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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 crock pot, instant pot, or make the stove-top version. Whatever works for you! This dish 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 shiitake 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 skinless 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 low sodium 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 dry 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. some other great toppings: fresh cilantro, sesame seeds, scallions, lime juice, and sriracha.
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.
Great warming dish. Easy to put together and forget until dinner. The flavors are amazing and the crispiness of the pork is a great contrast to the noodles. Yum!
Thanks so much Kim! 🙂 xT
This was wonderful—i made it with chicken breasts with the instant pot method and it was so delish, a very complex broth filled with flavour.
Hey Roxanne,
Fantastic!! I’m so glad to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks a bunch for making it! Have the best week!🎄☃️ xT
Hello, if using chicken thighs would I still drizzle with honey and place into the broiler?
Hi Leah,
You bet! You can follow the recipe as written:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Hello! Making this tomorrow, what can I sub for mushrooms, any suggestions?
Hi Jennifer,
You can use another veggie you enjoy like broccoli. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
We made this with chicken thighs and it was so good! Cannot wait to try it with pork!
Hey Jessica,
So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! Have a great fall Friday! xT
Perfect in every way. Very easy to make. Entire family loved it. Don’t skimp on the chili oil garnish
Thanks so much, Elle! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad it turned out well! Xx
Hi! Can I do this in an instapot instead??
Hey Stephanie,
You bet, those instructions are also listed above:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
This recipe is on rotation, it is sooooo good. I doubled everything mins the pork to create more broth which helped it to go further and so we could have leftovers. Started cooking the noodles separately to retain more of the broth. Went back to your other recipes and got topping ideas to create an awesome ramen bowl spread. Thank you so much for all your hard work, your recipes have made cooking and eating dinner a wonderful and tasty adventure.
Hey Colleen,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, I love to hear that it turned out nicely for you! Thanks so much for your kind message:) Xx
This looks like a delicious recipe. Is it possible to use beef instead? If so, what type of meat do you recommend? Thanks, Tieghan!
Hey there,
Totally, beef would be delicious, I would do a a beef chuck roast. You might also like this recipe:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/braised-beef-ramen/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
When my husband gave me a dinner idea of “pork ramen,” I almost divorced him because it seemed like it was going to be too complicated but after some searching by decided to try this recipe: sooo glad I did!!! It was super easy (prepped before work) and absolutely declined. I didn’t have Chinese 5 spice so I subbed it for Star Anise and cinnamon and it seemed close enough. I also had to do pork country ribs for meat since our stores only have gigantic pork portions otherwise.
This is now a saved recipe for us! So, so good!
Hey Kristin,
Wonderful!! I’m so glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it:) Have a great weekend! xT
So good! I did it with pork butt that a bit fatty. It didn’t seem to get tender enough initially, but I stored the meat separate from the broth. While reheating the broth the next day, I took big chunks of pork, drizzled honey on top and threw it in the airfryer. When it was done, I sliced it on top of the ramen, along with cilantro and chili oil. Sooooooooo good!
Love to hear this Angela!! I appreciate you making this dish and sharing what worked well! So glad it was enjoyed:) xT
Okay, so I was suspicious because when I took the pork out to broil, it tasted dry, BUT broiling with the honey really made it ‘melt in your mouth’ delish! I just used a couple pkgs of chopped pork for stew that I grabbed at Safeway. I used Garam Masala instead of Chinese 5 spice, per Google suggestion, and didn’t use chili paste OR sesame oil because I have food sensitivities. Substituted zuchinni noodles for the same reason. This has been my favorite homemade ramen so far! I made via on the stove method. Thank you so much for sharing! 😊
Thank you so much Allison:) It really makes me so happy to hear that this recipe was enjoyed! xx