Spicy food isn’t for everyone. For many people, the flames of capsaicin are something they just can’t tolerate. However, pepperphiles are another story. For the pepperphile, no burn is too great, and searching for the most delicious and spicy foods is crucial to fulfilling one’s life story. Those who adore the burn of spicy food are always looking for foods that sit at the crossroads of being tasty and having a pleasurable burn. However, this can be quite a challenge as highly spicy foods are often made with pepper extracts, which don’t taste very good. Let’s examine some of the most popular and spiciest instant noodles on the market.
Typically, when determining which products are the spiciest, the pepperphile will utilize Scoville Heat Units (SHUs) if listed on the marketing materials. For many foods, even spicy ones, this isn’t something that companies think to list. Most of the time it isn’t relevant. The average person, even one that likes spicy food, isn’t going to understand what a SHU rating means or care unless it seems excessively high. So, this list isn’t in any particular order for the most part since we can’t compare the SHU ratings without having an SHU rating listed. (Click here for the one must-try local sandwich in every state.)
20. Indomie Mie Goreng Hot & Spicy
Mie Goreng is an Indonesian dish that you can find in most of South East Asia. However, Indomie’s instant Mie Goreng Hot & Spicy noodle packet is a popular instant noodle choice for those who enjoy a bit of capsaicin without going too overboard. Unfortunately, we were unable to find an exact SHU rating for this noodle packet. Regardless, it is one of the most popular spicy noodle packets on the market overall. Many Asian supermarkets carry it and their customers enjoy it to the fullest!
Indomie Mie Goreng Hot & Spicy is enjoyable by itself. However, the discerning noodle enjoyer might add tofu, meat, or boiled eggs to the dish to give it more fullness.
19. Sichuan Baijia Chongqing Original Hot And Sour
Sichuan Baijia Chongqing Original Hot and Sour noodles are best known for being extremely salty. The amount of salt in this noodle packet is probably unhealthy and you should definitely take that into account if you suffer from hypertension. These also aren’t that spicy, at least not compared to some of the stuff that the average pepperphile eats on the regular.
These noodles are meant to be eaten as a soup. If you’ve ever had hot and sour soup at a Chinese restaurant, it’s similar to that… just with way, way more salt. As a result, you’ll find that the noodles themselves aren’t very spicy when you eat them. Most of the capsaicin is in the broth.
18. Ohsung Hot & Spicy Hong Ramyun Noodle Soup with Soy Peptide
The vast majority of the entries on this list are from South Korea. For some reason, the market for spicy instant noodles is massive there compared to other countries. If you are looking for Korean spicy instant ramen, you’ll have plenty of options such as Ohsung’s Hot & Spicy Hong Ramyun Noodle Soup with Soy Peptide.
Ohsung recommends a variety of additions to give your instant ramen some body, such as fish cakes, cheese, and fresh vegetables. As always, a soft-boiled egg is an excellent addition that gives your instant ramen some much-needed protein.
17. Paldo Kokomen
Paldo is another South Korean noodle brand that makes a pretty decent variety of spicy instant ramen packets. Their Kokomen flavor is on the chill side compared to some other options on this list. The spice in the broth comes from jalapeños, which might be unpalatable to some people. It has a clear broth and the noodles are pretty thick and bouncy. However, the chicken flavor really isn’t prominent and can conflict with the jalapeño taste. This one could be considered more of an acquired taste for some people.
We weren’t able to find a SHU rating for this noodle packet. Thus, we can only assume that it’s not strong enough for the SHU rating to be relevant to the general public. Don’t expect to sweat from this unless you’re very sensitive to spice.
16. MyKuali Penang White Curry Noodle
MyKuali is a Malaysian food company that makes a variety of spicy instant noodles, most notably their Penang White Curry. White curry is a variation of the typical red and green curries, a spicy dish common in Thailand, Malaysia, and other Southeast Asian countries. This instant noodle packet turns the usual white curry sauce into a soup for your noodles.
MyKuali’s noodle packet comes with several different sachets that make up the soup base, including coconut milk powder as would be necessary for making white curry. Despite the addition of coconut milk to the broth, it does turn out red rather than white.
15. Ottogi Yeul Ramen Hot Pepper Flavor
Ottogi Yuel Ramen Hot Pepper Flavor is an excellent entry into the world of truly spicy food. Is it “drop dead possibly dangerous” levels of spicy? No. You are not going to die from eating it. However, it will give you a nice kick and a sensational burning feeling in your mouthparts. This ramen packet is one of the spiciest ones you can get without going over the borderline of “for the general public” and “for the pepperphiles”. We highly recommend it as a starting point for people who aren’t quite sure what their spice tolerance is yet as it will give you a pretty good idea of whether you’re equipped to handle the bigger stuff.
14. JML Instant Noodle Artificial Spicy Hot Beef Flavor
JML is a Chinese food company and their Artificial Spicy Hot Beef Flavor noodles are somewhat similar to Ottogi Yuel Ramen Hot Pepper Flavor in spice. They’re not going to kill you but if you’ve got a low spice tolerance you will feel these in your mouth for a little while. They don’t have a Scoville Heat Unit rating listed. So, it’s safe to say that these aren’t that high up the spice level, at least for those of us who prefer their food to give them chemical burns. (Yes, we exist.) However, for the general populous, this packet is decently spicy without losing out on crucial flavoring.
13. Paldo Bulnak Bokkummyun Spicy Fried Octopus Ramyun
You’re going to see a lot of Paldo instant ramen packets on this list because they make a huge variety of spicy noodle sachets. This ramen packet is unique in that it’s a fried octopus instant noodle. Picky eaters probably won’t like this one, even if they do like spicy food. The unique flavor of octopus makes this noodle packet special and delicious. Now, this packet is where you start crossing the borderline from “general population spicy noodles” to “check yourself before you wreck yourself spicy noodles”. You will smell the spice as soon as you open the sauce packet. It won’t singe your eyebrows off, but this is not an instant noodle to be trifled with.
For the best experience, we recommend heading to your local Asian grocery store and picking up some frozen octopus to fry and add to the noodles. It’ll really bring out the umami and octopus flavoring in the noodles as well as give them some counter-texture and protein.
12. Paldo Teumsae Ramyun
Many people consider Paldo’s Teumsae Ramyun to be the hottest you can get on the market. There were a lot of really good options for the hottest on the market and while Teumsae definitely challenges me every time I eat it, I’m not sure if it’s the one that makes me sweat the most. However, Teumsae has the bonus of being very widely available. Most Asian grocery stores carry it and it’s far easier to find than some of the premium options.
Additionally, Teumsae has a palatable flavor. While many of the options from here on out lack a distinct flavor because they’re made to be extremely spicy and the actual taste of the noodles is neglected, Teumsae retains a distinct flavor that makes it taste like food rather than simple burning.
11. Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyeon
Samyang is another popular South Korean instant noodle company that makes highly spicy ramen packets and cups. Their Buldak line is widely hailed as one of the best premium spicy noodles and they have a unique habit of posting a rough estimate on the SHU rating of their products. The original Buldak Bokkeummyeon Hot Chicken flavor clocks in at around 4,400 SHUs, which is pretty hot. They make several flavors that are about half as spicy as that statistically and many people struggle with those!
This line of instant ramen packets launched in 2016 and since then it’s been the subject of many “extreme food challenges” on the internet due to its high spice level. If 4,400 SHUs sounds a bit daunting to you, Samyang’s Buldak Carbonara instant ramen is around 2,600 SHUs and most people still consider it challenging.
10. Paldo Volcano Curry Kkokkomyun
Another Paldo option, the Volcano Curry Kkokkomyun is an ultra-spicy instant noodle packet. It’s a fried noodle packet. So, there won’t be a broth, and the noodles will absorb the sauce, giving the noodles a distinct flavor compared to broth-heavy choices that keep the flavor in the liquid. This packet might not be the absolute spiciest on the market, but for the average person, it’s going to be a real challenge.
Unfortunately, there are no published data on the SHU rating for the Volcano Curry Kkokkomyun. However, you can rest assured that this ramen packet won’t go down easy, even for the pepperphile.
9. Samyang Foods 2x Spicy Hek Buldak Bokkeummyun
This ramen packet is one of the spiciest on the market and still retains a distinct, pleasurable flavor. It’s got an artificial chicken flavor and is made with chili extract, giving it an impressive rating of around 10,000 SHUs. For the advanced pepperphile, 10,000 SHUs might sound like a walk in the park. After all, my favorite hot sauce is 2 million SHUs. However, the average person finds 2,000 SHUs to be pretty hot—intolerable for some. So 10,000 is not something to take lightly if you’re not conditioned to withstand high levels of capsaicin.
I like to cook this up with some chicken and soft-boiled eggs. If you find it to be intolerably spicy, tomato sauce will dilute the spiciness without changing the flavor too much.
8. Paldo Teumsae Ramen 9,413 SHU Version
Teumsae Ramen 9,413 SHU Version is exactly what it says on the package. It is the Teumsae ramen flavor from Paldo but turned up to just above 9,400 SHUs. It is slightly less spicy than Buldak 2× Spicy if you get the newest Buldak recipe or slightly more spicy if you get the old one. This ramen is going to be a challenge whether you’re a pepperphile or not. However, if you don’t eat a lot of spicy food, be careful with it. It’s going to upset your stomach and it will not feel good coming out the other side.
7. GB Company The Devil Of Fire Ramen
Now we’re moving into ramen packets that don’t actually have much of a flavor beyond “hot”. The following ramen packets are mostly popular for internet challenge points and there probably aren’t that many people eating them for pleasure. Not to say extremely spicy food can’t be pleasurable, but you have to strike a balance. Food that doesn’t have a flavor isn’t typically going to be popular.
The problem that I have with this ramen, and many others as we continue to move down this list, is that it’s really just hot for the sake of hot. It’s fun to be able to say I ate it, but with how hard it is to procure in America, I’m not going out of my way to add it to my grocery list.
6. Liangchengmei 30S” Hot Bird Noodle
The flavor in this one is not terrible, but definitely better than some of the other ultra-spicy options. However, again, it’s not great. While flavor doesn’t have to be overshadowed by spice, it’s easy to end up with a dish that’s more hot than flavorful. If you’re not fairly precise with the measurements and cooking instructions, you can definitely end up with a plate of noodles that burns like fire and has absolutely no flavor to speak of with this one.
This ramen packet is an excellent challenge if you’re looking to move up the SHU chart. It’s going to leave your mouth burning for quite a while.
5. Mamee Shinsegae Ghost Pepper Spicy Chicken
This is a ramen cup, not a packet. I actually have this in my kitchen right now. It’s got an impressive SHU rating of 1 million SHUs. If you are looking for something really spicy, something that makes your mouth burn, this ramen cup will do the trick. It is spicy. Aside from being spicy, it is completely unremarkable. It claims to have a chicken flavor. However, I can’t find the chicken flavor. It just tastes like burning. It really doesn’t taste that good. It’s a challenge food through and through. I bought a six-pack of this ramen almost six months ago now and I’m still trying to eat through it because it just tastes bad.
4. Samyang Foods Buldak 3x Spicy HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen
This ramen is another one that just doesn’t taste good. Is it spicy? Yes, very. It is a challenge to eat. However, unlike the 2× Spicy flavor, the 3× flavor isn’t spicy and tasty; it’s just spicy. It’s something you eat for bragging rights and the biggest problem with it is that it’s hard to find sellers who are selling single packets. These packets are hard to find as they weren’t produced as much as the 2× flavor and unless you’re a food waster, buying this ramen to try it is typically a commitment to eating it five times, which for people who can’t tolerate spicy food or can’t tolerate food with no taste is kind of a big ask.
3. Taihodien Restaurant Supreme Spicy Noodle
People who like Sichuan Peppercorn will love these noodles because that’s their dominant taste. Chicken-flavored noodles are out and Sichuan Peppercorn is in. Unfortunately, if you don’t like Sichuan Peppercorn, you will absolutely not like these noodles. They taste really strongly of Sichuan Peppercorn and don’t have much of a flavor profile outside of that. These noodles are for a very specific subset of people who like spicy food and no one else. Don’t feel too bad if these aren’t for you. Even if you can tolerate the spiciness, the lack of depth of flavor can be a dealbreaker for many people.
2. Isoyama Shoji 18禁カレーラーメン (Age 18 Prohibited/Restricted/Only La-Men Curry Taste)
Now, this one, I haven’t been able to procure myself. Due to personal reasons, I can’t travel to Japan to buy it and I haven’t been able to find an importer for it. That being said, everyone who has published their thoughts agrees that this is a real challenge for the upper echelons of pepperphiles. This ramen packet is not for people who are just starting out with spicy food. It may be a good goal for an aspiring pepperphile, but starting here is setting yourself up for failure.
Due to the nature of the product, I would be concerned about it not having a distinct flavor. Many spicy products, including sauces and powders, really struggle with retaining a palatable flavor when going above a certain level of spice. At some point, the goal just becomes “burn more” rather than producing something that burns and tastes good at the same time. I haven’t tried it. So, I can’t comment directly on it. However, that’s just something I would be cognizant of when purchasing it.
1. Culley’s World’s Hottest Ramen
Culley’s World’s Hottest Ramen is made with Carolina Reapers, which have a SHU rating of over 1.6 million. Like many options on this list, it does claim to be the world’s hottest instant noodle kit. This package is another one that I haven’t tried, mostly because it’s a little more difficult to find. However, the Amazon reviews from pepperphiles make me feel like I’m not missing anything. Many of the reviews complained about the spiciness not being all that, and more than a few reviews point out that—like a lot of “super spicy” products—the noodles just don’t taste that good whether they’re spicy or not.