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A classic Beijing dish, Zha Jiang Mian features ground pork and onion cooked in a rich savory brown sauce with a hint of sweetness, tossed with noodles and then served with crunchy cucumber. It takes no time to prepare, is easy to cook, and can be prepared ahead of time. It’s a perfect one-bowl dish for hot days and is great for meal prep as well.

Zha Jiang Mian (Old Beijing Fried Sauce Noodle, 炸酱面)

5 from 3 votes
A popular classic Beijing dish, Zha Jiang Mian features ground pork and onion cooked in a rich savory brown sauce with a hint of sweetness, tossed with noodles and then served with crunchy cucumber. It takes no time to prepare, is easy to cook, and can be prepared ahead of time. It’s a perfect one-bowl dish for hot days and is great for meal prep as well.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: homestyle
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Maggie Zhu

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 12 oz (340 g) ground pork (*Footnote 1)
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
  • 3/4 cup (200 g) sweet bean paste (Tian Mian Jiang)
  • 1 1/2 cup (340 ml) water
  • 4 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
  • 1 white onion , diced
  • 12 oz (340 g) fresh wheat noodles (or 9 oz / 240 g dried wheat noodles) (*Footnote 2)

Topping options

Instructions

  • Add sweet bean sauce to a large bowl. Slowly blend in water and stir constantly, until water is fully incorporated.
  • Heat a large skillet or a wok over medium-high heat until hot. Add the oil and the ginger. Stir a few times to release the fragrance.
  • Add the pork. Cook, stir and chop, until the pork turns to small pieces and has browned. Pour in the Shaoxing wine. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the sweet bean sauce and turn to medium heat. Stir constantly, until the sauce thickens and turns darker, about 10 mins. If the sauce thickens too quickly and starts to feel like it's sticking to the bottom of the pan, turn to medium-low heat and slowly blend in more warm water, 2 tablespoons at a time. Reduce the heat if the pan gets too smoky.
  • Add the onion. Cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes, until the onion has softened but remains crispy. Turn off heat and transfer the sauce to a large bowl.
  • While cooking the noodle sauce, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook noodles according to instructions. Once done, drain the noodles immediately and rinse with cold tap water to stop cooking. Drain again.
  • Add noodles to individual serving bowls. Top noodles with sauce, cucumber, and stir fried tomato and egg if using. Garnish with cilantro or green onions. Serve as a main dish.

Notes

  1. My mom likes to use small diced pork instead of ground pork for a chewier texture. However I found ground pork easier to cook with and the result is great. You can try either way.
  2. This dish is usually served with chewy wheat noodles that are round and fatty, similar to udon noodles. The wide type of noodles also works well. If you cannot find fresh noodles, any dried noodles made from wheat flour will work.
  3. Serving Zha Jiang Mian with tomato and egg stir fry is my family’s favorite and an unconventional way to serve the dish. The soft eggs and tomato balance out the rich pork sauce and make the dish more balanced, in my opinion. Please feel free to leave this part out.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 311kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 22.9g, Fat: 14.6g, Saturated Fat: 2.9g, Cholesterol: 52mg, Sodium: 1617mg, Potassium: 453mg, Fiber: 2.6g, Sugar: 10.3g, Calcium: 54mg, Iron: 2mg