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Spicy Short Rib Peanut Ramen, our favorite winter ramen! Enjoy this on nights when you’re craving your favorite bowl of carry-out ramen, but want something simple and homemade. This ramen is flavored with warm spices, peanut butter, and chili paste. It’s creamy, spicy, and filled with plenty of ramen noodles. Each bowl is topped with kimchi, fresh herbs, nori, and lots of toasted sesame seeds. And best of all, it’s all cooked in one pot – either the crockpot, instant pot, or on the stove. One of our favorite bowls of ramen – even better than a restaurant! Best enjoyed on cold days, because there’s nothing better than a steaming bowl of ramen on a cold winter’s night.
Soup is the name of the game these days, it’s all we’ve been wanting. With the snow falling pretty consistently and many people battling colds, I’ve been making soup after soup. Everything from classic chicken noodle soup to my creamy potato, chili, and then so much ramen. Which I think might be the all-around family favorite.
I’ve made more variations on ramen than I can remember, but if you take a family poll, I think everyone will say that this is their favorite. My brothers especially love this one since I finally used short ribs.
It’s simple as can be to make and so warmingly delicious. Pretty hard to pass up a bowl of this ramen.
The inspiration for this ramen, however, came from my younger brother, Red. He was in Hawaii for Christmas with his girlfriend’s family. He sent me a ton of photos of food from the restaurant they ate at on Christmas Eve. It was a Korean place and it looked absolutely incredible.
The thing about Red is that he doesn’t go into much detail, if any. He sent the photos and said, “this was really good”. I tried to get more out of him, but then he disappeared for the night.
It was obvious from the photo that they enjoyed Korean-style BBQ with kimchi on the side. And that’s when I dreamt up this soup. A ramen with Korean-inspired short ribs in a spicy but creamy broth with lots of kimchi on top.
Different, but it sounded really dish!
The details
You can make this easily on the stove, in the crockpot, or super fast in the instant pot. I’ve made this all 3 ways and each yields the same outcome. I think the crockpot is easiest, but use the cooking method that works best for you.
For the crockpot, layer in the short ribs, then pretty much every other ingredient goes in. The broth, tamari, coconut milk, peanut butter (the not so secret, secret to this ramen), chili paste (I love to use Gochujang – Korean chili paste), shallots, garlic, ginger, a couple of bay leaves, and a cinnamon stick.
Cover and cook low and slow until the ribs are falling apart.
When the soup has finished cooking, preheat the broiler to high, broil the ribs with some of the sauce until caramelized.
While the short ribs broil, add the spinach and ramen noodles to the broth.
As always, I use Brown Rice and Millet Ramen noodles (which you can find at Whole Foods and in many grocery stores). These taste just like real-deal ramen noodles, but they’re much healthier, gluten-free, and vegan.
For toppings, I kept things easy and simple. Lots of kimchi, cilantro, green onion, and sesame seeds. You can add some chili oil too if you like.
This ramen is perfect for any night of the week, whether it’s a snowy night, pouring rain, or simply a night where you just need a warming soup.
I’m so thankful for easy dinners like this!
Looking for more warming winter soups? Here are a few to try:
Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice Tortilla Soup.
30 Minute Thai Peanut Chicken Ramen
Better For You Chicken and Spinach Ramen
Healthier Italian Wedding Soup with Lemon and Garlic
Lemony Garlic Chicken and Orzo Soup
Creamy Gnocchi Soup with Rosemary Bacon
Lastly, if you make this Spicy Short Rib Peanut Ramen be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Spicy Short Rib Peanut Ramen
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 570 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 3-5 pounds beef short ribs, bone-in or out, fat trimmed
- 8 cups low sodium beef or chicken broth
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 2-4 tablespoons chili paste, to taste (I use Gochujang)
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 6 shallots, sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped ginger
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 4-6 squares dry ramen noodles
- kimichi, cilantro, and green onion, for serving
- chili oil, nori sheets, and sesame seeds, for serving
Instructions
crockpot
- 1. In the bowl of the crockpot, season the short ribs with pepper. Pour over the broth, coconut milk, and tamari. Add the chili paste, peanut butter, shallots, garlic, ginger, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.2. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the short ribs from the crockpot and place onto a baking sheet. Break into a few chunks and discard any bones. Broil until caramelized on top, about 3-5 minutes, but watch closely.3. Meanwhile, crank the heat on the slow cooker to high. Stir in the spinach and noodles and let cook, uncovered, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the short ribs.4. Ladle the broth, short ribs, spinach, and noodles into bowls. Top as desired with kimchi, cilantro, green onions, chili oil, and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Instant Pot
- 1. In the bowl of the instant pot, season the short ribs with pepper. Pour over the broth, coconut milk, and tamari. Add the chili paste, peanut butter, shallots, garlic, ginger, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 60-70 minutes. Quick release the steam.2. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the short ribs from the instant pot and place onto a baking sheet. Break into a few chunks and discard any bones. Broil until caramelized on top, about 3-5 minutes, but watch closely.3. Switch the instant pot to sautè. Add the spinach and noodles and let cook, uncovered, for about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the short ribs.4. Ladle the broth, short ribs, spinach, and noodles into bowls. Top as desired with kimchi, cilantro, green onions, chili oil, and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Stove
- 1. In a large soup pot set over medium heat, season the short ribs with pepper. Pour over the broth, coconut milk, and tamari. Add the chili paste, peanut butter, shallots, garlic, ginger, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick. Cover and cook over low heat for 3-5 hours or up to all day, adding water if needed to keep the short ribs covered.2. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the short ribs from the pot and place onto a baking sheet. Break into a few chunks and discard any bones. Broil until caramelized on top, about 3-5 minutes, but watch closely.3. To the soup, add the spinach and noodles and let cook, uncovered, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the short ribs.4. Ladle the broth, short ribs, spinach, and noodles into bowls. Top as desired with kimchi, cilantro, green onions, chili oil, and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
This post was originally published on January 5, 2023
Do you typically use a 6 quart slow cooker?
Hey there,
Yes, that is what I would recommend doing! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Made this spicy ramen tonight. Holy heck was it amazing!!!! I’m not sure my husband I said more than two words while eating it, we did make quite a few yummy sounds.
So I did a few things differently based on the store not having short ribs. They had country beef ribs ( not sure what the difference is) I followed all other steps. Cooked low & slow. Yesterday when I was reading the comments there seemed to be a few people blasting the recipe for typos & such. One made the comment that “there wasn’t any honey 🍯 in the recipe. And the recipe I read didn’t call for any but tonight when browning the meat I decided to drizzle it with a bourbon aged honey and a bit of sesame oil. It added so much complexity to and already seasoned broth. When I make it again I will pull out 1/2 the broth to freeze for a later date, and only use 2 cubs of noodles. It was a lot for just my husband and I. We both loved it immensely and I would willingly serve it to guests. Thank you Teighan for all your hard work & inspiration.
Hey Chandra,
I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! Have a great weekend:)
Can’t wait to try this. Quick question, was the star anise used for the photos, or was it used in recipe? Thanks!
Hey Melissa,
No need to use star anise in this recipe, you can follow this as written:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I hate leaving comments on things I haven’t made yet, but I am bookmarking this for next week! Looks amazing! Came looking for a salad (big fan) left with a ramen, lol. I’ll update once we make this. I can’t wait 🙂
Thanks so much Katie! I hope this turns out well for you, let me know when you give it a try! xx
Can you sous vide boneless ribs for this recipe? Are you using pork ribs?
Hey Cindy,
I used beef short ribs for this recipe:) Sure, I don’t see why you couldn’t sous vide the ribs, I’ve not tried this though! Let me know how this recipe turns out, I hope you love it! xT
Is there a substitution for the coconut milk? Thank you!
Hey Leslie,
You could use an equal amount of any other milk that you enjoy:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way, I hope this turns out well for you! xx
This recipe looks so great. Do you have any suggestions on a replacement to make it vegetarian? How to add the depth of flavor that you get from the short ribs?
Hey there,
I would use some extra veggies like mushrooms in place of the short ribs, that should work well for you! Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
This looks and sounds delish, cant eat Kimchi. Ok to just leave out or do you have another suggestion?
Hey Tammy,
You can totally just skip it, bok choy would be another great option to add! Let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
I don’t see the star anise, honey or pork in the ingredients? Seems a bit much with both pork and short ribs?
Hi Marcie,
Sorry for the typo, I fixed the recipe and the ingredients, no pork in here:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Don’t see the star anise, pork or honey in the ingredients list. Did you miss out on them or is this just a copy paste from a previous recipe issue? Thanks!
Hi there,
So sorry for any confusion, I had a typo, but all if fixed now! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
What can you use in place of short ribs?
I second this question – was thinking chuck roast, but would appreciate your insight.
Hi Marie,
I think a chuck roast would be a great option!! Let me know if you give it a try:) xx
Hey Sandy,
A chuck roast would be a great option to use in place of the short ribs. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
You say drizzle the PORK with honey! What pork?
When the soup has finished cooking, preheat the broiler to high, then drizzle the pork with honey. The honey helps caramelize the pork making it crispy and delicious.
Hi Nita,
So sorry that was a typo, all is fixed now:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi Tieghan. This recipe looks yummy. In the details section you mention “When the soup has finished cooking, preheat the broiler to high, then drizzle the pork with honey. The honey helps caramelize the pork making it crispy and delicious.” Can you use pork ribs instead of beef for this? I don’t see honey in the ingredient list, should it be? Thank you for your help.
I also don’t see star anise in the ingredient list, but it is in the photos????
Hey Jamie,
If you want to add some star anise you totally could do that, but totally not necessary:) xx
Hi Jan,
Please ignore that, I fixed the instructions:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Looks delish! I have thin boneless short ribs in the fridge. How would you suggest adjusting cook time in crockpot? Or maybe stove top would be better for that cut?
Hi Lisa,
I would think you could just follow the recipe as written, the meat should be super tender:) I hope you love this recipe, let me know if you give it a try! xx
For a peanut allergy could I use almond butter?
Hey Stephanie,
Totally, sunbutter would also be great to use! Please let me know if you have any other questions:) xT
Another Ramen… how inspiring
@Ed: isn’t it?! I’m making it as we speak. Super psyched. How Tieghan creates these recipes day after day is amazing.
I so hope your comment wasn’t sarcastic. Otherwise, be kind. Move along and create your own recipes. 😃
Another rude comment- how original.
Right?! Probably the best ramen creation yet. Most ramen is pretty boring, but this is top notch. I’m inspired too! 🥰
I couldn’t agree more! This is so good! Beautiful twist on otherwise normal ramen. Inspirational indeed!
Isn’t it though?! I love a good ramen and this one is really special with the short ribs included. It was so good on a cold winter evening. Never can get tired of delicious ramen!