Tsuyunashi Tantanmen

These easy spicy sesame ramen noodles are topped with an umami-bomb ground meat stir-fry.

Tsuyunashi Tantanmen (汁なし担々麺) is a quick and delicious spicy ramen dish. In my version, I toss my noodles in a spicy, nutty sesame sauce and top them with ground pork stir-fried with caramelized scallions, ginger, and garlic. It comes together in about 15 minutes and makes for a satisfying meal when the craving for ramen strikes.

Course Entree

Cuisine Japanese-Chinese

Keyword noodles, ramen

Level Beginner

Main Ingredient Noodles, Pork

Diet Dairy-Free

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 8

Total Time 13

Servings servings

Calories 1090kcal

Author Marc Matsumoto

Equipment

Ingredients

Tantanmen Pork

150 grams ground pork
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
¼ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper optional
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
30 grams scallions 3 large scallions, minced
9 grams ginger grated
9 grams garlic grated
1 tablespoon Doubanjiang

Tantanmen Sauce

1 tablespoon Japanese sesame paste tahini will also work
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons evaporated cane sugar
2 teaspoons rayu
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
2 grams katsuobushi
¼ cup boiling water

For serving

260 grams ramen noodles
Fried onions optional

Grams + US Cups - US Standard

Instructions

Marinate the 150 grams ground pork with 2 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin, and ¼ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper. Let this rest while you prepare the other ingredients.
150 grams ground pork, 2 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin, ¼ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
To make the Tantanmen sauce, grind the 2 grams katsuobushi and 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds into a powder using a mortar and pestle or clean spice grinder.
2 grams katsuobushi, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Add this mixture to a bowl along with the 1 tablespoon Japanese sesame paste, 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons evaporated cane sugar, 2 teaspoons rayu, and 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, and whisk it until it's smooth and free of lumps. Whisk in the ¼ cup boiling water until you have a uniform sauce.
1 tablespoon Japanese sesame paste, 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons evaporated cane sugar, 2 teaspoons rayu, 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, ¼ cup boiling water
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the 260 grams ramen noodles. You'll want to time adding the noodles to the water, so they're finished around the same time your pork stir-fry is done.
260 grams ramen noodles
To make the pork topping for the Tantanmen, heat the 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-low heat and add most of the 30 grams scallions (save some for garnish). Sauté these until they're wilted and starting to brown around the edges.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 30 grams scallions
Add the 9 grams ginger and 9 grams garlic and sauté the mixture until the aromatics are browned but not black.
9 grams ginger, 9 grams garlic
Add the 1 tablespoon Doubanjiang and stir it into the oil until the oil is a vibrant orange color and the mixture is fragrant (about 20 seconds).
1 tablespoon Doubanjiang
Add the marinated pork to the pan and use a spatula to break up the meat into small crumbs. It's ready when the pork is cooked through and crumbly.
When the ramen is cooked, drain it well and then transfer it to a bowl. Stir the Tantanmen sauce and drizzle it over the noodles. Toss the noodles in the sauce to coat and then plate the ramen up.
Divide the pork topping between the plates and then garnish with the reserved scallions. I also like to top my Tantanmen with Fried onions and some cayenne pepper.
Fried onions

Video

Nutrition