Make restaurant-worthy ramen at home with this amazing pork miso ramen recipe! Not only is the broth rich, creamy and delicious but the whole dish can be put together in just 15 minutes!
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What is Miso Ramen?
Miso ramen (味噌ラーメン) is a popular Japanese noodle dish made with a broth flavored with miso paste. Originally from Hokkaido, "Sapporo Miso Ramen (札幌味噌ラーメン)" is the most famous version, but there are also many other regional variations.
Sapporo ramen, which started in a restaurant called "Aji no Sanpei (味の三平)" in Hokkaido in 1955, is one of the most well-known miso ramen dishes in Japan. Although there are various theories about its origin, the owner was likely inspired by a regular customer's request for ramen in tonjiru (pork miso soup).
Since then, it has become one of Japan's most popular miso ramen dishes.
How I Developed This Recipe
Compared to shoyu ramen, shio ramen, and tonkotsu ramen, making miso ramen is easy to make at home as miso itself is an already umami-packed condiment.
Therefore, I did nothing complicated in this recipe and prioritized reproducing the authentic taste as quickly as possible.
For example, I added my twist using seasoned ground pork instead of chashu pork and peanut butter to create a creamy texture.
It only takes 15 minutes to make, it's easy to prepare and it tastes so good!
Ingredients and Substitution Ideas
- Unsalted butter: Opt for unsalted to control the salt content. If you're leaning towards salted butter, reduce other salty condiments accordingly.
- Ground pork: The classic choice, but ground beef, chicken or a plant-based substitute can be alternatives.
- Garlic & Ginger: Ideally, these should be finely chopped. If this proves troublesome, consider store-bought garlic paste or ginger paste as substitutes.
- Green onion: Harness the white part. Leeks or yellow/white onions can step in if needed.
- Soy sauce: For a budget-friendly option, Kikkoman soy sauce is reliable. For a deeper dive into soy sauce choices in Japanese cooking, peruse our guide to soy sauce article.
- Mirin: "Hon mirin" (本みりん) is the sought-after variant for its superior flavor. Hinode Hon Mirin gets my nod for its balance of quality and affordability. For more, check out my post on the 20 Most Useful Condiments and Seasonings for Japanese Cooking.
- Oyster sauce: This introduces a flavorful depth and savoriness to the dish.
- Chili bean sauce (Toban Djan): A pinch is all you need to add a subtle kick.
- Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder: My personal favorite for a soup base is Youki's additive-free Garasupu. If you're looking to make the dish meat-free, feel free to swap this for your go-to plant-based alternative.
- Plain smooth peanut butter: Enhances creaminess and depth in soups. Skippy peanut butter is my go-to.
- Awase miso paste: The heart of this dish. While any miso paste works, Awase Miso gets my top recommendation because of its balanced flavor and versatility.
- Ramen noodles: Fresh ramen noodles are ideal, however, if these aren't accessible, consider "my spaghetti hack" over instant variants. Check out the Spaghetti Ramen Hack article for a comprehensive guide on how to use regular dry spaghetti to make ramen (I've used this hack myself and it really works!).
- Toppings: The suggested toppings include blanched spinach, bean sprouts, sweet corn, green onion, butter, ajitama eggs, and nori seaweed. But feel free to mix and match as per your taste.
This recipe is easy to adapt for vegetarians. Simply swap the meat out for crumbled tofu or TVP (textured vegetable protein) and omit the oyster sauce. The chicken stock powder can be swapped for your go-to vegetarian alternative stock powder. If you want more plant-based topping ideas, check out my spicy vegetarian miso ramen recipe!
I have listed my recommended Japanese condiments, tools, and ingredients in the Sudachi Recipes Amazon shop. If you want to keep making various Japanese foods at home, please check it out!
Step-by-Step Process
Here are my step by step instructions for how to make quick and easy pork miso ramen to rival a restaurant right in your own kitchen! For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the printable recipe card.
Start by heating a pan on medium and melting a small amount of butter to grease the surface. Add finely chopped garlic, ginger and green onions. Once fragrant, add the ground pork and stir fry until cooked through.
Add soy sauce, mirin, oyster sauce and chili bean sauce. Mix thoroughly and cook until the liquid has almost gone, then turn off the heat.
While you wait for the condiments to reduce, bring a pot of water to a boil for the noodles, and boil water for making the broth.
In a heatproof measuring jug, add freshly boiled water, chicken bouillon powder and smooth peanut butter. Whisk them together until dissolved and lump-free. Pour the broth into the pan and bring to a boil over a medium heat.
Once the broth starts to boil, turn off the heat and add the miso. Adding the miso paste after the heat is turned off will preserve its rich and unique taste. To avoid lumps, place the miso on a mesh spoon or ladle and submerge it in the broth to soften it, then lift it out and whisk it on the spoon before allowing it to seep into the rest of the cooking liquid.
Tip: If you don't have a mesh spoon or ladle, place the miso paste in a small bowl and add a small amount of broth. Whisk until smooth and then pour it back into the pan.
If using beansprouts, add them to the broth and leave them to cook in the residual heat for a few minutes while you cook the noodles. If you like your broth piping hot, feel free to reheat right before serving.
Cook the ramen noodles according to the instructions on the packaging. Make sure to use plenty of water to avoid them becoming too starchy.
In the final minute, add spinach leaves.
Once cooked, drain with a colander and rinse with hot water to wash off any excess starch.
Divide the noodles between serving bowls.
Pour the broth and ground pork over the noodles and arrange the toppings.
Enjoy!
Troubleshooting & FAQ
What Kind of Miso Paste Can I Use for this Recipe?
Miso is a savory paste crafted from fermented soybeans and comes in several varieties. While you can use miso paste for this recipe, I recommend starting with awase (yellow) miso.
Why Are My Ramen Noodles Mushy?
Add the freshly-cooked noodles immediately to the soup for the best ramen experience, whether at a restaurant or home. Any amout of waiting can make the noodles mushy as they absorb the broth, diminishing the dish's quality. Quick action is vital.
My Broth Seems Very Thick. Why?
This issue often arises from boiling fresh ramen noodles in insufficient water. Use a large pot and plenty of water (just like you would do to cook pasta) to prevent excess starch from adhering.
Storage Options
Storing ramen isn't typically recommended. However, if you must save leftovers, it's advisable to keep only the broth and not the noodles.
Ideally, ramen should be consumed immediately after preparation. Waiting even 5 to 10 minutes can compromise the dish, as the noodles absorb the soup and become overly soft and mushy, eventually not enjoyable.
If you have leftover broth, you can store it in the fridge or freezer container. When you're ready to enjoy it, reheat the broth on the stove or in the microwave, then cook fresh noodles to add in.
Note that this recipe is crafted to minimize leftover broth. If stored in the refrigerator, consume the broth within two days; if frozen, use it within two weeks.
Storage summary
Room temperature - Not recommended.
Refrigerated - About two days (broth only).
Frozen - About two weeks (broth only).
I hope you enjoy this quick and easy pork miso ramen recipe! If you try it out, I'd really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It's also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Ramen Recipes
- Chicken Shio Ramen (Salt Base)
- Classic Shoyu Ramen (Soy Sauce Base)
- Tantan Ramen (Spicy Chinese-style)
- Spicy Tsukemen (Dipping Ramen)
Pork Miso Ramen in 15 Minutes (Sapporo Style)
Ingredients
Pork
- 1 tsp unsalted butter
- 150 g ground pork
- 4 cloves garlic - finely diced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger - finely diced
- 2 tbsp green onion(s) - white part, finely diced
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp mirin
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- ½ tsp chili bean sauce - tobanjan
Broth / Noodles
- 500 ml freshly boiled water
- 1 tsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 1 ½ tbsp awase miso paste
- 2 portions ramen noodles
Toppings (Optional)
- 30 g spinach
- 100 g beansprouts
- 2 tsp sweet corn
- 2 tsp green onion(s) - green part, finely sliced
- 2 tsp unsalted butter
- 2 ramen egg(s) - or soft boiled egg
- 2 sushi nori seaweed(s) - nori
Instructions
- Melt 1 tsp unsalted butter in a pan over a medium heat and add 4 cloves garlic , 1 tbsp fresh ginger and 2 tbsp green onion(s). Once fragrant add 150 g ground pork and stir-fry until cooked through.
- Season with 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp mirin, 1 tsp oyster sauce and ½ tsp chili bean sauce and mix thoroughly. Simmer until the liquid is almost gone and then turn off the heat.
- Take a heatproof measuring jug and whisk 500 ml freshly boiled water with 1 tsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder and 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter until dissolved. Pour the soup into the pan and heat on medium once more.
- Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat. Place 1 ½ tbsp awase miso paste on a mesh spoon or ladle, dip it into the soup and then whisk it to break it up. This technique makes it easier to incorporate the miso into the soup smoothly without lumps. (Alternatively, mix the miso paste with a small amount of broth in a separate bowl and pour back into the pan once smooth.)
- Add 100 g beansprouts to the broth and cook them in the residual heat for 1-2 minutes. (No need to turn the heat back on.)
- Cook 2 portions ramen noodles according to the instructions on the packaging and add 30 g spinach to the water in the final minute. Drain using a colander and rinse both the noodles and spinach with fresh hot water to wash off any excess starch.
- Dish up the noodles into a large bowl, pour the broth over the noodles and top with the pork, beansprouts and spinach. Garnish with green onion (green part), sweet corn (straight from the tin is fine but you can microwave them if you prefer them warm.) and unsalted butter in each bowl.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Equipment
Michele Mendonca
Hi!
What kind of smooth peanut butter is it?
Can I buy the noodles online? I can’t find it here where I live. Thank you!
Yuto Omura
Hi Michele!
Thanks for your question! I personally used Skippy, but it's fine to use other brands as long as it's the smooth kind. Skippy is known for being a bit salty and having more of a "roasted" flavour so I recommend it!
You should be able to buy ramen noodles online (they have them on Amazon etc) but if you can't get them, you could try out my "ramen noodles made with spaghetti hack" https://sudachirecipes.com/ramen-noodle-hack-recipe/
Hope that helps, happy cooking! 🙂