Review: Tapatio Birria Ramen, Extra Spicy Ramen, and Carne Asada with Lime Ramen

Bottom Line: Tapatio has added some new flavors to its ramen line, and they are quite tasty while also delivering some heat.

Ramen noodles—once the cheap option to keep poor college students from starving—have become a big thing these days. There are any number of gourmet ramen shops opening up all the time, and there is a huge selection of the noodles available on store shelves. Tapatio—makers of one of the all-time great Mexican hot sauces—got into the ramen game several years ago (you can read my review of their basic ramen here), and recently they have been expanding their lineup. I tried three of their newer selections, and the following are the results from that:

Tapatio Birria Ramen: This one mixes two popular trends, birria and ramen, and it does a pretty good job of bringing those together. In fact, it had already become popular for birria establishments to add their rich stew to Tapatio noodles, so now the company is paying that back with their own version. The broth has a familiar ramen flavor, but it is richer with some good beefiness and a bit of lime zing. The noodles have a good chew, and they are quite plentiful, making for a rather filling meal. This won’t replace the birria from your favorite local taco joint, but it makes for a nice and quick alternative that is rather tasty.

As for the heat, on its own the Birria Ramen has a good kick, coming in close to or a little above Medium on my scale. I like to dress it up with cilantro, green onions, serrano, and maybe some avocado, and the added chili pepper gets it to above Hot on my scale.

Tapatio Extra Spicy Ramen: This version has more of the Mexican flavors you expect from a soup and less of the ramen taste. There is some cumin coming through and paprika along with a tomato-like acidity. It also has a nice earthy richness, and this is a great soup to have on a cold or rainy day.

The heat is definitely up there, as promised in the title, going above Hot on my scale, and it left my lips burning. I did not include the serrano when I dressed it up, and the soup did not need it. Those who struggle with spicy food (we weep for them) will want to avoid this one, but chiliheads will love it.

Carne Asada with Lime Tapatio: This ramen has an immediate tang and brightness, with the citrus flavors coming through very noticeably. The broth does have some richness, but I would not equate the flavor to carne asada. But as you continue to eat it, you do notice some beefiness as if it were derived from bouillon based on the dish. Of the three, this was my least favorite, but it still made for a good bowl of noodles, and I would buy it again.

It does have some heat as well, getting to about Medium on my scale. And as with the others, if you dress it up, this ramen turns into a pretty good meal.

I found all of these at my local HEB, and I am guessing most stores that carry ramen (are there any that don’t?) will have at least a few varieties available. And remember, the original Tapatio Ramen is pretty good as well. These are all around 470 calories for the full container, and if you add some avocado, that will tack on another 50 to 100 cals. That’s not too bad, though take note that these have a lot of sodium in case you are monitoring your salt intake. They typically sell for around two to three dollars per cup, which is a little on the high side for ramen, but these are worth it.

Nutritional Info:

Tapatio Birria Ramen

Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Modified Starch (Tapioca), Palm Oil, Salt, Spices, Sugar, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Wheat Gluten, Cabbage, Monosodium Glutamate, Tomato, Bok Choy, Carrot, Roasted Rice, Dextrin, Artificial Beef Flavor, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, Yeast Extract, Garlic, Malic Acid, Corn Grits, Paprika Extract, Onion, Citric Acid, Disodium Diphosphate, Pentasodium Triphosphate, Potassium Carbonate, Sodium Carbonate, Calcium Phosphate, Propylene Glycol, Soybean Oil, Tocopherol (Preservative), Polysorbate, Vitamin C, Silicon Dioxide, Riboflavin.

Serving Size: 1 Cup
Calories: 470
Fat: 15g (7g Sat/0 Trans)
Protein: 10g
Carbs: 73g
Sodium: 1770mg

Tapatio Extra Spicy Ramen

Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Modified Tapioca Starch, Palm Oil, Salt, Chili Pepper, Chili Powder (Dextrin, Salt, Chili), Hot Sauce Powder (Chili Pepper, Dextrin, Garlic), Sugar, Dried Cabbage, Soy Sauce Powder (Soybeans, Salt, Disodium 5′-Ribonucleotide), Monosodium Glutamate, Tomato, Dried Bok Choy, Dried Carrot, Soy Lecithin, Potato Starch, Malic Acid, Yeast, Onion, Red Pepper, Garlic, Potassium Carbonate, Guar Gum, Black Pepper, Parsley, Paprika, Mixed Tocopherol Powder (Dextrin, Soybean Oil), Disodium 5′-Ribonucleotide, Xanthan Gum, Jalapeno Flavor (Jalapeno Pepper, Soybean Oil), Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Phosphate Dibasic, Green Tea Flavor Oil (Water, Dextrin, Tea Catechin), Riboflavin, Citric Acid.

Serving Size: 1 Cup
Calories: 470
Fat: 17g (8g Sat/0 Trans)
Protein: 8g
Carbs: 71g
Sodium: 1760mg

Carne Asada and Lime Tapatio Ramen

Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Modified Starch (Tapioca), Palm Oil, Salt, Spices, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Sugar, Wheat Gluten, Lime Flavor Powder (Lemon Oil, Citral, Fermented Ethyl Alcohol, Dextrose Monohydrate, Arabic Gum, Maltodextrin), Other Natural And Artificial Flavors, Dried Cabbage, Citric Acid, Monosodium Glutamate, Dried Bok Choy Driez Carrot, Tomato Powder, Yeast Extract, Roasted Beef Flavor Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Acidity Regulator (Sodium Carbonate Potassium Carbonate, Pentasodium Triphosphate, Disodium Diphosphate), Onion Powder, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Artificial Beef Flavor, Chili Extract, Tocopherol (Preservative), Riboflavin.

Serving Size: 1 Cup
Calories: 480
Fat: 18g (8g Sat/0 Trans)
Protein: 10g
Carbs: 70g
Sodium: 2660mg