1-Pan Creamy Tahini Ramen with Teriyaki Tofu

Creamy tahini ramen with savory teriyaki tofu and homemade chili crisp all cooks up in just one pan! It’s an amazingly delicious, cozy bowl of noodles perfect for chilly fall and winter dinners.

This is another one of my offbeat ramen creations that includes flavors that you might not normally pair together, but they work out amazingly! So many of my ramen recipes come about because I want a hot bowl of more or less soupy noodles and end up playing around with sauces and flavors, and many of these mashup recipes are really popular! Check out my peanut gochujang ramen, butter chicken ramen, birria ramen, and my vegan take on tonkotsu ramen.

Today we make tahini ramen, which combines tahini and miso to make this flavorful broth which has amazing flavor. We also make teriyaki tofu for topping. And we make an easy chili crisp with korean gochugaru pepper flakes! You see all the flavor combinations going on here! And all is made in just 1 Pot.

If you don’t have tahini, you can use smooth peanut butter or almond butter instead or even use half coconut milk and half stock instead of all stock for the creamy base.

We make this easy teriyaki sauce that we use to marinate the tofu, then cook that tofu on the skillet so the sauce thickens and clings to it, like a sticky glaze. Then, when we slice them and place on the noodles! They look really pretty with the white tofu peeking out of the rich teriyaki glaze on top of that bed of ramen, veggies, and creamy tahini broth.

To make this soy-free, you can use other toppings like soy-free vegan chicken substitute or chickpea tofu.

Then, in the same pan, we make a quick, simple chili crisp with oil, ginger, garlic, and gochugaru pepper flakes which add spice, heat, and smokiness to the mixture. Reserve half of that for topping, then leave the rest in the pan to add flavor to the broth.

The ramen noodles even cook in the same pan with the broth! No pre-cooking needed for the noodles, and it comes out absolutely deliciously with less time in the kitchen and less cleanup afterwards. Look at that deliciousness.

Why You’ll Love Creamy Tahini Ramen

• easy, 1-pan meal
• creamy tahini miso broth is full of veggies and tender noodles
• sticky teriyaki tofu goes so well with creamy broth!
• homemade gochugaru chili crisp adds umami and heat
• naturally nut-free with easy gluten-free and soy-free options

Ingredients and Substitutions

• soy sauce – Adds umami to the teriyaki sauce. Use tamari for gluten-free or coconut aminos for soy-free.
• brown sugar – Adds that signature sweetness to the teriyaki sauce.
• ginger garlic paste – Adds flavor to the teriyaki sauce.
• rice wine vinegar – For tang.
• cornstarch – Helps the sauce thicken.
• red pepper flakes – Adds a little heat to the sauce.
• tofu – extra firm, our protein of choice. For soy-free, use vegan chicken substitute or chickpea tofu.
• oil – To pan fry.
• garlic, ginger, and gochugaru pepper flakes – These are your chili crisp ingredients.
• peppers and onions – For the ramen. You can add other crunchy veggies, like carrots and zucchini, if you like, as well.
• White or yellow miso – Adds umami. Use chickpea miso for soy-free, if needed.
• sambal oelek – or other Asian chili sauce. Adds heat to the ramen. You can use more or less, to taste.
• tahini – Makes the broth so creamy! You can use peanut butter or almond butter instead, if needed.
• ramen – Feel free to use noodles of your choice if you don’t have ramen noodles. I like to use ramen blocks or thin udon. Gluten-free noodles are fine to use.
• toppings – Top with your favorite ramen toppings, like green onion, sesame seeds, sprouts, etc.

How to Make Tahini Ramen

In a shallow bowl, add the soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger garlic paste, vinegar, corn starch, and pepper flakes, and mix really well. It’s okay if not all of the sugar dissolves, just get most of it dissolved.

Then, add your tofu slabs into the teriyaki sauce and flip all around to coat with the sauce. Set aside to marinate for 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prep the ingredients for the chili crisp and the ramen and your toppings.

When marinating time is up, heat a medium to large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the teaspoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu to the skillet carefully, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on one side, then flip the tofu carefully and add all of the remaining teriyaki sauce mixture from the bowl into the skillet. Continue to cook until the sauce thickens. Use a spatula to brush the sauce over the tofu, and flip and cook for another minute or so, then remove the tofu from the skillet onto your cutting board. Transfer any remaining teriyaki sauce from the pan to a small bowl.

When the tofu is cool enough to handle, slice the slabs into 1/4” thick slices. You can let the tofu cool and slice it while you make the chili crisp and ramen.

Reduce the heat of the same skillet to medium or medium low. If your medium usually runs a bit hotter, keep it at medium low. Add the tablespoon of oil, and let the oil get hot. Then, mix in the ginger and garlic. Add in the gochugaru pepper flakes, mix in, and continue to cook this for 1 to 2 minutes. The gochugaru flakes will start to get smoky and spicy. You might start to sneezing:). Once the garlic starts to turn golden, remove half of this chili crisp mixture to use as garnish.

Then to the same skillet with the remaining half of the chili crisp, add the onion, peppers, and a good pinch of salt and mix in. Cook for a minute, then increase the heat to medium and mix in the miso, sambal oelek, and tahini and a cup of the stock.

Press and mix to incorporate the miso into the water, which will take about a minute. Then, mix in the rest of the stock and salt. Bring to a boil, then add the noodles and press them into the liquid. (See recipe notes to make the ramen with precooked noodles.) Continue to cook until the noodles are done to preference. This can take anywhere from 4 to 10 minutes, depending on the noodles that you’re using. 

Once the noodles are cooked to preference, add the bok choy, and press it into the noodle mixture, let it cook for about half a minute, and then switch off the heat. There will be enough residual heat in the stock to cook the bok choy or any crunchy vegetables you add at this point. Taste and adjust the salt and flavor.

Add more salt, if needed. You can also add a splash of soy sauce at this point for additional salty, umami flavor. Add a bit of tang, if you like, with some lime juice, and lightly mix in. Then,  let this ramen sit for a minute or two for the flavors to meld. 

To serve, take a good helping of the noodles, and put them into your serving bowl. Add some of the stock and the veggies on top of the noodles, then top it with your sliced teriyaki tofu. Garnish with green onions, sesame seeds, remaining chili crisp, and any other toppings that you like and serve.

What to Serve with Tahini Ramen

This is delicious on its own, but you can serve it with your favorite Asian-inspired sides, like spring rolls or sticky sesame cauliflower.