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Peanut Butter Ramen jazzes up ordinary Ramen noodles with just a couple of ingredients. A cheap and easy meal you can make for about 50-cents per serving!
Included With This Recipe
This peanut butter ramen recipe is a quick and inexpensive way to create a delicious side dish or main course. Back in college, this recipe was life! I could make this in less than 5 minutes and with ingredients in my sparse college apartment pantry. Like many starving college students, I lived on Ramen noodles. I actually got this recipe from my husband back when we were first dating. He came over to my apartment one day for lunch and of course, all I had was Ramen noodles. He added a couple spoonfuls of peanut butter and some Sriracha sauce, then handed it to me. I skeptically took a bite and it was so good! I don’t think I ate plain Ramen again. It quickly became my favorite meal that I could make for under fifty cents! And it literally takes two minutes to make from start to finish.
Ingredients to Make Peanut Butter Ramen
You ready for this? Here are the THREE simple ingredients you need to make these peanut butter ramen noodles:
- Ramen – we like to use 1 packet of chicken-flavored instant ramen noodles
- Peanut butter – We usually just go with creamy peanut butter but crunchy works great
- Sriracha
Easy Microwave Method
As if this recipe weren’t easy enough, you can actually make it even easier! Instead of making the ramen in a pot of boiling water (as per package directions), you can actually make it in the microwave! Put the ramen in a microwave safe dish or bowl and microwave for 4 minutes or until noodles are soft. Pour out most of the water (reserve about ½ cup) and add the packet of ramen seasoning. Add the peanut butter and sriracha and that’s it!
Additions and Variations
Want a little flavor variation? You can also add a splash of soy sauce to the noodles and/or a little chili garlic sauce or chili paste to the peanut butter mixture. If you like a sweeter ramen, you can add a drizzle of honey or a splash of coconut milk for creaminess. To make this more of a Thai peanut butter ramen, serve with lime wedges (the lime juice adds such a delicious flavor). Looking for some additions to add to beef up your peanut butter ramen? You can add so many toppings to these noodles if you like. I love adding peanuts for crunch and cilantro or green onions for flavor and color, but you could also toss in shredded carrots, chopped chicken, red bell peppers, bean sprouts, mushrooms, beef, shrimp, tofu, sesame seeds, just about anything goes!
Tips for Peanut Butter Ramen
- Just about any flavor of Ramen noodles will work. I usually use the regular chicken flavor, but I’ve tried this with beef, spicy chicken, shrimp and spicy beef.
- Don’t forget to make the Ramen noodles as directed on the package, including adding the spice packet. Otherwise your noodles just won’t have enough flavor.
- Sriracha is a brand of hot sauce that can be found in most grocery stores in the Thai or Asian food section. It has a consistency of thin ketchup but packs a powerful punch that gives this recipe a much needed kick! The sriracha and the peanut butter combined make the perfect peanut sauce.
- You can use creamy or crunchy peanut butter, whatever you have on hand. Crunchy will give the whole dish a little more texture which is absolutely delicious.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Peanut Butter Ramen
YES! Peanut butter goes great with ramen. It gives it a delicious Pad Thai flavor with little effort.
We add 2 tablespoons per packet of ramen but it can be added to taste. Be sure to add enough to give your ramen noodles that creamy texture.
Cilantro and limes are a quick and easy garnish to give peanut butter ramen more of a Thai flavor.
How to Make Peanut Butter Ramen
Peanut Butter Ramen (3 Ingredients – Ready in 5 minutes)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 package ramen noodles chicken flavored
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (or to taste)
- chopped peanuts (optional, to taste)
- 1 chopped cilantro (optional, to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare ramen noodles as directed on package.
- Drain off all but about ½ cup of liquid from the noodles. Place in a bowl and add seasoning packet.
- Add peanut butter and Sriracha sauce.
- Stir together until well combined.
- Garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro (optional).
Notes
- Don’t overcook the ramen noodles, they will get too soft and won’t be able to absorb the peanut sauce flavors
- Add a Thai spin on this recipe by adding cilantro, fresh lime wedges, and chopped peanuts
- Try different flavors of Instant Ramen, including shrimp, beef, or veggie flavored!
Made mine with crunchy peanut butter and added a bit of Sriracha teriyaki sauce, a little more regular teriyaki sauce and a dash of sesame oil. It was delicious!
Is there something I can substitute for the Sriracha to give a good flavor? I’m not a fan of anything spicey.
A sweet chili sauce would work! They are usually very mild.
I would switch steps 2 and 3.
I have made this many times now and it just keeps getting better! This is my go-to when I’m the only one I have to cook for ( I HATE cooking lol) and I nearly always have the ingredients on hand. I’m not a fan of sriracha so I sub a bit of Thai sweet chili sauce instead and I get the Oriental flavor of ramen because it’s the flavor I prefer. Tonight I added some leftover chicken and some snow peas I had in the fridge, and I added a couple drops of sesame oil and tamari sauce – my daughter in law is gluten intolerant so I never have soy sauce around just in case – and it was delicious! Now if only hubby wasn’t so darn picky…..but that just means that there’s more for me! lol
Wow such an easy and flavorful recipe. Wish I had seen this earlier today when I wanted to make something quick and tasty. Will make this soon.
These thai peanut noodles are so delicious and so easy to prepare! Such a perfect weeknight recipe that the whole family loves!
This looks like it will quickly become a family favorite! I love that its so quick and easy to make!! Thank you for sharing!
I love Thai peanut noodles and this recipe is really such a simple and easy way to make them!Highly recommend 🙂
Two minutes?! Who doesn’t love that!
What is Sriracha sauce ?
It is like a spicy chile sauce. You can find it in most stores, probably with the Thai/Asian food. Hope this helps!
this recipe just saved my life during finals. thank you thank you thank you – a poor, sad, frazzled college student
Oh I have SOOO been there! I feel for ya. But yay, sounds like you got through them!!! Best of luck to you!
I think I added to much peanut butter
I completely spaced and missed the part where you add the chicken seasoning packet! So next time I will add that! But even without it I really enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much!
Yummy, I made this tonight for a lazy supper.
A neighbor had me for lunch (really) and had ramen. She drained all but about 2 T. of water, then broke an egg in, mixing with half the packet and leftover vegetables from the night before. It didn’t taste like leftovers or just plain ramen.
This has become a go-to for me, plus my 2 grown sons.
Oh yum! That sounds like a great recipe! I always love quick and easy recipes!
just made this tonight. all three kids loved it. Served it with steamed broccoli. I used plain rice noodles since that is what i had on hand and added some sesame oil and topped with cilantro. This will be a keeper.
So glad you liked it! Couldn’t be easier, huh? Great idea to use sesame oil and cilantro! yum!
I LOVE this idea! I use the packets of noodles from the asian aisle of the grocery store or an Asian market though, because There is SO much sodium in ramen seasoning packets
How would this taste with the pork or beef flavored ramon?
I have only tried it with chicken.. I am sure it would be fine with those though
I’ve done this both. It’s really good. Also good is the “spicy chicken” variety.
I’ll have to try it. Thank you!
simple and sounds tasty , glad you re-shared it. I have a couple of college students back home for a short time. I will be sharing it with them. Have you ever used chunky peanut butter?
I make something similar, but this is even easier. A squirt of lime is a good addition, too.
Great idea! Thanks!