How to Cook Buldak Ramen: 5 Minutes, Then Keep 8 Tablespoons of Water

불닭볶음면buldakbokkeummyeon

Short answer

Stovetop (bag): Boil the noodles 5 minutes in 600 ml (about 2½ cups) of water, pour off all but 8 tablespoons, add the sauce and stir-fry 30 seconds, then add the flakes.
Cup or Big Bowl: Take out the two packets, add boiling water to the inner line, close the lid for 4 minutes, drain all the water, then stir in the sauce and flakes.

From the maker’s directions. Full steps and sources below.

Buldak (불닭, “fire chicken”) is Samyang’s line of fiery stir-fried noodles. The original comes in a 140 g (4.94 oz) bag, sold singly or in packs of five, with a sauce packet and a packet of sesame and seaweed flakes.[4][3][7][5]

It isn’t a soup: you pour most of the cooking water away before the sauce goes in.[1][2]

Allergens depend on which country your pack was made for. US packs declare wheat, soy and sesame.[1][5] UK packs add celery.[2][9] Korean packs declare egg, milk, chicken and beef as well as wheat and soybean.[7][16] Check the pack you have.

How to cook it

Stovetop (bag) 5 min + 30 sec[1][2][4]

Bring 600 ml of water to a boil (the US pack says 2½ cups, 20 oz). Add the noodles and cook for 5 minutes.
Pour the water away, leaving 8 tablespoons in the pot (the US pack says ½ cup, 4 oz).
Add the sauce and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Add the flakes, stir well and serve.

The US and UK packs ask for the same amounts: 2½ US cups is about 590 ml, and ½ US cup is 8 tablespoons. The UK pack text on Ocado and Morrisons (one shared listing) says not to microwave the bag, and Samyang’s US page gives no microwave method.[2][1]

Cup or Big Bowl 4 min[10][11][13][14]

Open the lid partway and take out the two packets.
Pour boiling water up to the line inside the cup.
Close the lid and let it stand for 4 minutes.
Drain all the water: poke holes in the lid and pour it out through them.[16][12]
Add the sauce and flakes, stir well and serve.

For the 70 g (2.47 oz) cup[13][15][12] and the 105 g (3.7 oz) Big Bowl.[17][14] Unlike the bag, you drain all the water. Don’t microwave the cup.[12][13] Voila’s copy of the Big Bowl pack says not to microwave it either; we found that in one place only.[14]

What the Korean big cup says

The Korean big cup (불닭볶음면 큰컵, 105 g) uses the same 4 minutes. Its directions include:[16]

On the cup	In English
끓는 물을 용기 안쪽 표시선까지 부은 후 4분간 조리합니다.	Pour boiling water up to the line inside the cup and cook for 4 minutes.
뜨거운 물 주의	Careful: hot water.
뚜껑에 구멍을 뚫어 물을 따라버리고	Poke holes in the lid and pour off the water, then …
잘 저어드세요	Stir well and enjoy.

How hot is it?

Samyang’s US pages for the noodles don’t give a Scoville (SHU) figure, so we don’t quote one.[1] For the figures Korean makers have given to the press, see MenuSum’s ramyeon guide. The UK ingredient list shows where the heat comes from: the sauce contains habanero and chili pepper.[2][9]

The 2024 Denmark recall

In June 2024 Denmark recalled three Buldak products: 3x Spicy Hot Chicken, 2x Spicy Hot Chicken and Hot Chicken Stew. The original wasn’t on the list. In July 2024 it lifted the recall for the 2x Spicy and the Stew, and kept it for the 3x Spicy.[18][19]

Label facts

Buldak Original bag, US label영양정보·표시사항

Bag: 140 g (4.94 oz); also sold in packs of 5 [4][3][7][5]
Serving (US): 1 bag [6][5]
Calories (US): 560 per bag [6][5]
Sodium (US): 1,630 mg (71% DV) per bag [6][5]
Contains (US): Wheat, soy, sesame [1][5]
Chicken?: US packs use artificial chicken flavor; the US ingredient list has no chicken meat or extract. [1][5]
Flakes: Sesame and seaweed [5][2]
Storage: Room temperature, in a cool, dry place [1][20][4]
Made in: South Korea [2][8][9]
UK pack: Contains celery, cereals containing gluten, sesame, soya, wheat. May contain crustaceans, eggs, fish, milk, molluscs, mustard, nuts, peanuts. [2][9]
Korean pack: Contains wheat, soybean, egg, milk, chicken, beef. The Korean big cup declares the same six. [7][16]

H-E-B’s copy of the US label adds that it’s made in a facility that also processes egg, milk, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts and peanuts.[5] Ocado and Morrisons (one shared listing) say the UK pack is certified halal by the Korea Muslim Federation.[2] We couldn’t find a halal claim on Samyang’s US pages or US store listings, so look for the mark on your pack. Some store and database pages tag Buldak “vegetarian” or “vegan”, but Samyang doesn’t make that claim, and the Korean pack declares chicken and beef.[2][9][7]

Korean words on Buldak packs

Tap the speaker to hear each word. More in the label words list.

불닭buldakfire chicken (the Buldak name)
볶음면bokkeummyeonstir-fried noodles (no soup)
액상스프aeksang seupeuliquid soup base packet
후레이크hureikeudried topping flakes
끓는 물kkeulleun mulboiling water
표시선pyosiseonfill line
뚜껑ttukkeonglid
따라 버리고ttara beorigopour off (the water), then …
함유hamyucontains
닭고기dakgogichicken
쇠고기soegogibeef
우유uyumilk

Ways to serve it

Too hot? Add the sauce a little at a time and taste as you go.
A slice of cheese or a fried egg on top softens the heat.
Want the sauce on its own? See Samyang Buldak Sauce.

These are serving ideas, not part of the pack’s directions.

Sources

Checked October 26, 2026. If your pack differs, follow your pack, and tell us so we can update this page.