Kitchen Recipe Collection
Zhajiangmian (Fried Sauce Noodles)
The pride of Beijing. Thick, chewy wheat noodles topped with an intensely savory, dark sauce made from fried soybean paste and diced pork belly, served with fresh vegetables.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 4 portions thick fresh wheat noodles
- 300g pork belly, diced into small cubes
- 3 tbsp Yellow Soybean Paste (Huang Jiao), diluted with a little water
- 3 tbsp Sweet Bean Sauce (Tianmianjiang)
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 1 cucumber, julienned
- 1 cup bean sprouts, blanched
- 1 watermelon radish, julienned
Equipment
- Wok
- Large pot for noodles
Instructions
- 1
Prepare Pastes
In a bowl, mix the yellow soybean paste and sweet bean sauce. Dilute with 1/4 cup of water so they don't burn in the wok.
- 2
Dice Pork
Dice the pork belly into very small, uniform cubes.
- 3
Prepare Vegetables
Julienne the cucumber and radish, and blanch the bean sprouts. Set these aside as garnishes.
- 4
Fry Pork
Heat oil in a wok. Fry the diced pork over medium heat until the fat renders out and the meat is slightly crispy.
- 5
Add Scallions
Add the chopped scallions to the pork and fry until fragrant.
- 6
Fry the Sauces
Pour the diluted paste mixture into the wok. Reduce heat to low. Add the wine, dark soy sauce, and sugar.
- 7
Simmer Sauce
Simmer the sauce gently for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently. The oil will separate from the dark paste when it is ready.
- 8
Boil Water
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- 9
Cook Noodles
Cook the thick wheat noodles until chewy and al dente.
- 10
Drain Noodles
Drain the noodles well and divide them into large serving bowls.
- 11
Assemble
Spoon a generous amount of the dark, savory meat sauce into the center of each noodle bowl. Arrange the fresh vegetables around the edge.
- 12
Serve
Serve immediately. Diners must use chopsticks to vigorously mix the sauce, noodles, and crisp vegetables together before eating.
Cooking Tips
- The term 'Zhajiang' literally means 'fried sauce'. You must cook the paste slowly in the pork fat until the oil separates; this eliminates the raw fermented taste.
- Do not add salt; the soybean pastes are extremely salty on their own.
Variations
- Korean Jajangmyeon: The Korean descendant uses Chunjang (black bean paste), includes zucchini and onions, and is sweeter and thicker.
Nutrition Estimate
550 calories · 22g protein · 70g carbs · 20g fat · 6g fiber per serving
