TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
YIELD: 5-6 servings
CALORIES: 300 kcal per serving
SPICINESS: Not Spicy
Zhajiangmian (炸酱面), or “fried sauce noodles,” is one of the most iconic dishes from Beijing. A bowl of chewy noodles topped with savory-sweet minced meat sauce and fresh crunchy vegetables makes for the ultimate comfort food. This recipe is a home-style adaptation, balanced, fragrant, and easy to recreate with ingredients from most grocery stores. Makes enough sauce for 5–6 servings. Store leftovers in the fridge and reheat with noodles and veggies for an easy meal anytime.
INGREDIENTS 备菜
| Item 配菜 | Amount 用量 |
|---|---|
| Ground Pork 猪肉碎 | 1 pound |
| Mushrooms 蘑菇 | 5 |
| Ginger 姜 | 3 slices |
| Garlic 蒜 | 3 cloves |
| Star Anise 八角 | 2 |
| Sweet Bean Sauce 甜面酱 | 120 g |
| Soy Bean Sauce 黄豆酱 | 120 g |
| Water 水 | 90 g |
| Rock Sugar 冰糖 | 20 g |
| Onion 洋葱 | 1/2 (Opt.) |
| Cooking Wine 料酒 | 1/2 tbsp |
| Vegetables of Your Choice 配菜 | as needed |
- Ground pork can be substituted with ground beef.
- Star anise is a common spice used in braised dishes. Its distinctive aroma not only helps remove the gamy or fishy smell from meat and seafood but also adds a unique fragrance to the dish.
- For soybean paste and sweet bean paste, I recommend the brands Haday or Lee Kum Kee. Avoid the Liuyuexiang (六月香) sweet bean paste, as it is more on the salty side and requires extra sugar to be cooked down into the sweet flavor we want.
- If you don’t have rock sugar, regular white sugar works as a substitute.
- For vegetables, feel free to choose what you like – edamame, shredded radish, or cucumber strips all work well. The key is to keep it casual and adaptable.
- 猪肉碎可以换成牛肉碎。
- 八角是一种常见的炖肉调料，特殊的香气能有效去除肉类和海鲜的腥味，并为菜肴增添独特的香气。
- 黄豆酱和甜面酱推荐买海天和李锦记这两个牌子。甜面酱不推荐买6月香的，6月香的甜面酱是咸口的，需要加糖熬制才能得到我们需要的甜面酱。
- 冰糖没有的话可以用白砂糖代替。
- 配菜可以选择自己喜欢的配菜，比如毛豆，萝卜丝，黄瓜丝等，主打随性。
INSTRUCTIONS 做法
1. Finely chop the ginger, garlic, and onion. Dice the shiitake mushrooms. 姜、蒜、洋葱切成末，香菇切成小丁。
2. Mix 120 g soybean paste, 120 g sweet bean sauce, and 90 g water until smooth. Set aside. 将120g黄豆酱、120g甜面酱和90g水调匀备用。
3. Heat oil in a pan and sauté the ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add the onion and cook until softened. If you don’t have onion, you can skip this step. Onion or shallot is mainly for adding depth of flavor. 热锅下油，加入姜蒜末炒香。加入洋葱末炒至变软。如果没有洋葱，这一步可以省略。加洋葱或红葱头主要是为了增加香味层次。
4. Add the ground pork and star anise. If you don’t like the flavor of star anise, you can leave it out — its main role is to reduce the meaty smell. 放入猪肉碎和八角一起翻炒。不喜欢八角味道的可以省略，八角的作用是去腥。
5. Stir-fry the pork until it changes color, then add 1/2 tablespoon of cooking wine and mix well. 肉炒至变色后，加入半勺料酒拌匀。
6. Add the diced mushrooms and stir to combine. 加入香菇丁翻炒均匀。
7. Pour in the prepared sauce from Step 2. 倒入调好的酱汁。
8. Add 20 g of rock sugar, reduce to low heat, and stir until the sugar melts. 加入20g冰糖，小火翻炒至糖融化。
9. Continue simmering over low heat for 15–20 minutes, until oil begins to separate at the edges of the sauce. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. 继续小火炒15-20分钟，直到酱汁边缘有油析出即可。过程中记得不时搅拌，避免糊锅。
Voila! Bon appétit!
Tips:
- Soybean sauce and sweet bean paste are the essence of zhajiangmian — don’t skip them. 黄豆酱和甜面酱是炸酱面的灵魂，这两个一定不能少。
- Traditional toppings include soybeans, chopped celery, shredded watermelon radish, and cucumber. 传统的配菜包括黄豆、芹菜碎、心里美萝卜丝、黄瓜丝等。
- 洋葱也可以用葱白或红葱头代替，没有的话可以省略。Onion can be swapped with scallion whites or shallots, or left out if you don’t have any.
- 蘑菇丁主要是为了增加口感，没有也行（但最好能加）。Diced mushrooms add texture; you can skip them, though they’re highly recommended.
the Soycialist 