The Leftover Fat You Need For The Best Tasting Instant Ramen

Instant ramen, on its own, isn't bland — it's a blank template, just begging for all kinds of additions to make it vibrant, rich, and flavorful. One of the easiest ways to do this is with a common household kitchen scrap that clever chefs always save: bacon grease.

Meaty, fatty richness is a cornerstone of many quality ramen bowls from a shop. However, most instant ramen packs lean more on salt than animal fat for flavor. Just a little bit of bacon grease, about half a teaspoon per bowl, is enough to mimic the flavors of a master ramen chef. When added to a steaming bowl, the fat dissolves quickly and forms tiny droplets on top of the soup that cling to your noodles as you lift them out.

While there are dozens of different toppings to elevate your instant ramen, bacon grease is one of the easiest, most flavorful, and cheapest options. You can even try buttered-toast ramen with bacon and eggs for a hearty twist on breakfast for dinner that's sure to become your newest weeknight craving. When it comes to adding bacon grease to your ramen, you have tons of options. Whether you saute extra vegetables in it, add it directly to the soup, or drizzle it on dry noodles, there are plenty of convenient, tasty choices.

As long as you add unburnt, unspoiled bacon grease to your ramen, there are no wrong answers. However, some methods infuse the fat with extra flavor, creating an even more vibrant dish.

Try using bacon fat to caramelize onions in the same pot you'll use to make your ramen. Onions are a fantastic addition to instant ramen, and caramelized onions add sweetness and umami directly to the stock. By using bacon grease, you infuse the onions with a meaty taste while still providing plenty of richness to the soup. This method works perfectly for any other vegetables you may want to add, like garlic, bok choy, or spinach.

For fans of tsukemen — a style of ramen that involves dipping cold noodles into hot, reduced broth, making it extremely flavorful — try drizzling bacon fat over your cold noodles. Just remember that ramen packets, especially once reduced, can be quite salty. By applying the bacon grease to your noodles, you reduce the risk of oversalting your broth while still ensuring each bite has plenty of pork flavor.