I first tasted a ramen noodle salad at a church potluck over 10 years ago, and I was instantly hooked. With crisp shredded cabbage and carrots, toasted almonds, and crunchy ramen noodles in a sweet and savory sesame dressing, it’s the perfect addition to almost any potluck, picnic, or cookout. Serve the coleslaw as a side dish with grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, or pork, or add meat to the salad and turn it into a light dinner entrée.
Ramen Asian Noodle Salad
As the warm weather sets in for the season, we often turn to cool, simple, make ahead meals that don’t require much sweat or time in the kitchen! This hearty salad is a popular side dish for your next picnic or Chinese dinner, or an equally satisfying entree when you toss it with some chicken. The almonds, crunchy salad noodles, and zesty dressing provide a variety of flavors and textures to keep your tastebuds happy!
Ingredients for Asian Ramen Salad
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a batch of ramen noodle salad. As always, specific measurements and complete step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Coleslaw mix: I use a package of store-bought cole slaw mix for convenience, but you can certainly chop or shred your own cabbage and carrots if you prefer. You’ll need a total of about 6 ¾ cups shredded veggies.
- Green onions: for savory flavor.
- Chicken flavor ramen noodles: you don’t even need to cook the noodles — just break them up into smaller pieces. The noodles will soften slightly in the dressing, and will add great crunch to the salad. Save the seasoning packet, because you’ll use it in the salad dressing.
- Sugar: to sweeten the dressing.
- Vegetable oil: or another neutral oil, such as canola oil or avocado oil, for the dressing.
- Sesame oil: adds a unique, toasty, nutty Asian flavor to the dressing. Don’t omit this essential ingredient!
- Rice vinegar: for acidic tang in the dressing. You can substitute with apple cider vinegar in a pinch.
- Slivered almonds: toast the nuts before adding them to the salad. Roasted, salted sunflower seeds or chopped peanuts are also nice substitutes for the almonds.
How to Make Ramen Noodle Salad
This crunchy ramen noodle salad comes together so easily! Just allow enough time for the ingredients to marinate in the fridge, giving the noodles and vegetables a chance to soften in the dressing and absorb the flavor.
- Combine the coleslaw, green onions, and crumbled, uncooked noodles in a large bowl.
- Whisk (or shake in a jar with a lid) the sugar, vegetable oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and ramen seasoning packet to make the dressing.
- Toss the dressing with the coleslaw mixture, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
- Just before serving, stir in ½ cup of toasted slivered almonds or roasted sunflower seeds.
What to Serve with Asian Ramen Noodle Salad
This Oriental salad pairs nicely with almost any of your favorite picnic fare. Here are some good options to serve with the slaw:
- Shrimp Fried Rice, Honey Garlic Shrimp, or Honey Sesame Grilled Shrimp
- Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry, Asparagus and Beef Stir Fry, or Mongolian Beef with Broccoli
- Dump-and-Bake Sweet and Sour Chicken or Dump-and-Bake General Tso Chicken
- Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki
- Grilled Salmon, Teriyaki Salmon, 4-Ingredient Baked Salmon, Orange Salmon, Honey Soy Glazed Salmon
- Teriyaki Grilled Chicken, Marinated Grilled Chicken Thighs, or Fried Chicken
- Asian Turkey or Beef Lettuce Wraps
- Mom’s Easy Marinated Flank Steak
- Honey Dijon Roasted Pork Tenderloin, Pan Fried Pork Chops, Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Honey Garlic Dijon Pork Tenderloin, Grilled Pork Chops, or Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Storage
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Do not freeze the coleslaw, as the vegetables will get watery and mushy when thawed.
Can you Make Ramen Noodle Salad Ahead of Time?
Yes! This salad is best when you allow at least 1 hour for the vegetables to marinate in the dressing. The noodles get slightly softer, while still maintaining a bit of crunch. Don’t stir the almonds into the salad until just before serving so that they don’t get soggy.
You can prepare the salad up to 24 hours in advance, although my preference is to enjoy the salad within about 6 hours.
Recipe Variations
- Turn this into a main course by making chicken ramen noodle salad. Just add some pulled or sliced rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken, or roasted chicken.
- Instead of slivered almonds, substitute with roasted sunflower seeds or roasted, salted peanuts!
- Swap out the coleslaw mix for an equal amount of broccoli slaw, which you can purchase in packages at most grocery stores. You can also finely shred your own cabbage and carrots. You’ll need about 6 ¾ cups shredded veggies altogether.
- Add a splash of soy sauce to the dressing for even more salty, umami flavor. Some ginger or garlic would also be nice touches.
- For some added sweetness, stir in mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, or peas.
- Diced or matchstick cucumber or red bell pepper would also be a nice addition to the cool, crunchy salad.
Tips for the Best Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe
- Toast almonds really quickly in the microwave by placing them on a microwave-safe plate and cooking them on high for about 1 minute. Allow the almonds to cool completely before stirring them into the salad. They add the perfect finishing buttery, nutty, crunch!
- Don’t omit the sesame oil in this dressing. It gives the salad a unique nutty, toasted flavor that you just can’t replicate with any other oil. That said, you can substitute with another mild oil (like canola, vegetable, or avocado oil) in a pinch!
- Allow at least an hour or more for the slaw to sit and marinate in the refrigerator. This will give the vegetables and the dry ramen a chance to absorb the flavors in the dressing, and will allow the noodles to soften slightly.
More Salad Recipes to Try
- Easy Potato Salad
- Traditional Coleslaw Recipe
- Vinegar Coleslaw
- Southern Macaroni Salad
- Virginia Ham Salad
- Tomato Salad with Basil and Balsamic
- Summer Corn Salad
- Seafood Salad
- Cucumber Dill Salad
- Fruit Salad with Vanilla Pudding
- Easy Pasta Salad with Mayo, Lemon and Basil
- Steak Salad
- Avocado Shrimp Pasta Salad
- B.L.T. Pasta Salad
- Southern Chicken and Rice Salad
This post was originally published in May, 2013. The photos were updated in May, 2022.
