Island Flavors Met Creamy Ramen
There are bowls of ramen, and then there’s this. Tender, slow braised oxtail simmered in a deeply seasoned, caramelized gravy meets rich and creamy carbonara ramen for a bowl that is pure comfort from the first bite to the last. The noodles soak up all that savory oxtail goodness, while a jammy seasoned soft boiled egg, fresh green onions, and a little chili crisp bring everything together. It’s bold, creamy, spicy, and packed with flavor in a way that makes it almost impossible to put the bowl down.
Why You’re Going to Love This Recipe
- Fall apart oxtail: The oxtail is marinated for up to 48 hours, then slowly braised until the meat practically falls from the bone.
- Rich and flavorful gravy: Caramelized brown sugar, browning, aromatics, herbs, and the oxtail marinade create a deeply savory sauce.
- Creamy carbonara ramen: Buldak Carbonara noodles bring a creamy, cheesy flavor and just enough heat to complement the oxtail.
- Jammy seasoned eggs: Soft boiled eggs marinated in soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil add another layer of savory flavor.
- The ultimate comfort bowl: Rich, creamy, tender, spicy, and incredibly satisfying.
How to Make Creamy Oxtail Ramen
1. Season and Marinate the Oxtail
Start by adding the oxtails to a large bowl along with the bell peppers, red onion, green onion, green seasoning, ginger, garlic, oregano, allspice, thyme, browning, salt, and pepper.
Mix everything thoroughly, making sure the oxtails are completely coated in the seasoning and aromatics.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. If you have the time, letting the oxtails marinate for up to 48 hours will give the seasoning even more time to work its way into the meat.
2. Make the Seasoned Soft Boiled Eggs
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Using a ladle, gently lower the eggs into the water one at a time.
Set a timer for 6 minutes.
While the eggs cook, prepare an ice bath by filling a bowl with ice and cold water.
Once the 6 minutes are up, immediately transfer the eggs to the ice bath. Allow them to cool completely before peeling.
Add the peeled eggs to a container with the soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil. Refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the ramen.
The result is a soft, jammy yolk surrounded by a savory, seasoned white that is perfect for ramen.
3. Sear the Oxtail
Once the oxtail has finished marinating, remove the pieces from the marinade and reserve the liquid and vegetables.
Place a large pot over medium heat and add the canola oil and brown sugar.
Stir constantly as the sugar melts and caramelizes into a light brown color. Be careful not to let it burn.
Working in batches, add the oxtail and sear on all sides until nicely browned. Remove the pieces and set them aside.
4. Slowly Braise the Oxtail
Deglaze the pot with the reserved marinade, scraping the bottom to release all those flavorful browned bits.
Return the seared oxtails to the pot and add enough water to barely cover them.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and allow the oxtails to simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fall apart tender.
Remove the oxtails from the pot and allow them to cool slightly. Pull the meat from the bones, discarding the bones and any unwanted pieces.
5. Finish the Oxtail Gravy
Before finishing the gravy, skim off any excess oil from the surface.
Add the ketchup and bring the gravy to a gentle simmer. Allow it to reduce until it reaches your desired consistency.
You want a thick, rich gravy that can cling to the noodles and add concentrated oxtail flavor to every bite.
Once finished, remove from the heat and set aside.
6. Make the Creamy Ramen
Bring the water to a boil in a pot and add the Buldak Carbonara ramen noodles.
Cook according to the package instructions until the noodles are tender.
Once the noodles are cooked, remove them from the pot and set aside, leaving the cooking liquid behind.
Add the carbonara seasoning packet and heavy cream to the broth. Stir well and allow the mixture to simmer and reduce for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until the broth becomes creamy and slightly thickened.
The Buldak noodles also come with a spicy sauce packet. I decided to leave it out here because the chili crisp provides plenty of heat at the end. If you love spice, you can absolutely add some of the packet, but a little goes a long way.
7. Assemble the Ramen
Now comes the fun part.
Add some of the oxtail gravy to the bottom of your ramen bowl.
Pile in the cooked noodles, then pour the thickened creamy carbonara broth over the top.
Add your shredded oxtail, making sure to get plenty of that rich meat throughout the bowl.
Take one of the seasoned soft boiled eggs, slice it in half, and place it right on top.
Finish with chopped green onions and a spoonful of chili crisp.
Then grab your chopsticks and dig in.
Tips for the Best Oxtail Ramen
Give the oxtail time to marinate. The longer the oxtail marinates, the more developed the flavor will be. I recommend at least 24 hours whenever possible.
Don’t skip the sear. Browning the oxtail before braising creates a deeper, richer flavor and gives the gravy more complexity.
Keep the braise low and slow. Oxtail needs time to break down. A gentle simmer is what gives you that tender, fall apart texture.
Watch the caramelized sugar. The brown sugar should become a light brown caramel before adding the oxtail. If it gets too dark, it can become bitter.
Control the heat. The Buldak Carbonara noodles already bring some spice. Since the chili crisp adds another layer of heat, taste as you go before adding the spicy packet.
Make extra eggs. These seasoned soft boiled eggs are so good with the ramen that you’ll probably wish you had made more.
What to Serve With Oxtail Ramen
This ramen is hearty enough to stand on its own, but if you’re putting together a full spread, keep the sides light and fresh.
Try serving it with:
- Cucumber salad
- Pickled vegetables
- Crispy wontons
- Asian style slaw
- Edamame
- Fresh fruit
Storage
Store the oxtail, gravy, ramen broth, noodles, and eggs separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
The oxtail and gravy will keep for about 3 to 4 days. The seasoned eggs are best enjoyed within a few days as well.
For the best texture, I recommend cooking fresh ramen noodles when you’re ready to eat rather than storing the noodles in the broth. The noodles will continue absorbing liquid and can become soft.
Reheating
Reheat the oxtail and gravy gently in a saucepan over medium low heat until warmed through. If the gravy has thickened too much in the refrigerator, add a small splash of water to loosen it.
Reheat the creamy ramen broth separately over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Cook fresh ramen noodles, then assemble the bowl just as you did the first time.
Add the warm oxtail, seasoned egg, green onions, and chili crisp right before serving.
Can I Make the Oxtail Ahead of Time?
Absolutely. In fact, oxtail is a great make ahead component.
You can prepare the entire oxtail and gravy a day or two ahead of time and refrigerate it. The flavors will continue to develop as it sits.
When you’re ready to make the ramen, simply reheat the oxtail and gravy while preparing the noodles and creamy broth.
Final Thoughts
This Creamy Oxtail Ramen is what happens when two comfort food favorites decide to meet in the same bowl. The slow cooked oxtail brings deep, savory richness, while the creamy carbonara ramen gives you silky noodles with a little heat. Add that jammy seasoned egg, fresh green onions, and chili crisp, and you’ve got a bowl that is unapologetically rich, cozy, and packed with flavor.
Take your time with the oxtail, build those layers of flavor, and let the ramen do the rest.
Because sometimes you deserve a bowl this good.
Creamy Oxtail Ramen
Ingredients
Oxtail
- 3-4 lbs oxtail
- 1 cup bell peppers chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion chopped
- 1/2 cup green onion chopped
- 1/2 cup green seasoning
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 tbsp oregano dried
- 1 tbsp allspice powder
- 7-8 sprigs of thyme tied together
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp browning
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp pepper
- 1 tbsp canola oil
Creamy Ramen
- 2 packs buldak carbonara ramen noodles
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup heavy cream
Seasoned Soft Boiled Eggs
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Water enough to cover while boiling
Garnish
- Green onions chopped
- Chili crisp
Instructions
Seasoned Soft Boiled Eggs
- To a pot of boiling water, using a ladle, gently lower the eggs one at a time into the pot. Set a timer for 6 minutes.
- While these are boiling, get a bowl and fill it with water and ice to create an ice bath. Once the timer is up, remove the eggs from the boiling water and place them into the ice bath.
- Peel the eggs and add to a container with soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil. Place in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
Oxtail
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients listed under “Oxtail” except for the brown sugar, ketchup, and canola oil.
- Mix thoroughly and allow to marinate for at least 24 hours, up to 48 hours.
- In a large pot over medium heat, add canola oil and brown sugar. Stir constantly until the sugar caramelizes into a light brown color.
- Remove the oxtail from the marinade, reserving the liquid and vegetables. Sear the oxtail in batches on all sides, then set aside.
- Deglaze the pot with the reserved marinade. Return the seared oxtail to the pot and add enough water to barely cover the seared oxtail.
- Simmer over low heat for 2-3 hours until the oxtail is fall-apart tender.
- Skim off excess oil from the gravy, add ketchup, then bring to a simmer and reduce until thickened. Once the thickness has reached your liking, remove from heat and set aside.
Creamy Ramen
- Bring 3 cups of water to a boil and add the ramen noodles. Follow cooking instructions to make sure they are cooked through.
- Once cooked, remove the noodles, leaving the broth in the pot to continue cooking. Add the carbonara seasoning packet and a cup of heavy cream and allow the broth to thicken and reduce. This should take about 4-5 minutes.
- This ramen does also come with a spicy packet; approach with caution, a little goes a long way. I decided not to use it since I added chili crisp at the end.
Assemble
- To the bottom of the ramen bowl, add a 1/4 cup of the oxtail gravy, followed by the cooked ramen noodles.
- Now that the broth is thick and creamy, pour over the noodles.
- At this point, pick out your favorite pieces of oxtail and add them to the ramen with one of the seasoned soft-boiled eggs cut in half. Garnish with green onions, chili crisp, and enjoy!
