Fried Onion

Similar to fried garlic, fried onion is one of my go-tos for a quick flavor boost. The flavor is sweet, deep, and lightly toasted. The texture is dry and crunchy. The two together turn a soft bowl into a bowl with somewhere to go.

I buy mine at the Asian grocery store in a small bag. James buys the French’s in the red can at his regular grocery store. Both work.

Why Fried Onion is Great in Ramen

Most instant ramen lacks crunch. The noodles are soft, the broth is liquid, the egg is tender. Fried onion is the easiest texture fix in your pantry. A handful on top gives the bowl a contrast that none of the other toppings can match for the same effort.

The flavor also fills a gap. Onion power in the seasoning packet can be flat and salty. Real fried onion brings a sweetness and a depth that a powder can’t fake. The bowl tastes like it had time spent on it.

Ways to Add Fried Onion to Instant Ramen

• Sprinkled on the finished bowl. The default and the way you keep them crispiest. Plate everything else, sprinkle fried onion over the top, eat right away. If you wait, the broth steam softens them.
• Stirred into the broth. Add a small handful in the last thirty seconds of cooking. The fried onions melt slightly and release their flavor into the soup. You lose the crunch but you gain a savory undertone that ties the bowl together.
• Onion oil from your own batch. If you fried your own, the oil left in the pan is gold. A teaspoon drizzled over the finished bowl carries the flavor into every noodle without adding more crunch.

Pictured above: Chili Oil Chicken Noodles

My Instant Ramen Suggestions

I don’t think there’s an instant ramen that I wouldn’t suggest fried onions on unless you don’t like onions. Here are some suggestions anyway:

• Immi Black Garlic Chicken Ramen
• Mama Pork Instant Noodles
• Nongshim Chapagetti
• Sapporo Ichiban Beef Flavored
• Maruchan Beef Flavor

Are you the person who adds fried onion to everything, or the person who hasn’t tried it yet? Tell me where you stand below.