Traditional Shoyu Ramen Recipe

Name: Traditional Shoyu Ramen
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup Shoyu Tare; 5 cups Basic Clear Chicken Soup; 1 1/3 lbs fresh ramen noodles; 4 - 8 slices Chicken Chashu; 4 sheets nori seaweed; 4 slices naruto ((Japanese fish cake)); 4 Half-Boiled Ajitama; 12 - 16 pieces Menma; scallions

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Traditional Shoyu Ramen features a savory soy-sauce based clear broth and ramen noodles with classic toppings such as chashu, seasoned bamboo shoots, and a half-boiled seasoned egg.

This is the sixth and final part of the Ramen At Home series for Traditional Shoyu Ramen.

What is Shoyu Ramen?

Shoyu Ramen is one of the most popular Japanese ramen flavors, next to shio (salt) ramen and miso ramen. Shoyu Ramen has a light and savory soy-sauce based broth, and classic toppings such as chashu, menma (seasoned bamboo shoots) and half-boiled ajitama (seasoned egg).

The naruto (Japanese fish cake with a pink whirlpool pattern) in the middle adds a signature look to the bowl.

Making Shoyu Ramen from Scratch

Making traditional ramen from scratch is a labor of love, but it is sooo worth the time and effort! There is also something truly special about sitting down to a bowl of ramen that you made completely from scratch.

When you make Shoyu Ramen at home, from scratch, you decide exactly what goes into every component. You can tailor every element to your personal taste, which no restaurant can do for you.

Yes, it can take 2 - 3 days to prepare all the components, but with a little planning, you'll be able to breeze through each step. To make it as easy as possible for you, I've mapped out two timeline options below: a relaxed 3-day plan perfect for first-timers, and also a 2-day weekend plan for those ready to dive in!

The best part of making ramen at home from scratch is that once all components are prepped, most of them keep in the fridge for a few days. This means that you can do all of the prep work over the weekend, and enjoy a delicious homemade shoyu ramen in just minutes; even on a busy weeknight!

About This Recipe

I had been wanting to try making my own ramen for a while now, but to be honest, I was a bit intimidated.

When I was introduced to Brian's cookbook, I knew that this would be a great opportunity to take the plunge and give it a try!

Brian is the author of the ramenadventures.com blog and host of the Ramen Adventures YouTube Channel. His cookbook, Ramen at Home, is a fantastic resource for beginners, with plenty of guidance and step-by-step instructions, plus new recipes for ramen lovers to try (I've got my eye on the Smoked Salmon Miso Ramen!).

This Traditional Shoyu Ramen recipe is adapted from Brian's cookbook. There are several components to this dish, so instead of creating one super-long post with 6 separate recipes, I have broken this down into a 6-part series, with this final post bringing it all together.

The Components and Prep Times

Here are the links to the key ingredients in this series, along with the estimated preparation times:

Shoyu Tare (35 minutes)
Chicken Chashu (55 minutes)
Menma (Seasoned Bamboo Shoots) (40 minutes + overnight)
Half-Boiled Ajitama (Seasoned Eggs) (15 minutes + overnight)
Basic Clear Chicken Soup (4 ½ hours + overnight)

To make this manageable, I've mapped out two timeline options depending on how much time you have.

If this is your first time making your own ramen, I would recommend starting with Timeline 1, where the preparation is spread over 3 days to keep things relaxed and enjoyable rather than overwhelming.

Timeline Option 1: 3 days (Perfect for First-Timers)

Day 1 (90 mins)

Shoyu Tare
Chicken Chashu
Prepare the Negi (scallions)
- Note: Don't forget to save the seasoning liquid from the Chicken Chashu!

Day 2 (55 mins to prepare, season overnight)

Menma (Seasoned Bamboo Shoots)
Half-Boiled Ajitama (Seasoned Eggs)
Soak the konbu and shiitake mushroom overnight for the Chicken Soup

Day 3 (4 hours, 20 minutes)

Basic Clear Chicken Soup
Cook the ramen noodles
Put it all together. It's ramen time!!

Timeline Option 2: 2 Days (Great Weekend Project)

Day 1 (3 hours active + season overnight)

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Shoyu Tare
Chicken Chashu
Menma (Seasoned Bamboo Shoots)
Half-Boiled Ajitama (Seasoned Eggs)
Prepare the Negi (scallions)
Soak the konbu and shiitake mushroom overnight for the Chicken Soup

Day 2 (4 hours, 20 minutes)

Basic Clear Chicken Soup
Cook the ramen noodles
Put it all together. It's ramen time!!

How to Make Traditional Shoyu Ramen

Once all your components are ready, assembling your ramen bowl takes just minutes. Here's how to bring it all together:

Step 1: Heat the broth

Pour ½ a cup of Shoyu Tare and 5 cups of Basic Clear Chicken Soup into a medium saucepan. Mix and bring to a simmer over low heat.

Step 2: Cook the noodles

Cook the ramen noodles in a large pot of boiling water. Fresh ramen cut to a standard thickness (about 1 mm) will cook in about 1-2 minutes.

The cookbook does include a recipe for fresh ramen noodles (Chukasuimen), but I used fresh ramen noodles that I purchased from a local Japanese supermarket. If you have trouble finding fresh ramen noodles and don't want to make your own, you can purchase dried ramen noodles at your local Asian supermarket or online.

Simply follow the cooking instructions on the packet to cook the noodles.

Step 3: Prep the bowls

Just before the noodles finish cooking, ladle the Shoyu broth into 4 ramen bowls. Pre-warming your bowls beforehand is a great trick to keep your ramen hotter for longer!

Step 4: Drain and place the noodles

Drain the noodles using a spider skimmer, shaking off as much excess water as you can.

Carefully place the noodles in each bowl of soup, keeping them neat and tidy.

placing cooked ramen noodles into a bowl

Step 5: Add the toppings

Arrange the toppings neatly on each bowl:

1 - 2 slices of Chicken Chashu
1 slice of naruto (Japanese fish cake with pink whirlpool design)
1 ajitama (cut in half to showcase that gorgeous silky yolk!)
3 - 4 pieces of Menma
A sprinkle of Negi (finely chopped scallions)
1 sheet of nori seaweed, perched on the inside edge of the bowl (this keeps the nori from getting soggy too quickly, and it looks stunning!)

A note on the Negi: soak the scallions in a bowl of water for 10 - 15 minutes. Drain the water, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. This process will lessen the harsh raw onion flavor that could overpower the delicate flavors of the ramen broth.

Serve and slurp!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Shoyu, Shio and Miso Ramen?

Think of them on a flavor spectrum with Shio (salt) ramen being the lightest with a pale, delicate clear broth. Shoyu is a soy sauce based broth with a more complex depth. Miso ramen is the boldest of the three, featuring a rich, hearty broth made from fermented soybean paste.

Can I use dried ramen noodles instead of fresh?

Yes, absolutely! Fresh ramen noodles are ideal, but dried ramen noodles work well too. You can find them at your local Asian supermarket or online. Simply follow the cooking instructions on the packet.

Just be sure not to overcook them, as you want them to have a slight chew. At some Japanese ramen restaurants, you can choose how chewy/crunchy you want your noodles to be, so using dried ramen is perfect for getting your preferred ramen texture.

How do I store leftover shoyu ramen?

Always store the broth and noodles separately. Noodles left sitting in the broth will become much too soggy and lose their texture.

Shoyu broth: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 - 5 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.

Cooked ramen noodles: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I don't recommend freezing your ramen noodles as they tend to become soft and lose their texture when reheated.