Today we’re sharing an easy Japanese Tan Tan Ramen Recipe. Would I prefer to fly to Japan to try this Tan Tan Ramen (Tantanmen) live and in living color? Of course! But this isn’t exactly in the cards for me right now. So I will journey there via my kitchen, which is a nice fall-back option, always. Cliched though it may be to say it, my favorite way to explore the world is through the vast and varying landscape of flavors that make up the whole of its culinary history, both past and present.

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Inspired by Chinese Dan Dan Noodles, this Japanese Tan Tan Ramen Recipe recipe is its own whole world of flavor, all in one bowl. Ground pork, charred cabbage slaw (my little homemade-ish trick), and a luscious miso, ginger, and garlic-laced broth are the perfect way to drown the heap of noodles in each bowl. Read on for a little more information about how to make Tan Tan Ramen, or just jump ahead to the recipe itself.

What are Japanese Tan Tan Noodles? (Tantanmen)

With a massively flavorful, spicy broth as its secret weapon, Tan Tan Ramen (Tantanmen) is a Japanese noodle soup that is certainly not for the faint of heart. The familiar aromatic combination of garlic, ginger, and scallions cozies up to the likes of miso, toasted sesame, peanuts, and Sichuan sesame paste. This creates a bowl of noodle soup that hits all of the right notes. Honestly, this one’s a true back-pocket noodle recipe if ever there was one.

Tan Tan Ramen, while so deeply flavorful and complex, is actually really simple to make. In my version here, which takes some liberties with the classic, we’ll build what I like to think of as a turbo-boosted broth base. Furthermore, this “base” is made from lots of garlic, ginger, peanut butter, stock concentrate, soy sauce, and miso. So, it’s pretty amazing, I won’t lie to you there. This creates the anchorage for the whole dish. When combined with a splash of milk, some water, and lots of crispy ground pork – you get a really delicious bowl.

Japanese Tan Tan Ramen Noodles FAQ’s

What Ingredients are used in Japanese Tan Tan Ramen Noodles?

Tan Tan Ramen closely resembles Sichuan Dan Dan noodles, therefore making its ingredients list read like a mash-up of both Chinese and Japanese cuisines. Tan Tan Ramen contains a base of bouncy ramen noodles, topped with a spicy broth, cooked greens, and a deeply flavorful ground pork mixture. The broth is made from a flavorful base of spicy chiles, aromatics like ginger and garlic, along with miso and a delicious Sichuan toasted sesame paste.

What is Sichuan Sesame Paste?

Sichuan sesame paste (zhī ma jiàng, 芝麻酱) is a deeply flavorful paste made from a combination of toasted sesame seeds and toasted sesame oil. It is used widely in Chinese cooking, and is frequently added to broth bases in stews and soups to give a full nutty, rich flavor.

What is the Difference between Chinese Dan Dan Noodles and Japanese Tan Tan Ramen Noodles?

Chinese Dan Dan Noodles and Japanese Tan Tan Ramen Noodles walk a similar line, so far as their flavors, structures, and ingredient lists go. There are some differences though, namely in the types of noodles used in each dish, along with the way they are served. Dan Dan noodles are typically made with Chinese style egg noodles, whereas Tan Tan Ramen is made with Ramen noodles. Also, Dan Dan Noodles tend to be served drier, as more of a “saucy noodle,” whereas Tan Tan Ramen is more like a noodle soup.

What noodles are a good substitute for ramen?

There are a few good substitutions for ramen noodles out there, if you happen to have trouble finding them. Or, maybe you’ve got others on hand that you need to use up. Either way, rice noodles, vermicelli, or angel hair spaghetti work well in place of ramen noodles.

How do you store leftover Tan Tan Ramen?

Any leftover tan tan ramen noodles will keep nicely in the fridge for you, for up to two days. Any longer than that and you’ll find that you’ve got some pretty Just be sure to allow them to cool to room temperature before transferring to a lidded/sealed container.

Can you freeze leftover ramen?

If you want to make your tan tan ramen in advance and freeze it, you absolutely can. Just be sure to leave the noodles out until you’re ready to serve. But the pork, cabbage, and broth mixture will keep nicely for your in the freezer for about three months.

A closer look at Japanese Tan Tan Ramen Noodles ingredients

Firstly, because of this recipe’s origins as an homage to Chinese Dan Dan Noodles, its ingredient list reads very similarly. However, rather than using Chinese style egg noodles as you would in a Dan Dan Noodles recipe, we’ll reach for some ramen noodles instead. It’s a bowl of ramen we’re after here, anyway.

Secondly, you can use whatever high-heat cooking oil you like or have on hand here, and please choose any coleslaw mix you can find. This is a wonderfully time-saving step – using pre-made coleslaw – and I do it all the time. In fact, I’ve got recipes in two of my cookbooks that lean on this trick, because you just can’t beat the time-saving boost it lends. It helps keep this recipe squarely in my 30-minute or less category.

What is Sichuan Sesame paste?

Many Japanese Tan Tan Ramen recipes call for Sichuan sesame paste. In my recip here, we’re approximate the gorgeous flavor of this ingredient by using some pantry staple ingredients, instead. Sichuan sesame paste is a common and important ingredient frequently used in Chinese cooking. It has a deeply nutty, toasted flavor thanks to the use of toasted sesame seeds. This, incidentally, is what sets it apart from say, a Mediterranean tahini. Tahini, which is also a sesame paste, uses hulled raw sesame seeds. This results in a more subtle, mild flavor. Sichuan sesame paste can be purchased online, or prepared homemade if you like.

The broths that stand as the base for Japanese soups like this are art forms all their own, and should be treated as such! So, my biggest tip to keep in mind as you’re making this is to really season it well. The spicy broth base we’ll make will taste super salty to you (because it is), but this soup still feeds four people – it makes a good amount – so be sure to go in with salt and some extra soy sauce to really deepen the flavors. The salt brings everything to life here.

Tantanmen Ingredients

12 to 16 ounces ramen noodles (see note)
3 tablespoons cooking oil of your choice, divided
16 ounce bag of classic coleslaw mix
1 bunch scallions, chopped, white and green parts separated
⅓ cup peanut butter or tahini
¼ cup soy sauce, plus more for serving
1.5-inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves
2 heaping tablespoons white miso paste
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 to 3 teaspoons store-bought chili crisp
1 cup milk (soy or regular)
Salt as needed

How to make Tan Tan Ramen

This Japanese Tan Tan Ramen recipe is surprisingly fast and easy to make, making it a really great weeknight dinner option. The depth of flavor that we’re able to pull out of these ingredients is just really amazing, but I will tell you something that I found to be of the utmost importance here … salt. Because we’re building a broth via the creation of a wonderful flavor paste/sauce, we need to ensure that we season it really well.

But other than the aforementioned heads-up on the seasoning, this Tan Tan Ramen recipe is a total breeze to make. We’ll begin by charring some store-bought coleslaw mix with loads of scallion whites (a very nice homemade-ish hack) until it picks up some color.

Then, while that’s happening, we’ll make our flavor base for the broth. It’s as simple as just throwing a bunch of hugely tasty things in your blender and giving it a whirl. Most Japanese Tan Tan Ramen Noodles Recipes feature a fiery blend of aromatics and chilis that serve to build a broth that is next-level delicious. This will go into the browned ground pork, along with lots of sesame seeds. Adding water to the mix brings it all up into a level of soup that you may not have known you needed today. Just be sure to really season it generously, or else it will fall flat on its face.

Put your cooked ramen noodles into individual bowls and ladle that porky, brothy mixture all over them. Shower with scallion greens and some extra soy sauce and GO TO TOWN.

DIRECTIONS for this easy Japanese Tan Tan Ramen Recipe

Prepare the ramen noodles in salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Set aside for now.
Add two tablespoons of the oil to a large pot over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the coleslaw mix and scallion whites and cook until it’s charred, tender, and browned – about 4 to 5 minutes, string occasionally. Transfer to a plate/bowl for now.
Meanwhile, make the broth base. in a blender combine the peanut butter (or tahini), soy sauce, ginger, garlic, miso, sesame oil, chili crisp, and 1 few tablespoons of water. Blend on high until well mixed, and mostly smooth-ish.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot, along with the pork and sesame seeds. Cook the pork until it’s browned, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring only occasionally. Add the broth base mixture (every last drop!) and cook for one minute more.
Add the cooked slaw to the pot, along with 3 cups of water and 1 cup of milk (either regular or soy). Bring to a simmer. Let the soup cook for about 5 minutes, to reduce slightly and intensify in flavor. Taste and season with salt as needed.
To serve, divide the ramen noodles among four bowls and top with the pork/cabbage/broth mixture. Top with the scallion greens and serve with soy sauce.

Note: If you purchase packets of ramen noodle soup, just be sure to dispose of the flavor packets, or save them for another time, as we don’t need those for this recipe.