Name: Easy Tantanmen Ramen
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 servings ramen noodles; 1/2 lb ground meat; 1 tbsp dark soy sauce; 1 tbsp oyster sauce; 1 tbsp sugar; 1/4 tsp pepper; 1 tbsp *toban djan (Chinese chili bean paste) ((optional)); 3 tbsp *tahini ((sesame paste)); 3 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tsp sugar; 2 tbsp chili oil; 3 cups soy milk/whole milk ((unsweetened)); 2 tsp chicken bouillon powder; 1 baby bok choy ((remove bottom and separate each leaf)); 1 green onion ((diced)); 2 ramen egg; sesame seeds ((optional)); shichimi togarashi ((optional))

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This Tantanmen Ramen is spicy, creamy and nutty, with a deep umami flavored broth. Super easy to make and simply delicious!

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Tantanmen (short for Tantan Ramen) is a spicy and creamy ramen with a hint of nutty flavor. Essentially, it has wheat-based noodles, broth made from soy milk and sesame paste, then topped with seasoned spicy minced meat.

It’s a super easy and effortless thing to make! One of those recipes that you should have in your back pocket.

Tantanmen Ramen Recipe

Tantanmen Ramen is the Japanese take on the delectable, fiery Sichuan Dan Dan Mian (Dan Dan Noodles) which is more of a dry noodle with sauce. In contrast, Tantanmen has a deep umami flavored broth that is super creamy.

Traditionally, it can take hours to prepare ramen in order to get that deep, savory flavor in its broth. The use of soy milk is actually a hack that you can use in order to emulate the full, rich and creamy taste of ramen easily.

I came across this hack on YouTube some time 2 years ago and it completely blew my mind at how good it is! I’ve made it so many times since, tweaking it to my taste here and there. It’s super delicious.

Ingredients You’ll Need

(For full ingredient measurements, please proceed to the recipe card below.)

Ramen noodles

Meat marinade

Ground meat
Dark soy sauce
Oyster sauce
Sugar
Pepper
Toban djan (Chinese chili bean paste) (optional)

Tantanmen Sauce

Tahini (sesame paste): Tahini (sesame paste) can be substituted with peanut butter
Light soy sauce
Sugar
Chili oil: I use my homemade chili oil.

Broth

Soy milk/whole milk (unsweetened)
Chicken bouillon powder

Toppings

Baby bok choy (remove bottom and separate each leaf)
Green onion (diced)
2Ramen egg
Sesame seeds (optional)
Shichimi togarashi (optional)

How To Make Easy Tantanmen Ramen

Marinate the ground beef with the ingredients listed. Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes.
Mix all the ingredients for the sauce.
In a pot, add chicken bouillon powder to soy/whole milk and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and set aside.
Boil noodles and drain from water.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add bok choy. Blanch for 1 minute and remove from water.
Over medium heat, pan fry the ground meat until cooked.

Assembling

Add half of the sauce to a serving bowl.
Pour in half of the broth into the bowl and stir until the sauce dissolves.
Add the noodles to a bowl. Swirl it in the broth so the noodles are lightly coated.
Add 3-4 tbsp of the ground meat and the baby bok choy on top.
Slice one ramen egg in half and add to bowl.
Garnish with green onions, sesame seeds and shichimi togarashi. Enjoy!

Notes for Easy Tantanmen Ramen

Toban djan: Adding toban djan (Chinese chili bean paste) gives an extra umami flavor and the perfect amount of heat to the meat. Totally optional if you can’t find it.
Chili oil: The amount of chili oil used should be up to heat preference.

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