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You know how I love my instant ramen upgrades and this coconut curry ramen might just be one of my most favorite yet! You only need five simple ingredients and about ten minutes to make this bowl of delicious noodles. Plus, there’s no chopping required, so this coconut curry ramen is a really great choice for anyone cooking in small spaces or with limited cooking equipment (dorm room, hotel room, RV, etc.). But what I love the most is just how vibrant the colors and flavors are in this bowl.
“Super easy, very tasty, and VERY filling. I made a double batch for me and my husband because I was worried that a single batch wouldn’t fill us both up. I couldn’t eat all of my half because I was stuffed. I enjoyed every bite and will definitely make this again but probably just the single recipe next time.”
Jess
10 Minute Coconut Curry Ramen
This coconut curry ramen is THE definition of a pantry meal, though I do suggest keeping a bag of frozen mixed vegetables on hand so you can make it whenever you want. Frozen vegetables are already chopped, which makes this recipe a breeze to put together. There are so many different vegetable mix combos available to choose from (see photos below for examples), and you can use just a cup at a time without worrying about the rest going bad. That being said, you can use any fresh vegetables you might have on hand, as well!
I’ve made this creamy ramen with a few different mixes of frozen vegetables already, and they’ve all been great. Scroll down to the step by step photos below the recipes to see the three types that I’ve tried so far. P.S. If you like the idea of this recipe but don’t like instant ramen, check out my 15-minute vegetable curry!
Recipe Success Tips
- Use any ramen you like. Another great thing about this recipe is its flexibility. You can use several different flavors of ramen. I used chicken, but shrimp would also be good.
- Skip the packet seasoning. If you don’t want to use the seasoning packet that comes with the ramen, omit it and then replace the water in the recipe below with any broth that you like (vegetable, chicken, mushroom, etc.)
- Use any curry powder. I used a yellow curry powder for this recipe, but it’s quite flexible, and I think it would work well with just about any curry powder. The flavor of curry powder can vary quite a bit from brand to brand, so you may need to do some experimenting to find one that you like. 1/2-1 teaspoon curry paste (e.g., Thai green curry paste) would also be delicious! I’d saute the curry paste in a skillet for about 60 secs first though, to wake up the flavor.
- Make it as spicy as you want. You can use either a mild or spicy curry powder, whichever you prefer! I’m also partial to a drizzle of sriracha on just about anything, but you can just as easily add a pinch of red pepper flakes, a spoonful of chili crisp, or a little chopped fresh chili right at the end to dial in the heat to your taste.
- Scale it up! I purposefully made this recipe a small batch (serves one or two with smaller portions) because instant ramen doesn’t store well once made. But you can very easily make more servings by increasing the ingredients as needed. This recipe doubles and even triples very well. Change the number of servings in the recipe card, and the ingredient amounts will automatically adjust.
Coconut Curry Ramen
Cost $1.52 recipe / $1.52 serving
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables ($0.39)
- 1½ cups water ($0.00)
- 3 oz. package instant ramen ($0.47)
- ½ cup full fat coconut milk ($0.56*)
- 1 tsp curry powder ($0.10)
Instructions
- Add the frozen vegetables and water to a small saucepot. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat on to high, and bring the water up to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the ramen noodles (without seasoning). Continue to boil for 2-3 minutes, or until the noodles are soft.
- Shake the coconut can well to combine the solid fat and liquid before measuring. Add the coconut milk to the saucepot and stir to combine.
- Finally, add the seasoning packet from the instant ramen and the curry powder. Stir to combine. Serve hot.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Coconut Curry Ramen Step-by-Step Photos
Gather your ingredients: You can use just about any type of mixed frozen vegetables for this recipe. Here are three examples of vegetable mixes that I’ve used and enjoyed. The vegetables used in the ramen bowl pictured in this post were the “stir-fry starters” mix on the top right.
Boil the veggies: Add one cup of frozen vegetables to a saucepot with 1½ cups water. Place a lid on top, turn the heat on to high, and bring the water up to a boil.
Add the noodles: Once boiling, add the ramen noodles to the pot (without the seasoning). Continue to boil for 2-3 minutes, or just until the noodles soften.
Make it creamy: Add ½ cup full-fat coconut milk to the pot and stir to combine. Make sure your coconut milk is very well mixed before measuring, so you get an even mix of the solid fat and liquid.
Add the seasonings: Finally, add the seasoning packet from the instant ramen and one teaspoon curry powder. Stir to combine.
Serve: And that’s it! Your deliciously creamy pot of coconut curry ramen is done and ready to devour!
What Else Can I Add?
The recipe here is very simple and very delicious, but you can always add more ingredients if you have them on hand! I don’t like to see things go to waste, and this recipe is perfect for add-ins!
- If you have shrimp or cooked shredded chicken, you can toss that in
- Top it with green onions or a drizzle of sriracha
- Use up an extra handful or two of any leftover greens that you may have (spinach, kale, etc.) by tossing them in when you add the ramen
- Add some baked tofu if you’re keeping things veggie/vegan
- Crack in an egg and let it poach right in the simmering broth, or add a soft-boiled egg on top
- Stir in sliced mushrooms, shredded carrots, or a handful of frozen peas or edamame for extra veg with zero fuss
- Finish with something crunchy like chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, or crispy fried onions
Storage & Reheating
This coconut curry ramen makes about 1-2 servings, so you probably won’t have many leftovers. If you do, just know it doesn’t store well because the noodles will soak up the broth and turn very soft. I’d eat any leftovers within 1-2 days MAX. Reheat gently in the microwave if needed (a splash of water or broth can help loosen it up).
Try These Other Noodle Recipes!
- I make these sweet-salty Garlic Noodles when I want a buttery, garlicky noodle side that goes with literally everything.
- This Ramen Noodle Salad is a crunchy, fresh mix of cabbage and crispy ramen tossed in a quick tangy vinaigrette.
- These budget-friendly Dan Dan Noodles are so, so good, and seriously satisfy my takeout cravings (but without the takeout bill!!)
What do you do with the extra coconut milk?
I can see how it would be good but it’s also extremely sweet for me, almost nauseatingly so.
Perfect Just as written! Yum! Thank you for this recipe!
🥢 Delicious Coconut Curry Ramen 🌶️🥥
Looking for a comforting yet exotic meal? Try this Coconut Curry Ramen recipe that’s bursting with flavor! This simple noodle dish combines creamy coconut milk with aromatic curry spices, making it a perfect weeknight dinner or a cozy lunch option.
Grab all your ramen ingredients at Budget Mart to cook this fantastic dish without breaking the bank!
I think I made this the first time the day Beth first posted it. It has saved me so much money since then – it’s my go-to when my day goes off the rails and I make it instead of going out or ordering take-away. I’ve added tofu (love it with air fried tofu cubes), edamame, and it works with all kinds of vegetables. I do toss the seasoning packet and use Better Than instead. This one and the creamy mushroom ramen are life savers!
If I were to add a meat I’d make 5 pork potstickers from frozen then add them in last and top with plum sauce and mint
I am not kidding when I say I’ve had ramen for at least 4 days in a row. I’ve made the coconut curry and creamy mushroom. They are delicious. I am vegetarian so I don’t use the seasoning packets. I add the better than bouillon to the water.
Absolutely yummy! Have loved every Budget Bytes recipe we’ve ever tried, this one is no exception. My son said he believed he could eat it every day! Have already purchased more coconut milk for the pantry, had everything else on hand. Thanks for this winner, winner, Ramen dinner!
I made this last night to accompany the butter chicken naanpandas I bought at Aldi. I have been dying for curry anything lately, and when I found this recipe and had all of the ingredients, I had to make it! I added like an 1/8 of a cup of diced tomatoes to it because coconut milk and tomatoes are YUM in my book. It was freaking amazing!!!!!!! Just what I was looking for, something quick involving curry powder and coconut milk, I now know what I’m doing with the rest of the Ramen. Thank you!!!
What kind of curry powder do you use? I’ve never used it before.
From the blog post: What Kind of Curry Powder to Use
I used a yellow curry powder for this recipe, but it’s quite flexible and I think it would work well with just about any type of curry powder. The flavor of curry powder can vary quite a bit from brand to brand, so you may need to do some experimenting to find one that you like. You can use either a mild or spicy curry powder, whichever you prefer.
Super easy, very tasty, and VERY filling. I made a double batch for me and my husband because I was worried that a single batch wouldn’t fill us both up. I couldn’t eat all of my half because I was stuffed. I enjoyed every bite and will definitely make this again but probably just the single recipe next time.
This recipe was delicious as written when I made this the first time. Second time around, I added about 3/4 cup of diced cooked chicken and used homemade chicken stock instead of water — made the flavor even better.
This recipe is delicious and perfect for a busy night! I added in some extra fresh veggies in addition to the frozen ones (grated carrot and chopped red bell pepper). It was creamy and delicious. It is lacking in protein though as is, so next time I think I’ll add chicken or tofu or some other sort of protein.
Ramen. 43 grams of fat. Enough said.
Everyone has different dietary needs and preferences. If a recipe doesn’t look good to you, you don’t have to make it.
Don’t be a dick.
Enough said.
Holy cow! I tried the mushroom ramen and it was just okay, but we LOVED this soup although I changed it up a bit (sorry, just didn’t want to use the sodium filled packets!). Doubled the ingredients for 2 people. I sauteed ginger and garlic with a little olive oil and used vegetable broth instead of water. So good and easy!