The World’s Top 10 Spiciest Noodles

News: When hunger strikes or time is short, instant ramen noodles can be a lifesaver. Sometimes, you just crave that kick of saltiness and spiciness. But how spicy is too spicy? If you’ve ever faced a wall of instant noodles, wondering which ones pack the right punch of heat, we’ve got your back. We’ve sorted several easy-to-find options based on their increasing spiciness levels, from a mild tingle to a heat that feels like a nuclear meltdown. You can grab any of these from Walmart, Amazon, or various Asian markets nationwide for your very own instant noodle showdown.

The noodles on this list come in two styles: with and without broth. When dealing with spicy noodles, the soup version allows you to tone down the heat by adding more hot water. To accurately gauge each product’s taste, we followed the instructions precisely and didn’t mix in any extra ingredients. This way, you get a true sense of each noodle’s flavor profile. While some were delightful, others were intense blasts of chili that made us question our life choices. Keep reading to discover the results.

1. Indomie Mi Goreng Fried Noodles

Kicking off with the mildest option, Indomie Mi Goreng Fried Noodles are the company’s top-selling flavor globally. Among the stir-fried choices listed, these noodles offer a moderate portion size and a gentle level of spiciness. Perfect for those not seeking an extreme fire-breathing ramen experience, these noodles provide just the right amount of heat to keep things interesting. The cup includes a cute folding fork and five flavor packets, offering a complete mi goreng taste with sweet soy sauce, hot sauce, bumbu seasoning (a chicken-flavored enhancer with garlic and sugar), shallot seasoning oil, and fried shallots for topping.

2. Sapporo Ichiban Hot and Spicy Ramen Soup

Sapporo Ichiban’s Hot and Spicy Ramen falls on the milder side of the spectrum. This one hit about the midway mark and offered a delightful distraction from the burning sensation. With enough spice to savor, the noodles maintained the typical chewiness expected from instant ramen. It’s a suitable choice for those seeking a light broth without overwhelming flavors. Despite listing many dehydrated veggies in the ingredients, there were only a few tiny green onion bits in the mix.

3. Lucky Me! Pancit Canton Hot Chili Noodles

Moving up the spice ladder, Lucky Me! Hot Chili Pancit Canton features Philippine-style noodles with a sweet and salty sauce. This flavor-packed option also derives its layers of taste from three included packets mixed before adding the cooked noodles. These packets contain a sweet and spicy powder, soy sauce, and a palm oil squeezy tube. Caution regarding the palm oil: it can make the noodles a tad greasy, and as they cool, they tend to clump together. Thankfully, the mild chili makes it a quick snack despite being the smallest noodle portion among those tested.

4. Ottogi Jin Spicy Ramen Soup

About half of the instant noodles on this list merely require soaking in boiled water, while the rest need to be cooked in boiling water. This difference significantly affects the noodle texture. Ottogi Jin’s Korean-style spicy ramen loses much of its chewiness when boiled but offers a tenderness that complements the broth well. Heat-wise, we’re finally making progress here. The broth delivers a spiciness that hits your throat before reaching your sinuses. The taste was average, not bad nor particularly outstanding compared to the previous entries, which excelled more in flavor.

5. Nongshim Bowl Hot and Spicy Noodle Soup

Perhaps the most recognizable entry, Nongshim’s Bowl Noodles are easy to prepare, offer a sizable portion for a fair price, and strike a good balance between heat and flavor. While not exceptionally hot, these noodles deliver a pleasant level of spice to warm you up without causing a runny nose. Labeled simply as hot and spicy, this soup boasts a notable beefy flavor thanks to beef bone broth and beef fat listed in the ingredients, providing a more authentic taste compared to others.

6. Buldak Spicy Chicken Cream Carbonara Noodles

For those unfamiliar with the wide array of instant noodles, Buldak’s Cream Carbonara Spicy Chicken flavor might seem like a stretch. Yet, it’s a real thing – even backed by TikTok. This version surprised us with its spice level, hotter than expected. Despite the soft pink packaging and the contented chicken on the label, the resulting noodles were blazing orange and spicy enough to leave our lips burning post-meal.

7. Ching’s Secret Schezwan Noodles

A somewhat unexpected pick, Ching’s Secret Schezwan Noodles intrigued us. From the enthusiastic futuristic figure on the packaging to the “I Heart Desi Chinese” slogan and the unique spelling of Schezwan, we were curious to dig in. Desi Chinese refers to Indian-style Chinese food, a blend created by Hakka Chinese immigrants in India that offers a tasty combination of both cuisines. The spelling reflects the spicy chutney in India based on the Chinese version.

8. Menraku Spicy Miso Tonkatsu Soup

Another instant noodle worth repurchasing, Menraku’s Restaurant-Style Spicy Miso Tonkatsu Ramen stands out as one of the pricier options. Despite the cost, the end product justifies the splurge. Being the only other Japanese ramen on the list, this one holds much more spice compared to Sapporo Ichiban and delivers a richer flavor. The broth, rich and creamy, complements the satisfyingly chewy noodles, providing a well-balanced heat. The packaging suggests enjoying these noodles tsukemen style – a way to relish cold noodles during Japanese summer by cooking and cooling the noodles, then preparing a dipping sauce using seasoning and sesame chili oil.

9. Nongshim Shin Ramyun Spicy Beef Ramen Soup

This entry strikes a fantastic balance between above-average spiciness and excellent flavor. The broth offers a flavorful profile with dominant black pepper and garlic notes, finishing with a salty touch. If you’re seeking an explosively hot experience, this bowl might not meet your expectations. However, it stands as a solid choice for those wanting a moderately spicy and tasty instant noodle.

10. Samyang Spicy Ramen Soup

Things start heating up from this entry onward. All noodles from this point onward bring considerable burn to your mouth, nasal passages, and lips. Who knows what happens when they reach your stomach? Unfortunately, the Samyang Spicy Ramen Soup leaned more towards fire than flavor. Despite a promising veggie seasoning pack containing large mushroom chunks, green onions, and cubed carrots, the overwhelming chili flavor overshadowed everything. Additionally, the broth’s oiliness makes the heat linger, coating your mouth conspicuously even after finishing the ramen.

These noodles induce a level of heat that can lead to nightmarish experiences. As of January 2022, they ranked among the spiciest instant ramens globally. Since then, other companies have pushed the boundaries further, introducing even hotter varieties, including Buldak’s recent unveiling of a 3x Spicy version. Regarding flavor, we couldn’t ascertain much beyond “hot.” If you’ve savored these noodles and enjoyed the experience, we salute your adventurous palate.