Skip Salt And Pepper: Add A Packet Of This Seasoning To Ground Beef For Next-Level Burgers

Instant ramen is a nosh that many of us have downed from time to time, but nobody is confusing it with fine dining. On the other hand, that packet of seasoning that gives your ramen noodles their inimitably umami, salty savor can be put to one of several refined uses. There's really no mystique to ramen seasoning — if you check out the product page for Maruchan chicken ramen, you'll see an assortment of chemical compounds that may initially sound alarming, but it really just boils down to chicken bouillon, yeast extract, and seasonings like garlic and celery seed. Obviously, the exact formulation will vary by brand and flavor. Here's a thought, however: why not take that packet of herbs and spices and mix it into your burgers?

A well-seasoned burger is usually a great burger, and we're positing that ramen packets are a one-stop shop for exceptional seasoning. These blends are already crafted to deliver a craveable blend of salt, savory, and fatty flavors — history actually tells us that ramen flavoring science was the prototype for other seasoning blends seen in the wild like taco and ranch seasoning. Everything that you love in a bowl of ramen can help take your burgers OTT. You can play with the many (many) different varieties until you find one you like, but you can expect some punchy players like curry powder, cumin, and/or ginger to play a role. Yes, you're also going to find MSG ... but this innocuous flavor enhancer is actually quite safe to eat, despite public misconceptions. Just mix the packet into your ground beef when prepping your burgers, taking care not to overhandle the patties so you don't ruin their texture.

Now that we've suggested folding ramen seasoning into burgers, the inevitable question comes up — what does one do with the noodles? That's actually the easy part, as the noodles can be used in countless other recipes. That, or you can concoct your own seasoning or sauce and enjoy slurping up noodles with a personal touch! The most fun solution, however, is making a bun out of the noodles for a true "ramen burger." There are countless tutorials on the internet, and the results are inevitably Insta-worthy.

When it comes to topping our burgers, we might (again) think of ramen; this time, in terms of condiments. TikTok says that eggs and mayo are the secret ingredients for great ramen, and we love both fried eggs and mayo on our burgers! Keeping things squarely in the Asian family, we might also be inspired to add low-sodium soy sauce and sesame oil to our beef. The low-sodium soy sauce is important because ramen packets are already super-duper salty. This goes for anything else you might put in or on top of your perfect burger ... mind the sodium for both your tastebuds and health!

Of course, you aren't beholden to any one culinary family when adorning your burgers. Simply tearing up some lettuce and slicing tomato and onion will give a pleasant freshness that plays well against the strong flavors of the ramen packet, and you know we're going to add at least one kind of cheese. The versatility of the instant ramen seasoning is the beautiful thing here; the final product can really take any form you'd like.