Tan Tan Ramen Recipe

Build and simmer broth

In a large pot, add chicken stock, optional pork bone or dashi, and 1 cup water. Add smashed ginger, smashed garlic cloves, and scallion whites. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes to meld flavors.

Season broth

After simmering, skim any foam, then stir in 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon salt. Keep hot on lowest heat while you prepare other components. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Whisk sauce

In a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons tahini, 2 tablespoons chili oil, 1 tablespoon doubanjiang, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Whisk together while adding about 2 tablespoons hot water to thin to a pourable consistency (should be thick but pourable). Set aside.

Adjust heat and texture

Taste the tare and adjust: add more chili oil for heat, more tahini for creaminess, or water to thin. This concentrated mixture will be added to each bowl before the broth.

Cook the meat

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and break up with a spatula. Brown for 4–5 minutes until mostly cooked.

Flavor the meat

Push the meat to the pan, reduce heat to medium, add minced garlic (2 tsp), minced ginger (1 tsp), and 1 teaspoon doubanjiang. Stir and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sake (or dry sherry), 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue cooking 2–3 minutes until meat is fully cooked and flavors are concentrated. Keep warm.

Prepare soft-boiled eggs

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Gently lower 2 large eggs into boiling water and cook for 6 minutes for jammy yolks (adjust 6–7 minutes depending on egg size and altitude). Meanwhile, prepare a bowl of ice water. When done, transfer eggs to the ice water and chill for 4 minutes. Peel carefully and set aside.

Cook noodles

Bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the ramen noodles and cook according to package directions (typically 2–4 minutes for fresh, 4–5 for dried). Stir gently to prevent sticking. When al dente, drain quickly but reserve about 1/4 cup of noodle cooking water in case you need to thin the broth. Rinse briefly only if using dried noodles and you want to remove excess starch (optional).

Combine tare and broth

Ladle about 1/4 cup of the hot broth into each serving bowl. Add 2–3 tablespoons of the spicy sesame tare to each bowl (adjust to taste). Stir to dissolve the tare into the small amount of broth to create a concentrated seasoned base.

Add noodles

Portion the cooked noodles into the bowls on top of the seasoned base (approximately 6 oz noodles per bowl if serving 2).

Finish with broth and toppings

Pour hot broth over the noodles until the bowl is nearly full (about 2.5–3 cups per bowl). Spoon a generous portion of the warm ground meat over the noodles. Halve the soft-boiled eggs and place on top. Arrange blanched spinach or bok choy and scallion greens. Drizzle an extra teaspoon of chili oil over each bowl if desired. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and crushed roasted peanuts. Add nori strips if using.

Serve

Serve immediately while hot. Mix the tare, sesame paste, and broth with the noodles and toppings before eating so the soup becomes creamy and evenly flavored.