There’s a moment every ramen lover knows well: you’re craving a bowl of intensely savory pork bone broth or a slick, garlicky Jiro-inspired pile of noodles, but the nearest great ramen shop is an hour away—or on the other side of the Pacific. The good news is that homemade ramen has never been more achievable. With the right techniques and a few key pantry staples, you can coax remarkable flavor from your own kitchen, whether you live in Tokyo or Toronto.
This homemade ramen recipe guide covers all 11 major ramen styles, from the simplest (abura soba, no broth needed) to the most ambitious (Tenkaippin-inspired thick chicken paitan). You’ll find a full tools and ingredients checklist, a noodle-making primer, and a practical substitution chart for home cooks outside Japan. Each style links to a dedicated spoke article with the full step-by-step recipe once it goes live.
- How all 11 ramen styles differ at a glance (broth, noodles, difficulty, cook time)
- The exact tools and pantry ingredients you need to get started
- How to make homemade ramen noodles without kansui — and which noodle thickness suits each style
- Ingredient swaps for home cooks in North America, Europe, and Australia
- Internal links to full recipes for each style (rolling out as spoke articles are published)
Table of Contents
- 11 Ramen Styles at a Glance
- Rich & Heavy Ramen
- Light & Clear Ramen
- Specialty Ramen
- Essential Tools & Ingredients Checklist
- Homemade Noodle Basics
- Ingredient Substitution Guide for Overseas Cooks
- FAQ
- Ramen Recipes on HowToCook.jp
- Sources & References
11 Ramen Styles at a Glance
Before diving into each style, here’s a side-by-side comparison. Difficulty is rated from ★ (easy) to ★★★★★ (advanced home cook). Cook time refers to active kitchen time, not broth simmering time.
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| Style | Broth Base | Noodle Type | Difficulty | Cook Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jiro-Style | Pork bone & soy | Extra thick, low-hydration | ★★★★ | 3–4 hours |
| E.A.K.-Style (Iekei) | Pork bone + chicken, soy | Thick, straight | ★★★★ | 4–6 hours |
| Tenkaippin-Style | Thick chicken paitan, blended | Medium thick | ★★★★★ | 4–5 hours |
| Yamaokaya-Style | Tonkotsu, heavy back fat | Thick | ★★★★ | 3–4 hours |
| Shio (Salt) | Chicken or seafood, clear | Thin to medium | ★★ | 30 min–1 hour |
| Shoyu (Soy Sauce) | Chicken stock + soy tare | Thin to medium | ★★ | 30 min–1 hour |
| Miso (Sapporo-Style) | Pork + miso paste | Medium wavy | ★★★ | 1–2 hours |
| Tantan-men (Sesame) | Sesame + chicken + soy milk | Thin to medium | ★★ | 30–45 min |
| Taiwan Ramen | Light soy broth | Thin | ★★ | 30–40 min |
| Tsukemen (Dipping) | Concentrated pork-fish dip | Extra thick | ★★★ | 1–2 hours |
| Abura Soba (No-Broth) | Soy tare + aromatic oil | Medium to thick | ★ | 15–20 min |
📚 In This Series — Homemade Ramen Complete Guide
Spoke articles roll out over time. Bookmark this page to find new recipes as they go live.
- Abura Soba (No-Broth Oil Noodles)
- Shoyu Ramen (Soy Sauce)
- Shio Ramen (Salt)
- Miso Ramen (Sapporo-Style)
- Tantan-men (Japanese Sesame Ramen)
- Taiwan Ramen
- Tsukemen (Dipping Ramen)
- Jiro-Style Ramen
- E.A.K.-Style (Iekei) Ramen
- Tenkaippin-Style (Thick Chicken Paitan)
- Yamaokaya-Style Tonkotsu
- Homemade Ramen Noodles (No Kansui)
- Ajitsuke Tamago (Marinated Soft-Boiled Eggs)
- Chashu Pork (Braised Soy-Glazed Pork)
Rich & Heavy Ramen
These styles share a common DNA: long-simmered pork-forward broths, thick noodles, and bold, unapologetic flavors. Expect at least 3–6 hours of stovetop time for the broth alone. The payoff is immense.
Jiro-Style Ramen
Inspired by the legendary Ramen Jiro chain in Tokyo, this style is defined by its almost absurdly generous proportions: a mountain of blanched bean sprouts and cabbage (the “yasai”), fat pork slabs, raw or minced garlic, a slick of back fat, and thick low-hydration noodles submerged in a cloudy pork-soy broth. It’s less of a soup and more of an event.
The broth starts with pork bones and chicken wings simmered for 3 or more hours. The tare is a straightforward soy-based seasoning sauce. The real drama comes from the back fat, which is spooned over the top as a finishing move. Traditional toppings include chashu (braised soy-glazed pork) and ajitsuke tamago (marinated soft-boiled eggs). Full recipe →
Note: This is a home-kitchen interpretation of the Jiro style and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Ramen Jiro.
E.A.K.-Style Ramen (Iekei)
Iekei (pronounced roughly “ee-ay-kay,” hence “E.A.K.”) originated in Yokohama and blends the milky intensity of Fukuoka-style tonkotsu with Tokyo’s soy-seasoned chicken broth. The result is somewhere between the two: thick and creamy but not as opaque as pure tonkotsu. Chicken oil (tori abura) skimmed from the surface adds a glossy, aromatic finish. Toppings are classic: chashu, wilted spinach, and three sheets of nori standing upright in the bowl.
E.A.K. Ramen, the NYC restaurant that brought iekei to a Western audience, helped coin the English-friendly name. The full recipe for this style requires a pressure cooker or a 4–6 hour simmer to achieve the right broth body. Full recipe →
Tenkaippin-Style Ramen
The famous Kyoto chain Tenkaippin serves what is perhaps the thickest, most unusual ramen broth in Japan — it pours more like a gravy than a soup. The secret is blending the spent chicken bones, cooked vegetables, and all the solids back into the liquid with a hand blender, creating a velvety, potato-thick consistency that coats every noodle. Recreating this at home is labor-intensive but deeply satisfying.
The key additions are starchy vegetables (potato, pumpkin, or parsnip work well) that provide natural body when blended. An immersion blender is effectively a required tool for this style. Full recipe →
Note: This is a home-kitchen interpretation of the Tenkaippin style and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Tenkaippin.
SUNWUKIN Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Strainer — essential for clear, fragment-free broth
After blending a Tenkaippin-style broth, a fine-mesh strainer removes bone fragments and skin particles before serving. This skimmer-style strainer also works for rinsing noodles, skimming broth foam, and straining tare.
SUNWUKIN 304 Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Strainer with Handle (ASIN: B08QSHJ4L2)
Yamaokaya-Style Ramen
Named after the Japanese roadside chain beloved for its punchy, funky pork bone broth, this style leans into everything that makes tonkotsu polarizing: a strong pork aroma, a generous float of back fat, and a broth that skews viscous and savory. It’s not for everyone, but its fans are passionate. Cooking with the lid off deepens the pork character; cooking with the lid on produces a gentler, milder result. Full recipe →
Note: This is a home-kitchen interpretation of the Yamaokaya style and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Yamaokaya.
Light & Clear Ramen
These styles prize transparency and subtlety. The broths are clear or lightly tinted, the noodles are thinner, and the flavors — while complex — feel elegant rather than heavy. They are also far more beginner-friendly: most can be on the table in under an hour.
Shio Ramen
Shio (salt) ramen is the purest expression of a well-made dashi-style broth. The soup is typically built on chicken stock with kombu or dried shellfish, seasoned with a carefully balanced salt tare. A good shio ramen should be so clear you can see the bottom of the bowl. The restraint required to keep the broth from clouding is actually the main technical challenge: never let it boil vigorously, and keep stirring to a minimum.
For home cooks abroad, you can build a perfectly respectable shio tare from salt, sake (or dry sherry), a splash of soy sauce for depth, and kombu-steeped water. Full recipe →
Shoyu Ramen
Shoyu (soy sauce) ramen is perhaps the most universally familiar style — the amber-brown, savory bowl that defines “classic” ramen for much of Japan and, increasingly, for much of the world. The tare (seasoning concentrate, called “kaeshi” in this context) is made by heating soy sauce, mirin, and a touch of sugar until just below a simmer, infused with kombu or dried sardines. The broth itself can be as simple as store-bought chicken stock, which makes shoyu ramen the ideal starting point for any home cook.
The key insight: make the kaeshi in advance and store it in the fridge. It keeps for weeks and transforms instant ramen, stir-fries, and simmered vegetables too. Full recipe →
Specialty Ramen
This group covers styles with a distinctive identity: regional origins, unusual technique, or a signature ingredient that sets them apart from the shio-shoyu-miso trinity.
Miso Ramen (Sapporo-Style)
Sapporo-style miso ramen from Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, is built for cold weather. The broth is made by stir-frying aromatics and miso paste directly in a wok or deep pan before adding stock — a technique that gives it a toasty, caramelized quality. Lard, stir-fried bean sprouts, corn, and a knob of butter are traditional toppings that further insulate the bowl against the chill. The wavy, medium-thick noodles trap the thick miso broth beautifully. Full recipe →
Tantan-men (Japanese Sesame Ramen)
Japanese tantan-men diverges meaningfully from its Chinese Sichuan ancestor: it’s milder, creamier, and enriched with sesame and soy milk. The broth is a blend of chicken stock, sesame paste (or tahini), unsweetened soy milk, and a touch of chili. Sitting on top is a spiced ground pork mixture — the zha jiang, or “meat miso” — plus a drizzle of chili oil. The balance of nutty, spicy, and savory makes this one of the most satisfying styles to cook at home. Full recipe →
Taiwan Ramen
Despite the name, Taiwan ramen is a Nagoya invention, created at the restaurant Misen in the 1970s. The broth is a relatively light, soy-forward soup — almost understated — designed to let the topping do the talking: a fiery, garlicky ground pork mixture (similar to Taiwanese “ta-a” noodle topping) piled high over thin noodles. It’s quick to make and naturally suited to weeknight cooking. Full recipe →
Tsukemen (Dipping Ramen)
In tsukemen, the noodles and dipping broth are served separately in two vessels. You dip a tangle of thick, cold-rinsed noodles into a hot, intensely concentrated broth — typically a pork-and-fish combination — before each bite. Because the dipping broth is meant to coat only a small portion of noodle at a time, it’s formulated at roughly double the salt concentration of a regular ramen broth. Most shops serve a small pitcher of diluting stock (warishita) alongside, to drink as a soup at the end. Full recipe →
Abura Soba (No-Broth Oil Noodles)
Abura soba — literally “oil noodles” — is the entry-level ramen every beginner should start with. There is no broth to simmer. You simply prepare a sauce in the bowl (soy tare + toasted sesame oil + oyster sauce), toss in freshly cooked noodles, and top with chashu, green onions, nori, and a soft-boiled egg. The whole process takes 15–20 minutes. Adding a small splash of rice vinegar and chili oil after the first few bites transforms the flavor entirely — this mid-bowl seasoning adjustment is part of the ritual. Full recipe →
Start Your Ramen Journey: JapanBargain Ramen Bowl Set (60 oz) — wide enough for generous toppings
Abura soba and other ramen styles need a deep, wide bowl — standard dinner bowls are too small for a proper ramen portion. This 60 oz ramen bowl set is the single most useful item to have before you cook your first bowl.
JapanBargain Ramen Bowl Set, 60 oz (ASIN: B08RNK3V9F)
Essential Tools & Ingredients Checklist
You don’t need every item on this list to make great ramen at home. The ★★★ items are genuine necessities; the ★★☆ items will meaningfully improve your results; the ★☆☆ items are for dedicated enthusiasts. All tools below are linked to Amazon for convenience.
Cooking Equipment
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| Tool | Necessity | Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large Stockpot (8 qt +) | ★★★ Must-have | Broth simmering | Essential for tonkotsu & E.A.K.-style |
| Ramen Bowl Set (60 oz) | ★★★ Must-have | Serving | Standard dinner bowls are too small for ramen portions |
| Electric Noodle Maker | ★★☆ Recommended | Fresh noodles | Skip if fresh ramen noodles are available locally |
| Immersion Hand Blender | ★★☆ Recommended | Tenkaippin-style thick broth | A countertop blender works as a substitute (careful with hot liquids) |
| Electric Pressure Cooker (6 qt) | ★★☆ Recommended | Reduces tonkotsu broth time from 6 hrs to ~90 min | Particularly useful for E.A.K.-style & Jiro-style |
| Instant-Read Thermometer | ★☆☆ Enthusiasts | Soft-boiled egg precision, chashu internal temp | Eliminates guesswork on ajitsuke tamago |
| Kitchen Torch (Butane) | ★☆☆ Enthusiasts | Charring chashu surface for restaurant finish | A broiler or hot cast-iron pan works as a substitute |
MuellerLiving Ultra-Stick Immersion Blender — essential for thick chicken broths
An immersion blender is non-negotiable for Tenkaippin-style and other blended broths. The MuellerLiving handles hot liquids with an 8-speed setting, includes a whisk and frother, and the detachable shaft makes cleanup straightforward.
MuellerLiving Ultra-Stick 500W Immersion Hand Blender (ASIN: B075X1KPLZ)
Pantry Staples
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| Ingredient | Necessity | Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese Soy Sauce (Kikkoman) | ★★★ Must-have | Tare, chashu, noodle sauce | Chinese soy sauce has a different flavor profile |
| Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine) | ★★★ Must-have | Tare, chashu, ajitsuke tamago | Substitute: sake + a pinch of sugar |
| Chicken Stock Base (Better Than Bouillon) | ★★★ Must-have | Broth reinforcement | Widely available; reduce added salt if using this |
| Toasted Sesame Oil (Kadoya) | ★★★ Must-have | Tantan-men, abura soba, finishing oil | Kadoya is the benchmark brand; use sparingly — it’s potent |
| Tahini (Sesame Paste Substitute) | ★★☆ Recommended | Tantan-men broth | Japanese neri-goma is richer; tahini works well with a touch of extra sesame oil |
| Doubanjiang (Chili Bean Paste) | ★★☆ Recommended | Tantan-men, Taiwan ramen, miso ramen | Sambal oelek is a reasonable stand-in |
| Oyster Sauce | ★★☆ Recommended | Abura soba tare, Taiwan minced pork | Available at most Asian grocery stores and larger supermarkets |
| Baking Soda | ★☆☆ Noodle makers | Kansui substitute for homemade noodles | Available everywhere — see noodle section below |
Homemade Noodle Basics
Fresh ramen noodles are sold in Asian grocery stores in many cities, and dried ramen is available almost everywhere. But if neither is accessible where you live — or if you simply enjoy the process — homemade noodles are well within reach.
How to Make Homemade Ramen Noodles Without Kansui
Kansui is an alkaline solution (potassium carbonate + sodium bicarbonate) that gives ramen noodles their characteristic springy bite, yellow tint, and slight mineral aroma. It’s widely available online and at Asian grocery stores but is harder to find in mainstream supermarkets.
The best substitute is baked baking soda. Spread regular baking soda in a thin layer on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 250°F (120°C) for one hour. The heat converts sodium bicarbonate to sodium carbonate — a stronger alkali that closely mimics kansui’s effect. Dissolve 1½ teaspoons of the baked baking soda in ½ cup warm water to make your kansui substitute. Full noodle recipe: Full noodle recipe →
Noodle Thickness Comparison
The thickness and hydration level of your noodles should match the weight of your broth. A delicate shio broth gets lost under a fat, chewy noodle; a thick tonkotsu broth will overwhelm a thin strand. Use this table as a guide.
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| Noodle Type | Hydration | Cut Width | Texture | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thin (Hakata-style) | 30–33% | ~1.5mm (~1/16″) | Firm, quick-cooking | Taiwan ramen, tonkotsu |
| Medium-Thin | 33–36% | ~2.5mm (~3/32″) | Balanced chew | Shio, shoyu, tantan-men |
| Medium-Thick | 36–40% | ~3.5mm (~1/8″) | Chewy, supple | Miso, abura soba |
| Thick & Straight | 40–45% | ~4–5mm (~3/16″) | Dense, satisfying bite | E.A.K.-style, tsukemen |
| Extra-Thick (Jiro-style) | 32–35% | 6mm+ (~1/4″) | Udon-like heft, firm center | Jiro-style only |
| Wavy (Curly) | 40–45% | ~3–4mm, hand-curled | Traps broth on every strand | Miso, E.A.K.-style |
Etekcity Digital Food Kitchen Scale — precision for noodle hydration and tare ratios
Homemade noodle dough requires accurate hydration percentages, and tare ratios matter too. This scale weighs in grams and ounces with 1 g precision up to 11 lb (5 kg) — enough for full-batch broth ingredients as well as small noodle portions.
Etekcity Food Kitchen Scale, Digital Grams and Ounces, Stainless Steel (ASIN: B0113UZJE2)
Ingredient Substitution Guide for Overseas Cooks
If you’re cooking outside Japan, a few ingredients can be tricky to source. The table below covers the most common obstacles. As a general rule, any mid-sized city with an Asian grocery store — Chinese, Korean, or Japanese — will stock roughly 80% of what you need. Online retailers cover the rest.
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| Japanese Ingredient | Western Substitute | Where to Find It | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramen noodles (fresh) | Spaghettini in baking-soda water; homemade with bread flour | Any supermarket | Egg pasta is closer in texture to fresh ramen than plain semolina pasta |
| Kansui (alkaline water) | Baked baking soda (sodium carbonate) — see above | Baking aisle; bake at home in 1 hr | 200°F/93°C oven, 1 hour; or 250°F/120°C for faster conversion |
| Soy sauce (shoyu) | Kikkoman naturally brewed (widely exported); Tamari for gluten-free | Most supermarkets, Asian aisle | Avoid “seasoning soy sauce” or Chinese light soy — flavors differ significantly |
| Mirin | 1 tbsp sake + 1 tsp sugar; dry sherry + sugar works too | Asian grocery stores; large supermarkets | Hon-mirin is the real product; aji-mirin (syrup type) is a common export version |
| Pork bones (tonkotsu) | Chicken wings + pork belly; ask butcher for neck bones or trotters | Butcher shops, Asian meat markets | Chicken wings alone produce a lighter but still milky broth; add pork belly for fat |
| Neri-goma (sesame paste) | Tahini — the closest widely available substitute | Most supermarkets (Middle Eastern / health food aisle) | Tahini is less sweet than neri-goma; add a drop of sesame oil and a tiny amount of honey to balance |
| Doubanjiang (toban djan) | Sambal oelek + a tiny pinch of fermented black bean paste; gochujang (Korean) | Asian grocery stores; some large supermarkets | Gochujang is sweeter and less funky — reduce sugar elsewhere if substituting |
| Lard (pork fat) | Rendered lard from grocery; unsalted butter (flavor different but adds richness) | Most supermarkets (baking or international aisle) | Butter adds a faint dairy note; works fine for miso ramen but alters tonkotsu character |
| Menma (bamboo shoots) | Canned bamboo shoots, seasoned and stir-fried with sesame oil + soy sauce | Asian grocery stores; large supermarkets | Rinse canned shoots thoroughly before seasoning |
| Nori (dried seaweed) | Korean roasted seaweed snack sheets | Asian grocery stores, Korean supermarkets, some health food stores | Korean nori is sometimes seasoned with sesame oil and salt — pleasant, but different |
| Chicken stock granules (torigara soup base) | Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base; low-sodium chicken bouillon cubes | Most supermarkets | Better Than Bouillon is notably richer than standard cubes; use half the recommended amount and taste |
FAQ
Q: Can I make tonkotsu-style broth outside Japan without pork bones?
A: Yes. Ask your butcher for pork neck bones, spare rib tips, or pork trotters — these are inexpensive cuts that rarely appear in pre-packaged meat sections but are usually available on request. If none of those are available, chicken wings combined with a small piece of pork belly will produce a broth that’s lighter in color but still milky and satisfying. A pressure cooker will significantly reduce the required time.
Q: What is the easiest ramen style to start with as a complete beginner?
A: Abura soba (no-broth oil noodles) requires no broth at all and can be made in under 20 minutes. If you want a broth-based starter, shoyu ramen is the most forgiving: it uses chicken stock (store-bought is fine), a simple soy-mirin tare, and standard medium-thin noodles. Both styles scale easily and leave significant room for improvisation.
Q: How long can I store homemade ramen broth?
A: Pork bone and chicken broths keep for 3–4 days in the refrigerator. For longer storage, freeze the broth in silicone ice cube trays or zip-lock bags in 1-cup portions — it holds well for up to 2 months. The soy tare (kaeshi) can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks and actually improves slightly as it matures. Store broth and tare separately and combine at serving time.
Q: Is E.A.K.-style ramen the same as iekei ramen?
A: Yes. Iekei (家系) ramen is the original Japanese term for the Yokohama-born style that combines tonkotsu pork bone broth with a soy-seasoned chicken component and chicken oil. E.A.K. Ramen is a NYC restaurant that helped popularize the style in North America under the phonetically adapted name “E.A.K.” — making it easier to pronounce for English speakers. The two terms refer to the same style, though each individual shop’s recipe will vary.
Ramen Recipes on HowToCook.jp
HowToCook.jp hosts full video-backed recipes from acclaimed Japanese chefs. These make excellent companions to the techniques covered in this guide.
- E.A.K.-Style (Iekei) Ramen — by Ryuji — full pork bone & soy broth from scratch
- Back Fat Ramen — by Ryuji — Jiro-adjacent with heavy back fat topping
- Shoyu Ramen — by Ryuji — classic soy sauce ramen with homemade tare
- Ultimate Shio Ramen — by Ryuji — crystal-clear golden broth
- Chicken Paitan Shoyu Ramen — by Koh Kentetsu — thick chicken broth with careful technique
- Chashu Shoyu Ramen — by Koh Kentetsu — chashu-forward with a refined broth
- Miso Ramen — by Sakura — Sapporo-style with stir-fried bean sprouts
- Taiwan Ramen — by Masahiro Kasahara — Nagoya-style spicy minced pork noodles
- Ajitsuke Tamago (Ramen Eggs) — by Masahiro Kasahara — soft-boiled, perfectly marinated
- Stamina Ramen — by Sakura — hearty, vegetable-loaded
Sources & References / 出典・参考
- Just One Cookbook — Japanese Ramen Guide: Broths, Noodles & Toppings
- Japan Guide — Ramen: History, Types, and Regional Variations in Japan
- Biting at the Bits — Easy Baked Baking Soda for Ramen & Alkaline Noodles
- Sudachi Recipes — Homemade Ramen Noodles 101: Everything You Need To Know
- E.A.K. Ramen (Official) — About Iekei-Style Ramen
- Ramen Adventures — E.A.K. in New York: A Guide to Iekei Ramen in the US
- Okonomi Kitchen — Abura Soba (Soupless Ramen Noodles): Brothless Ramen Recipe
- Japonism — Ramen Jiro: The Cult Ramen Chain and Its Ordering Etiquette
- Just One Cookbook — Shio Ramen 塩ラーメン
- Just One Cookbook — Shoyu Ramen Recipe: Soy Sauce-Based Ramen at Home
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Last verified: February 2026
