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Spicy Short Rib Peanut Ramen, our favorite winter ramen! Enjoy this on nights when you’re craving your favorite bowl of carry-out ramen, but want something simple and homemade. This ramen is flavored with warm spices, peanut butter, and chili paste. It’s creamy, spicy, and filled with plenty of ramen noodles. Each bowl is topped with kimchi, fresh herbs, nori, and lots of toasted sesame seeds. And best of all, it’s all cooked in one pot – either the crockpot, instant pot, or on the stove. One of our favorite bowls of ramen – even better than a restaurant! Best enjoyed on cold days, because there’s nothing better than a steaming bowl of ramen on a cold winter’s night.
Soup is the name of the game these days, it’s all we’ve been wanting. With the snow falling pretty consistently and many people battling colds, I’ve been making soup after soup. Everything from classic chicken noodle soup to my creamy potato, chili, and then so much ramen. Which I think might be the all-around family favorite.
I’ve made more variations on ramen than I can remember, but if you take a family poll, I think everyone will say that this is their favorite. My brothers especially love this one since I finally used short ribs.
It’s simple as can be to make and so warmingly delicious. Pretty hard to pass up a bowl of this ramen.
The inspiration for this ramen, however, came from my younger brother, Red. He was in Hawaii for Christmas with his girlfriend’s family. He sent me a ton of photos of food from the restaurant they ate at on Christmas Eve. It was a Korean place and it looked absolutely incredible.
The thing about Red is that he doesn’t go into much detail, if any. He sent the photos and said, “this was really good”. I tried to get more out of him, but then he disappeared for the night.
It was obvious from the photo that they enjoyed Korean-style BBQ with kimchi on the side. And that’s when I dreamt up this soup. A ramen with Korean-inspired short ribs in a spicy but creamy broth with lots of kimchi on top.
Different, but it sounded really dish!
The details
You can make this easily on the stove, in the crockpot, or super fast in the instant pot. I’ve made this all 3 ways and each yields the same outcome. I think the crockpot is easiest, but use the cooking method that works best for you.
For the crockpot, layer in the short ribs, then pretty much every other ingredient goes in. The broth, tamari, coconut milk, peanut butter (the not so secret, secret to this ramen), chili paste (I love to use Gochujang – Korean chili paste), shallots, garlic, ginger, a couple of bay leaves, and a cinnamon stick.
Cover and cook low and slow until the ribs are falling apart.
When the soup has finished cooking, preheat the broiler to high, broil the ribs with some of the sauce until caramelized.
While the short ribs broil, add the spinach and ramen noodles to the broth.
As always, I use 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.
For toppings, I kept things easy and simple. Lots of kimchi, cilantro, green onion, and sesame seeds. You can add some chili oil too if you like.
This ramen is perfect for any night of the week, whether it’s a snowy night, pouring rain, or simply a night where you just need a warming soup.
I’m so thankful for easy dinners like this!
Looking for more warming winter soups? Here are a few to try:
Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice Tortilla Soup.
30 Minute Thai Peanut Chicken Ramen
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 Spicy Short Rib Peanut 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!
Spicy Short Rib Peanut Ramen
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 570 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3-5 pounds beef short ribs, bone-in or out, fat trimmed
- 8 cups low sodium beef or chicken broth
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 2-4 tablespoons chili paste, to taste (I use Gochujang)
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 6 shallots, sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped ginger
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 4-6 squares dry ramen noodles
- kimichi, cilantro, and green onion, for serving
- chili oil, nori sheets, and sesame seeds, for serving
Instructions
crockpot
- 1. In the bowl of the crockpot, season the short ribs with pepper. Pour over the broth, coconut milk, and tamari. Add the chili paste, peanut butter, shallots, garlic, ginger, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.2. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the short ribs from the crockpot and place onto a baking sheet. Break into a few chunks and discard any bones. Broil until caramelized on top, about 3-5 minutes, but watch closely.3. Meanwhile, crank the heat on the slow cooker to high. Stir in the spinach and noodles and let cook, uncovered, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the short ribs.4. Ladle the broth, short ribs, spinach, and noodles into bowls. Top as desired with kimchi, cilantro, green onions, chili oil, and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Instant Pot
- 1. In the bowl of the instant pot, season the short ribs with pepper. Pour over the broth, coconut milk, and tamari. Add the chili paste, peanut butter, shallots, garlic, ginger, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 60-70 minutes. Quick release the steam.2. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the short ribs from the instant pot and place onto a baking sheet. Break into a few chunks and discard any bones. Broil until caramelized on top, about 3-5 minutes, but watch closely.3. Switch the instant pot to sautè. Add the spinach and noodles and let cook, uncovered, for about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the short ribs.4. Ladle the broth, short ribs, spinach, and noodles into bowls. Top as desired with kimchi, cilantro, green onions, chili oil, and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Stove
- 1. In a large soup pot set over medium heat, season the short ribs with pepper. Pour over the broth, coconut milk, and tamari. Add the chili paste, peanut butter, shallots, garlic, ginger, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick. Cover and cook over low heat for 3-5 hours or up to all day, adding water if needed to keep the short ribs covered.2. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the short ribs from the pot and place onto a baking sheet. Break into a few chunks and discard any bones. Broil until caramelized on top, about 3-5 minutes, but watch closely.3. To the soup, add the spinach and noodles and let cook, uncovered, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the short ribs.4. Ladle the broth, short ribs, spinach, and noodles into bowls. Top as desired with kimchi, cilantro, green onions, chili oil, and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Made this for the first time tonight and it is seriously so good!!! Definitely one the best recipes I’ve tried! Can’t wait to make this again!
Thank you so much Stephanie!
I make at least 3 of your recipes/week. This is by far my favorite!! Thank you!!!!
Hi Carla,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Thanks for making so many recipes! xx
I love this recipe. This is the 2nd time I’m making it. Just a question, I don’t have a crockpot so I always make it on a big pot on the stove. It’s bubbling away as we speak on low heat. How long should I put it on the stove for?
Hi there! I would leave it on the stove for about 5-10 mins! xT
I made a big batch of this for my sister’s birthday dinner with the whole family. It was fantastic! Thanks so much for making me look like a hero:)
Hey Becky,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xx
Absolutely delicious! We loved every bite and can’t wait to make again. Thank you!
Hey Rachel,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) 🐣🍭
one of your pictures has anise featured. do you use that for this soup?
Hi Lorianna,
If you have some available, you can totally add it, otherwise, it’s not necessary! I hope you love this dish, let me know if you give it a try! xx
I’ve been craving ramen and this hit the spot. I seared my meat before adding to the crockpot and didn’t have to put it in the broiler. I also used less broth – 8 cups felt like a lot; I used about 5 cups and I couldn’t tell the difference. As others said, I also cooked the noodles separately for leftover purposes. If I make again, I will use more peanut butter. Thank you for the great recipe!
Hey Dana,
Happy Monday!!🌴 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
I’m addicted to this soup! Made this 3-4 times and it’s going in the regular rotation. I’ve switched up the meat to chuck roast or brisket, more affordable and just as flavorful. I make mine in the Instant Pot and before I add the noodles I take out broth so there’s just enough for two servings, add the noodles and spinach, that way the noodles don’t get mushy in the leftovers.
Hi Anne Marie,
Happy Monday!!🌴 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
This recipe is so delicious! Made it for the first time a few weeks ago and making it again for dinner tonight!! My family loves it!!
Hey Sandy,
Happy Monday!!🌞 Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
This was good but I didn’t think it was spicy. The amount of liquid seemed excessive to the point of coming close to overflowing my crockpot and made me wonder if the peanut butter and spices got “lost” in the 8 cups of broth. Is 8 cups correct? We really had to fish around to find the 4 pounds of boneless ribs and 4 packs of ramen I used. I will try it again with perhaps a little less liquid. But with that said, the beef was very tender and we really liked the brown rice and millet ramen!
Hi Marcy,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear this was not enjoyed. All of the measurements are correct. Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
Making this for dinner tonight!! I didn’t see you add the coconut milk in the video? Just want to make sure I do everything correctly!
Hey Alyana,
You can follow this recipe as written and add the coconut milk in step 1:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
The flavor was amazing but please help every time I make any of your crockpot short ribs they end up overdone and I always go for the shortest end of the recommended time frame. I replace my crockpot and still have same issue. Should I have done bone in? What size cut of short rib? I did 3 pounds boneless on low for just 5 hours and they were tough
Hey Rachel,
Happy Monday!!💐 Thank you so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was a winner! I would try using bone in next time:) xx
Pretty much every recipe I’ve tried here has been a success but this one was a total hit. My husband said this was his new favorite dish. Seriously so good and so easy!
Hey Shannon,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! xT
I have made this recipe twice. The first time I stuck to the recipe (beef broth) and was flattered by the compliment that it was “the best” thing I had ever made. Wow. I cook a lot and my family usually loves my food, but that was some high praise. The second time I made it, I swapped out the short rib for a less expensive cut of pork (on the bone and then followed instructions). I used beef bone broth, added some extra peanut butter, chili paste, sliced the shallots into larger pieces so they did not cook down as much. I didn’t add the ramen to the broth at the end, but rather flash-cooked the ramen, added it to the bowl and then broth to bowl to finish the noodle. I was told these modifications made the dish even better than the first. I agree. The flavor was amazing. Wanting to try this dish with chicken base and chicken.
Hey Tina,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:)
This was amazing and a family hit! Added shitaki mushrooms and had to quick grill the meat instead of broiling as our broiler isn’t working. We actually really liked the grilled flavor. Will definitely make this again.
Hey Karen,
Wonderful!!😊 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was delish! xT
I made this and it was very good however, it was almost exactly like a popular Chinese braised beef noodle soup. Not really a ramen at all. Still a very lovely soup. The braised beef soup is really popular in Hong Kong cafe type places or other Chinese noodle shops.
Hey Erin,
Amazing!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was a hit! xT