Name: 1-Bowl Microwave Buldak Ramen (with Corn Cheese)
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 8 min
Cuisine: korean
Ingredients: 1 pack Buldak Ramen; 250 ml hot water; 2 tbsp canned sweet corn, drained; 2 tbsp mayonnaise; 2 tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese; 1 tbsp sugar

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I once tried the official microwave Buldak ramen recipe from Samyang’s website, and it failed miserably.

Instead of the thick, glossy sauce beautifully coating the chewy noodles that everyone expects from Buldak, I ended up with a soupy mess—practically a spicy ramen broth. The signature fiery heat was sadly watered down, and it was nowhere close to what you could call stir-fried noodles.

(This photo below shows my failed first attempt.)

Failed attempt of microwave Buldak ramen with too much watery broth

The reason for the failure was simple: the amount of water listed on the official website was way too much for normal microwave evaporation, and there was no clear instruction on whether to cover the bowl.

So, I retested the water ratio and cooking steps from scratch. By using exactly 250 ml of hot water and microwaving the noodles completely uncovered, the excess steam escaped naturally. This gave me the perfect sauce consistency without the hassle—or burn risk—of draining boiling water.

You can enjoy the Buldak as it is, or add corn cheese in the final step. To balance out the intense heat, I topped mine with a quick Korean corn cheese mixture—sweet corn, mayonnaise, mozzarella, and a touch of sugar—melted in the microwave for just one final minute. No pots, no draining, and only a single bowl to wash. Here is how to make microwave Buldak ramen with an optional corn cheese topping.

Quick Overview

Prep Time: 2 mins
Cook Time: 6 mins
Servings: 1 servings
Difficulty: Very Easy

Ingredients & Substitutions

1 pack Buldak Ramen
250 ml hot water
2 tbsp canned sweet corn, drained
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp sugar

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Step 1. Cook noodles in hot water (3 minutes)

Place the noodles in a deep microwave-safe ramen bowl and pour in 250 ml of hot water.
Microwave uncovered for 3 minutes to soften the noodles.
Note: Do not cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap. Keeping it uncovered allows excess steam to evaporate so the sauce doesn’t end up watery.

Buldak ramen noodles and 250ml hot water in a deep microwave-safe bowl before cooking

Step 2. Add liquid sauce and reduce (2 minutes total, checked at 1 minute)

Carefully remove the bowl. Add the spicy liquid sauce and mix thoroughly until evenly distributed.
Return the bowl to the microwave uncovered and heat for 2 minutes total.
If you’re making plain Buldak, stop here.
Note: Because microwave wattage varies, cook for 1 minute first, take the bowl out to check the remaining liquid level, then finish the remaining 1 minute. The liquid should reduce into a concentrated sauce that clings to the noodles.

Mixing spicy Buldak liquid sauce with softened ramen noodles in a microwave bowl

Step 3. Add corn cheese topping and melt (1 minute)

Remove the bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of drained sweet corn, 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese, and 1 tablespoon of sugar on top of the noodles.
Gently toss the toppings across the surface.
Microwave uncovered for 1 minute until the mozzarella is fully melted.

Topping cooked Buldak noodles with sweet corn, mayonnaise, mozzarella cheese, and sugar

Step 4. Garnish and serve Corn Cheese Buldak

Remove the bowl from the microwave.
Sprinkle the included garnish flake packet (seaweed and sesame seeds) over the top and serve immediately.
If you love easy one-bowl noodles, check out my 10-minute microwave spicy Chapagetti hack for another foolproof late-night meal.