Zha Jiang Mian (Fried Sauce Noodles) – Saucy and savory
What is Zha Jiang Mian?
Who wants noodles? A big ass bowl of savory and saucy noodles.
Make your own bowl(s) of Zha Jiang Mien – or literally, fried sauce noodles – right at home. It’s a meaty, saucy, and savory bowl of chewy noodles, perfect for a quick dinner option on any night. All you do is cook the sauce, pour it over the noodles, and mix it all together with some fresh, green garnishes. It’s classic Chinese comfort food.
Fun fact: It’s a total hit with the kiddos, although it might be a bit of a mess for the parents to wipe up.
A good Zha Jiang Mian comes down to three fundamental ingredient groups: 1) noodles, 2) a meat sauce with a sweet bean sauce, and 3) a bit of a fresh crunch from a vegetable, usually cucumber or green onion.
Sure, exercise a few creativities – or practicalities based on what veggies you’ve already got in the kitchen — by using a different ingredient or two. (We used pickled daikon radishes for this recipe, re-purposed from another daikon soup of ours – why waste??! – and cilantro for the fresh crunch). As long as you stick to the 3 basic zha jiang food groups, you’ll be set with mixing up a tasty bowl of Zha Jiang Mian.
noodles, meat with broad bean sauce,
and a bit of fresh crunch
Recipe Notes
TOTAL TIME: 5 min prep. to cut the vegetables, and 25 min. on the stove and to mix together.
SERVES: 4-6 (or 1-2, depending on how much you’ll eat…)
EQUIPMENT: A wok (or sautee pan is fine), and a big bowl (to mix all the noodles in)
Thin or thick noodles?
Ingredients
- Dry Noodles – 2 handfuls. I get Shangdong style, but honestly, there are SO many kinds of Asian dry noodles (on par with pastas), so just focus on the main question: Do you want thin or thick noodles? And then just go from there. On this day, I was in the mood for thin noodles.
- Ground Meat – 1lb. Best is pork. Ground turkey is a solid second if you’re trying to watch your diet (and carbon footprint).
- Mushrooms – 2 cups. In this recipe, I used enoki (there was a sale), but you can also use the more traditional shitakes. Honestly, like dry noodles, there are so many different types of mushrooms, so go wild. Pick your favorite. It’ll all get minced and sauteed down anyway.
- Onion – 1 white or brown, minced.
- Garlic – 2-3 cloves, minched.
- PIckled Radishes (Optional) – 2-3 spoonfuls. This will add a nice texture and pickled, spicy flavor
- Tian Mian Jiang – A generous spoonful of sweet bean sauce, a thick dark brown sauce, that’s slightly sweet. It’s an essential for noodle dishes like this one
- Cilantro – 1/4 of a bundle. Chopped
- Green Onions – 2-3 sprigs. Sliced/chopped
- Rice Vinegar – Splash to taste (about 2 tbsp)
- Soy Sauce – 2-3 tbsp. Dark is preferred, but regular is fine
- Sesame Oil – 1-2 tsp. For when it’s time to mix noodle and meat sauce
- Oil – for cooking the meat sauce, and for adding in a little more when mixing together noodles and sauce
Instructions
- Boil a pot of water. Add in dry noodles when boiling. Make sure to check on the noodles – it’ll only take about 5 minutes for the noodles to cook. Take a strand and try it for texture to see if done. I like mine slightly al dente, as the noodles will continue to cook once done, and when mixed in with meat sauce.
- While noodles cook, heat wok up to medium high heat.
- Drizzle enough oil to coat the wok, toss in minced onion, meat, mushrooms, and add the Tian Mian Jang, and start stir-frying, careful not to let anything burn by sitting for too long.
- Once done, turn off heat from wok, and set aside on stove.
- Check noodles. When done, empty out in a collander.
- Pour noodles in mixing bowl.
- Pour meat sauce in mixing bowl over noodles.
- Add in pickled radishes, cilantro, green onions
- Splash in soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil
- Mix together until everything looks blended well. Add in any additional sauce to taste.
Kitchen Notes
Pickled radish – If you don’t feel in the mood for pickled radishes, easily replace with thinly sliced cucumbers, or just stick with the classic cilantro and green onions.
Save for the next day — these noodles are great for eating the next day too, although, there’s rarely any left when we make at home.
Don’t eat meat? Substitute the meat for baked tofu. Just cut up the tofu in small, thin cubes. It’ll add great texture.
Goes Great With...
You’ve already got your protein and some vegetables, and your starch in these Zha Jiang Mian, so you’re pretty set for balanced. But if you’re looking for more food, pair this with a side of stir-fried vegetables such as on-choy, gailan, spinach, or bok choy.
If you want more protein, try this with our Cantonese-Style Steamed Fish. The delicate texture yet flavorful aromatics of the Steamed Fish create a great balance in flavor with the Zha Jiang Mian.
If you’re in the mood for soup, here’s a classic Hot & Sour Soup, vegetarian-style.
Let me know what you think!
Did you try this recipe? Leave a comment or share, and let me know what you think. Happy simple, tasty eats!
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