Spicy Pork and Cabbage Noodles

These spicy pork noodles are gloriously savory, chewy and delicious, with perfectly crisp cabbage and plenty of sauce. And they’re so quick to make!

These spicy pork noodles have everything I want in a weeknight meal. They’re impossibly quick and easy to make, coming together in under 30 minutes. They’re also infinitely customizable and can be changed up with whatever’s lingering in the fridge. And they’re so, so delicious, but they still contain one vegetable to keep things mildly virtuous.

The key to these noodles’ incredible flavor? Doubanjiang. Sometimes spelled tobanjiang, this is a spicy bean paste you can find at your local Asian supermarket. Other chili pastes simply don’t compare to the savory, umami-packed spice of doubanjiang. But if you can’t find it, fear not — you can swap it out for another source of spice, no problem.

A note about ingredients for these spicy pork noodles:

The beauty of this recipe is that you can make it your own with whatever you have on hand. Here are some suggested substitutions:

• Noodles: I used ramen noodles, but you could use udon, lo mein, chow mein or even soba. Really, any long noodle will do.
• Protein: Swap out the ground pork for ground beef or ground chicken, or go veggie by adding tofu, tempeh crumbles, or more vegetables.
• Cabbage: Napa cabbage is the ideal here, but green cabbage or Savoy cabbage also work well. You could also use bok choy or another green vegetable like pea pods or green beans.
• Sauce ingredients: Swap the soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos. If you don’t have mirin, add an equal measure of rice vinegar, plus an extra pinch of sugar. And if you can’t find that spicy, savory, delicious doubanjiang, you can use sambal oelek or another spicy chili paste instead.

More quick and easy comfort recipes:
Creamy Mushroom Fettuccine
Crispy Air Fryer Avocado Tacos
Creamy Garlic Parmesan Gnocchi with Broccoli

Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating and comment below, then share a photo and tag me on Instagram!

Spicy Pork and Cabbage Noodles

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These spicy pork noodles are gloriously savory, chewy and delicious, with perfectly crisp cabbage and plenty of sauce. And they’re so quick to make!

• Author: Emily Hanka
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 2–3 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 ounces dry ramen noodles
• 1 tablespoon canola oil or other neutral oil
• 4 ounces ground pork
• 1 small yellow onion, sliced
• ½ small green cabbage or Napa cabbage, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup tamari or soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons doubanjiang* (substitutions in notes)
• 1 ½ tablespoons mirin
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• Chopped green onion and toasted sesame seeds, for topping

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Instructions

1. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat the canola oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the ground pork and break it up with your spoon to brown.
3. When the pork is mostly cooked, add the yellow onion and cabbage. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are mostly softened but still a bit crisp.
4. While the vegetables are cooking, whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small measuring cup or bowl: tamari, doubanjiang, mirin, brown sugar, and sesame oil.
5. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute, or until fragrant. Pour in the sauce and add the noodles, then toss with tongs until everything is nicely coated in the sauce.
6. Serve topped with lots of sliced green onion and toasted sesame seeds, plus more doubanjiang if you like it extra spicy.

Notes

• Doubanjiang (sometimes spelled tobanjiang) is a spicy bean paste with strong spice and lots of umami. I buy it at my local Asian grocery store, but if you can’t find it, you can substitute this with sambal oelek (chili garlic paste). I recommend starting with half the amount of sambal oelek and adding more if needed to suit your ideal spice level.