Rich, creamy, and nutty flavoured ramen broth with spicy pork and noodles - Tantanmen ramen is a flavourful soup that is easy to make and delicious to eat! The best part is you can have it on your table in 20 minutes!

I was hooked from my very first bite of tantanmen. I loved everything from the slightly spicy and nutty flavoured broth to the noodles and the deliciously flavorful pork. I wasn't surprised at all although because I'm also a big fan of dan dan noodles, and tantanmen ramen is the Japanese version of the dish. It's not nearly as spicy and it's served as a soup where dan dan noodles are more dry, but it's equally as delicious!
You're going to love this!
- Quick and easy - this recipe has a few ingredients, but the steps are very simple and the whole dish comes together in just about 20 minutes.
- Bold and flavorful - this ramen is just packed with texture and flavour from the sauce to the ramen.
- Cozy and comforting - just like a big old comfy sweater, there's nothing like a big bowl of saucy noodles to get you feel warm and cozy.
Ingredients
- Ground pork - pork is the traditional meat, but you could easily substitute for chicken or turkey or beef.
- Gai lan - This is Chinese broccoli. It's one of my favourite Asian greens, but you could use bok choy or any other greens you like here.
- Ginger and garlic - no Asian dish is complete without these two aromatics.
- Ramen noodles - You will find many different kinds. Some can be cooked right in the soup, some are very starchy and need to be cooked in their own pot of water first. Pay attention to package directions and cook accordingly.
- Chicken stock - chicken has a nice mild flavour that doesn't overpower the other ingredients, so I'd suggest you stick with that.
- Soy milk - make sure to use unsweetened. You can also substitute for your favourite non dairy milk.
- Green onion - I love loads of this piled onto my ramen!
- Sesame paste - aka tahini. You can also use peanut butter in a pinch.
- Chili Bean sauce - also known as doubanjiang. It's a paste made from broad beans, and I don't have a great substitute to suggest.
- Soy sauce - any kind you like!
- Chili oil - you'll find plenty of options at your local Asian grocer, but here's one to get you started on what to look for.
How to make it
There are a couple of steps to this recipe (as well as a decent list of ingredients) but I assure you that the process looks more complicated than it is, and the whole thing comes together in just 20 minutes.
Prepare the soup paste. Mix together the sesame paste, soy sauce and chili oil to make the soup paste then set it aside for later.
Prepare the pork seasoning. Mix together the chili bean paste (doubanjiang), garlic, ginger, soy sauce and chili oil to make the pork seasoning, and set aside.
Cook the pork. Heat a large non-stick skillet to medium high heat and add a splash of oil. Add the ground pork to the skillet and cook until browned. Add the prok seasoning mix to the pork and mix through. Cook until the pork is nice and crisp.
Blanche the greens and cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and give the greens a give blanche then remove them from the water, then drop in the noodles and cook them according to package directions before straining them.
Cook the broth. Add the chicken stock and the soy milk to a pot and heat until the stock is a bout to reach a boil. Be careful, because if the stock does boil it may bubble up over the pot.
Assemble the soup. Divide the soup paste between the bowls, then add the stock. Stir well to dissolve the paste into the broth, then add the noodles.
Top the ramen. Add the seasoned pork to the ramen along with the blanched greens and diced green onions and serve!
More Recipes You'll Love!
If you liked this tantanmen ramen, you might want to check out some of our other amazing soup recipes!
If you have made this recipe we’d love to see it! Tag us on Insta @loveandgoodstuff.
Loved this? Don’t forget to rate it below!
Tantanmen Ramen
Ingredients:
- 4 portions ramen noodles
- 12 pieces Chinese broccoli (gai lan)
soup paste
- 6 Tablespoons sesame paste - or peanut butter
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons chili oil
pork
- .75 lbs ground pork
- 2 Tablespoons doubanjiang
- 2 Tablespoons ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons japanese chili oil or szechuan chili oil
soup base
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups soy milk
Toppings
- 1⁄4 cup cilantro
- 4 green onions - sliced
Instructions
- Mix the seame paste, soy sauce and chili oil together to make the soup paste and set aside.
- Mix the doubanjiang, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and chili oil together and set aside.
- Add a bit of oil to a skillet and heat to medium high. Add the pork and brown then add the doubanjaing mixture to the pork and stir well to combibe. Ket the pork cook until it is nice and crisp.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and quickly blanche the greens then set aside leaving the water behind.
- Cook the ramen noodles in the water, then set aside.
- Use the pot to heat up the chicken stock and soy milk.
- Divide the soup paste between the bowls and then add the soup base. Stir to mix in the paste.
- Add the noodles to the bowls, top with pork and greens, then garnish with green onions, cilantro and peanuts.
Nutrition
* nutritional information is calculated by online tools and may not be 100% accurate.
Alex says
We used peanut butter as that is what we had on hand, and loved this! Will definitely make again and try with the sesame paste also. Great flavours and really easy!
Courtney says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it!
klor says
All the right ingredients to make a delish bowl of noodles. So good!
Biana says
Yum! We love soups, and this one looks amazing. Will be making it soon.
Courtney says
Thank you!
Beth says
That's a meal in a bowl! I can't wait to try it. Ramen is one of our favorite so I know we'll love this!
Courtney says
You'll love it I'm sure!
Jill says
Such a lovely bowl of ramen with so much flavor. Definitely going to try this!
Courtney says
Thank you! I hope you do!
Lima Ekram says
Love eating soups and this looks wonderful! Will be making some soon - will let you know how it goes!
Courtney says
Thank you! I'd love to hear it!