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Basic Ramen Broth Recipe

★★★★★

4.4 from 112 reviews
  • Author: lina
  • Total Time: Overnight (plus approximately 6 hours active and simmering time)
  • Yield: Approximately 10 cups (2.5 liters) of ramen broth 1x

Description

This recipe guides you through creating a deeply flavorful Basic Ramen Broth from scratch, combining umami-rich ingredients like chicken carcasses, dried kelp, bonito flakes, shiitake mushrooms, and fragrant aromatics. The broth simmers slowly to extract maximum depth, then is enhanced with different tare sauces—Shio, Shoyu, or Miso—to suit your ramen preference, delivering a rich and authentic Japanese ramen experience.

Ingredients

Scale

Overnight Dashi Stock

  • 0.35oz (10g) Kelp
  • 0.35oz (10g) Bonito flakes (or 1 cup)
  • 0.7oz (20g) Shiitake mushrooms (or 5 dried shiitake mushrooms)
  • 6 cups (1.5L) water

Chicken Broth

  • 2 Chicken carcasses (about 1 whole carcass)
  • 4 Chicken wings
  • 1/2 Onion, cut into quarters
  • 2 Cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 1oz (30g) Ginger, thinly sliced
  • 2 Scallions, chopped into thirds
  • 12 cups (3L) water

Seasoning for Broth

  • 1/4 cup Dashi stock (from overnight soak)
  • 2 tbsp Sake
  • 1 tbsp Mirin
  • 1 tbsp Salt
  • 2.5 tbsp Chashu leftover sauce
  • 1/2 Onion, finely chopped
  • 1 Clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp Ginger, finely chopped
  • White part of 1 scallion

Miso Tare

  • 2 tbsp Smooth peanut butter (all natural, no sugar added)
  • 1 tbsp Sake
  • 2 tbsp Mirin
  • 1 tsp Rayu chilli oil
  • 1/2 cup Miso paste

Instructions

  1. Prepare Overnight Dashi Stock: Place the kelp, bonito flakes, shiitake mushrooms, and 6 cups of water in a large jar. Seal with a lid and soak overnight to extract the delicate umami flavors.
  2. Clean Chicken: Rinse the chicken carcasses and wings thoroughly under running water, removing any organs and residual blood to ensure a clean broth.
  3. Poach Chicken: Boil water in a large pot. Briefly poach the chicken carcasses and wings for about 30 seconds or until the meat turns white to remove impurities.
  4. Discard Poaching Water: Strain and discard the poaching water to avoid cloudiness in the broth.
  5. Simmer Broth Ingredients: In a large pot, combine the cleaned chicken carcasses and wings, quartered onion, smashed garlic cloves, sliced ginger, scallions, and 12 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
  6. Skim Scum: Once boiling, reduce heat to low and skim off any scum or foam that rises to the top to keep the broth clear.
  7. Simmer Gently: Let the broth simmer very gently over low heat for about 3 hours to extract rich flavors.
  8. Add Dashi Stock and Continue Simmering: Occasionally skim scum from the surface and add the reserved overnight dashi stock with kelp, bonito flakes, and shiitake mushrooms. Remove from heat briefly to strain out used chicken carcasses and vegetables, then return broth to heat.
  9. Further Reduction: Simmer the strained broth gently for an additional 2 hours until it reduces to about 10 cups (2.5L), intensifying the flavor.
  10. Final Strain: Remove from heat and strain broth through a sieve lined with kitchen paper towels into a clean pot or bowl to achieve a clear, smooth broth.
  11. Store or Serve: Use the broth immediately for ramen, or cool and store in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.
  12. Prepare Shio Tare: Combine finely chopped onion, garlic, ginger, white scallion, sake, mirin, salt, and chashu leftover sauce. Stir until salt dissolves.
  13. Assemble Shio Ramen: Place 2.5 tbsp of shio tare in a ramen bowl. Pour 2 cups (500ml) of ramen broth over and stir well to combine.
  14. Assemble Shoyu Ramen: Place 3 tbsp of prepared shoyu tare (not given in ingredient list, assumed similar to shio tare but with soy sauce base) in a ramen bowl. Pour 2 cups (500ml) of ramen broth over and stir well.
  15. Prepare Miso Tare: In a small container, combine smooth peanut butter, sake, mirin, Rayu chili oil, and miso paste. Blend with a stick blender or food processor until creamy.
  16. Cook Miso Tare: Transfer mixture to a small saucepan and cook over low heat for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning. After turning off heat, add remaining miso paste (to enrich) and combine well.
  17. Assemble Miso Ramen: Place 2 tbsp miso tare in a ramen bowl, pour 2 cups (500ml) ramen broth, and stir until miso tare dissolves completely.

Notes

  • Chicken carcasses and wings must be cleaned well for a clear broth.
  • Skimming scum regularly during simmering is key to a clean, flavorful broth.
  • Overnight dashi soaking enhances the umami depth without cooking heat.
  • Broth can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
  • Adjust tare quantities to taste preference for saltiness and flavor intensity.
  • Shoyu tare is not detailed in this recipe; use your favorite soy sauce-based tare or substitute accordingly.
  • Simmer gently at low heat to avoid cloudiness and bitterness.
  • Use kitchen paper towels in the sieve for final straining to achieve extra clarity in broth.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus overnight soak for dashi)
  • Cook Time: 5 hours 30 minutes simmering total (3 hours initial + 2 hours additional + prep)
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Japanese

Keywords: ramen broth, basic ramen, Japanese soup, dashi, chicken broth, miso tare, shio tare, shoyu tare

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Find it online: https://yummybylina.com/basic-ramen-broth-recipe/