Rich, creamy chicken paitan built the Ken’s way. Start with Ken’s Paitan Broth Starter, build it out with a whole chicken and onion, season it with Ken’s OG Ramen Tare, then finish with thin noodles, Shio Tori and the classic toppings.
Yield: About 5 bowls
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3–4 hours
Shop This Recipe
You’ll need:
- 1 × 64 oz Ken’s Paitan Broth Starter — [SHOP PAITAN BROTH STARTER]
- Ken’s OG Ramen Tare — approximately 5 oz total — [SHOP OG RAMEN TARE]
Ingredients
For the Paitan Broth
- 1 × 64 oz Ken’s Paitan Broth Starter
- 64 oz water
- 1 whole chicken, approximately 3½–4½ lb
- 1 whole yellow onion, peeled and halved
For the Ramen
- 20–25 oz thin, straight fresh ramen noodles
- 5 oz Ken’s OG Ramen Tare
- Prepared Ken’s Shio Tori — [GET THE SHIO TORI RECIPE]
Optional but Highly Recommended Toppings
- 8–10 oz mung bean sprouts
- Kikurage / wood-ear mushrooms
- 1 bunch scallions
- ½ small yellow or white onion
Make the Paitan Broth
Equipment
Use a 10-quart stockpot.
An 8-quart pot will work, but 10 quarts gives you enough room to maintain a strong boil without the broth constantly boiling over.
You’ll also need:
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Large bowl or clean pot
- Ladle
Step 1
Pour the entire 64 oz Ken’s Paitan Broth Starter into the stockpot.
Add 64 oz water.
Step 2
Add:
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 whole onion, peeled and halved
Bring everything to a full boil over high heat.
Step 3
Once boiling, leave the pot uncovered and maintain a strong, active boil.
Paitan is different from a clear chicken stock. We want agitation—the boiling helps emulsify the chicken fat, collagen and proteins into the broth and creates that creamy texture.
Cook for approximately 3–4 hours.
Stir periodically and scrape the bottom of the pot occasionally to prevent anything from sticking or scorching.
As the chicken begins to break down, gently break apart the larger pieces with a ladle or spoon.
Step 4
Continue boiling until the broth has reduced back down to approximately:
64 oz / 2 quarts
Use the cooking time as a guideline. The final volume is more important than the clock.
Different pots and burners evaporate at different rates.
Step 5
Remove the large pieces of chicken and onion.
Carefully strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot.
Discard the solids.
Return the strained broth to the stove and keep it hot while you prepare the noodles and toppings.
Prepare the Toppings
Ken’s Shio Tori
Prepare the chicken using our Shio Tori method.
[GET THE KEN’S SHIO TORI RECIPE →]
Pull or portion the chicken before assembling the bowls.
Bean Sprouts
Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
Add the bean sprouts and blanch for approximately 3 seconds.
Drain immediately.
They should remain crisp and fresh—not soft and watery.
Kikurage
Kikurage is Japanese wood-ear mushroom.
If using dried wood-ear mushrooms, rehydrate according to the package directions, drain thoroughly and slice into thin strips.
Prepared or pre-sliced kikurage from an Asian market works perfectly too.
Scallions
Thinly slice.
Onion
Finely dice.
Use just a small amount per bowl for a fresh, sharp bite.
Noodles
Use a thin, straight fresh ramen noodle.
Recommended options include:
- Sun Noodle
- Myojo
- Fresh ramen noodles from H Mart
- Fresh ramen noodles from Whole Foods or your local Japanese/Asian market
Use approximately 4–5 oz fresh noodles per bowl.
Cook according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Fresh ramen cooks quickly, so cook each portion immediately before assembling the bowl.
Assemble the OG Paitan Ramen
For One Bowl
- 1 oz Ken’s OG Ramen Tare
- Approximately 12 oz piping-hot Paitan Broth
- 4–5 oz fresh ramen noodles
- Ken’s Shio Tori
- Bean sprouts
- Kikurage
- Scallions
- Finely diced onion
Step 1 — Tare
Add 1 oz Ken’s OG Ramen Tare directly to the bottom of a warmed ramen bowl.
Step 2 — Broth
Pour in approximately 12 oz piping-hot Paitan Broth.
Stir briefly to fully incorporate the tare into the broth.
Step 3 — Noodles
Cook one portion of ramen according to the package directions.
Drain thoroughly and immediately transfer the noodles into the broth.
Use chopsticks to gently loosen and straighten the noodles.
Step 4 — Shio Tori
Add a generous portion of Ken’s Shio Tori.
Step 5 — Toppings
Finish with:
- Blanched bean sprouts
- Kikurage
- Sliced scallions
- A small amount of finely diced onion
Serve immediately.
The Ken’s Setup
This bowl is built around:
Ken’s Paitan Broth Starter
The foundation for rich, creamy chicken paitan without starting from scratch.
Ken’s OG Ramen Tare
The seasoning base that turns the finished broth into a complete bowl of ramen.
[SHOP THE OG PAITAN SETUP →]
Related Recipe
Ken’s Shio Tori — Hand-Pulled Chicken Breast
[VIEW RECIPE →]
