This homemade Pork Belly Ramen is quick and easy to make, right on the stovetop. It’s served with rich comforting broth, crispy slices of pork, and tasty vegetables. The perfect restaurant quality meal that can be made at home.
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What is Pork Belly
It’s a cut of meat from the belly of a pig. It is a fatty and flavorful cut that is used in various ways, particularly in Asian cuisine. It is often used to make bacon, but can also be cooked in other ways such as braising, roasting, grilling, or frying.
It is a popular ingredient in many cultures around the world due to its rich flavor and versatility in cooking. I find it at Costco and have also seen it at Trader Joe’s and Aldi. Your local butcher is also a great option.
What Does it Taste Like?
Pork belly has a rich, meaty flavor that is enhanced by the fat content in the meat. It is known for its tender, juicy texture and can be quite flavorful when cooked properly.
When cooked crispy, it has a slightly sweet and savory taste with a crunchy texture. When braised, it can have a more tender and melt-in-your-mouth texture with a slightly sweet, savory, and tangy taste.
Ramen Background
Ramen is a Japanese noodle soup dish prepared with noodles served in a meat or fish-based broth, flavored with soy sauce or miso, and topped with various ingredients such as sliced pork, green onions, nori (dried seaweed), and soft-boiled eggs. Many say ramen originated in China.
What Type of Noodles to Use
Grab a pack labeled ramen. They’re made with wheat flour, water, and an alkaline solution called kansui, which gives the noodles their chewy texture and yellow color. It can be curly, straight, wavy, thick, or thin.
How to Make Pork Belly Ramen
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Heat a Dutch oven or the pan/pot you plan to use to sear the pork belly on medium-high heat.
- Add the olive oil and pork belly. Sear.
- Drain any excess fat from the pot.
- Adjust the heat to medium. Add garlic, ginger, carrots, and mushrooms to the pot. Saute.
- Deglaze the pot and add broth.
- Add in soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil. Stir to combine all of the ingredients.
- Add noodles to the pot to cook and soften.
- Serve the ramen with the cooked pork belly and boiled eggs.
How to Cook the Egg
Most ramen in restaurants is served with a soft-boiled egg. I’ve also seen it served with a medium boiled, which actually my preference. I cook my eggs in the air fryer. You can air fry at 250 degrees for 13 minutes for soft-boiled and 14-15 minutes for medium-boiled.
Every air fryer will cook at varying speeds so you may need to test it out.
What Type of Pot to Use
I’m a huge fan of making this a one-pot recipe. I use this 7-quart Dutch oven. It’s large enough to cook the ramen in and it can withhold higher heat for searing the pork belly. If you want to make this using one pot, grab one that’s large enough and retains heat well.
Substitutions and Toppings Ideas
- Chicken: Popular protein substitute or addition
- Sesame Seeds: Adds texture and flavor
- Black Garlic: Fermented and provides a unique flavor and aroma that is distinct from fresh garlic.
- Nori: Dried seaweed that is often used as a topping in ramen to add a slightly salty flavor and a chewy texture.
- Scallions: Thinly sliced green onions that add a fresh and slightly spicy flavor.
- Menma: Marinated bamboo shoots that add a slightly sweet and earthy flavor.
- Corn: Sweet corn kernels are often added to add sweetness and texture.
- Bean Sprouts: Fresh and crunchy bean sprouts are often used as a topping in ramen to add a crisp texture and a fresh flavor.
- Broccoli: Nice crunch and additional veggies
- Cabbage: Nice crunch and additional veggies
How to Store Leftovers
Separate the noodles and broth into two different containers to prevent the noodles from becoming mushy. If you know you are planning for leftovers don’t combine the two when you first prepare the dish. You can store the dish tightly covered in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How to Reheat
I find the best way is on the stovetop until warm. You can use the microwave if you wish.
Pair With These Recipes
Shrimp Egg Rolls
Ground Beef Pasta with Alfredo
Air Fryer Crab Rangoon
Air Fryer Wontons
Ground Beef Pasta with Alfredo
More Soup Recipes
Shrimp Noodle Soup
Slow Cooker Crockpot Loaded Potato Soup
Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup
Creamy Chicken Florentine Soup
You may also like my Instant Pot Chicken Ramen recipe.
More Pork Belly Recipes
Pork Belly Tacos
Traeger Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Pork Belly Ramen
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound pork belly Sliced into strips
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger Fresh and minced; ¼ teaspoon if using ground
- 1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
- 1/2 cup grated carrots
- 6 cups broth Any broth. I used chicken.
- 3-4 tablespoons soy sauce or liquid aminos soy sauce Start with 3 tablespoons. Adjust to taste if necessary after the dish has cooked.
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar I use unsweetened.
- 6 oz Ramen Noodles You can use Ramen pasta noodles or 2 packages of Ramen Noodle Soup and discard the flavor packages
- Soft or medium boiled eggs For topping
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven (I use a 7 quart) or the pan/pot you plan to use to sear the pork belly on medium-high heat.
- Add the olive oil and pork belly. Crispy pork belly will take some time to sear if you like it crisp. For soft pork belly you can sear each side for a few minutes. Once the pork belly has seared to your liking, remove it from the pot and set it aside.Be careful while cooking. Pork belly has a lot of fat and you want to avoid oil and grease popping onto you.1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 pound pork belly
- Drain any excess fat from the pot. Pork belly is mostly fat. You should plan to have quite a bit of it here. I drain the excess and retain a tablespoon or more in the pot to lock in more flavor for the dish.
- Adjust the heat to medium. Add the garlic, ginger, carrots, and mushrooms to the pot. Saute for a few minutes until the vegetables are soft.3 garlic cloves minced, 2 teaspoons ginger, 1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms, 1/2 cup grated carrots
- You should notice brown bits at the bottom of your pot. Leave those there to deglaze the pot. You deglaze the pot by slowly adding in the broth. Use a wooden spoon to break up the brown bits. These are loaded with pork belly flavor and will enhance the taste of the broth.6 cups broth
- Add in the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil. Stir to combine all of the ingredients. Cook the broth uncovered for 10 minutes or until the broth is nice and warm. Taste the broth repeatedly. Add any spices if necessary to suit your taste.3-4 tablespoons soy sauce or liquid aminos, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- Add the noodles to the pot to cook and soften.6 oz Ramen Noodles
- Serve the ramen with the cooked pork belly and boiled eggs.Soft or medium boiled eggs
Notes
- Substitute pork belly for whatever you like.
- If you’re using pre-cooked pork belly you may just need to reheat it. Check out the instructions of what you purchased.
- White wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar can be substituted for rice wine vinegar. The dish will not taste the same and rice wine vinegar is recommended.
- Peanut oil is a substitute for sesame oil, but the flavor of the dish will not taste the same.
- You can substitute and add any veggies you like.
Courtney
Tuesday 8th of October 2024
You definitely need to cut the amount of sesame oil at least by half. It's extremely overwhelming at 2 tablespoons.
staysnatched
Tuesday 8th of October 2024
I don't, but it sounds like you do. I love how much I use and how the dish tastes.
Emily
Friday 7th of June 2024
The closest ramen to me is Lawrence or KC but it is my comfort food when I am sick. I have been searching for a ramen recipe I can make at home and I think this is it!
staysnatched
Sunday 9th of June 2024
Yay! So glad to hear it.
Angie
Wednesday 3rd of April 2024
So delicious!!! I only used 1 tablespoon of sesame oil because I was afraid it'd over power. But next time I'm going to go for the full amount. Really great recipe, it was so flavorful. I also added the corn and scallions as recommended which was great.
staysnatched
Thursday 4th of April 2024
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Angie
Monday 13th of November 2023
Delicious! I’d use yakisoba noodles next time though.
staysnatched
Monday 13th of November 2023
Cool.
Ashley
Sunday 26th of March 2023
I just knew from your last ramen recipe this would be amazing! The broth is next level, especially with the pork belly flavor in it! I could eat this every day.
staysnatched
Sunday 26th of March 2023
You and me both!