Easy Tenderloin Tonkotsu Ramen

Tonkotsu ramen is one of my all-time favorite foods. This recipe is the result of about 2 years worth of testing ingredients and tinkering to settle on the perfect (to me) bowl of tonkotsu ramen at home. As with all my recipes, I try to balance both taste and effort- if I can find shortcuts that save time and still taste great, I'm delighted to work those in. This recipe is a combination of incredible premade and homemade ingredients that work together to produce one of my favorite meals. I like to top my bowl with pork tenderloin, which is a bit non-traditional for ramen.

FAQ

What's in tonkotsu ramen?

The soup is made from pork (and sometimes chicken) bones, resulting in a creamy and incredibly rich broth. Typically, tonkotsu ramen is topped with chashu, a style of prepared pork belly. Black garlic oil is a common, though somewhat hard to find, topping for tonkotsu (and despite its name is not made from black garlic but rather from burnt garlic). Soy marinated soft-boiled eggs are a staple in any kind of traditional ramen, and tonkotsu is no exception. Green onion is a very common topping for tonkotsu, and some other veggies you may see include baby bok choy, bamboo shoots, pickled ginger, and wood ear fungus.

What's the difference between tonkotsu ramen and regular ramen?

The "regular" ramen most people think of is shoyu ramen, which is soup made from a soy sauce base. On the other hand, tonkotsu ramen is a bone broth, typically made with pork (and sometimes chicken) bones. Tonkotsu is richer than shoyu broth and much creamier.

Why is tonkotsu ramen creamy?

Tonkotsu ramen doesn't have any cream, the creamy texture is coming from the pork bones that were used to make the broth. Fat from the pork bones is emmulsivied into the soup, giving it the iconic rich and creamy texture.

Is tonkotsu ramen healthy?

Tonkotsu ramen broth is typically high in calories and sodium, so it's not something that should be consumed in massive quantities. It does have all the benefits of bone broth, which include essential amino acids, collagen, vitamins, and minerals.

How is tonkotsu ramen broth made?

This recipe calls for a premade tonkotsu broth, which is discussed in more detail below. Because I was able to find a premade broth that is SO delcious, I don't go through the ~24+ hour process to make homemade tonkotsu stock. Instead I put that engery towards delicious toppings, which results in really good ramen at home!

Making tonkotsu from scratch is a labor of love. To start, you must gather pork bones (and often chicken bones). Pig trotters (pork feet) , pork neck bones, and pork leg bones are commonly used. These bones may be difficult to find, Asian markets are your best option. In the first step, bones are added to a large stock pot of cold water, then placed over high heat until a rolling boil. Once boiling, the pot is removed from the stove, drained, and the bones are throughly cleaned. Once the bones are cleaned, aromatics such as garlic and ginger are charred, and then the bones and aromatics are simmered together in a large pot. Early in this simmer, you must continue to skim skum off of the top of the water with a slotted spoon.

To develop the pork bone broth, this must simmer at a low boil for a long time, about 12 hours. After the long simmer, the soup should be pased through a fine mesh strainer, then excess pork fat should be skimmed off the top. Now the pork broth is ready, and you should be left with a creamy white broth which can be seasoned further with soy sauce, miso, or other flavors. This is a description of the traditional way, but there are some tonkotsu ramen recipe that cover more modern methods using a pressure cooker or sous vide.

My Take on Tonkotsu Ramen

The main deviation I make from traditional tonkotsu ramen is in my choice of meat for topping. Traditionally, tonkotsu is topped with chashu pork belly. Pork belly is a very fatty cut of meat, and since the broth is already so rich, I find the combo a little overwhelming. Pork tenderloin, on the other hand, is a very lean cut of pork. When properly prepared, pork tenderloin is incredibly tender. Some may argue that the tenderloin will overcook by sitting in the hot soup, but I've never found this to be the case.

As detailed below, I decided to use premade ingredients for both the broth and noodles in this recipe. I didn't expect that to be the case, but I've been able to find such high quality options that the choice to use them is clear. Making homemade tonkotsu broth is a 24 hour+ long process, which would be worth it if these premade stocks weren't so dang good. Both the Somi and Kikkoman soups are better than tonkotsu broth I've been served at many restaurants, and they only take a few minutes to prepare.

The same goes for the premium frozen ramen noodles, they are better noodles than what I've had at a number of restaurants, and much better than what I was able to make myself from scratch. These ingredients may not be available in your area, but if they are, I highly encourage taking advantage of them! By taking the shortcut on those ingredients, I free up enough time to make the black garlic oil (nearly impossible to find for sale in the US) and the marinated eggs, which must be prepared fresh.

As pictured is my favorite way to prepare this dish, but that doesn't mean I make it that way every time. Since the broth and noodles are ready to go at any time, sometimes I'll throw this meal together on short notice and skip the black garlic oil and marinated eggs that require some extra planning and effort. Just cooking the tenderloin and warming up the broth and noodles is a very low-effort weeknight meal. Sometimes I even use pork tenderloin that I've already cooked and frozen, making the whole dish come together in about 10 minutes. You can read more about freezing precooked pork tenderloin on the Hoisin Glazed Pork Tenderloin or Smoked Pork Tenderloin recipe pages.

Key Tips - Tenderloin Tonkotsu Ramen

The Key Tips section for this recipe has been broken down by each key ingredient. You can find information on the ingredients and substitution ideas below!

Hoisin Glazed Pork Tenderloin Or Smoked Pork Tenderloin

• I have two options for preparing the pork tenderloin. Please see either my Hoisin Glazed Pork Tenderloin (prepared in the oven) or my Smoked Pork Tenderloin (prepared in a smoker).
• The amount of meat you top each bowl with is up to personal preference. A 1 lb raw pork tenderloin should result in about 12 oz of cooked meat, which may be used to top 2-4 bowls of ramen. Pictured is about 6 oz of cooked pork tenderloin per bowl.
• Pork tenderloin is NOT the cut of pork that is traditionally used on tonkotsu ramen. The typical meat is chashu pork, which is made from pork belly. I prefer to use pork tenderloin because its very easy to prepare and I prefer the leaner cut of meat. Some may think that a lean cut of meat will overcook in the warm soup, but I've always been very happy with the results!

Frozen Premium Ramen Noodles

• I have tried out all kinds of options for ramen noodles at home, including homemade and dried noodles, but my favorite option by far is to purchase premium ramen noodles from the frozen section of a Japanese grocery store, which are really close to fresh noodles. These noodles are just as good as many ramen shops I've tried, and they're so easy to prepare at home.
• Unfortunately, these noodles may be hard to find if you don't have a local Asian market. They're also pretty pricey, I usually pay $8-$10 for a pack of 5 servings. If these noodles aren't an option for you, consider making your own (there are many recipes online), purchasing high quality dried noodles (like these), or using instant ramen noodles you can find at most grocery stores.
• Here's what the packaging looks like for the noodles I typically buy:

Tonkotsu Ramen Broth from Concentrate

• Making tonkotsu broth from scratch is a labor of love that takes at least 24 hours and involves buying pork bones, which may be difficult to find. There are plenty of recipes online (like this one) if you're interested in doing this, but I have found that some of the premade concentrates are incredibly good, even better than many restaurants I've tried, and definitely a great shortcut to amazing ramen at home.
• My preferred stock is the Somi Tonkotsu Soup Base, with a close second being the Kikkoman Tonkotsu Soup Base. Both of these come in a 1 kg (~35 oz) XL bag. 1 oz of the base is diluted to make 1 cup of the soup, I use 2 cups per XL bowl of ramen, so these bags are enough to make about 17 bowls of ramen! Technically, I use about 5 oz of the concentrate (½ cup) to make 4 cups of soup, slightly more than the package lists, which means I get 14 bowls of ramen from each bag. The price of these bags typically range from $25-$40 based on availability, so that's about $2-$3 per bowl.
• The bags are shelf stable, and only need to be refrigerated after opening. I've had re-sealed bags in my fridge keep nicely for a few months. The Somi bag is not re-sealable, so I use these bag sealing sticks to get an airtight seal. I have tried freezing the concentrate, hoping that it would set, but it did not freeze solid.

Soy Marinated Eggs for Ramen (Ajitama)

• If you ask me, a bowl of ramen is not complete without a marinated egg! The egg is without a doubt my favorite part of the bowl.
• See the recipe page for the marinated ramen eggs, linked below!

Black Garlic Oil for Ramen (Mayu)

• Black garlic oil (called mayu in Japanese) is a common ramen topping, especially for tonkotsu, that you may see on the menu at a ramen shop. The English name is a bit misleading, because this oil is not made from black garlic. A better name would be "burnt garlic oil" because the oil is made by cooking garlic until it's completely burnt.
• See the recipe page for the black garlic oil, linked below!

More Topping Ideas for Tonkotsu Ramen

In addition to a soy marinated soft-boiled egg and black garlic oil, here are some other common toppings for tonkotsu ramen that you can try at home!

• Green onions (spring onions)
• Baby bok choy (raw or lightly boiled)
• Wood ear mushroom
• Bamboo shoots
• Minced garlic
• Bean sprouts
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Nori sheets
• Chili oil / Chili crisp
• Pickled ginger
• Fish cakes, sesame seeds

Dietary Restrictions - Pork Tenderloin Tonkotsu Ramen

This dish is naturally Dairy-Free.

A Note On Serving Sizes

Serving sizes are a very personal thing, making it very difficult for me to select a serving size that suits everyone. This recipe makes two XL bowls of ramen, as pictured. This is more like 4 standard servings, so it would also be reasonable to divide this among 3-4 bowls for a smaller portion.

Used in this recipe:

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