Easy Miso Ramen with Leftover Pulled Pork

Leftovers don’t have to feel like leftovers! We always make a huge batch of pulled pork and just freeze most of it so we wouldn’t get bored, but one night we tried adding it to ramen and it completely changed the vibe. The smoky sweetness from the BBQ sauce melts into the broth, and once the miso goes in, everything turns rich and deeply umami in the best way.

Watch Our Pulled Pork Miso Ramen Video Recipe

Prefer to watch the recipe on YouTube instead or just want something to follow along to?
Here is our step-by-step video recipe:

Easy Pulled Pork Miso Ramen Recipe

This cozy pulled pork miso ramen is surprisingly approachable and perfect for a low-effort dinner when you have leftovers in the fridge. After building a quick miso broth, boiling the noodles, and layering everything into bowls, the result is a savory, silky, deeply umami dish that feels restaurant-quality but is made entirely at home in minutes with leftovers.

Ingredients for Pulled Pork Miso Ramen

• Pulled pork leftovers: Adds rich, smoky flavor and a hearty texture that makes the bowls feel substantial. You can substitute shredded roast chicken if that’s what you have.
• Chinese egg noodles: Give the bowl its comforting structure and soak up the broth really well. You can substitute instant ramen noodles since they cook quickly and have a similar springy texture.
• Eggs: Add richness and that soft, jammy center that melts slightly into the broth. You can marinate your soft-boiled eggs overnight if you want even more savory flavor.
• Beansprouts: Bring freshness and a crisp bite that balances the richer broth and pork.
• White miso paste: Adds saltiness, depth, and that mellow fermented flavor that makes the broth taste full without feeling heavy. You can substitute red miso, or even do 50/50 white/red miso.
• Unsalted beef fond: Creates a deep, savory broth base. You can substitute a stock cube dissolved in water since it gives a similar savory backbone with less prep, but be careful if it’s salted!
• Scallions: The whites build flavor in the broth, while the greens add a fresh finish at the end.
• Garlic: Brings warmth and a savory base note to the broth.
• Light soy sauce: Adds salt and umami while keeping the broth balanced and not too dark. If using stock cube, be careful with the soy sauce because it may turn too salty!
• Mirin: Adds a gentle sweetness and a little roundness to the broth. If you don’t have mirin on hand, simply use a small splash of (rice vinegar) with a pinch of sugar because it gives a similar sweet-acid balance.
• Maple syrup: Softens the salty edges and plays well with the sweetness in the pulled pork. You can substitute honey because it brings the same kind of mellow sweetness.
• Avocado oil: Helps sauté the aromatics and carries the flavor through the broth.
• Butter: Melts into the hot broth at the end and adds a silky finish. Substituting with a small amount of lard is delicious too!

How to Make Pulled Pork Miso Ramen

Substitute Pulled Pork with Shredded Roast Chicken

If we’re going this funky, why stop at pulled pork?! Shredded roast chicken works well here because it still gives the bowl a satisfying, meaty topping without changing the structure of the dish. Use cooked chicken and pull or chop it into bite-sized shreds before serving. The flavor will obviously be a little less smoky and sweet than pulled pork, so the final bowl will taste slightly lighter and cleaner. It also may not bring as much sauce into the broth, so the ramen can feel a bit less rich overall.

Tips for Making Pulled Pork Miso Ramen

Tip 1: Use low to medium heat when cooking the scallion whites and garlic so they soften without catching. That slower start gives the broth a gentler, rounder flavor.
Tip 2: Turn off the heat before adding the miso paste. This helps it dissolve smoothly and keeps its flavor mellow and balanced.
Tip 3: If using leftover pulled pork or even frozen pulled pork, slowly heating the pulled pork separately first will make it feel fresh again without drying out.

Make-Ahead Instructions

The broth can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The flavor settles and deepens a little as it sits, which makes the miso and aromatics taste more blended by the next day. For the best texture, cook the noodles and assemble the bowls just before serving.

Storing Leftovers

Store leftover broth and noodles + toppings separately in airtight containers if possible. The broth will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The noodles will soften as they sit, and the beansprouts may lose some of their crispness, so the texture is best on the first day. If using leftover pulled pork already, be careful as this might go bad the fastest.

Freezing Instructions

Freezing is completely fine for the pulled pork and broth, but not for the assembled ramen bowls. Let the broth cool completely, then freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. The pulled pork can also be frozen separately. After thawing, the broth should still taste good, though it may need a good stir as the texture can separate slightly. Noodles, eggs, and beansprouts are best made fresh.

Reheating Instructions

Reheat the broth gently in a saucepan over medium to medium-low heat until hot but not boiling hard. Warm the pulled pork separately, then cook fresh noodles and assemble the bowls. If the broth tastes a little too concentrated after chilling, add a splash of water to loosen it back up.

Serving Suggestions

This ramen is lovely on its own for a cozy dinner, but it also works with a few simple extras on the side. A small cucumber salad, quick pickled vegetables, or steamed greens would all fit nicely. For garnish, scallion greens and sesame seeds make sense. It is especially good for a relaxed weekend lunch, a rainy-night dinner, or one of those leftover meals that ends up feeling much more intentional than expected.

Print