Water spilling over cooking noodles in the microwave?
There’s a chance that water will spill when cooking starchy foods like ramen noodles in the microwave. Starchy water’s sugars heat up quickly, causing the hot, bubbling water to overflow onto the microwave plate. Strong microwave models, like 1200w or inverter machines, may experience this. Try cooking the noodles in a larger dish to give the ramen more room to boil, or cook the noodles uncovered in the microwave to avoid this.
Serving suggestions & tips
Level up your bowl of Ramen:
- Add a soft-boiled egg, cooked pork shreds, and some slices of American cheese.
- Add some lemongrass paste, sliced bok choy, and mushrooms.
- Add some sesame oil, baby spinach, cooked chicken shreds, and grated ginger. ½teaspoon ginger, grated.
- Grated ginger, sambal oelek or chili crisp, and silken tofu should be added. ½cup (125g) silken tofu, diced.
Level up the noodles
- For a quick noodle dish, strain and combine with peanut butter and chili crisp.
- Strain and mix with gochujang, kimchi, and scallions.
- For a quick San Francisco version of the classic garlic noodles, strain and season with brown butter, soy sauce, garlic powder, and parmesan.
- For even more delicious results, you can substitute low-sodium chicken, vegetable, beef, or dashi broth for the water.
- Try cooking the ramen in a larger dish or cooking it uncovered for an additional minute if you’re having spillover issues.
- Microwave ovens vary, even with the same wattages. Adjust cooking times as needed.
All You Need to Know About Microwaving Instant Noodles
| Ingredient | Water | Cook Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 3-4 oz package | 2 cups (500ml) water | 4-5 mins |
| 2 3-4 oz packages | 4 cups (1000ml) water | 9 mins |
| 3 3-4 oz packages | 6 cups (1500ml) water | 15 mins |
Because you don’t have to wait for the water to boil like you would on the stovetop, a package of instant noodles usually cooks in 3–4 minutes in the microwave. When noodles are cooked all the way through, they should be plump and bendy enough to twist easily with a fork or chopsticks. Another way to test it is to take a tiny bite; it should be soft but not mushy.
