Rotisserie Herb Ramen
The rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is one of the greatest shortcuts in cooking, and if you're not using it regularly, you're working too hard. Those birds are already seasoned and cooked to juicy perfection, and half the time they're cheaper than buying raw chicken, which makes no economic sense but I'm not complaining. Shredding one into a quick herb broth over ramen noodles gives you a bowl that tastes like it took hours but actually comes together in about twenty minutes. The trick is using the chicken juices from the container as part of your broth base, because that's where all the flavor is hiding. Fresh herbs make everything taste homemade even when half your ingredients came pre-made, and this ramen is proof that good food doesn't have to be complicated.
Golden bird picked clean—herbs whisper through steaming broth—Sunday becomes soup.
Let Me Tell You...
I discovered the rotisserie chicken trick in college when I was too broke to eat out but too tired to actually cook, which describes most of my twenties if I'm being honest. The grocery store near my apartment sold them for five dollars, and I'd buy one every Sunday, eat the legs for dinner, shred the breast meat for lunches, and make stock from the carcass like I was some kind of domestic genius.
I wasn't, obviously, but the rotisserie chicken made me feel like I was at least trying.
That gelatinous liquid is pure flavor gold.
Making ramen from rotisserie chicken happened by accident one night when I realized I had noodles and a half-eaten chicken and nothing else in my refrigerator except some wilted herbs I'd bought with good intentions.
I threw the chicken carcass in a pot with water and the herbs, let it simmer while I watched TV, and an hour later I had something that tasted like chicken soup's cooler, noodle-forward cousin.
But I've since learned you don't even need to make stock from scratch if you don't have time, because store-bought chicken broth doctored up with the rotisserie juices and fresh herbs tastes almost as good.
Heat dulls their flavor and color quickly.
This ramen is what I make when I want comfort food immediately, when I've had a bad day and can't deal with anything complicated.
You just grab a chicken on your way home, shred the meat while the broth heats up, cook some noodles, and suddenly you have this bowl of steaming, herb-flecked goodness that tastes like someone cared about you even though you did it yourself.
The fresh herbs make it feel fancy, like you made an effort, but really you just tore up some parsley with your hands and dropped it in.
Dark meat has more flavor and stays juicier in broth.
Sometimes the simplest recipes are the hardest to write about because there's no technique to explain, no special trick that makes it work.
This is just good chicken in good broth with good noodles and fresh herbs, and that's enough.
It tastes like being taken care of, like coming home to something warm, and it takes less time than ordering delivery.
That's the whole pitch, really: twenty minutes from grocery store to dinner table, and it doesn't taste like a shortcut at all.
Ingredients
- 2 packages ramen noodles (discard seasoning packets)
- 1 rotisserie chicken (about 2.5 lbs)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Remove the rotisserie chicken from its container, reserving any juices from the bottom. Shred or pull the meat from the bones, discarding the skin (or save it to crisp separately). You should have about 3-4 cups of shredded meat.
- In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the chicken broth and reserved rotisserie chicken juices to the pot. Add the thyme. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 5 minutes to meld the flavors.
- While the broth simmers, cook the ramen noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Add the shredded chicken to the broth and cook for 2-3 minutes until heated through. Remove from heat.
- Stir in the lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Divide the cooked ramen noodles between two serving bowls. Ladle the chicken and broth over the noodles, distributing the meat evenly.
- Top with fresh parsley and chives. Serve immediately while hot.