[Problem] The present invention relates to an instant fried noodle which does not undergo unevenness in density and is evenly fried. [Solution] In the present invention, in addition to a two-stage frying procedure in which a retainer is immersed in a frying oil at a certain immersion rate and subsequently the whole body of the retainer is immersed in the frying oil, the control of the flow volume of a frying oil to be supplied from the upstream and the downstream of a frying oil bath and the oil level in the frying oil is carried out. In this manner, it becomes possible to prevent a mass of noodles from being detached and floating from the bottom of the retainer by the action of the pressure of the frying oil and therefore prevent the misshaping of the mass of noodles before the shape of the mass of noodles is fixed. Consequently, the frying efficiency or production efficiency can be improved. In addition, it also becomes possible to steadily produce a mass of noodles which has extremely small unevenness in the distribution of noodle strips. It is desirable that the difference between the density of noodle strips in the upper half of a dried mass of noodles and that in the lower half of the dried mass of noodles is at least 13 pcnt or less.
