Real tonkotsu broth simmers for a day or more. This shortcut gets close using stock, milk and a few pantry additions, ready in under an hour.
Shortcut tonkotsu ramen
- 1 litre pork or chicken stock
- 200 ml whole milk
- 2 tbsp white miso paste
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 200 g ramen noodles
- 2 soft boiled eggs, halved
- Sliced pork belly or chashu, spring onion, nori, to serve
- Heat the stock and milk together, do not boil hard.
- Whisk in the miso paste and sesame oil until smooth.
- Add the garlic and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Cook the noodles separately according to the pack.
- Divide the noodles between bowls, ladle over the broth, and top with egg, pork and garnishes.
What is tonkotsu ramen?
Tonkotsu ramen comes from Fukuoka on the island of Kyushu in Japan. The broth is made by boiling pork bones hard for many hours until the fat and collagen turn the liquid thick, white and creamy. It is served with thin, straight noodles and toppings such as chashu pork and a soft egg.
A full tonkotsu broth takes 12 hours or more, which is why this recipe uses a shortcut to get a similar rich bowl at home.
Ingredient notes and UK swaps
- Stock: a good pork or chicken stock as the base. Pork trotters or bones from a butcher add body if you have time.
- Creaminess: unsweetened soy milk or a little milk whisked in mimics the white colour.
- Noodles: thin fresh ramen noodles from Japanese grocers or the chilled aisle. Dried ramen noodles also work.
- Tare: a salty seasoning of soy or salt with mirin and garlic, added to the bowl before the broth.
Serving
Put the tare in a warm bowl, pour over the hot broth, add the cooked noodles and finish with toppings. Ramen noodles go soft fast, so cook them last and serve straight away. The broth keeps for 3 days in the fridge or can be frozen.
Tips for a richer broth
- Whisking in the miso off the boil keeps the broth smooth rather than grainy.
- A splash of the pork fat from any leftover roast pork adds real depth if you have it.
- Soft boil eggs for exactly 6.5 minutes for a jammy yolk that holds together when halved.
Getting closer to a proper tonkotsu depth
Since this shortcut skips the many hours of simmering pork bones a real tonkotsu broth needs, a spoonful of white miso or a splash of the pork fat rendered from the toppings stirred in at the end helps close some of the gap in richness.
Toppings worth adding
A soft-boiled marinated egg (ajitama), sliced pork belly, wood ear mushroom and a sheet of nori are all classic tonkotsu toppings, add whichever you have to hand rather than needing every one.
FAQ
Does this taste like real tonkotsu ramen?
It gets close in flavour, though real tonkotsu has a thicker, more gelatinous body from the long simmered pork bones that a shortcut cannot fully match.
Can you make this without milk?
Yes, though the milk is what gives the shortcut broth its creamy body, leaving it out gives a thinner, more standard miso ramen.
What toppings go on tonkotsu ramen?
Chashu pork, a marinated soft boiled egg, spring onion, wood ear mushroom, pickled ginger and sesame seeds are all classic.