The Best Maruchan Ramen Flavor Is An Umami Classic

Nothing satisfies hunger pains like a piping hot bowl of instant ramen. It's warm and comforting, perfect for nights when you want a tasty but low-effort meal. However, ramen aficionados understand that not all instant ramen flavors are created equal. To cut through the noise, Food Republic tested and ranked eleven different Maruchan flavors, and one stood out above the rest: soy sauce.

While soy sauce-flavored ramen sounds pretty one-note, it's anything but. Maruchan's best flavor is inspired by shoyu (soy sauce) ramen, which gained popularity in Japan in the early 20th century thanks to its ultra-flavorful yet straightforward flavor profile. Whereas some top-rated Maruchan flavors like chili and picante chicken are explosions of heat and spices, the soy sauce ramen seasoning is subtle, while still providing a blast of umami taste. It has a toasty, savory flavor with a touch of herbal aromatics.

While our taste testers believe Maruchan's soy sauce flavor can stand alone as a delicious dish, it doesn't have to. These instant noodles are also incredibly versatile, providing a rich, umami base to nearly anything you want to add — after all, even Giada De Laurentiis upgrades her instant ramen with a few simple additions. The soy sauce flavor would taste amazing when paired with traditional shoyu ramen toppings like sliced, grilled pork, bean sprouts, green onions, a seasoned boiled egg, and pickled bamboo shoots. For an additional flavor burst, top your ramen with seaweed.

While the soy sauce flavor was a clear winner in Food Republic's taste test of different Maruchan instant ramen options, other standouts also deserve a mention. If you enjoy the depth and nuance of the soy sauce flavor and are a meat eater, it's worth checking out our number three flavor pick: roast beef. Testers described it as having a much more complex and rich flavor than plain beef ramen. The broth is reminiscent of a homemade stew simmering on the stove for hours. Because the broth provides such a great base, you could easily customize it with your favorite meat (think: sliced steak or leftover brisket) and veggies.

If you prefer your ramen with a bit of a kick, Maruchan's lime chili shrimp flavor is a great option that took second place. Taste testers said it was way more flavorful than the plain shrimp flavor. The broth is reminiscent of Tostitos Hint of Lime — in the best way possible — paired with fiery shrimp. The bright and citrusy lime perfectly balances with the spicy, umami-rich soup. This flavor would taste fantastic paired with grilled shrimp, cilantro, and Thai basil. Whichever option you choose, you're sure to have tasty, highly flavorful ramen that's anything but boring. Just be sure to avoid the pork flavor — this Maruchan instant ramen option was ranked in last place, and according to our taste testers, the flavor simply isn't something to write home about (and tastes way more like chicken than pork, tragically).