Ramen (ラーメン) is Chinese-style noodles served in strongly seasoned hot soup with various toppings. Ramen has been a very popular dish in Japan for many years. Now the world is catching up with us. Ramen shops are absolutely everywhere, inside and outside Japan. And people just love it.
Ramen noodles originally came from a Chinese noodle soup dish, but it’s been changed to more Japanese taste and then improved over many years. Today it has evolved into a huge part of Japanese cuisine and culture. There are millions of Ramen restaurants in Japan from mom and pop Chinese restaurants in neighborhoods, Ramen street carts open late at night, to more sophisticated Ramen specialty shops in cities. People don’t mind lining up for hours and consider the wait worthwhile as long as they can get delicious Ramen. A lot of restaurants make their own fresh noodles at their restaurants daily, and cook the soup from meat, fish, and various aromatic vegetables taking hours or even days sometimes. Those fresh noodles at restaurants are of course the best, but another form of Ramen that is very popular in Japan is instant noodles. It’s become a whole Japanese food sub-culture. There are millions of kinds of instant Ramen you can buy at supermarkets over there, and some are so good that they could taste better than so-so Ramen shops.
There are two main components in Ramen: noodles and soup. The noodles are called Chinese-style noodles (Chuka-men-中華麺), but Japanese Chuka noodles are really nothing like noodles in Chinese noodle soup dishes anymore. Japanese Ramen noodles are usually wheat noodles with a firm and chewy texture. The firm texture is very important for Ramen noodles because they could get soft while sitting in the hot soup. Nobody wants to eat soft expanded noodles that have absorbed too much soup! Unfortunately, it is pretty hard to find good Ramen noodles you can buy for home cooking Ramen outside Japan. If you’re lucky enough to find good dried Chuka-men from Japan, or even better, fresh Chuka-men, use that. Surprisingly, dried thin spaghetti is a pretty good alternative for Chuka-men because of its firmness. If you prefer softer texture, angel hair pasta will work too. The key is to boil those pastas in water with baking soda because that creates a distinct Ramen noodle flavor. It may be a good idea to cook pastas a minute less than the package directions because they will continue to cook in the hot soup while you’re eating.
The other important component of Ramen is the soup. Generally speaking, there are three basic types of Ramen soups in Japan: Shoyu (soy sauce), Miso, and Shio (salt). Usually bone-in pork and chicken or seafood broth is used for the base of the soup, and that is then seasoned with soy sauce, miso, or salt. The big traditional three soup flavors also branch out into many many different kind of soups thanks to each Ramen chef’s philosophy and regional specialty. If you include new fusion Ramen, there are uncountable numbers of Ramen soup flavors out there.
Sadly we are not Ramen artisans, so we made a very basic soy sauce flavor soup in this recipe. Our soup is simple and easy to make with very accessible ingredients, but it has plenty of good flavor. Anybody can make it! Pork belly is very fatty but it gives soup a wonderful taste, and cooked pork itself works as a topping. Just cool the soup and remove any excess fat from the soup. As mentioned above, there could be many combinations of flavors for soups. So if you want to experiment with different ingredients, go for it. Hope you can find the taste of Ramen you enjoy!
This video and article is newly updated from 2013.
Ramen Recipe
*Links may contain ad. #CommissionsEarned
Ingredients
Salted pork
- 1 lb pork belly
- 2 tsp salt
Soup
- 6 cups water
- 1 oz ginger root sliced
- 3 cloves garlic skinned
- 1 bunch green onions
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp sake
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
Noodles
- 3-4 bunches Chukamen dried noodles
or if using pasta
- 10 oz dried thin spaghetti
- 8 cups water
- 2 Tbsp baking soda
Topping
- soft boiled egg halved
- bean sprouts blanched briefly
- green onions cut finely
Instructions
- Rub salt on pork and let it sit overnight in the fridge.
- Put water, ginger root, garlic, green onions and salted pork in a pot, and boil at high heat. Skim fat and other floating scum. Then cover, reduce to low heat, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Or cook in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes. ) Let the broth and pork cool completely in pot. Strain and save the separated broth and pork.
- Let the broth cool in the fridge at least a couple of hours or overnight, and then remove the solidified fat. Keep cooked pork in the fridge too so that it can be easily sliced later.
- Prepare the rest of the toppings now as well (boiled eggs, blanched bean sprouts, cut green onions), before making the soup and noodles. Once the noodles are cooked, you will need to add the soup and toppings right away or the noodles will get soft, so you won't have time to prepare the toppings then.
- Boil the broth and add soy sauce, sake, salt and sesame oil. Let it simmer at very low heat until the noodles are ready.
- Cook dried Chuka dried noodles according to the package. Just before the noodles are done, pour the soup in serving bowls. Strain water from the noodles and immediately divide the noodles into the serving bowls.
- If you are using dried thin spaghetti: In boiling water in a pot, add baking soda (be careful, it may boil over), then the spaghetti. Cook the pasta according to the package, and strain. Immediately divide noodles into bowls with the soup.
- Top with boiled eggs, bean sprouts, green onions and sliced pork.
Video
Notes
- There are a few very popular flavoring toppings for Ramen. White pepper gives a little spiciness and spicy aroma, grated garlic gives an extra strong garlicky punch, and Rayu chili oil gives hotness to Ramen. Or soak the boiled eggs in soy sauce based sauce to make Ajitama.
- You can use one or mix and match toppings to reach the taste of your liking.
- Check out more Ramen recipes! 6 Easy Ramen Recipes To Make At Home
Daniel Sasser
December 23, 2013 at 6:38 pmI am trying to make ramen (authentic) and I was wondering what type of vegetables would be okay to add in addiion to the green onion and bean sprouts. Also, is what are other flavor additives I could use (sauces, spices, etc.) with the soy sauce, salt, sesame oil, and the sake.
Thank you for reading my message and taking time out of your day. This recipe is positively delicious.
Noriko
January 7, 2014 at 11:22 pmDaniel,
vegetables on Ramen are usually like wakame seaweeds, spinach, corns, etc., but anything you want would be good. Ramen soup has strong enough seasonings, so I don’t think you need to add any sauces. However, you could add some white pepper if you like it hot.
michael
May 7, 2014 at 5:45 pmyou should use miso paste in your ramen
Noriko
May 12, 2014 at 9:39 pmmichael,
that should be a different recipe, Miso Ramen.
sandy
August 21, 2016 at 12:55 amHi Michael the expert. There are 3 main soup recipes for Ramen. The above it the traditional. O e of the other two varieties does have ramen. So get your facts straight if you’re going to be an expert on a topic.
sandy
August 28, 2016 at 8:26 amMichael, there are 3 main types of ramen. Miso ramen is a different ramen. The receipe above is traditional, amazing ramen.
Shannon
May 18, 2014 at 7:42 pmI am trying to do a make your own ramen party for Graduation. We bought fresh ramen noodles from the Japanese grocery store and have the pork/soup down. For the vegetables we are having a discussion between whether they are cooked or raw. And if they are raw, does the broth need to be hot enough to cook them when added to the noodles? My parents are helping and they’ve never had real ramen. Every time I’ve had real ramen, it seems as though the veggies are raw.
Noriko
June 3, 2014 at 12:38 amShannon,
it depends. Green onions are usually raw, but spinach and bean sprouts are usually blanched (still has crisp texture).
Cameron
July 14, 2014 at 4:10 amhay noriko i tryed your ramen recipe it was great.
im 12 years old and i asked my mother if she could make some ramen with me and she said yes and helped me and it turned out really good.
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 5:25 pmCameron,
Glad you liked our Ramen recipe!
leo
August 21, 2016 at 8:48 pmMushrooms, corn and tofu
Akime
January 15, 2014 at 4:04 amthanks very much about ramen
..but I have one qustion please ..
if we change the meet into cow meet we can make it like it?
and iwill say thank you again Yuko_ san+Noriku_san
<3
Noriko
February 1, 2014 at 11:57 amAkime,
I never tried with beef, but chicken was really good. Let us know if you tried it.
Don
January 18, 2014 at 5:32 pmWhy do you put baking soda in the pasta water?
Noriko
February 1, 2014 at 11:49 amDon,
it will make taste more like ramen noodles rather than spaghetti.
Stephen
January 25, 2014 at 11:16 amWhat type of pork and why do you have to let it sit overnight in fridge? Is this a must or can I let the pork sit for a couple of hours?
Noriko
February 1, 2014 at 12:11 pmStephen,
any partｓ of pork is fine. It is like brining meat in the seasoned liquid. Meat becomes moist.
Stephen
January 26, 2014 at 11:28 amDo you peel the ginger root in Step 2 above before you throw it in pot? Thanks!
Noriko
February 1, 2014 at 11:23 amStephen,
you can do either way.
Conor
January 31, 2014 at 2:32 pmHi!
I tried to do some ramen today and I got so far as to finish the noodles but my ramen soup had quite a strange smell, it seems like I may have overdone the ginger root or the sesame oil?
I couldn’t get it right so I am a bit disapointed 🙁 but for the future do you have any tips I could use for the making of the soup?
Thanks and great tutorials!
Noriko
February 1, 2014 at 11:11 amConor,
thanks for trying out our recipe! Easy on ginger and garlic if you don’t like the smell…sorry about that.
Conor
February 2, 2014 at 4:19 pmHi Noriko!
Thanks for the reply, I think I know what the problem was. I was using pure sesame oil which by some research I did seems like its the wrong one.
The one I got is the lee kum kee pure sesame oil and its dark brown with the a smell like toasted sesame seed. Which brand did you use when making the ramen?
Noriko
February 10, 2014 at 9:20 amConor,
If you can go to Japanese market, choose any Japanese brand. Or use smaller amount if you’re not sure about the flavor.
oshieboobear
February 4, 2014 at 5:40 pmi love your demonstration on how its made, and i was wondering if i would be ablre to use dried seaweed as a topping…
Noriko
February 10, 2014 at 9:08 amoshieboobear,
hydrate your dried seaweed, and then make it as a topping!
Brandon
February 6, 2014 at 3:06 pmwould you recommend salting chicken overnight as well, or is that more suited to pork only?
Thanks!
Noriko
February 10, 2014 at 9:03 amBrandon,
exactly the same for chicken.
Bryson
February 9, 2014 at 9:26 pmThis looks and sounds amazing!! However is there anything that I could use to take the spot of the sake. I’m not old enough to buy it
Noriko
February 10, 2014 at 8:51 amBryson,
just omit it, and it’s fine.
Jill
February 13, 2014 at 10:58 amYay my husband lived in Japan for three years! I’m making it for Valentine’s. I hope I make it taste authentic! Thanks for posting all of these!
Noriko
February 23, 2014 at 6:03 pmJill,
hope you and your husband will like our recipe!
Carrie
February 15, 2014 at 5:18 amI heard you could also use fish? Would it still be as good as with the prok?
Thank you both for this delicious recipe
Carrie
Noriko
February 24, 2014 at 5:09 pmCarrie,
never tried fish. You could use fish if you like the flavor. Let us know if you liked it!
Johnny B.
October 16, 2014 at 12:24 amUse rockfish for seafood broth. Snapper heads, specifically, if you can. Roast then simmer, make your dashi separate, after you’ve strained fish and cooled the stock. Season after folding stock and dashi together. Make ramen from scratch, it’s not too complicated and well worth the effort.
Noriko
October 24, 2014 at 6:14 pmJohnny,
wow! You’re doing great job making your own signature Ramen!
Larkin
February 23, 2014 at 11:49 amI opened the sesame seed oil and I really didn’t like the smell of it. Will it taste better than it smells cause I’m not sure I want to use it.
Larkin
February 23, 2014 at 4:47 pmI used the sesame oil an it actually turned out great! The pork was a little dry but that was my fault for not preparing the night before. In going to try to hand make my noodles next time thanks for the recipe!
Noriko
February 23, 2014 at 5:41 pmLarkin,
Glad you liked it!
Noriko
February 23, 2014 at 5:39 pmLarkin,
if you don’t like it, don’t use it. However, you might get used to it as you use it more often.
Justin
February 23, 2014 at 12:36 pmI used seasoned rice vinegar in place of the sake, added cabbage and carrots, extra onion, and went meatless (but used premade chicken stock). It was quite delicious.
Noriko
February 23, 2014 at 5:40 pmJustin,
Glad you liked our recipe!
Tylin
March 9, 2014 at 6:36 pmWhen do you put in the garlic and how? Do you chop it up and boil it in the broth or with the pork?
Noriko
March 10, 2014 at 7:37 pmTylin,
whole garlic and sliced ginger are boiled with the broth.
Laura
March 11, 2014 at 8:22 pmHi!
I’m interested in making just a few tweaks to your recipe so here are my questions:
If I make my broth without any meat does it still need to cook for 1 and a half to 2 hours?
Can I also replace the water for the soup with chicken broth? Or would that make it taste weird?
And I also was going to just use ramen noodles from the instant Maruchan pouches. Should I still use baking soda to cook my noodles if I use those?
Thanks!
Noriko
March 12, 2014 at 7:39 pmLaura,
the point of cooking so long is to tenderize meat, so no you don’t have to cook that long without meat. And I think you can use chicken broth. Experiment and see if you like it. I don’t think you need baking soda. Good luck with your Ramen making!
Johnny B.
October 16, 2014 at 12:33 amIf you use instant, no need for the soda, but still cook the broth down for a few hours; I go with three or four hours including: shiitake, scallion, ginger, garlic, kombu, and half of a star anise.
Justin
March 15, 2014 at 9:54 amLooks delicious ^_^ Gonna try it 🙂
Noriko
March 15, 2014 at 4:39 pmJustin,
thanks!
Elizapreise
March 16, 2014 at 7:18 amSounds great but can i use the regular instant noodles made in my country
Noriko
March 17, 2014 at 7:50 amElizapreise,
why not?
Tiffany
March 17, 2014 at 7:29 amI’m so glad you posted this!
I’m going to try this at home.
Thank you!
Noriko
March 17, 2014 at 7:43 amTiffany,
you’re welcome!
connie
March 29, 2014 at 12:01 pmdo you have a recipe for noodles? are they very difficult to make?
Noriko
September 14, 2014 at 3:36 pmconnie,
no we don’t. I think it is pretty difficult to make decent noodles at home.
Johnny B.
October 16, 2014 at 12:35 amDavid Chang and Harold McGee have an easy recipe.
Steven Pullia
April 5, 2014 at 9:33 pmI know this may sound stupid like really stupid. Have you seen the movie the ramen girl? I was wondering if the Japanese make ramen using there spirit.
I know its just a movie but I was contemplating on if it was a movie trying to tell something behind Japanese chefs. If so, can I make the taste better by having heart and spirit. Don’t just say it to make me feel like I can do it. I just want to know the truth if its just a fake movie or there is a secret behind ramen cooking!
Thanks so much!
Noriko
September 14, 2014 at 4:14 pmSteve,
I haven’t seen that movie, but I’ve heard of it. The idea of putting your spirit or energy into cooking (or other things) is a common idea in Japanese culture. Whether you believe there’s something mystical happening or it’s just a metaphor for concentration and focus is kind of up to you. I think the message you can take away is like you get out of it what you put into it. So try to have fun and you’ll enjoy making the noodles and then enjoy eating them!
Jose
April 14, 2014 at 4:36 pmI’ve been wanting to try to make authentic Ramen ever since I saw the movie, “The Ramen Girl”. My wife lived in Okinawa for several years, and loves Ramen. She calls me crazy for even trying. This video and your instructions (and all the comments) has convinced me to give it a try. One question about adding an onion…would it be too much to add a white onion or Spanish onion to the broth along with the green onions? Or should only one type be used?
Noriko
April 14, 2014 at 10:58 pmJose,
never tried white onions, but why not? Try using both of them!
Sid
April 15, 2014 at 2:17 amHi,
Actually I have heard alot about ramen through various media but I has never able to try it so I decided to make it myself at home, the only thing that troubles me is the taste, I have never eaten ramen so I don’t know the taste, that’s why its difficult for me to make it. Could you please explain me the exact taste we look for in ramen? 🙂
Noriko
May 12, 2014 at 10:18 pmSid,
you can start from trying our Ramen recipe!
Mona
April 18, 2014 at 3:45 ami am happy that i can cook this now! i will enjoy eating it and thank you very much for putting out these recepies! 😀
keep on going! 🙂
Noriko
May 6, 2014 at 9:33 pmMona,
glad you liked it!
Veth
April 28, 2014 at 11:26 amHi, how can i make the ramen spicy, thanks for your help
Noriko
April 28, 2014 at 9:51 pmVeth,
you can add some white pepper.
Johnny B.
October 16, 2014 at 12:39 amTogarashi spice, sriracha on the side always makes me happy.
Grace
April 29, 2014 at 5:56 amHi, I want to try this recipe, but the Asian store near where I live only carries mirin. Can I use this instead of sake? And I want to also ask if in your other recipes that calls for sake, if I can substitute mirin? Thanks!
Noriko
May 3, 2014 at 5:17 pmGrace,
you could. Add a little sugar too.
Gabriel
May 9, 2014 at 6:19 pmI have made this recipe twice for my mom and her friend now, both having been in Okinawa as part of the US military. Both have told me that it reminded them of their time in Japan and I wanted to thank you both for such a wonderful and amazing soup.
Noriko
May 12, 2014 at 9:34 pmGabriel,
glad you liked our recipe!
Monique Rentas
May 20, 2014 at 7:56 amHey ladies!
I’ve been eyeing your page for a while and have waited to try this recipe, however, will you be posting recipes for other types of ramen? I’m just curious because we have a ramen shop close to us (thank fully it’s a japanese family who runs it), and they have such a variety from miso, tonkotsu, and a few others I can’t recall at the moment. I want to take a shot at making them but I don’t trust a lot of recipes on the web, except for here because everything so far I’ve done from your list of recipes is amazing!
Noriko
June 3, 2014 at 12:18 amMonique,
thanks for trying our recipes!
Rinjii
May 31, 2014 at 9:06 amIs there anything I can substitute for the sake? I’m not old enough to buy it, and I wanted the meal to be a surprise for my mother so I don’t really want to ask.
Noriko
June 2, 2014 at 11:12 pmRinjii,
you can omit it.
Nina
June 4, 2014 at 9:19 pmHello,
I would like to make the recipe for 12 people. Do I triple the ingredients? For example, use 3 pounds of pork and 18 cups of water? How long do I cook it, still 2 hours?
Thank you,
Nina
Noriko
September 14, 2014 at 3:28 pmNina,
wow, 12 servings! I guess you could 3x or 4x of the recipe. Cooking time may not be that different. Get all the ingredients and hot soup ready, and you may want to cook noodles in batches in 2-3 pots. Good luck!
Elaine
June 7, 2014 at 12:06 pmThank you for this recipe! I’m a working mom and going to school full time, so I used chicken thighs and simmered the soup in a slow cooker while I was away. That way I could just quickly boil the noodles and have dinner on the table in no time flat. My family loves it!
Noriko
September 14, 2014 at 2:58 pmElaine,
glad you and your family liked our Ramen Recipe. Come back for more easy-to-make recipes!
Lea
June 11, 2014 at 3:13 amThanks for this post! Gonna try this week end, I worried about sake good thing I can omit it but I’m thinking, what sake really do with Ramen.. hehe
Noriko
September 14, 2014 at 1:20 pmLea,
sake gives dish a deeper flavor. A lot of people want to skip it for various reasons, but it is an essential seasoning for Japanese cuisine.
Louse the Hooligan
June 17, 2014 at 1:21 amI Love This!
I used to work in a Japanese restaurant in Calif. and it was one of the most pleasant culinary experiences of my life.
Japanese people love flavors, simple or intricate, and in my mind are masters at combining them. The culture is such they would historically employ any and all edible plants and animals, which has led to some of the best foods in the world.
As far as vegetables are concerned, many of the vegetables commonly used are soft, but they do use plenty of root vegies. The hard vegetables may be lightly boiled, or blanched, beforehand, fried (with or without batter), or added raw right before serving depending on the dish or preference. I personally like small slices of un-battered fried yam with raw chestnuts, shredded carrot, bok-choi, green onions and slivers of cucumber.
As far as meats and broth are concerned… GO NUTS. you’ve noticed most of the generic American ramen has (on the label) a recognizable flavor, this is your queue to rebel up and experiment with what you like. If you want fish, bone and boil a couple, strain the meat from the broth and you have a win, though if you’re real slick you fry a small fillet for each bowl as a topper. Same thing for pork beef or chicken.
The broth can be made like this; if you can’t afford to just buy meats for stock. If you like beef flavor, get slightly fattier pieces at the store. we all know fat has the flavor, so trim it from the meat you want to eat before cooking and throw it in a pot of water on the stove. Once your done cooking your meats add the drippings to that pot. Boil for 5 minutes. Strain and refrigerate.
If you do that a few times, you can take the fat off the top once it cools in the fridge and you have super flavor broth to add to your next ramen.
Use mushrooms, eggs, herbs from your garden, pretty much anything.
Only this: do yourself a favor, FRESH NOODLES ARE THE BEST! Go get one of those little home bread dough makers with the noodle press. Good ramen can change everything.
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 11:29 pmLouse,
thanks for the comment and a lot of tips about Ramen!
Amreen
June 19, 2014 at 12:06 amHi. As I am a Muslim and cannot eat pork, what can I add to substitute pork?
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 11:09 pmAmreen,
Can you eat chicken? If so, chicken would work well too.
Johnny B.
October 16, 2014 at 12:46 amMake veggie dashi without meat. Add umami ( Bragg’s etc.)
Will Evans
July 2, 2014 at 11:43 amHey.
I really want to make this for my girlfriend, but she can’t eat gluten. Will rice noodles be okay to use?
Thanks
Will.
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 10:09 pmWill,
why not? Try it!
Anna Perryman
July 8, 2014 at 11:06 amI see a lot of ramen with a deep red colored broth and it’s spicy. Is there any way I can get my broth that color and what do I need to add to do so.
-Thank You
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 9:52 pmAnna,
I’m not sure, but Ichimi or Shichimi (chili pepper powder) or Rayu (chili oil) may help make the soup red.
Shawn B
July 11, 2014 at 8:10 amCan’t wait to make this. I make soba now and then but I have never made homemade ramen. I’m going to try it with chicken today since I don’t have pork.
I definitely want to make it with pork in the future.
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 5:32 pmShawn,
chicken should work. I’ve made it before, and it was delicious.
Cameron
July 15, 2014 at 2:54 amNoriko.
yeah the ramen was the best i was cooking it with my mother we both enjoyed it.
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 5:18 pmCameron,
good for you! There are a lot more easy-to-prepare dish on our site!
Cameron
July 15, 2014 at 2:58 ami’m going to make some ramen again for sure! 🙂 😀
Cameron
July 15, 2014 at 3:02 ami got the idea off naruto
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 9:26 pmCameron,
a lot of people become familiar with Japanese food through animations.
Katie
July 16, 2014 at 6:04 pmCan’t wait to try this. Going to salt the pork right now!
I couldn’t find fresh angel hair pasta so I am using dry. Do I still need the baking soda? How should I cook the noodles, al dente? Thanks in advance!
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 9:15 pmKatie,
you still use the baking soda, and definitely al dente!
Maaike
July 21, 2014 at 2:40 amGood morning, afternoon, evening, – which one makes sense for you –
I would really love to try out this recipe, but I’m a little troubled with the meat. From what I can see it’s quite a huge piece you have to use for the soup’s base, but you use only a little for the topping. What else can I do with the piece you don’t use..?
And, before I forget, thank you a lot for posting these recipes online!
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 8:45 pmMaaike,
you could use leftover pork for salad, fried rice, sandwich, or just eat as is.
Fredy
July 23, 2014 at 2:44 pmHello I was wondering if you guys can put up a tan-tan recipe?
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 5:05 pmFredy,
I love tan tan men! We’ll do it sometime in the future.
wendy
July 28, 2014 at 9:39 pmAngel hair pasta is nothing like ramen though.
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 1:59 pmwendy,
no it is not. However, some people watching our sites may be outside Japan and may not have an access to Chukamen, and still might want to know the alternative. We are lucky enough to have Japanese grocery stores near by, but always thinking what we can use from local stores in the US.
Vodich2010
July 29, 2014 at 3:59 pmHello Noriko
Thanks for posting this simple but great recipe. I have been craving for ramen lately and found this place
I usually cook Chinese noodles and will immerse them in ice cold water right after taking them out of boiling water to make the texture firmer. Should I do the same with ramen noodles to prevent them from going soft? Or must I add the broth immediately like you instructed?
Thank you
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 1:52 pmVodich,
you could do your way. But you might need extra time to warm up the soup with the cold noodles, so the noodle may get soft anyway. Key is to get all the ingredients ready and finish up quickly and serve immediately.
Gischie
July 30, 2014 at 8:46 amHi,
Great recipe, I tried it out recently and it was delicious especially how the pork was so tasty after all this time being boiled.
I always though Ramen was very complicated to do :), thanks for sharing your recipe.
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 1:43 pmGischie,
Ramen could be complicated, indeed! Our version is pretty good for simple work.
Sylvia
August 2, 2014 at 8:25 pmHi there, first of all, thanks for the sharing~~ Well, direct to the question, how you make the egg? That boil egg looks pretty …. it neither fully cooked nor half, and its yolk looks just make people wanna eat more~
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 11:34 amSylvia,
it’s just a half boiled egg, but softer side.
Matthew
August 5, 2014 at 4:22 pmIs it okay if i use the instant ramen noodles? I’m just a kid so I don’t if my parents will let me use all this stuff.
Noriko
September 13, 2014 at 11:00 amMatthew,
you could use instant noodles although it will taste differently.
Misaki
August 10, 2014 at 8:04 amHi admin-san, I’m a Muslim and of course I don’t eat pork so I’m thinking to use chicken.
And that’s not my question actually. I saw that one of the ingredient to make the Soup is Sake. Is there any alternative that you can recommend to me instead of Sake?
Thank you 🙂
Misaki
August 13, 2014 at 3:28 amSorry, I’ve read the comment and it’s said that it’s okay to not have sake in it.
So here’s another question, is it alright if I don’t put the green onion during the broth-making steps? Can I replace it with something else?
Thank you.
Noriko
September 8, 2014 at 10:33 pmMisaki,
you could omit anything, but please keep it mind that the taste will be different from our original recipe.
Noriko
September 12, 2014 at 1:30 amMisaki,
just omit it if you don’t want it.
wade
August 12, 2014 at 1:59 amyou dont use Dashi in your ramen? i made this today and modified it replacing the sake with your dashi recipe and it was amazing. great recipe for a stock i will make this again and again. also i tried to make my own ramen noodles will not do that again its a little more technical then i was expecting haha thanks noriko. i love your site
Noriko
September 12, 2014 at 1:42 amwade,
very creative!
Caroline
August 15, 2014 at 10:29 amWould like to use chicken for the broth instead of pork, how much chicken would I need? And do I leave the skin on?
Edward
August 19, 2014 at 11:05 pmGreat recipe, I’m going to make it for my dad on his birthday. First time I’ve ever made ramen too. I’ve been following this site and channel, and I love a lot of the recipes.
I’m going to make Chukamen from scratch, found a few good recipes on that, and I hope it’ll be more authentic that way!
Noriko
September 8, 2014 at 10:05 pmEdward,
thanks for trying our Ramen recipe! Good luck with home-made Chukamen!
Alex
August 22, 2014 at 12:34 pmTo reduce tenderizing time for pork, can I use a pressure cooker for the broth?
Noriko
September 8, 2014 at 9:55 pmAlex,
that will work!
Jayne Deupree
August 23, 2014 at 12:54 pmHow do you prepRe your eggs?
Noriko
September 8, 2014 at 9:50 pmJayne,
soft boil them.
Kat
August 26, 2014 at 12:09 pmI’ve made this recipe a couple times and my boyfriend and I LOVE it.
I want to make it for my parents, but they are gluten free. Is there a GF noodle brand you would recommend? Would I still have to add the baking soda?
Noriko
September 8, 2014 at 9:14 pmKat,
never used gluten free products, so can’t say for sure, but you can try it out!
Ecerulli
September 15, 2014 at 9:29 pmHi there,
I would like to make the ramen noodles instead of using pasta, would you happen to know a good recipe for ramen noodles?
Much appreciated,
Emma
Noriko
September 15, 2014 at 9:50 pmEmma,
we haven’t found a workable recipe for ramen noodles yet. It is much too tricky. Sorry for not being able to help.
Mina
September 23, 2014 at 1:20 pmI have been attempting to find a couple of the listed ingrieadents and seasonins and as i live in small town many cant be found like ginger root and sake. Do you no any substititutes for those two? Sory for bad english. Not my main languaage
Noriko
September 23, 2014 at 10:55 pmMina,
you can look into online stores. There is grated ginger in a tube which can be stocked at room temperature (you have to refrigerate after opening).
sue
September 25, 2014 at 7:42 pmhi.
what kind of soy sauce are you using?
thanks
Noriko
September 29, 2014 at 8:11 amsue,
we use Kikkoman brand.
Courtney
September 27, 2014 at 6:29 amI made this recipe today (with chicken) and it was awesome. Thanks a ton, definitely going into my recipe book.
Noriko
September 29, 2014 at 8:08 amCourtney,
Glad you liked our Ramen recipe!
Dave
October 5, 2014 at 11:11 pmI have not tried making this yet, but I was wondering if I could premake the soup so I can use it for meals threw out the week?
Noriko
October 11, 2014 at 4:51 pmDave,
you could make the Ramen soup a couple days ahead, but it’s better fresh!
Chrissy
October 6, 2014 at 4:03 pmI made your ramen recipe today. I used beef instead of pork. I could not find fresh angel hair pasta. Instead, I slightly cooked the noodles then used fresh water with the baking soda. It was oishii!!
Noriko
October 11, 2014 at 5:01 pmChrissy,
glad you liked our Ramen recipe, and also being able to improvise it too.
tessiegril
October 9, 2014 at 1:05 pmI tried this today and I think it turned out quite well. I did used chicken added corn and substitute the sake with some Japanese seasoning hiding in the cupboard. I did tried to find sake but I can’t buy it myself anymore and my mom found only a very expensive one. But everybody liked it well except my lil brother but he doesn’t like soup or the Japanese kitchen so…
Noriko
October 24, 2014 at 5:14 pmtessiegril,
thanks for trying our Ramen recipe! Come back for more!
Jana
October 12, 2014 at 6:48 pmWe just back from Japan and were craving ramen….this was so yummy and totally hit the spot. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Noriko
October 24, 2014 at 5:51 pmJana,
glad you liked our Ramen recipe! It’s pretty good for home cooking, right?
Kyle
October 14, 2014 at 7:24 pmHow long can the ramen can it be refridgerated for? I would love to make this so I can bring it for lunch when I’m at school or work.
Noriko
October 24, 2014 at 5:41 pmKyle,
I don’t recommend to make it ahead. Noodles get soggy and not good after even 30 minutes.
Cheryl
August 5, 2016 at 6:20 pmKyle, you can cook the pork and refrigerate or freeze it and the broth. Then assemble the soup by preparing the other ingredients, and heating broth and slices of pork, immediately before serving.
John Wallawine
October 15, 2014 at 5:16 pmWas my first time making/Having real ramem, it tasted amazing though for my taste think i will tone down the soy sauce to 2 tbsp instead of 4, used chicken salted over night and most of day and it just fell apart after cooking for 2hrs. Also messed up and bought rice noodles so it was more like Pho but any how Amazing recipe. Plan on making this in a bigger batch so should i just double everything?
Noriko
October 24, 2014 at 5:59 pmJohn,
glad you liked our Ramen recipe! Adjust the seasoning to your liking, that’s the best part of home cooking! You can do a double batch multiplying everything twice.
Roma
October 19, 2014 at 1:06 amHi there! Is it okay not to freeze the meat after being salted? Your recipe looks really yummy and I’m gonna try making it for my hubby…. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Noriko
October 24, 2014 at 9:01 pmRoma,
yes, you can!
Rebecca
October 26, 2014 at 6:50 pmIs there a substitute for sesame oil? I’m allergic to sesame seeds. Thanks!
Noriko
October 26, 2014 at 9:17 pmRebecca,
you can omit it.
Pipo Ng
January 6, 2016 at 1:25 pmAwesome Recipe and very simple! Kudos and thank you for doing this:)
I added twice as much garlic since I love garlic:)
However, I got a question: Can you a add Mirin? Would it still be authentic to add Mirin? Or is Sake enough?
Best,
Pipo
I am looking forward hearing from you back:)
Noriko
January 7, 2016 at 9:48 amPipo Ng,
Sure, if you like subtle sweetness in your soup. Try it!
AnjieH
January 23, 2016 at 7:48 amI am a vegetarian and noticed the broth base uses a meat stock. Is it okay to substitute with vegetable stock to make broth base. Or is there a different recipe four that?
Nicolas
February 4, 2016 at 10:30 amI know this is an old topic but I do have a question.
How can I keep it for multiple meal? Do I just keep the broth and cook pork in the refrigerator and only do the noodles when I want to eat it?
よろしくお願いします
Noriko
February 5, 2016 at 1:10 pmNicolas,
That is fine. You could also freeze the soup if you want it to keep longer.
Nicolas
February 10, 2016 at 9:04 amのりこさん,
Tried it yesterday. I really like it but I think my mistake was that my soup wasn’t hot enough but it was very close to what I ate when I was staying in Japan! Very impressed that it was simple but so delicious!!
ありがとうございました！！
Melissa Lord
February 16, 2016 at 8:57 amHi first to see all your recipe and im excited to try this…what broth im going to use. Can i still use dashi at my soup and can i put alson tempura prawn instead pork..tnx and looking forward to your reply😊
Roxana
February 21, 2016 at 8:33 pmVery easy recipe, even my husband can make it and he is an awful cook. The best ramen recipe ever, wonderful flavors and the broth is delish. Ty!
hajra Tariq
February 24, 2016 at 5:49 amthe recipe is awesome ! can`t wait to try it ! but i only have one problem 🙁 .
I can`t eat pork but i still can eat mutton , beef , chicken , shrimps and fish .
please tell me what can add in the Ramen instead of Pork !
i`ll be really grateful and i`ll look forward to your reply ! ^ w ^
Noriko
March 2, 2016 at 9:29 pmhajra,
try chicken thighs. It has a great flavor, too.
Kris
March 10, 2016 at 2:35 pmMade this today and it was so good. I want to use this broth as a base and experiment with a lighter broth mixed in to layer flavors in my bowl. Thanks!
Owen
March 28, 2016 at 3:29 pmHow many hours does it take to prep the pork? And is there a way to prep the pork faster?
mike
March 31, 2016 at 3:17 pmI want to make this with chicken, are there any steps I need to change? Thanks.
Noriko
April 5, 2016 at 11:21 pmmike,
no need to change the recipe. Chicken (especially with bones) will work very well.
Yusra
August 4, 2016 at 8:46 amIf I put fish for the meat, I think it might taste good, but won’t it break from the chpsticks?
Lulu
August 10, 2016 at 7:44 amDo i have to put sake? Cant i put something else instead? (Not alcoholic)
Noriko
August 19, 2016 at 12:11 pmLulu,
you can just omit it.
amber
August 28, 2016 at 9:31 ami want to taste that kind of ramen
Jerry Valmoria
September 17, 2016 at 11:25 pmI LOVE JAPANESE FOOD! :* <3
Magaret
September 30, 2016 at 12:34 pmIt’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d without a doubt donate to this outstanding blog!
I guess for now i’ll settle for bookmarking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account.
I look forward to brand new updates and will share this website with my Facebook group.
Chat soon!
Lori Cobb
October 13, 2016 at 6:06 pmI made this today! So excited and so good! Thanks so much for sharing!!!
Curitibano1
December 5, 2016 at 5:43 pmGreat recipe. I didn’t have pork, chicken or beef on hand so I used some deer I had in the freezer. Turned out pretty good. Thanks for the recipe.
Samantha Mapes
January 16, 2017 at 10:09 amI made this with dry chuka soba noodles ( i already had them). I used country style pork ribs for the meat, and omitted sake amd ginger root. I wasn’t crazy about the noodles, but the soup and pork was TO DIE FOR!
Andres
January 31, 2017 at 3:19 pmMade spicy chicken ramen with cooked egg, rice vinegar and cilantro and was surprised that it tasted just like hot and sour soup. Definitely try it!
Cynthia eib
February 3, 2017 at 5:20 pmwhen i lived in Japan, i would often get ramen to eat. i can’t wait to try this recipe. also what did they do to the eggs over there? They were hardboiled but seasoned.