Ramen Fried Chicken Is Your Hack For The Crunchiest Bite

By now, it's well established that instant ramen has myriad culinary uses beyond the instructions on the packet. We've seen Italian-esque ramen lasagna, Midwestern ramen noodle salad, and even ramen omelet grilled cheese. And now, just when you thought we'd reached peak instant noodle ingenuity, ramen fried chicken.

It might sound a little unconventional, but ramen fried chicken actually makes perfect sense. Creative fried chicken breading is nothing new -– there's cornflake fried chicken, pretzel-crusted fried chicken, cheddar bay biscuit fried chicken, to name just a few. Ramen fried chicken is simply a natural extension of two basic principles: crunchy bits of deliciousness make a superb fried chicken breading, and ramen makes everything better.

The addition of crushed ramen noodles to the fried chicken batter makes the chicken supremely crispy-crunchy, while the ramen seasoning adds an extra hit of savory flavor. If you like your fried chicken extra crunchy, ramen fried chicken is a must-try dish.

Ramen fried chicken sounds incredible, but how does one actually make this wonderful dish? There are a lot of recipes out there, but the basic principle is to crush the uncooked instant ramen noodles so that they achieve a texture similar to panko breadcrumbs, and then dredge the chicken in flour, egg, and crushed ramen before frying. You'll also want to incorporate the seasoning packet. You could make it into a chicken marinade or flavor-packed sauce, add it directly to the breading mixture, or even use it to dust the chicken just before serving.

If you don't feel like deep-frying, you can also make air-fried or pan-fried ramen-crusted chicken. Additionally, don't feel restricted to using Nissin's Top Ramen for ramen fried chicken –- it will work with pretty much any kind of instant noodle pack you prefer. We're talking Indomie Mi Goreng fried chicken, Samyang Buldak fried chicken, you get the idea. The possibilities are endlessly crunchy and flavor-packed.