This curry ramen with spicy pork is rich, creamy, and packed with flavor! I use bag ramen noodles, cooked in a spiced broth with Thai red curry paste and coconut milk, and topped with caramelized pork, jammy eggs, pickled red onions, and bok choy.
nicky’s memo
We’ve been eating this mushy, spicy, comforting dinner all the time now.
Ending the day with a pint of this is the reward we all need, as work, school, and DIY seem to take up all our time.
What’s so good about it?
Very comfortable and satisfied. Pork is so delicious that I sometimes double it. It takes about 35 minutes from start to finish, which is pretty quick. If you prefer something a little lighter, you can replace the pork mince with chicken or turkey mince. Beef mince also works well, giving the ramen a deep meaty flavor.
📋 Spicy pork ingredients
***Full recipe with detailed measurements is provided in the recipe card below***
📋 Ramen ingredients
ramen
I like using instant bag noodles in this recipe because they’re quick, cheap, easily available in UK supermarkets, and give you a nice springy ramen-like texture without having to rely on specialty stores. The key is to ditch the seasoning sachets and use just the noodles. The flavor comes from Thai red curry paste, coconut milk, pork mince, and toppings.
Replacing noodles (if you don’t want to use instant noodles)
If you find raw ramen, it’s best to replace it. Straight Wok Noodles – Convenient and quick, but add gently to avoid breaking up too much. Dried egg noodles – easily available and goes well with creamy curry soups. Udon – Thick and chewy, giving the bowl more volume. Rice Noodles – A lighter option with a nice Thai red curry flavor. Buckwheat – nuttier and healthier, but gives the dish a slightly different flavor.
shortened recipe
***Full recipe with detailed instructions is in the recipe card below***
Boil the eggs first (6 minutes). Meanwhile, fry the pork in a little oil until brown, then add the garlic, chilli, lemongrass and sugar and fry for 5 minutes. Add fish sauce, soy sauce, white pepper, and salt and mix. For ramen, stir-fry garlic, lemongrass, and ginger, then add curry paste, coconut milk, stock, fish sauce, sugar, and lime. Bring to a simmer, then add the noodles and bok choy and simmer until the noodles are cooked. Enjoy with eggs, pork, and garnishes.
How to make soft-boiled eggs perfect for ramen
Remove the egg and gently tap the thick end onto a hard surface. You should hear a slight “crackling” sound. You don’t actually crack the eggshell, just crack it lightly. This will separate the egg membrane from the shell and make it easier to peel later. Place room temperature eggs in a medium pot (no more than 4 per pot) and cover with cold water. Once boiling, simmer very gently for 6 minutes. Turn off the heat and place the eggs in a bowl of ice-filled water for 5 minutes to stop the cooking process. Carefully peel the eggs and cut them in half.
👩🍳pro tips I like to lightly pound a hard-boiled egg and roll it around on a work surface to crack the shell all the way through before peeling it.
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Create a guide in advance
This curry ramen is best served freshly as the noodles continue to soften when added to the soup. but! You can make the soup and pork mince in advance and store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Heat the pork in a skillet until hot, then gently reheat the soup in a pot until piping hot, then add the fresh noodles, bok choy, and toppings just before serving.
4 eggs
Peel the eggs (to make it easier, roll them on your work surface to crack the entire shell) and cut them in half.
Meanwhile, make the spicy pork. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground pork, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and stir-fry for 5 to 6 minutes, until the pork is lightly browned.
1 tablespoon oil, 250 g (1/2 lb) ground pork
Add garlic, chili pepper and lemongrass paste and mix. Then add sugar and mix. Sauté, stirring frequently, until pork begins to blacken and caramelize, 4 to 5 minutes.
2 cloves of garlic, 1 red or green birdseye chili, 1 teaspoon lemongrass paste, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, white pepper, and salt, stir-fry for another minute, then turn off the heat.
1 teaspoon fish sauce, 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce 1 pinch of white pepper, 1 pinch of salt
Now let’s make ramen. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and lemongrass paste and fry for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
1/2 tablespoon oil, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon minced ginger, 1 teaspoon lemongrass paste
Add curry paste, stir and cook for 1 minute, then add coconut milk, stock, fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice. Bring to a very gentle simmer (do not let it boil too quickly as the coconut milk may crack).
4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste 400 ml (14 oz) can coconut milk, 960ml (4 cups) chicken stock, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon lime juice
Taste the sauce (note that it’s hot) and add salt if necessary (depending on the salt level of your curry paste).
1/4 teaspoon salt
Add the instant noodles and bok choy leaves, bring to a boil again, and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, to separate the noodles. At this point also reheat the spicy pork for 1 minute.
3 x 70 g (3 x 2 1/2 oz) bags of instant noodles (noodles only); 2 Pak choy
Turn off the heat and use tongs to separate the noodles between bowls. Ladle in the sauce and arrange the bok choy in each bowl. Add the spicy pork and top each bowl with 2 eggs. Garnish ramen noodles with green onions, red onions, sesame seeds, and chili flakes.
5 green onions, 1 teaspoon black and white sesame seeds, 1 pinch of chili flakes (red pepper flakes) Sliced red onion (raw or pickled *see note)
Note: Quick pickle of red onions
Peel the red onion and thinly slice it. Place in a jar and pour in red wine vinegar until just covered. Cover the jar and leave for 1 hour. It is safe for about a week at room temperature.
Or try marinated onions.
Use your eggs wisely to make this dinner even faster!
It is best to make the eggs 1-2 days in advance. Boil the eggs, let them cool and remove the shells. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and cut in half just before eating.
Nutritional information is approximate per serving (this recipe serves 4).
calorie: 787kcal | carbohydrates: 54g | protein: 26g | fat: 53g | Saturated fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated fats: 5g | Monounsaturated fats: 16g | Trans fat: 0.04g | cholesterol: 209mg | sodium: 2941mg | fiber: 3g | sugar: 14g
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should only be used as a rough guide.
🍲 More recipes using noodles
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