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This is one of those instant ramens that takes me straight back to childhood. My parents kept these in the pantry all the time. Add hot water, throw in some Vienna sausages, and that was an easy meal for us.

Produced in the United States by Maruchan, Inc.

Maruchan Instant Lunch Chicken Ramen Noodles in cup packaging

Whatโ€™s in the Package

One cup of fried wavy noodles with chicken seasoning and dehydrated vegetable mix already in the cup.

Uncooked noodles in cup package

How to Cook Maruchan Instant Lunch Chicken Ramen Noodles

Boil water and fill the cup to the inside line. Cover and wait three minutes. Remove the lid, stir well to dissolve the seasoning, and eat right from the cup. For best results don’t overfill with water or the broth ends up too thin and watery.

How Does It Taste

You taste onion powder and MSG right away, plus some garlic powder. Itโ€™s fine. Itโ€™s familiar. The broth is thin, a 1/5 on viscosity. The noodles are thin and wavy and soft. The chicken flavor is mild and stays in the background.

Broth in clear ramekin

How Does It Compare

Compared to the Maruchan Instant Lunch Beef flavor, the chicken version is lighter. The beef has more flavor and a richer broth. If you want something plain thatโ€™s easy to add to, get the chicken. If you want more flavor right out of the cup, get the beef.

How to Level Up Maruchan Instant Lunch Chicken Ramen Noodles

Add Tabasco hot sauce, and a lot of it. Sliced hot dogs are what I grew up eating with this. They keep it on brand, and Vienna sausages work too. A soft-boiled egg is good in it. Honestly, this goes with almost anything.

Noodle pull with chopsticks

Final Verdict

Itโ€™s cheap, itโ€™s easy, and it tastes like being a kid. Itโ€™s fine on its own. With a lot of Tabasco, some hot dogs and an egg, itโ€™s a good bowl. Itโ€™s a good one to keep in the pantry.

Tasting Notes

Maruchan Instant Lunch Chicken Ramen Noodles
Spice Level0/5
Broth Viscosity1/5
Noodle Thickness1/5
Noodle TypeWavy Wheat
Topping SuggestionsTabasco Hot Sauce, Hot Dogs, Soft-Boiled Egg

How do I rate my ramen? Check out the Ramen Rating Guide.

Related Instant Ramen

Where to buy Maruchan Instant Lunch Chicken Ramen Noodles

Here are my reviews of the other Maruchan Instant Lunch flavors:

4.6
4.6 out of 5 stars (based on 5 reviews)
Excellent
Very good
Average
Poor
Terrible

February 28, 2026
Flavor Rating
Noodle Quality
Spice Level

The soup was very flavorful and the noodles werenโ€™t the best texture, but they were smooth and retained the flavor of the broth. I didnโ€™t t even have to change how it was cooked, I just used the instructions! I ate it with spicy Doritos, it was good, but maybe that just me and my weird food combos.

Would you buy it again?Yes
Avatar for Amani
Amani
February 23, 2026
Flavor Rating
Noodle Quality
Spice Level

This is super yummy and a good non-spice option for my low spice tonaent friends.

Would you buy it again?Yes
Avatar for Sophia
Sophia
January 5, 2026
Flavor Rating
Noodle Quality
Spice Level

Love the brand and bigger packs of this ramen but I will say that the non-cup version of this ramen is better. the noodles always taste different from the ones in the pack. Overall, itโ€™s a pretty ok ramen not my fav but no my least fav.

Would you buy it again?Yes
Avatar for Daphne B.
Daphne B.
December 1, 2025
Flavor Rating
Noodle Quality
Spice Level

Eat it almost every day

Would you buy it again?Yes
Avatar for Natalie
Natalie
November 5, 2025
Flavor Rating
Noodle Quality
Spice Level

This is a classic noodle flavor for me. The first ramen I ever had was the chicken flavor, so it brings back memories. Itโ€™s yummy. I just donโ€™t like the fried veggies since they tend to taste weird after being rehydrated.

Would you buy it again?Yes
Avatar for Tine
Tine
Think about its overall taste (savory, sweet, sour), richness, and authenticity to the advertised flavor.
Think about their texture, consistency, and how well they held up in the broth.
0 (No Spice) 1 (Mild) 2 (Slightly Spicy) 3 (Moderately Spicy) 4 (Spicy) 5 (Extremely Spicy)

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