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Spicy Crispy Pork Instant Pot Ramen is one of the best dinner recipes ever. The homemade broth with caramelized pork and all the toppings you love are just the comforting meal you need tonight. It’s like taking a trip to Japan, right in your own home!
Ramen = LIFE.
I have never loved ramen as much as I did when I ate it in Japan. How did I not realize just how amazing ramen can be?!
Honestly, I used to just think ramen was what came in the packets that you buy for a buck a piece in the store.
So. SAD. I know.
After being in Japan for a couple of weeks, I found out what ramen really should taste like, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
Now you all know I am not much of a soup person, but ramen is a different story. Especially THIS ramen.
GAH I can’t even begin to tell you just how freaking tasty this ramen is. It’s literally SO easy to make and it tastes like pure heaven.
More soup recipes: Thai Shrimp Noodle Soup / Red and Green Enchilada Soup / Curry Tomato Tortellini Soup / Hatch Green Chile Gumbo / Rotisserie Chicken Ramen from Lucky Peach
This Recipe’s Must-Haves
Obviously, you need and Instant Pot so I highly recommend the Instant Pot Ultra if you don’t have one already. It’s my absolute favorite model, easy to use, and super handy for all your everyday cooking.
To crisp up the pork for the recipe, make sure you have a large cast iron skillet. You’ll also need these clongs to pick the pork out of the soup when it’s done cooking.
I have my own ramen bowl that I bought in a market in Osaka, but you can get your own set of ramen bowls to serve this killer recipe up in.
How to make spicy pork ramen
Make the soup base
The one thing that you would think would be the most complicated is actually the easiest! You throw everything in the Instant Pot along with the pork and cook it all up in 90 minutes.
Crisp up the pork
After the pork is cooked through, you remove it from the Instant Pot, shred it, then crisp it up in a skillet. This gives such an amazing texture to the pork, along with a little added flavor from some brown sugar and soy sauce.
Cook the noodles
While you are crisping up the pork, you can cook the noodles in the Instant Pot broth you made. All you have to do is set the Instant Pot to Warm.
Then you stir in half of the pork, leaving the other half for topping so you can keep that textural element!
Serve with all the toppings
Serve the ramen in big bowls and top with your favorites. I personally love a soft boiled egg seasoned with salt and pepper. Other killer additions are shredded carrots, jalapeño slices, sliced green onion, sesame seeds and some freshly chopped cilantro.
Quick tips for making this recipe
Make sure that you get the pork nice and crispy, because it’s all about the different textures for this soup!
The soup is spicy, so you can start by adding half the sambal amount when you cook the broth. Then you can add more once you remove the pork, seasoning to taste.
Don’t know how to soft boil an egg?
Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add in the eggs gently and boil for 6 1/2 minutes. Remove eggs to an ice bath immediately and let sit for 2 minutes.
Gently crack the eggs all over and peel the shell off. Cut in half and season with salt and pepper.
Pair this meal with a Japanese highball for a refreshing drink that is so easy to make!
For another Asian-inspired soup in the Instant Pot, this dumpling soup is so comforting and easy to make!
If you want another soup recipe that’s super tasty, check out my Thai Shrimp Noodle Soup!
ingredients
- 2 lbs pork shoulder roast or butt
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth plus more of needed
- 1/2 cup + 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup sake
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp sambal oelek chili paste
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 Tbsp Chinese five spice
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 cup dried shitake mushrooms chopped
- 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
- 4 packs Ramen noodles seasoning packets discarded
- 4 soft boiled eggs
- Shredded carrots
- Sliced jalapeno
- Freshly chopped cilantro
- Sliced green onion
- Sesame seeds
instructions
- Add pork to the insert of the Instant Pot. Pour in chicken broth, 1/2 cup soy sauce, rice vinegar, sake, and fish sauce. Stir in sambal oelek, lime juice, Chinese five spice, black pepper, sesame oil, mushrooms, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, and dark soy sauce. Seal the Instant Pot. Set to Manual Pressure and cook on High for 90 minutes. Quick release when finished.
- Remove pork from the Instant Pot insert. Cover the Instant Pot and set to Warm.
- Place pork on a cutting board and lightly shred using two forks.
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sesame oil. Once the oil is hot, add pork and spread it out in an even layer. Sprinkle the pork with brown sugar and 3 Tbsp soy sauce. Cook without stirring for 2 minutes. Stir and continue to cook the pork until it starts to crisp, about 5 minutes total. Remove from heat.
- Add the ramen noodles to the Instant Pot and allow to cook through, about 5 minutes. Stir in half of the pork.
- Serve the soup immediately in bowls. Top with remaining pork, eggs, carrots, jalapeño slices, cilantro, green onion, and sesame seeds.
Kaitlyn says
Does the pork really need to be cooked for 90 minutes in the instant pot? I’ve never seen something need to be cooked that long in an IP…. Just want to make sure that’s not a type.
Meghan Y. says
It’s not a typo! The pork should be cooked that long to be cooked through and tender for the soup.
Kaitlyn says
Ironic – I meant typo, not type.
Jenny Joy says
I notice that mushrooms are included in the list of ingredients, but I dont see where they are added. I’m assuming that since they are dried, it would be best to rehydrate them and then maybe add them at the same time as the ramen noodles? If you could elaborate on that step, I would be so grateful! Thank you!
Meghan Y. says
So sorry about that typo! The mushrooms should be added to the Instant Pot in step 1 – I’ve updated the recipe!
Doug says
I don’t see where the Dark Soy sauce is used. You call for 1/2 cup of regular soy sauce for the broth in step 1, and 3 TBSPs of regular soy sauce with the brown sugar in step 4, but no where do I see where you say to add the 2 tbsp of Dark Soy Sauce. It is on the ingredient list right before the noodles. Should I add it at the very end?
Meghan Y. says
Sorry about the confusion! The dark soy sauce should be stirred in before you seal the Instant Pot – I’ve updated the recipe. Thanks!
Sarah says
Just got an instant pot for Christmas and tried your recipe today. Amazing! So flavorful & delicious. My husband was raving about it and even my kids ate it lol. Thanks so much!
Meghan Y. says
I’m thrilled to hear it!! 🙂
Wes says
This recipe rocks. It’s a few of my friends and families favorites. Way to go!
Krystal Kane says
When the recipe says “1/4 + 1 Tbsp cup brown sugar” is it asking for a cup or tablespoon of brown sugar? Hoping to make this tonight for dinner.
Meghan Y. says
Sorry about the typo! It should be 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp.
Mitch says
I’ve never left a review for…really anything before, but I came back to tell you this recipe was tremendous! Our family really, really went nuts for it. Exactly what I was hoping for when I saw it saw going to snow and wanted to make steamy bowls of ramen for us to enjoy. Great depth of flavor. Well done, and thanks!
Meghan Y. says
I’m thrilled to hear that!! Thank you so much!
Frank says
Great recipe albeit somewhat salty. Maybe I made a mistake. Too much fish sauce? Or maybe it’s just the nature if the meal.
Also I didn’t see where the extra 2tbsp of rice vinegar come into play. So I assumed it was at the same time as 3tbsp of soy sauce + brown sugar when stir frying the pork in the skillet. Makes sense?
Otherwise delicious meal, thx so much!
Meghan Y. says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! All of the rice vinegar is actually added in the first step to cook the pork. And it could be a little on the salty side for you, and if so, I just recommend scaling back the soy sauce by about 1 to 2 Tbsp. You can always add more after cooking if it ends up needing more salt for your palate!