Instant Pot Ramen With Ground Pork & Chili Oil

This is an easy, simplified Instant Pot ramen recipe inspired by Chinese Dan Dan noodles and Japanese Tonkatsu and Tantanmen ramen dishes. Ground pork is cooked with aromatics, Sichuan pepper, soy sauce and peanut butter (yes, it works!) in the pressure cooker to create a rich, umami broth, both of which are served over ramen noodles with chili oil, boiled egg and green onions for a fabulous Asian pork noodle dish.

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Instant Pot Ramen With Ground Pork

Is it ramen? Is it Dan Dan noodles? Is it a satay soup? 

This rich, savory and downright fabulous Instant Pot ramen recipe is a real fusion of cuisines and flavors that work deliciously together.  

The best part is that it's quite simple to make and doesn't take as long as say an authentic Japanese ramen broth. Nor does it use too many complicated ingredients like Chinese Dan Dan noodles. 

But it draws inspiration from both using staple ingredients (except for maybe Sichuan pepper), ramen noodles and ground pork. It's salty, nutty, a little sweet and a little spicy. We hope you try this recipe for ramen noodle soup in your Instant Pot. 

Ramen Ingredients

• Ground pork - lean pork is best for this recipe, we used ground pork with 10% fat content. You can also use ground chicken or beef, you will get more of that flavor in the broth. 
• Aromatics - fresh garlic and ginger, both minced, add a lot of aromas and sharpness to the pork and the broth.
• Sichuan pepper or peppercorns - you can grind or chop peppercorns roughly with a knife. Sichuan pepper has a very unique, strong peppery, aniseedy and almost floral aroma and it's a little spicier than regular black pepper. You can get it in every Asian grocer and often in the spice section of your supermarket. If not available, use good old black pepper and a little chili. 
• Cinnamon - iot's a component in the Chinese Five Spice powder that is used in Dan Dan Noodles but since many people don't have it, cinnamon adds the right notes. 
• Rice vinegar - this adds acidity and you can also use Chinese rice vinegar, white wine vinegar or lemon juice.
• Chili oil - you can use any type of chili oil, Chinese, Japanese or Thai. We like chili oil with fried garlic in it. They come in different spice levels so use as little or as much as you like. We're only adding a teaspoon to the cooking broth so it's easier to control the spiciness when serving the ramen. 
• Peanut butter - you can use smooth or crunchy peanut butter in this recipe.Ramen noodles - we used good old 2-minute ramen noodles but you can also use soba, udon or any other noodles. Cook according to the packet instructions as some take longer than 2 minutes.

How To Make Ramen In Instant Pot

You will find the full recipe with ingredients and nutritional breakdown in the recipe card below.

There are three stages to making this ground pork ramen in the pressure cooker. The first stage is to cook off the pork on a Saute setting. The second stage is to cook the broth with the pork so all the flavors get infused. The third stage is to prepare noodles, eggs and other ingredients for the ramen. 

Let's break it down with step-by-step photos. You can use a 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot.

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• Step 1. Turn the Instant Pot on and press the Saute setting on HIGH mode. Add olive oil, sesame oil and pork and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking the meat with a spatula into small pieces.
• Step 2. Once most of the juices from the pork have evaporated and the meat has changed color from pink to gray, add the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, Sichuan pepper and cinnamon. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. 

• Step 3. Add the remaining ingredients: rice vinegar, chili oil, chicken stock and sugar. Mix well, scraping the bottom of the pot with a spatula. Finally, add a few dollops of peanut butter (about 2-3 tablespoons) on top but don't stir through. It will melt into the broth while cooking.
• Step 4. Cancel the Saute. Secure and lock the lid. Set to Pressure Cook on HIGH for 5 minutes. The IP will take 5-7 minutes to come to pressure and the timer will begin. Once the timer is done, use the quick release to let off the pressure.

• Step 5. While the pork broth is cooking, prepare other ingredients. In a pot, bring water to a boil and add 2 or more eggs (as needed). Cook for 7 minutes for jammy yolks or longer if you prefer more hard-boiled. Remove the eggs and add the ramen noodles (or you can cook throw them once the eggs are almost done to save time). 
• Step 6. Cool the eggs under running tap water or place them in a bowl with cold water. Peel and cut in halves. Strain the noodles and set them aside.  
• Step 7. If adding greens, you can prepare them before or after. We pan-fried some bok choy for a couple of minutes on each side. You can also do broccoli or raw cucumber slices.

• Step 8. Once the pork broth is cooked, open the lid and stir the soup.
• Step 9.  Assemble the ramen bowls. Add a ladle of pork ramen broth into a  deep bowl. Top with noodles and then ladle more broth and pork meat on top. Scatter/drizzle chili oil and chopped green onions over the top. Place the egg halves on the side and drizzle each with a teaspoon of soy sauce. You can also top it with crushed roasted peanuts if you like. Finally, add side greens if using.

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Recipe Tips

Leaner ground pork works best in this recipe unless you like slightly fattier, richer broth. 

Peanut butter adds that lovely nutty, earthy flavor but it’s not overpowering. It also gives the soup a slightly creamier texture. 

The ground pork broth can be made ahead of time. It freezes well so you can store it for up to 3 months in the freezer in individually portioned containers.

What To Serve With Instant Pot Ramen

A good ramen is really about the broth and the noodles but you can take this dish to the next level with the right toppings. Boiled eggs with jammy yolks are a common addition as is a side of Asian greens like bok choy or broccoli. You can also top with sesame seeds, dried seaweed, peanuts, fried shallots and more. 

Chili oil, extra garlic, garlic oil, side of soy sauce will all add extra flavor if needed.

Serve the ramen with chopsticks or fork for noodles and a spoon for the broth.

Storing The Ramen

As mentioned in the tips above, this ramen is great for making ahead of time. The ground pork and the broth can be stored together in an individually portioned container for up to 3 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. Reheat until piping hot and prepare noodles, eggs and greens just before serving.

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