Give Store-Bought Ramen A Smoky And Salty Boost With Beef Jerky

Store-bought instant ramen is the epitome of a lazy meal, but we still want it to taste like effort was put into the dish. Whether it's snipping green onions to add to the noodles or swirling a spoonful of miso paste into the broth, we'll try any 60-second upgrade to improve our ramen. Quickly bulking it up with protein can prove to be a little trickier, but beef jerky is the easy boost your next bowl needs.

The heartiness of beef is always welcome in ramen, but braising chunks of meat or cooking ground beef doesn't really fit into the idea of ease that store-bought instant ramen promotes. However, using beef jerky is a great way to seriously upgrade your instant ramen, even with time constraints. The ready-to-eat meat strips have a robust taste that instantly improves the store-bought meal. The saltiness adds another layer of umami to the dish while the smoky flair brings a layer of depth. In turn, the peppery broth infuses the beloved snack with its decadence.

The best part of using beef jerky is that there's no prep involved — you can add the strips as they are when you pour the hot water onto the noodles and spices, giving the beef time to imbue the broth with its flavors. You can also tear up the strips and add them to the ramen as bite-sized, chewy, savory toppers right before eating.

If you don't have an endless amount of ramen options at your disposal, beef jerky comes in a wide variety of flavors, making each bowl taste like a completely different recipe. Spruced up instant ramen and fixings can taste like teriyaki one day or have a peppered yet sweet flavor the next. If you prefer your ramen with buttery eggs and sesame seeds, garlic herb beef jerky is the perfect earthy companion to the ingredients. Fond of sharp, pungent green onions with your noodles? Opt for beef jerky flavored with chili and lime to kick things up a notch.

Even if your jerky is pretty plain, you can marinate it for some time to amp up the taste. Mix soy sauce with onion and garlic powder and soak the jerky in it for a more dynamic taste. Doing this also helps to plump up the jerky if you'd prefer a softer cut of meat. You can also soak it in water for around 15 minutes or microwave it for two minutes to make the jerky a little more tender for your meal.