only a few simple ingredients. I doubled the recipe and used 2/3 the amount of molasses because i was worried it would be too sweet. It was perfect over my zucchini and red peppers.
One thing I would like....is to have the recipe show the ounces of noodles that are recommended. I bought Thai Kitchen brand ramen noodles and they come in an 8 ounce box. I used the whole box and it worked fine, but wanted to give feedback to help you make the recipe more user friendly. Thank you! 🙂
Lorraine says
Ramen stir fry is great!! Thank you! Made a larger batch to feed the men! 🙂
Lola says
I enjoy your recipes, but the popups makes it difficult to enjoy your site.
Brandi says
I thought ramen contained dairy??
Andie says
Good meal - I used extra ginger, extra garlic and organic Raman. I threw in a ton of veggies. Topped with cilantro, green onion tips and toasted sesame seeds. Healthy and easy. Family was happy 😁
Olivia says
20/10 RECIPE!!!!! The sauce is amazing!!! I've been keeping a frozen stir fry veggie mix stocked in my fridge to whip this recipe up for quick dinners!
Susan says
Just made the ramen and it rocks! I added sriracha baked tofu. Delicious. Thank you
Laura says
I doubled up on this recipe - however I only added one tablespoon of sriracha because it was already pretty spicy! Also, added in rice noodles. Really, really good!!!!
Heather says
Oh my word y’all ! I had to get on here and write to you guys. I have made this three times, I make it a bit different each time and it gets better and better. I love this recipe. I definitely recommended doubling the sauce. Highly recommend the dish
Nell says
I enjoyed this recipe. It's simple and nothing fancy, but satisfying. I've only made it once and haven't felt the desire to make it again, but I think it's one of those recipes that probably great to use up veggies that need to be eaten before they go bad as you could change it up a bit with whatever you have on hand. I see some other people added some protein like tofu, that's probably a good call. I will probably try that if I make it again.
Carol Morehart says
Great dish. I used about 3/4 tbs. of sriracha as I thought it may be too spicy for my taste. That amount was perfect for me. A recipe keeper.
priya singh says
There are lots of food blogger like this But the best food recipe " Ramen Stir Fry" is yours. Thanks for giving me this wonderful blog. I will try to make it like you.
Ann says
We made this tonight and were delighted by how quick, easy, and delicious it was! We will definitely make it again. Thanks for sharing!