Tsukemen

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Tsukemen is an amazing combination of springy ramen noodles dipped an intensely flavor sweet, savory and sour broth served chilled.

It is incredible, period. The flavor of the broth is just so delicious and flavorful, you won't be able to stop eating it.

And at the end, you get to mix that delicious liquid with a little regular dashi stock and just sip it to round out your whole meal.

The first time we had tsukemen, I immediately fell in love. It was at some small spot in LA that was very crowded and we had to wait even though we arrived when they opened.

It was a great experience and helped me develop a love for tsukemen. And luckily, it was not too hard to break the code of making it at home!

What Is Tsukemen?

Tsukemen is a dish where cold ramen noodles are dipped in an intensely flavored broth then eaten. The broth is then typically mixed with a dashi broth and sipped.

It's different than ramen, which is typically noodles served in a hot broth - like this shio ramen, tan tan ramen and instant pot ramen.

Why This Recipe Works

• The broth is packed with umami (savory) flavor from the bonito flakes, miso paste and soy sauce, making it so delicious.
• The broth is very simple to make, only taking a few minutes. The whole meal is ready in 30 minutes!
• The crispy pork belly tastes absolutely amazing and chewy dipped in the tsukemen broth.
• A gooey egg just puts this over the top, as a gooey egg usually does 🙂

Ingredients

The full list of ingredients and amounts is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Any dried ramen noodles will work for this recipe. You can also use fresh ramen noodles if you can find them near you.

Use thinly sliced pork belly for this recipe. I like to look for pork belly that has a good ration of meat to fat. If it is too fatty is won't be as good served with the tsukemen.

Bonito flakes are thinly shaved slices of fish and add a wonderful umami flavor to the broth. Don't worry, it does not make it taste fishy at all.

I use a small amount of red miso (fermented soy bean paste) in this recipe. While not traditional, I think it adds an amazing amount of flavor. You can substitute white miso if you don't have red.

Mirin is a Japanese sweet fermented rice wine. It can be found at most grocery store in the Asian food section.

Sesame oil is exactly what it sounds like. Typically made with toasted sesame seeds, it adds an amazing nutty flavor to the final dish and I don't recommend skipping it.

Chinese black vinegar is a strongly flavored vinegar that I really like in this dish. Many recipes use rice vinegar, but I like the flavor of this black vinegar.

Lastly, while these ramen eggs are not mandatory, they are so delicious and I recommend making them for this recipe. You can also try these sous vide soft boiled eggs.

Step By Step Instructions

Cook the noodles and drain according to the package instructions. Rinse with cold water then place in the fridge to chill while you prepare the rest of the items.

Pour boiling water over the dried mushrooms and let them soak for 30-45 minutes, until softened.

Season the pork belly with the salt and cook it in a skillet over medium heat until brown on broth sides (it will be crisped when done).

Squeeze the liquid from the mushrooms and slice thinly for serving (discard the stems). Reserve ¼ cup of the mushroom liquid.

Combine the stock, bonito flakes, ginger, miso, mirin, ¼ cup mushroom liquid and soy sauce in a pot and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and strain. Mix in the sesame oil and vinegar.

Let cool to room temperature for serving (can place in the fridge to cool it faster).

Serve the broth in a bowl on the side of a plate of noodles, eggs, green onions and crisped pork belly.

Expert Tips

1. Place the broth in the fridge to cool to room temperature faster.
2. Place the noodles in the fridge to chill while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
3. You can actually use whatever type of noodles you like - we sometimes use udon noodles too!
4. It's ok if the broth tastes very salty - because it's just being used for dipping it is supposed to be super intense.

Serving Options

In addition to the pork belly and ramen eggs, you can serve an array of different items with tsukemen:

• Menma;
• Nori (seaweed)
• Pork chashu or kakuni;
• Sliced hot chilies (if you're looking for spicy)
• Japanese fish cake
• Top it with toasted sesame seeds and/or fried garlic
• Drizzle with a touch of chili oil or even mix in some chili crisp for spice

Frequently Asked Questions

Storage and Reheating

Store the Tsukemen broth and noodles separate in airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can serve it straight from the containers, or let it come to room temperature before serving.

You can also freeze the stock. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight and serve per the above instructions. I do not recommend freezing the noodles as they will get mushy.

More Favorite Japanese Dishes

• Chicken Yakitori
• Chicken Katsu Curry
• Pork Belly Yakisoba
• Curry Udon Noodles
• Hibachi Steak 

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!