Soup
Homemade Ramen Broth (Chicken Shoyu Ramen Recipe)
Rich, clear homemade ramen broth with chicken wings, ginger and kombu, seasoned with soy sauce. Ready in 3½ hours, with noodles and toppings.
By the Forkful editorial team · Published
Quick answer
Simmer 3 lb chicken wings in 12 cups water with onion, scallions, garlic, ginger and a carrot, uncovered at a bare simmer, for 2½ hours, skimming the foam. Steep a piece of kombu in the hot broth for 20 minutes, strain, then season with ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin and a little sugar and salt. Ladle about 2 cups of hot broth over cooked noodles for each bowl.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 3 h 10 min
- Total
- 3 h 30 min
- Makes
- 4 bowls
Homemade ramen broth is one of the most searched-for recipes in the soup world right now, and it is easy to see why: a good bowl is deep, savory and comforting, and the shop version feels out of reach. The truth is that a clear chicken and soy-sauce (shoyu) ramen broth is mostly patience. You put everything in a pot, keep the heat low and let time do the work.
What makes this version work is a gentle simmer, not a boil, so the broth stays clear instead of cloudy. Chicken wings give body from their skin and collagen, ginger and scallions keep it fresh, and kombu added off the heat at the end brings umami without bitterness. A separate seasoning of soy sauce and mirin goes in last, so you can taste and adjust.
Ingredients
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- For the broth
- 3 lb chicken wings
- 12 cups water (3 quarts)
- 1 onion, halved
- 4 scallions, white parts kept whole and green parts saved for serving
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 inches fresh ginger, sliced
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 piece of kombu (about 4 inches square, 10 g)
- For the seasoning
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt, to taste
- For the bowls
- 12 oz fresh ramen noodles (or dried, cooked to the package directions)
- 4 eggs
- Sliced scallion greens, nori sheets, sliced cooked pork or chicken, sesame oil (all optional)
Instructions
- Rinse the chicken wings and put them in a large stockpot with the water. Bring to a boil over high heat, which takes about 10 minutes, and skim off the grey foam that rises.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the onion, scallion whites, garlic, ginger and carrot. Keep the pot at a bare simmer, with only a few bubbles breaking the surface, uncovered, for 2½ hours. Skim now and then and add a little hot water if the level drops below the ingredients.
- Turn off the heat, add the kombu and steep for 20 minutes. Do not let the broth boil with the kombu in it, because it turns bitter and slimy. Remove the kombu.
- Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pot, pressing the solids lightly. You should have about 8 cups. Skim most of the fat from the top with a spoon.
- Stir in the soy sauce, mirin and sugar, bring back to a gentle simmer for 2 minutes, then taste and add salt until it is well seasoned. Ramen broth should taste slightly salty on its own.
- Lower the eggs into a pan of boiling water and cook for 7 minutes for a soft yolk. Move them to ice water, then peel and halve.
- Cook the noodles in a separate pot of boiling water until just tender, then drain well. Never cook them in the broth, which would cloud it.
- Divide the noodles among 4 bowls, ladle about 2 cups of piping-hot broth over each, and top with the eggs, scallion greens and any other toppings.
Tips for the best result
- 1Keep the simmer gentle. A hard boil churns fat into the liquid and makes the broth cloudy and greasy.
- 2Season the broth only after straining. It reduces as it simmers, so seasoning too early makes it too salty.
- 3For a cleaner broth, chill it overnight and lift off the solid layer of fat before reheating.
- 4Reheat the broth until it is steaming hot and serve the bowls right away, since the noodles keep softening in it.
Storage
Cool the strained broth quickly, refrigerate it within 2 hours and use it within 3–4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Always bring it to a full simmer when reheating. Store noodles and eggs separately.
Frequently asked questions
How long should ramen broth simmer?
Chicken ramen broth needs at least 2 hours to extract flavor from the wings, and 2½ to 3 hours gives a fuller result. Pork-bone broths such as tonkotsu take much longer.
Why is my ramen broth cloudy?
It was boiled too hard or not skimmed. Keep the simmer very gentle and skim the foam early on to keep the broth clear.
Can I make ramen broth without kombu?
Yes. The broth is still good with only chicken, ginger and scallions, but kombu adds a rounder savory depth. You can also steep a few dried shiitake mushrooms in the hot broth for a similar effect.
