This Spicy Pork Ramen Noodle Soup is delicious and completely homemade. Slow-cooked pork with tender noodles, crunchy veggies, a just-slightly-runny egg with a broth that’s full of that delicious umami flavour!
Forget the packets of dried ramen noodles this is the BEST!
I’ve had so-so ramen (always a little disappointing when the broth is too watered down) and I’ve had great ramen, like when we visited New York (that definitely falls into the category of great, if not magnificent!).
The broth is made by slow cooking the pork for 4 hours, along with lots of delicious extras such as garlic, ginger, soy sauce, mirin and gochujang. The layers of flavour are amazing and you end up with a thick silky broth, full of that rich umami taste.
The rest of the Spicy Pork Ramen Noodle Soup consists of noodles, veggies and just-soft boiled eggs. I like to throw on a few chilli flakes at the end too. It gives the soup a lovely spicy kick, but you can leave it out (or serve the chilli flakes on the side) if that sounds too spicy.
What do we need?
What cut of pork to use?
- Boneless rolled pork shoulder is the best cut of meat to use for this pork ramen, as it has the right amount of fat to ensure a flavourful silky broth with tender meat.
- Boneless leg of pork can be used too. There’s a little less fat and marbling in pork leg, so the broth won’t be quite as rich but it will still taste great.
What type of noodles for ramen?
Look for dried or frozen ramen noodles (frozen Yutaka Ramen Noodles are great).
You can use noodles from those instant noodle packs if you like (discard the powder sachet).
Rice noodles or soba noodles work ok. Medium egg noodles aren’t bad at a push
How to make the ramen:
- Season the pork with the salt and pepper and place in the pan with the hot oil. Seal on all sides.
- Add in stock, onion, carrot, celery, garlic and ginger.
- Then add in the mirin, soy sauce, gochujang and a chopped red chilli.
- Bring to the boil, then place a lid on the pan and place in the oven for 4 hours at 150C/300F.
- Take the pork out of the pan and shred on a chopping board.
- Strain the cooking liquid.
- Pour the strained liquid back into the pan with the the shredded pork. Leave on a low heat to keep warm.
- Fry sliced leeks in a little oil with salt and pepper. Move to one side and add spinach. Allow to wilt.
- Divide cooked noodles between four bowls. Top with hot broth, shredded pork, leek, spinach and carrot matchsticks.
- Add two halves of soft boiled egg per bowl and garnish the ramen with spring onions (scallions), white and black sesame seeds and the chilli flakes before serving.
What is gochujang?
Gochujang (<– affiliate link) is a Korean fermented red chilli sauce or paste with a smoky-sweet and slightly spicy flavour. Some brands are spicier than others. I prefer the paste, rather than the sauce for a stronger flavour. It is hot though, so if you don’t like too much heat, then go easy on it.
It’s a fantastic addition to sauces and marinades, as it adds heat, richness, tang and a little sweetness. I use it in lots of recipes.
Other recipes using Gochujang
- Oven Baked Asian Ribs
- Sticky Korean Fried Chicken
- Korean Lamb Cutlets
- Beef Bulgogi bowls
- Spicy Korean Steak Sandwich(the best grilled cheese!)
Don’t be alarmed by the size of the ingredients list and the time it takes. This pork ramen is so worth it, and it’s actually pretty easy. I’ve made it twice in one week before now, and have doubled everything up to serve a a family gathering too.
Grab a few napkins, this one’s a splashy one 🙂
More slurpy spicy dishes:
- Seafood Laksa – on the table in 30 minutes (including making the homemade yellow curry paste)
- Mee Goreng (spicy fried noodles)
- Beef Chow Fun (marinated beef and noodles)
- Chinese style curry with juicy meatballs
- Prawn and Mango Curry noodle bowl
Perfect soft boiled eggs:
Soft boiled eggs go so well with ramen so in order to make the perfect soft boiled eggs:
- Place room temperature large eggs in a medium-sized saucepan (no more than 4 in a pan) and just cover with cold water.
- Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 6 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and place the eggs in a bowl of water with ice for 5 minutes to stop the cooking process.
- Carefully peel the eggs before slicing in half.
See how to make it
Spicy Pork Ramen Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 kg (2.2 lbs) rolled pork shoulder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 2 litres (8 1/2 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 onion cut in half (no need to remove the skin)
- 2 carrots peeled, one left whole, the other cut into matchsticks
- 1 stick of celery broken in half
- 3 cloves garlic chopped in half (no need to peel)
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger roughly chopped (no need to peel)
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Gochujang Paste *Use half the amount if you don't like your ramen too hot.
- 1 red chilli roughly sliced (remove the seeds if you don’t like it too hot)
- 4 large eggs
- 200 g (7 oz) dried ramen noodles or 17.5 oz (500g) cooked ramen noodles
- 1 leek sliced
- 100 g (3 packed cups) baby spinach leaves
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp black sesame seeds
- small bunch spring onions scallions, chopped
- 1 tsp red chilli flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 150C/300F (fan). Place a large casserole pan on the hob, add 1 tbsp of the oil and heat until very hot.2 tbsp olive oil
- Season the pork with the salt and pepper and place in the pan with the hot oil. Seal on all sides.1 kg (2.2 lbs) rolled pork shoulder, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper
- Pour the stock over the pork.2 litres (8 1/2 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
- Add in the onion, the whole carrot, celery, garlic and ginger.1 onion, 2 carrots, 1 stick of celery, 3 cloves garlic, 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
- Now add the mirin, soy sauce, gochujang, and the red chilli. Bring to the boil, then place a lid on the pan and place in the oven for 4 hours. NOTE: Check two or three times during cooking, and top up with a little boiling water if needed. You’ll need at least 1 litre of liquid left by the time the pork finishes cooking.2 tbsp mirin, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp Gochujang Paste, 1 red chilli
- Take the pan out of the oven and place the pork on a chopping board. Remove and discard the layer of fat. Shred the pork using two forks.
- Place a sieve over a large bowl and strain the cooking liquid. Throw the strained vegetables away and place the liquid back in the pan with the shredded pork. Leave on a low heat to keep warm.
- Place the eggs in a small pan. Just cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 6 minutes.4 large eggs
- Remove the eggs from the heat and place them in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process.
- If you're using dried noodles, place the noodles in a pan of boiling water and boil for 5 minutes. Then drain, run under cold water (to stop them sticking) and put to one side.200 g (7 oz) dried ramen noodles
- Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan.
- Add the leek, season with a pinch of salt and pepper then fry for 5 minutes, stirring a couple of times.1 leek
- Push the leeks to one side of the pan and add the spinach to the pan. Allow to wilt for 1 minute.
- Divide the noodles between four bowls. Top with the hot broth, shredded pork, leek, spinach and carrot matchsticks.100 g (3 packed cups) baby spinach leaves
- Carefully peel the two eggs and slice them in half. Place 2 halves in each bowl.
- Garnish the soup with spring onions, then sprinkle with the white and black sesame seeds and the chilli flakes before serving.1 tsp sesame seeds, 1 tsp black sesame seeds, small bunch spring onions, 1 tsp red chilli flakes
Video
Notes
Can I make it ahead?
You can make the pork and liquid ahead, but I would recommend making the toppings right before serving.- Cook the pork, then shred it and strain the stock. The pork and strained liquid can be placed in a container together with a lid on and refrigerated for 2-3 days.
- Reheat over a medium heat in a pan.Â
- Make all of the toppings as per the recipe as the pork is reheating.
Can I freeze it?
Yes. You can make the pork and liquid ahead, but not the other toppings/additions.- Cook the pork, then shred it and strain the stock. The pork and strained liquid can be placed in a container together with a lid on and frozen.
- Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheat the pork and liquid over a medium heat in a pan.Â
- Make all of the toppings as per the recipe as the pork is reheating.
Make it in the slow cooker:
You can cook the pork in the slow cooker. Cook as per the recipe up to the point you add the sliced red chillies in step 5. Then transfer to a slow cooker and cook for 7-8 hours on low or 6-7 hours on high.Once the pork is cooked, continue on with the recipe as per the instructions.
Ingredient substitutions/swaps:
You can replace the mirin with Chinese rice vinegar or rice wine vinegar Swap out the baby spinach for pak choi or sliced spring greens Add extras such as fried mushrooms, fresh radish slices or crispy seaweed  Nutritional information is per serving.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Equipment:
In order to make this Spicy Pork Ramen Noodle Soup recipe you will need:
-
- A good Kitchen knife. I have recently bought this Dalstrong one and love it.
- Chopping Board
- Casserole pan/dutch oven
- Large Sieve
- Large BowlÂ
- Frying Pan/SkilletÂ
- Measuring Spoons
- Wooden or Silicon Coated Spoons. We have just bought these and love them.
Originally Posted in July 2016. Updated Sep 2019 and then again in May 2020 with new photos, tips and video.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
Very yummy. Full family approved.
I did some changes. Added more veggies. Only 1/2 the gochujang paste due to ulcers. Still amazing.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful dish.
Hello… Could two friends or family members copy and repost? I am trying to demonstrate that someone is always listening.
Hi Nicky! I made your ramen soup recipe tonight and it was perfect. I had tried a different recipe a couple of weeks ago that just didn’t have the depth of flavor I was looking for. Off I went on a hunt for the right recipe and was so happy once I found yours.
I love the technique you use to make the broth and cook the pork. It was easy and once every thing was in the oven, totally hands off. There is another ramen soup recipe on the internet that is a three day process. I’m sure it’s a good one but that’s just not going to happen in my kitchen!
I served the soup with a drizzle of sesame oil and put out a jar of crispy chilis as a condiment. Both of these really added to the flavor palette. Next time I’m going to a dried shiitaki mushroom to the broth before it goes into the oven to see what this does.
I live in Switzerland and a simple ramen bowl in a restaurant costs almost double as to what I paid for the ingredients. This recipe is a keeper and I know it’s going to have a frequent presence at our dinner table :-).
Thank you for such a great recipe!
Made this tonight. The pork was delicious!
Can this recipe be reheated or parts of it be reheated, as I would be reheating it on the morning and putting it in my bowl flask as I don’t have a spare 4 hours on a morning to slow cook the meat.
Hi Deacon,
Yes, you could make the recipe ahead and reheat in the morning. I’d advise cooking the noodles in the morning and adding them in then (as the noodles will continue to absorb liquid if left in the sauce overnight). You could also cook the egg the day before and peel it, then cool and refrigerate it, and add it right before serving.
I love homemade ramen and your recipe looks so good! Hope I find all the ingredients so I can try it myself.
This was great! I feel as though if there were a little more sweetness to balance it, it would be perfect but that’s just my personal taste. I might try adding plum sauce or something similar next time but there definitely will be a next time for this recipe! The only gripe I got from the fam was that the recipe was sparse on the noodles. I would add an extra package to make it around 10.5 ounces of ramen noodles. Oh, and you have to be QUICK with the eggs. Hanging out for too long (even in the ice cold bath) kept them cooking & they weren’t runny enough for me; I’ll have to figure out my perfect timing on that one! Thank you for sharing this recipe. 😀
Great recipe…bi couldn’t get the paste as suggested in the recipe but got fish sauce instead and extra chicken stock also used some homemade pickled small cucumbers and chilli oil. Thanks great recipe and first time for me cooking and my husband and family loved it. Used both oven and slow cooker as ibdjdnt have a big enough oven dish.
Thanks for this recipe. Made it last night. I’ve never had ramen except for the instant kind, but the end result was delicious. My only deviation from the recipe was that I used the slow cooker instead of the oven. I see there are some comments asking about using the s.c. so I’ll tell what I did. Seared the pork about 5 minutes both sides in a frying pan, then put it in the s.c., then cooked the veg in that same pan and added them to the s.c., then deglazed the pan with stock and added that and the rest of the ingredients to cook the pork in the s.c. On the high setting it was fully cooked and ready to be shredded in 4 hours just as it would in the oven. Great recipe, will definitely make again. Thank you so much!
I’ve made this twice now for groups of twelve. It is definitely a crowd pleaser!
I made this yesterday and it is great!
Since a few commenters were asking about other options, I thought I would share my expediated process (since I didn’t want to wait 5 hours to eat!). I used a pork tenderloin, seared it on both sides in the pot I was using for the broth. I put it in the oven for about 10 mins on 400 degrees (until it was about 75% cooked). I let the tenderloin rest and then sliced it and added it to the broth. I finished cooking it in the broth on low for about 25 minutes while I did the final steps of the recipe like make the hard boiled eggs. Even with this shortcut, this ramen came out fantastic!
When I have time, I will make the full version the author intended (I am sure it will be even better). However, the ingredients are great together and there is still a ton of flavor without doing this slow cooking method.