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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 constantly. The convenience of just adding hot water and throwing in some Vienna sausages made it an easy meal for us. It’s not trying to be fancy and it doesn’t need to be. It’s a classic for a reason.
Produced in the United States. Distributed by Japan.
What’s in the package
One cup of fried wavy noodles with chicken seasoning and dehydrated vegetable mix already in the cup.
How to prepare it
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 get hit immediately with onion powder and MSG. It’s savory right away and unmistakably familiar. The broth is light with a 1/5 viscosity, more of a thin salty soup than anything rich or creamy. The noodles are thin and wavy and cook up soft in the cup. The chicken flavor is mild and more of a background note than a feature. It needs some help to really shine but that’s kind of the point. It’s a blank canvas that begs to be dressed up.
How does it compare
Compared to the Maruchan Instant Lunch Beef flavor, the chicken version is noticeably lighter and less bold. The beef flavor has more depth and a richer broth. If you want something more neutral and easy to customize, chicken wins. If you want more flavor out of the box, go beef.
How to level it up
A few dashes of Tabasco hot sauce immediately wakes this up. Sliced hot dogs or Vienna sausages are the nostalgic move and they work really well. I would also add a soft-boiled egg, a drizzle of chili oil, and some green onions.
Final Verdict
This is an affordable, convenient, no-fuss cup of noodles that delivers on nostalgia. It’s not going to blow anyone away on its own but with a few easy additions it becomes a satisfying bowl. Worth keeping a few in the pantry at all times.
Tasting Notes
- Spice Level: 0/5
- Broth Viscosity: 1/5
- Noodle Thickness: 1/5
- Noodle Type: Wavy
- Topping Suggestions: Tabasco Hot Sauce, Hotdogs, Soft-Boiled Egg
How do I rate my ramen? Check out the Ramen Rating Guide.
Where to buy Maruchan Instant Lunch Chicken Ramen Noodles
Here are my reviews of the other Maruchan Instant Lunch flavors:
Community Ratings
The soup was very flavorful and the noodles weren’t the best texture, but they were smooth and retained the flavor of the broth. I didn’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.
This is super yummy and a good non-spice option for my low spice tonaent friends.
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, it’s a pretty ok ramen not my fav but no my least fav.
Eat it almost every day
This is a classic noodle flavor for me. The first ramen I ever had was the chicken flavor, so it brings back memories. It’s yummy. I just don’t like the fried veggies since they tend to taste weird after being rehydrated.
