Easy & Delicious Ways to Make Buldak Ramen Less Spicy

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Expert-backed ways to reduce the spice in Buldak ramen

Co-authored by JoAnna Minneci and Bertha Isabel Crombet, PhD

Last Updated: November 11, 2025 Fact Checked

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Buldak ramen has been a household name for noodle lovers since 2012. Most recently, the ramen has gone viral on TikTok, with foodies challenging themselves to eat the spiciest flavors for views and likes. But—what if you want to make the noodles less spicy? If you like Buldak but want to learn how to tone down the heat, keep reading to learn more. Plus, we offer bonus insights from professional chefs and noodle experts on how to step up your Buldak game.

Make Buldak Ramen Less Spicy

Mix ½ cup (125 ml) of whole milk or cream with the sauce packet and coat your noodles. Finish with butter, cheese, mayo, or sour cream. For dairy-free options, stir 1 tbsp (8 ml) of peanut butter into your noodles or ½ cup (125 ml) of coconut milk. Adding sugar, honey, or acid can help lower spice levels as well.

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Section 1 of 2:

How to Make Buldak Ramen Less Spicy with Dairy

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1. 
   Add milk, cream, or cheese to reduce the heat. The tingling heat you feel in your mouth after taking your first bite of 2x Spicy Buldak Ramen is due to capsaicin, the chemical in chili peppers that creates the sensation of spice. Dairy contains casein, which helps break down capsaicin. This is why milk, cream, cheese, and other dairy products are great additions to your noodles if you don’t want your mouth to be on fire. Here are some ideas to help you tone down the spice:

   • Use ½ cup (125 ml) of whole milk or cream instead of water. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions and drain most of the water. Stir in the whole milk or cream for a velvety finish that won’t burn off your taste buds.
   • Add 1-2 tablespoons (8-15 ml) of mayonnaise or aioli. Go with a garlic or lemon aioli for extra flavor. Add regular mayo or Kewpie mayo to the cooked noodles and sauce mixture to lower the spice a little. To lower it a lot, add it to your creamy milk base.
   • Melt 1/2 tablespoon (4 ml) of butter into your sauce. Melt a pat of butter into your noodles. Or, add the butter to your milk base for an even creamier, toned-down spice. Professional chef JoAnna Minneci says, “To counteract [the heat], add some fat.”
   • Sprinkle in ½ cup (125 ml) of cheese. Add the cheese of your choice to your noodles and sauce mixture. Mozzarella, American, and Parmesan cheese all work well. Minneci advises that you “garnish with some sour cream” to cool down the dish even more.

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Jennifer Lease, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian and trained chef who specializes in a plant-forward approach to applying nutrition information to cooking.

   Thuong Tan is a noodle expert and the founder of Noodelist, a plant-based instant noodle brand.

   JoAnna Minneci is a retired Professional Chef. With 18 years of experience, Chef JoAnna specializes in teaching others how to cook through private cooking lessons, team-building events, and wellness and nutrition classes.

   Abyssinia Campbell is an executive chef. With over a decade of experience, she specializes in catering, event planning, menu development, meal planning, and food business operations.

   Ollie George Cigliano is a private chef and food educator. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in utilizing fresh, fun ingredients and mixing traditional and innovative cooking techniques.
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Section 2 of 2:

How to Make Buldak Ramen Less Spicy Without Dairy

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1. 
   1
   Add peanut butter, coconut milk, and tons of toppings. If you’re hoping for a dairy-free way to tackle Buldak spice, there are plenty of ingredients that can help. For example, adding peanut butter can help tame the heat while adding a complex flavor. Here are some other foodie hacks to adjust the heat of your Buldak noodles to your preference:

   • Add 1 tablespoon (8 ml) of peanut butter to your cooked noodles. Boil the noodles according to package instructions, leaving behind 3-4 tablespoons (24- 32 ml) of water. Then, stir in the peanut butter until it mixes in and coats the noodles.
     • Use smooth and creamy peanut butter or crunchy peanut butter. Keep in mind that a little goes a long way, so start with 1 tbsp (8 ml) and add to taste.
   • Pour in ½ cup (125 ml) of coconut milk. To add creaminess and sweetness without the lactose, add the coconut milk to your cooked noodles. You can also use about 2 cups (500 ml) of coconut milk to cook the noodles instead of water.
   • Add in veggies and protein to help soak up the spice. Noodle expert Thuong Tan says to throw in whatever is in your fridge, like leftover chicken, shrimp, eggs, mushrooms, and bean sprouts.
     • Registered dietitian and trained chef Jennifer Lease, RD, CDN says that adding veggies to your ramen can “make it a more balanced meal, while adding lots of nutrients.”
     • Executive chef Abyssinia Campbell says that potatoes and onions are also good for absorbing the extra spice.
     • Private chef and food educator Ollie George Cigliano offers that wilting spinach or any leafy greens in your noodle dish can help absorb some heat, too.
2. 
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   Balance the heat of the noodles with sweeteners. Start with 1 tsp (5 ml) of sugar or honey. For stew-type Buldak ramen, stir sugar or honey into the hot broth and then taste it. If it’s still too spicy, add more. For stir-fry Buldak ramen, mix the sugar or honey into the sauce, coating your noodles.

   • Minneci explains that “adding sugar [to spice] confuses the chemistry of your tongue,” triggering what she calls a “trigeminal scientific reaction.”
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   Add acid to neutralize the spice. Start by adding 1 tsp (5 ml) of lemon or lime juice or rice wine vinegar to your noodle and sauce mixture. Taste, and add more depending on your preference. Tomato paste is another good yet unexpected source of acid. Add 1 tablespoon (8 ml) of tomato paste for a less spicy and more rounded flavor.

   • Cigliano encourages you to “increase acidity by adding lemon juice, or any citrus,” including “wine or vinegar,” which is known to “mellow out” the intensity and create a “new layer of flavor.”
   • Remember: the goal is to achieve a flavorful balance, not to get rid of the spice altogether.
4. 
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   Only use a portion of the sauce packet. If you're worried the Buldak will be too spicy, don’t add the entire spice sauce packet! This may seem like a no-brainer, but don’t add in the entire spice sauce packet, as this accounts for most, if not all, of the heat, depending on the Buldak flavor. Start with a small amount of the sauce packet and test the flavor. Remember: you can always add more.
5. 
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   Increase the recipe by adding another packet of noodles. If you’ve made one pack of Buldak ramen and the spice is simply too much for you, Cigliano recommends that you simply “increase the recipe.” Grab another pack of Buldak ramen and mix the extra noodles in (without using the extra sauce packet).
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Tips

• Don’t force yourself to finish an overly spicy dish. If you’re not enjoying your 2x Spicy Buldak Ramen, don’t feel pressured to finish it. Some of these extremely spicy flavors have been linked to health concerns, so listen to your body and do what’s best for you.
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