10 Tastiest Spicy Korean Ramen To Try In 2023

As the winters are in full swing, no other food can feel better than a warm bowl of spicy Korean ramen. Unlike many other foods, you can find ramen noodles of wide varieties in South Korea. 

All you will need is a cup of boiling water along with their hot and spicy seasonings. 

But, how to choose the best Korean spicy ramen? Well, you can choose to spend hours on the internet doing your research. 

Related: Are Korean Noodles Healthy

Related: Best Korean Instant Ramen

However, that’s not a smart decision, in my opinion. Here’s another option for you; all you need is to read this article till the end, and it’ll lead you to your next favorite Korean spicy ramen. 

Now, without wasting any further time, let’s start finding the best spicy ramen for you through this list. 

How I tested these spicy instant Korean ramen?

I tested these spicy instant noodles based on the following factors and even rated them on a scale of 1-5. These are:

• Spiciness – I checked the levels of spice of these instant noodles
• Flavor – I then noted how the flavor and taste of these ramen noodles
• Ingredients – I then checked if these are MSG-free, vegan, etc. and if the ramen uses a lot of vegetables, etc
• Price – Lastly, I noted how affordable these ramen noodles are.

Top Spicy Korean Ramen 2022

Samyang Spicy Chicken Ramen

Here’s a straightforward thing about Samyang Spicy Ramen; if you like spicy ramen, then you’ll love Samyang Ramen. As for the flavor and textures, there’s no doubt that these ramen have something magical to offer.

When compared to many other Korean ramens, Samyang Ramen is a bit oily and a different kind of spicy. 

Apart from this, the ramen also had a strong presence of chicken flavor and tasted much better with its liquid soup base. So, there was no issue with noodles, the soup base tasted good, and adding sesame seeds brought this ramen near to perfection. 

If you’re looking for medium spicy noodles with exciting flavors and a liquid soup base, then Samyang Spicy Chicken Ramens are the right choice. 

What I Like:

• I liked the soupy base with a delicious chicken flavor
• The ramen has a medium spicy level that suits a lot of people

What I Didn’t Like

• The noodles are it expensive
• Not for vegetarians

My Ratings:

• Spiciness Ratings – 4.5/5
• Flavor – 5/5
• Ingredients – 4/5
• Price – 4.5/5

Nongshim’s Shin Ramyun

Firstly, one interesting fact about these ramen is the lesser-known spelling ‘ramyun,’ which means instant ramen/noodles. 

There’s no denying that Nongshim Ramens is perhaps the most loved ramen among the Korean people. When it comes to the level of spiciness, its red hot broth is a clear indication of its hot peppery taste. 

While the broth is pretty spicy, the noodles, on the other hand, are a little springy and carry a bit of sweetness. 

Personally, I loved this combination of spicy broth and a bit of sweetness in noodles. However, it might not work out the same for everyone, and hence you’ll have to decide here. 

The 120g portion is pretty lovely and almost works as a decent small meal with bits of vegetables like mushroom, carrots, and green onion. 

Overall, Shin Ramyun lived up to its hype and didn’t disappoint me with its flavor and spiciness. 

What I Like:

• Excellent spicy flavor that is close to authentic Korean taste
• Good for vegetarians

What I Didn’t Like

• Can be too spicy for some people

My Ratings:

• Spiciness Ratings – 5/5
• Flavor – 5/5
• Ingredients – 4.5/5
• Price – 4/5

Ottogi’s Jin Ramen

When it comes to Korea’s most famous ramen, Ottogi’s Jin Ramen is right up there. Hence, I decided to try these Korean ramen and see if they’re spicy enough for me. 

The first impressive thing about these ramen is the pre-packed vegetables that come with Jin Ramen. 

The presence of little mushrooms indeed gave these noodles an earthy flavor, and other veggies soaked up pretty well. 

Surprisingly, the noodles weren’t as rich in flavor and textures as others, like Samyang’s Ramen. 

Moreover, they became a bit soggy pretty quickly, which disappointed me a little bit. In case you’re someone who prefers taste over spices, then you can try Ottogi’s Sesame Ramen. 

They’re quite similar to Jin Ramen but taste better due to the coating of sesame seeds. 

However, if you’re comfortable with something that tastes decent but offers excellent spice levels, then Jin Ramen is worth trying. 

If it comes down to rating the Jin Ramen from 1 to 10, I will give it a solid 6 for taste and 8 out of 10 for the spice and heat level. 

What I Like:

• Spice levels are medium and suits a lot of palates
• Vegetarian product
• Five pack available for a reasonable price

What I Didn’t Like

• Not very flavorful

My Ratings:

• Spiciness Ratings – 4/5
• Flavor – 3.5/5
• Ingredients – 4/5
• Price – 4.5/5

Ottogi’s Yeul Ramen

Another Ottogi product, Yeul Ramen, is the next name on our list of the best Korean ramen. Do you know that the word Yeul translates to ‘fever’ in English? 

Interestingly, Yeul Ramen’s spice level works as an ordinary fever. At first, I could not tell if it was even spicy or not, but slowly the spices made me sweat like never before. 

Its beef and mushroom-based broth are pretty rich in flavor, and overall offer a delicious taste and textures. 

Despite this richness in taste, the broth lacks a bit of meatiness and lacks the presence of mushrooms. 

As for the noodles, they are pretty thinner compared to other Korean ramen but tastes good with some dehydrated vegetables. 

All in all, Yeul Ramen offers a decent level of spiciness with its beefy broth and can leave anyone’s mouth stinging hot.

 

Nongshim’s Neoguri Ramen

Some spicy ramen that can offer a decent seafood-type flavor sounds tasty, right? Well, that’s what you get with Nongshim’s Neoguri Ramen. 

The package also comes with decent and some freshly dehydrated vegetables and seaweeds. Moreover, the broth carries a robust spice kicking with overwhelming flavors. 

If you’re looking forward to sweating your sinuses, then Nonshim’s Neoguri Ramen can do the job efficiently. 

However, if you’re looking for something a bit less spicy, then make sure you’re using the whole season packet. 

To make it even less spicy, you can also add two eggs, which will undoubtedly lower the broth’s spiciness. 

As for the noodles, they’re thick enough but easily chewable at the same time. Due to such thickness, the noodles will not get mushy quickly as compared to other ramen. 

Nongshim’s Chapagetti Jajangmyeon

Now some of my readers might disagree with putting jajangmyeon with ramen. But it was pretty much impossible for me to ignore these instant noodles. 

For those who are unaware, Jjajangmyeon is a Korean-Chinese fusion-based food. Now coming to Nongshim’s Chapagetti Noodles, the soup comprises a particular black bean paste (Chunjang).

The soup had a nice mixture of spiciness and sweetness due to the presence of onions. As for the noodles, they had a pretty thick texture and tasted decent enough when coated with soup. 

However, if I’ve to pick between Nonshim’s Jjajangmyeon or Shin Ramyun, Shin Ramyun stands out clearly. 

Overall, if you’re looking for something creative and with less spiciness, Nongshim’s Chapagetti is the ideal choice. 

Samyang’s Sutah Ramen

Another excellent ramen from Samyang, and I am yet to find any issue with them. With its super hot and red-looking broth, any person can tell its level of spiciness. 

If I have to rank all the ramens that I have tasted so far, then Sutah Ramen is undoubtedly the spiciest of them. 

At first, you might feel that broth is only medium spicy. But the heat will kick in slowly and might leave you with a running nose. 

Overall, the flavors were fantastic, and the dehydrated vegetables were the cherry on the top, especially those loads of spring onions. 

As for the noodles, they looked a bit distorted at first but were easily chewable. 

If anything, Sutah Ramen is the kind of instant noodles that can leave your mouth stinging with heat, but you might ask for some more. 

Regarding the rating from 1 to 10, both soup and noodles impressed me highly and deserved a strong 8.5 out of 10.

Paldo’s Namja Ramyun

Last but not least, we have Namja Ramyun on our list of the best spicy Korean ramen. The very first thing which makes this ramen our winner is its sizzling broth. 

Like me, if you’re also a fan of garlic with some chili, then you’ll fall in love with this ramen. The broth had a fantastic blend of garlic and chili with a pretty hot red color. 

As for the noodles, they were a bit thinner than ramen like Shin Ramyun or Sutah Ramen. The dehydrated veggies blend in perfectly with the chewy texture of the noodles. 

But, the highlight of this bowl of ramen was indeed its broth. Its hot red color was no joke and can leave many spice lovers with red lips and running noses. 

Overall, in terms of both taste and spiciness, Paldo’s Namja Ramyun stood out pretty well above others. 

Once again, I have to rate its taste and heat level out of 10; this ramen deserves an impressive score of 8.5 and 9.5 out of 10, respectively. 

Nongshim Chapagetti Chajang Noodle

You know what, this one might be my favorite! I have never eaten anything like this before.

I love the spicy flavor of the chili peppers and pickled radish, they taste so good together with the noodles and bean sauce!

The soup itself is very flavorful, it has a nice thick consistency that’s easy to drink. It was also delicious on its own as well without any toppings or additions.

This is a great dish and I love the way it tastes. It’s very flavorful bean sauce, doesn’t contain MSG, and has plenty of veggies to make you feel full.

Plus it can be eaten as a main meal or served with any side dishes such as rice or kimchi.

Nongshim Soon Veggie Noodle Soup

I was looking for a vegetarian ramen soup and this is the best one I’ve found. It’s so yummy! The noodles are very soft, yet firm at the same time.

I love to eat soup and this is one of my favorite soups. I’ve tried a lot of different kinds but they are all delicious! This Nongshim soon veggie noodle soup has just the right amount of vegetables, without being too salty or filling you up.

The flavor is mild so it goes well with many types of dishes. It’s really easy to make as there aren’t any hard-to-find ingredients in it; which makes me feel good about eating something that doesn’t contain animal products.

Plus, it has tons of vegetables in it which makes it healthy as well. If you’re vegan like me or if you want to try a new type of food, this is definitely something you should try out!

I’ve tried a lot of different ramen noodles and this one is by far the best. I think it’s because of the vegetables that are added to make it vegan friendly. It has a good flavor, which makes me want more of this soup after every bowl!

Summarizing on Korea’s Spiciest Ramens

It’s true that any ramen generally consists of three main components only. However, if you’re looking for the best ramen, then surely all three have to work rightly. 

If it’s too spicy but entirely lacks taste, then there’s no point. Moreover, the spice level doesn’t work the same for all of us. For instance, you might find Ottogi’s Jin Ramen intensely spicy, but for me, they lie somewhere in the middle. 

Apart from your spice tolerance, there are a few more factors that can lead you to your favorite spicy ramen. 

Some of those factors include your convenience, preparation time, flavor preference, etc. 

If you’re looking for something that you can make right away, then cup/bowl ramen noodles are the right choice for you. 

All in all, while searching for spiciness, never ignore other important factors that can improve your experience of enjoying ramen. 

Korean ramen is undoubtedly the king of the spiciest ramen in the world. Hence, now the decision is all yours, which noodles suit your flavor and spice preference perfectly. 

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