Tan Tan ramen is a spicy Japanese noodle soup with Chinese origins. It’s rich and creamy with a spicy kick, perfect for those cravings of a warm bowl of ramen.

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What is tan tan ramen?

Tan tan ramen is a Japanese variation of the Chinese Sichuan dish dandanmian, or dandan noodles.

The Japanese version follows a similar path to standard ramen. You get your tare (the seasoning element) in the form of sesame paste, your broth in the form of stock and milk, and finally your ramen noodles and choice of toppings (typically ground meat and greens).

Much of the Chinese influence from this dish, apart from its origin, also comes in the form of doubanjiang -a spicy fermented chili bean paste (more on that ingredient below).

Mixed along with the ground meat, the paste gives food a complex, umami, and spicy kick!

In terms of difference, dan dan noodles tend to be more on the drier side, relying on a thick, sesame-based sauce to coat its noodles (though there can be more soupy variations depending on who’s preparing the dish).

Tan tan ramen, on the other hand, involves a rich soup that you can slurp on.

Ingredients (and substitutions!)

Sesame Paste: You can find the Chinese and Japanese variations of sesame paste in most Asian supermarkets. They’re super versatile and widely used in making dipping sauces for hot pot, salad dressings, or in this case, noodles.

(Popular brands I like to use are either Watson or Wangzhihe)

Substitutions: A common substitute is tahini, though the main difference between the two is that Chinese sesame paste is made with toasted sesame seeds, while tahini is made with raw seeds. The resulting flavor profiles are strikingly different, with the Chinese version being more on the darker, toastier side. Other good substitutes include peanut butter or other nut butters!

Soy sauce, chili oil, rice vinegar: Along with the sesame paste, these ingredients will provide a savory, rich foundation for our ramen. Essentially, we’re creating what is known as tare, a component of ramen that adjusts and flavors the amount of umami and saltiness for a particular type of ramen.

Substitutions: Soy sauce can be replaced with tamari or coconut aminos if you’d prefer. Rice vinegar may also be replaced with any other type of acid, such as white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or even lime/lemon juice. Chili oil may be omitted if you’re not a fan of spicy as well.

Chicken stock: Stock will provide a savory base for our ramen broth. You can either use store-bought or homemade. If going the store-bought route, pay attention to the salt levels -I usually go for unsalted stocks so that I can better control how salty I want my soups to be.

Substitutions: Beef or vegetable stock can also work!

Non-dairy milk: Oat or soy milk work beautifully with this recipe. Make sure they’re unsweetened and without any-flavoring.

Substitutions: Cashew milk could work, based off of other responses (though I haven’t personally tried this!). I wouldn’t recommend using standard animal milk as it has a higher chance of curdling when used as a broth. Coconut milk may also be too strong in flavor, so I wouldn’t use that either to avoid altering the taste of the recipe.

Ground pork: This will be the protein component of our ramen which will add to the heartiness of the dish, along with some texture.

Substitutions: Other proteins such as ground turkey or chicken can work! To make this more vegan/vegetarian friendly, feel free to omit this or replace with minced mushrooms, extra-firm tofu, or even plant-based meat alternatives.

Mirin, sugar: Mirin is a Japanese rice wine that adds a mellow sweetness to the dish on top of the standard sugar. You can omit the mirin and simply add a half-teaspoon extra of sugar to account for it if you’d like.

Doubanjiang: The name is usually interchangeable along the lines of “chili bean paste” or “spicy bean sauce” labeled on the jar, but they all typically refer to the same thing. This can be found in most Asian supermarkets!

Substitutions: In a pinch, most people would recommend to use gochujang, a similar Korean fermented chili paste. They’re not exactly identical in flavor, but I’d imagine it would still taste pretty good in this recipe. You could also use miso paste instead with some teaspoons of chili oil/crisps to replicate a similar umami and spicy flavor.

Ramen: Go for fresh ramen noodles to get the best texture, they usually sell them vacuum-sealed and refrigerated next to other fresh noodles. Otherwise, you could also use the dried ramen noodles if that’s more readily available.

Substitutions: Though not exactly the same noodles, other great substitutes include egg noodles, yakisoba, or udon.

Instructions

Prepare the tare (seasoning base):

Combine all the ingredients together and mix until smooth.

Divide the mixture evenly into two bowls and set aside.

Prepare the broth:

In a sauce pot, combine together the chicken stock and non-dairy milk. Mix well.

Bring to a low simmer, then cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

Prepare the pork mixture:

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add in the ground pork and cook until no longer pink, stirring frequently to avoid burning.

Add in the ginger, garlic, and doubanjiang. Stir to coat the pork and saute until the aromatics are fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add in the mirin, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir to combine and continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 more minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

Prepare the toppings:

To a pot of boiling water, blanch your leafy greens for about one minute or until bright green and tender. Remove from the water, drain, and reserve for assembly.

Bring the water to a boil again, and cook the ramen noodles according to packaged instructions until softened with a slight chew.

To assemble:

Divide the warmed broth between your two bowls. Mix well to evenly incorporate the tare with the broth.

Add in a serving of ramen noodles to each bowl. Top with the ground pork mixture, blanched leafy greens, scallions, ramen egg, and a drizzle of chili oil, if desired. Serve immediately.

Tips

Slightly undercook your noodles: Your ramen noodles will continue to cook when you pour the hot broth over them. I’d recommend slightly undercooking them to the point where they’re soft, but still with a slight chew, as to avoid mushy noodles when serving.

Customize your ramen: Recipes are meant to be altered to fit the preferences of the cook, so feel free to adjust some components of the dish to make this tantanmen your own.

Add extra toppings: You can add your favorite ramen ingredients such as menma (bamboo shoots), nori (seaweed), fishcakes, or even mushrooms.
Adjust the spice: I personally love my ramen spicy, so I tend to go overboard with the chili oil and doubanjiang. Feel free to add more or less of these ingredients according to taste.
Adjust your broth: To make the broth more thick and creamy, you can use a higher ratio of milk to stock!

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Can I mix the Tare and Broth all in one?

You can! Keeping the tare and broth separate is a traditional method when making ramen as you can easily customize the flavor of your soup (i.e., adding more or less tare to suit how salty or umami you want it to be).

Otherwise, mixing them together is just fine and wouldn’t alter the final taste.

Can I freeze the broth?

Since this is a milk-based broth, I wouldn’t recommend freezing this as milk, in general, tends to separate when thawed. The final texture, as a result, may not be too appealing!

Looking for more noodle recipes? Here’s a couple you might enjoy: