How to Cook Carbo Buldak: 5 Minutes, Then Keep ½ Cup of Water

까르보불닭볶음면kkareubo buldakbokkeummyeon

Short answer

Stovetop (bag): Boil the noodles 5 minutes in 2½ cups (600 ml) of water, pour off all but ½ cup (8 tablespoons), then stir in the sauce and the powder.
Cup (80 g): Take out the two packets, add boiling water to the inner line, close the lid for 4 minutes, drain all but 3 tablespoons, then stir in the sauce and powder.
Big Bowl (105 g): Boiling water to the inner line for 4 minutes, then drain. Samyang’s own pages differ on whether to keep 6 tablespoons of water or none.

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

Carbo Buldak (까르보불닭) is the carbonara flavor of Samyang’s Buldak stir-fried noodles. Each bag comes with a spicy sauce and a powder that makes it creamy; the US pack calls it cheese powder.[1][2][6] The bag weighs 130 g (4.58 oz).[3][2][7][8]

Samyang aims it at people who find the original Buldak too hot: its page for the big bowl talks about “reducing the spiciness with Carbonara”.[19] Like the original, it isn’t a soup. You pour off most of the cooking water before the sauce goes in.[1][6]

The recipe changes by country. US packs contain milk: the powder is made with milk, mozzarella and butter.[1][4][2] UK and EU packs have no milk ingredient (the label says it may contain milk), but they do contain celery.[6][7][8] Korean packs we checked declare egg, milk, chicken and beef as well as wheat and soybean.[11][12] Check the pack you have.

How to cook it

Stovetop (bag) 5 min[1][2][6][7]

Bring 2½ US cups (20 oz) of water to a boil. The UK pack says 600 ml.
Add the noodles and cook for 5 minutes.
Pour the water away, leaving ½ cup (4 oz) in the pan. The UK pack says 8 tablespoons, which is the same amount.
Add the sauce and the powder, stir well and serve.

2½ US cups is about 590 ml. The current US and UK pack texts don’t ask you to stir-fry the sauce; a couple of shop pages still show older wording (“stir-fry 30 seconds, then add the flakes”).[9][10] We found no microwave method for the bag on Samyang’s US page or the UK pack text.[1][6]

Cup (80 g) 4 min[13][14][16]

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.
Keep 3 tablespoons of water and drain the rest: poke holes in the lid with a chopstick and pour it out through them.
Add the sauce and the powder, stir well and serve.

For the 2.82 oz (80 g) US cup.[13][14][15] The UK cup uses the same steps; UK shops list it as 80 g or 70 g.[16][17] Don’t microwave the cup.[14][15][16]

Big Bowl (105 g) 4 min[18][19]

Open the lid partway and take out the two packets.
Pour boiling water up to the line inside the bowl.
Close the lid and let it stand for 4 minutes.
Drain the water. Samyang America says to keep 6 tablespoons (3 oz); Samyang’s buldak.com says to pour it all away.[18][19]
Add the sauce and the powder, stir well and serve.

Go by the bowl in your hand. H-E-B’s copy of the US label also says not to microwave it; we found that in one place only.[20]

Milk depends on where the pack was made for

Pack	Milk	Also contains
US	Yes: milk, mozzarella and butter in the powder.[1][4][2]	Wheat, soy.[1][4][2]
UK and EU	Not an ingredient, but “may contain” milk.[6][7][8]	Celery, wheat (gluten), soya.[6][7][8]
Korea	Yes.[11][12]	Wheat, soybean, egg, chicken, beef.[11][12]

US packs also say they’re made in a facility that processes egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts and sesame.[4][2]

How hot is it?

We found no Scoville (SHU) figure from Samyang for Carbo Buldak. Samyang presents it as the milder choice for people who find the original too spicy,[19] but the sauce is still hot, so add it a little at a time if you’re not sure.

Halal or vegetarian?

UK store listings show a halal certification from the Korea Muslim Federation.[6][7] We couldn’t find a halal claim on Samyang’s US pages, so look for the mark on your pack. Ocado also tags the UK pack vegetarian, but Samyang doesn’t make that claim, and the Korean pack declares chicken and beef.[6][11]

Label facts

Carbo Buldak bag, US label영양정보·표시사항

Bag: 130 g (4.58 oz); the US 5-bag pack is 22.9 oz [3][2][5]
Serving (US): 1 bag [4][2]
Calories (US): 550 per bag [4][2][5]
Sodium (US): 1,330 mg (58% DV) per bag [4][2][5]
Fat (US): 20 g, of which saturated 10 g [4][2]
Contains (US): Wheat, soy, milk [1][4][2]
Made in: South Korea [4][2][6][7]
Storage: Room temperature; cool, dry place out of direct sunlight [1][2][6][7]
UK/EU bag: Per 100 g: 427 kcal, 3.0 g salt. Contains celery, gluten (wheat) and soya; may contain milk. [6][7][8]
Cup (US): 2.82 oz (80 g): 330 kcal and 880 mg sodium per cup; contains wheat, soy, milk [14][15][13]
Big Bowl: 3.7 oz (105 g): 470 kcal and 1,190 mg sodium per bowl; the US and Korean labels agree [20][12]

UK listings give nutrition per 100 g only. For a 130 g bag that works out to about 555 kcal and 3.9 g salt (our arithmetic).

Korean words on Carbo Buldak packs

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

까르보kkareubocarbonara (as in Carbo Buldak)
불닭buldakfire chicken (the Buldak name)
볶음면bokkeummyeonstir-fried noodles (no soup)
액상스프aeksang seupeuliquid soup base packet
후레이크hureikeudried topping flakes
끓는 물kkeulleun mulboiling water
표시선pyosiseonfill line
큰컵keunkeopbig cup (the 105 g bowl)
함유hamyucontains
우유uyumilk
닭고기dakgogichicken
쇠고기soegogibeef

Ways to serve it

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

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

Sources

Checked October 27, 2026. If your pack differs, follow your pack, and tell us so we can update this page.