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This simple, warming Crockpot Crispy Pork Ramen is for those nights when you’re craving your favorite bowl of ramen, but want to stay in and be cozy at home. All cooked in a crockpot, instant pot, or make the stove-top version. Whatever works for you! This ramen is flavored with miso, chili paste, and Chinese 5 spice. It’s creamy, spicy, and filled with plenty of ramen noodles. Each bowl is topped with crispy caramelized pork (or chicken). It’s one of the best bowls of homemade ramen, even better than a restaurant!
I’m not sure I could think of a better Monday in December recipe. This has to be one of my favorite bowls of ramen yet. I can’t wait to share it with my family soon! Being here in New York, I am craving this homemade bowl. It’s chilly here this week! And while I am used to cold weather, the damp cold here in New York City is just a different kind of cold. It’s bone-chilling, and when you add the wind, it’s biting.
Regardless, it’s wonderful to be here. And while I can definitely get an incredible bowl of ramen here in the city (I actually think I will), I much prefer homemade.
This recipe is full of so many yummy flavors. You just have to love it!
Just like a couple of other ramen recipes I have on the site, my brothers really inspired this one. They LOVE ramen. They’ve had the privilege of enjoying real-deal ramen straight from Japan on multiple occasions. So they really know how to direct me when it comes to creating a new recipe.
Recently, they’ve been loving a more traditional (but not traditional, tradition), pork ramen. They get theirs with caramelized pork and mushrooms, then spicy jalapeños on top with lots of green onions.
This sounded like such a wonderful December recipe to feed the family while they’re all in town for the holidays. I knew I needed to make it.
Details
As I mentioned, the boys have been enjoying pork ramen, so I used a pork butt for this recipe. You can use a pork butt or roast, or just use some chicken thighs/breasts. Both options are equally great.
For the crockpot, layer thinly sliced onions on the bottom of your crockpot. Layering the onions on the bottom is important. They’ll cook quicker and become a little caramelized.
Then, everything else goes into the pot. Tamari (or you can use soy sauce), miso paste, chili paste, and then my favorite, Chinese 5 spice. Chinese 5 spice is a warming blend of Chinese cinnamon, fennel seed, star anise, and cloves. It sounds different to add this to such a savory recipe, but trust me, it really works.
For the chili paste, I use Gochujang, which is actually Korean chili paste. But it’s SO GOOD.
When everything is all together, slow cook this all day long. With a pork butt, the longer the better. If you use chicken, don’t cook longer than five or six hours tops.
When the soup has finished cooking, preheat the broiler to high, then drizzle the pork with honey. The honey helps caramelize the pork making it crispy and delicious. Broil until caramelized on top, about 5-8 minutes – watch carefully!
While the pork broils, mix coconut milk into the soup. This will tame the heat and give a creamier broth. Then add the ramen noodles.
For the actual ramen noodles, I love using Brown Rice and Millet Ramen noodles (which you can find at Whole Foods and in many grocery stores). These taste just like real-deal ramen noodles, but they’re much healthier, gluten-free, and vegan.
And of course, no bowl of ramen is complete without the toppings. After all, they’re the best part, right? I do soft-boiled eggs, plenty of green onions, candied jalapeños (my favorite topping right now), and lots of sesame chili oil.
I’m especially excited to re-create this ramen for my family. My two younger brothers, Malachi and Red, are already looking forward to it. Can’t wait!!
It’s creamy but spicy, and the flavor is spot-on. The crispy pork makes for a rich, decadent bowl.
Looking for more warming winter soups? Here are a few to try:
Better For You Chicken and Spinach Ramen
Healthier Italian Wedding Soup with Lemon and Garlic
Lemony Garlic Chicken and Orzo Soup
Creamy Gnocchi Soup with Rosemary Bacon
Lastly, if you make this Crockpot Crispy Pork Ramen, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crockpot Crispy Pork Ramen
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 319 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2-3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 2-3 pounds pork butt or 6 chicken thighs/breast
- 6-8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 2-4 tablespoons chili paste (I use Gochujang)
- 1 tablespoon Chinese 5 spice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
- 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
- 2-3 teaspoons honey or brown sugar
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 4 squares ramen noodles
- soft or hard boiled eggs, for serving
- toasted nori sheets, candied jalapeños, green onions, and chili oil, for serving
Instructions
Crockpot
- 1. Layer the onions on the bottom of your crockpot. Add the pork butt/chicken, broth, tamari, miso paste, chili paste, Chinese 5 spice, ginger, and mushrooms. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. 2. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the pork and place it onto a baking sheet. Break into a few chunks. Drizzle each chunk with honey. Broil until caramelized on top, about 5-8 minutes, but watch closely. 3. Meanwhile, crank the heat on the slow cooker to high. Stir in the coconut milk and toasted sesame oil. Add the noodles and let cook, uncovered, for about 5 minutes.4. Ladle the broth, mushrooms, and noodles into bowls. Top with crispy pork. Top as desired with eggs, green onions, jalapeños, and chili oil. Serve immediately.
Instant Pot
- 1. Layer the onions on the bottom of your instant pot. Add the pork butt/chicken, broth, tamari, miso paste, chili paste, Chinese 5 spice, ginger, and mushrooms. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 60-70 minutes. Quick release the steam.2. Finish as directed above through step 2.
Stove
- 1. In a large soup pot set over medium heat, combine the onions with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the pork butt/chicken, broth, tamari, miso paste, chili paste, Chinese 5 spice, ginger, and mushrooms. Cover and cook over low heat for 3-5 hours or up to all day, adding water if needed to keep the pork covered. 2. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the pork and place it onto a baking sheet. Break into a few chunks. Drizzle each with honey. Broil until caramelized on top, about 5-8 minutes, but watch closely. 3. Meanwhile, stir the coconut milk and toasted sesame oil into the soup pot. Add the noodles and let cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes.4. Ladle the broth, mushrooms, and noodles into bowls. Top with crispy pork. Top as desired with eggs, green onions, jalapeños, and chili oil. Serve immediately.
Love love loved this recipe. I did it with pork ribs that I needed to use. Love the gochugang in this. Kids rated it top 2 all time best dinners I’ve cooked. Thanks so much.
Thank you for trying out the recipe! I’m so so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 xT
The broth for this recipe is delicious! The pork took so long to get tender that we skipped the broiler and honey step, will try it next time. Topped with green onions and chili crunch oil. Really good ramen!
Thank you SO much! I always love reading comments and seeing that the recipe was a success! Have a great day! 🙂 xT
This recipe was AMAZING! I’m normally the one who cooks but got held up and my husband did the meal. And it was PHENOMENAL! So incredibly flavorful and exactly what you’d want on a cold January evening for dinner!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks so much for trying out the recipe! Love to hear you enjoyed it! xT
10/10 – loved this recipe! I added Bok Choy and didn’t have 5 spice and used All Spice and was just delicious.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for trying it out and leaving such a kind comment! xT
This sounds delicious, and I’m planning to make it next week using chicken thighs instead of pork butt as suggested, but would I still cook it 3-5 hours or up to all day on the stovetop?
Hi there! I would cook for a little less time than the recipe calls for if you’re just doing chicken thighs! xT
Thanks, Tieghan. I used three chicken breasts (the Perdue prepackaged ones) and cooked them for an hour, which was probably a little more than necessary but still worked out fine. The soup was absolutely delicious — and very spicy! I don’t know if it was the soup itself that was hot, or the chili crisp we put on it, but whichever, we loved it and will definitely be having it again.
Thank you so much Helen! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! xT
This unfortunately did not work out well for me! I think I got a particularly fatty cut of pork, but it was hard for me to stomach. If I made this again, I’d also decrease the amount of five spice in the broth – it was super cinnamony in an unpleasant way.
I will say the tip to drizzle honey on the meat and then broil it did leave a crispy and sweet exterior! I will definitely be trying that technique again.
Based on all of the positive comments, my guess is this was just not great ingredients and possibly some user error – but I wanted to leave the feedback!
Hi Grace! I am so so sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe Yes, I wonder if it was the specific cut of meat you were using! I’m really sorry again. xT
Could I sub another vegetable for the mushrooms?
Omg yummmmm a new staple
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! xT
Looks delicious! Is there an alternative to using a broiler? We don’t have one unfortunately.
Thank you!!
Hi Lauren! You could cook on high heat on the stove top! xT
The flavor was amazing! I did something wrong though… I left the noodles in too long and it became very starchy. So if anyone is new to making ramen, don’t leave the noodles in. Otherwise another fabulous dish!
I never leave comments even though I’m OBSESSED with your recipes (ESPECIALLY your one pot/pan recipes). But this recipe warranted a comment. It was so freaking delicious and the best part is that it was sooo easy.
This will go to the top of the rotation along with your Homemade Hamburger Helper and White Chicken Chili.
I did have one question though. I used a pork butt so when the pork was done cooking there was as quite a bit of grease in the broth…any tips or suggestions on how to get most of it out before adding the coconut milk?
Hi Shannon! Wow thank you sooo much! Love to hear that 🙂 xT
Would love to make candies jalapeños! What’s the recipe for those
I’ve never left a recipe review or comment in my life, but this was a life-changing recipe so it deserved extra recognition. The pork was perfection, the broth was excellent and tasted near-professional levels of deliciousness, and I have now made this 3 times for 3 different sets of people, and everyone has asked me for the recipe. If I’m cooking for kids, I omit or only put one Tbsp of chili paste, but have otherwise followed the recipe every time, and it is amazing. Bravo!
Wow thank you SO much!! Love to hear that! 🙂 xT
I’m speechless. There are no words to adequately describe what it’s like to eat this. It’s just off the charts. The only thing I did was add in pork belly and pork ribs with the pork shoulder. Just. Sheesh y’all. I’m so grateful.
Hey Cooper,
Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for trying it and your feedback! xT
Another hit at our house. The flavors were incredible. I couldn’t find miso paste so just omitted. It was still delicious.
Hi Karen,
Love to hear that this recipe was delish! Thanks for making it and your feedback! Have a great weekend!🍁🍃
Hi, I accidentally added the coconut milk initially with the rest of the ingredients. Hoping it turns out ok!
Hope you love the recipe, Angela!!
Just did the same – added coconut milk with initial ingredients – hope it works out.