Taiwanese beef noodle soup

Name: Taiwanese beef noodle soup
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 175 min
Yield: 4 bowls
Cuisine: Taiwanese
Ingredients: 1.2 kg Beef, shin or boneless short rib, cut into 4 cm chunks; 3 tbsp Doubanjiang, spicy fermented broad bean paste; 100 ml Soy sauce; 2 tbsp Dark soy sauce; 100 ml Shaoxing wine; 2 tbsp Sugar, rock sugar if you have it; 2 piece Tomato, quartered; 1 medium Onion, quartered; 40 g Ginger, sliced thick; 6 clove Garlic, smashed; 6 piece Spring onion, 4 in lengths for the pot, 2 sliced to serve; 2 piece Star anise; 1 piece Cinnamon stick; 1 tsp Sichuan pepper; 2 piece Bay leaf; 2 piece Fresh chilli, dried, whole; 3 tbsp Neutral oil; 2 l Water; 400 g Wheat noodles, thick, fresh or dried; 300 g Bok choi, halved, blanched; 1 handful Coriander

牛肉麵

Taiwan's red-braised beef noodle soup: shin simmered with doubanjiang, soy, tomato and spice over chewy wheat noodles and greens.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: 牛肉麵.

Start cooking

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 2 hr 30 min
Rest: None
Total: 2 hr 55 min
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Mild
Cost: A bit special$16–28 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Taiwanese beef noodle soup in its red-braised form is beef shin cooked slowly in a broth built on fried ginger, garlic and spring onion, spicy fermented broad bean paste, light and dark soy, Shaoxing wine, rock sugar, tomato and a few whole spices. After two hours the beef is yielding and the broth is dark, slightly sweet and warming rather than hot. It goes over thick wheat noodles with blanched greens and a spoonful of chopped pickled mustard greens, which cut the richness. Make the braise a day ahead if you can; the fat lifts off and the flavour settles. This recipe serves four generously.

What you'll need

21 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 21 ready

4 servings

Ingredients
To serve

Ingredients

Servings

Ingredients

Beef, shin or boneless short rib, cut into 4 cm chunks1.2 kg
Doubanjiang, spicy fermented broad bean paste44 ml
Soy sauce100 ml
Dark soy sauce30 ml
Shaoxing wine100 ml
Sugar, rock sugar if you have it30 ml
Tomato, quartered2
Onion, quartered1 medium
Ginger, sliced thick40 g
Garlic, smashed6 clove
Spring onion, 4 in lengths for the pot, 2 sliced to serve6
Star anise2
Cinnamon stick1
Sichuan pepper4.9 ml
Bay leaf2
Fresh chilli, dried, whole (optional)2
Neutral oil44 ml
Water2 l

To serve

Wheat noodles, thick, fresh or dried400 g
Bok choi, halved, blanched300 g
Coriander1 handful

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Blanch the beef in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain and rinse. Pat dry.
6 min
Step 2
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven. Fry ginger, garlic and spring onion lengths for 2 minutes, then the doubanjiang for 1 minute until the oil turns red. Add onion and tomato and cook 3 minutes.
6 min
Watch: Doubanjiang scorches. Medium heat, keep it moving.
Step 3
Add the beef, both soys, Shaoxing, sugar, the whole spices and chilli. Stir to coat, then add the water. Bring to a boil and skim.
8 min
Step 4
Cover and simmer very gently until the beef is tender enough to cut with a spoon but still holds its shape, 2 to 2.5 hours. Fish out the spices and ginger. Taste for salt and sugar.
135 min
Tip: Cool overnight, lift off the fat and reheat. The broth is clearer and tastes deeper.
Step 5
Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling water, drain, and divide between deep bowls with the blanched bok choi. Top with beef and a generous ladle of broth. Finish with sliced spring onion, coriander and chopped pickled mustard greens if you have them.
10 min

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 1189 kcal
Protein: 93.1 g
Carbs: 61.7 g
Fat: 59.3 g
Saturated fat: 19.8 g
Fibre: 5.4 g
Sugar: 15.1 g
Sodium: 3866 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Wheat
Soy

Dairy-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 11 November.

Substitutions

Doubanjiang → 2 tbsp gochujang plus 1 tbsp miso
Sweeter and less funky. Add a pinch of chilli flakes.

Tips

Add 300 g of beef tendon with the shin if you find it; after two hours it is soft and gelatinous and the shops charge extra for it.
Thick, chewy noodles stand up to the broth. Thin egg noodles go limp.
A spoon of chilli oil at the table for those who want it hotter.

History & culture

Taipei holds an annual beef noodle festival, and shops specialising in a single bowl have queues down the street. It is lunch, dinner and the dish Taiwanese students abroad try to recreate first. Shops offer clear broth or red-braised, and regulars argue about tendon, chewiness of noodles and how much pickle. It costs a few dollars and is treated with the seriousness of a national cuisine.

The red-braised version dates to the late 1940s, developed in the military dependants' villages around Kaohsiung by soldiers from Sichuan who had followed the Nationalist government to Taiwan, using local beef and their home chilli-bean paste. Beef had been rare in Taiwanese farming households, so the dish is a product of migration rather than tradition.

Traditional — Shops often add beef tendon and bones to the pot. Pickled mustard greens (suan cai) are the standard topping and worth seeking out in a Chinese grocer.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Taiwanese beef noodle soup take?

2 hr 55 min all in — 25 min prep, 2 hr 30 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 4 bowls. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Medium.

How spicy is it?

Mild.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Soy. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Dairy-free.

11 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

A bit special — about $16–28 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Dutch oven, Stockpot, Chef's knife.

How much salt do I put in?

This recipe does not list salt as its own ingredient. Saltiness comes from Soy sauce — 100 ml; Dark soy sauce — 2 tbsp. Taste at the end rather than adding a number we did not write.

How much soy sauce?

100 ml of Soy sauce.

How much dark soy sauce?

2 tbsp of Dark soy sauce.

How much sugar?

2 tbsp (rock sugar if you have it) of Sugar.

What can I use instead?

Doubanjiang → 2 tbsp gochujang plus 1 tbsp miso. Sweeter and less funky. Add a pinch of chilli flakes.

What should I watch for?

Doubanjiang scorches. Medium heat, keep it moving.

Any tips from this recipe?

Add 300 g of beef tendon with the shin if you find it; after two hours it is soft and gelatinous and the shops charge extra for it. Thick, chewy noodles stand up to the broth. Thin egg noodles go limp. A spoon of chilli oil at the table for those who want it hotter.

Can I prepare this ahead?

Cool overnight, lift off the fat and reheat. The broth is clearer and tastes deeper.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.