Zha Jiang Mian (炸酱面), or “Fried Sauce Noodles…” So famous in China that the mere mention of it immediately makes people think of Beijing. It’s sold everywhere—from street vendors to restaurants in five star hotels.
Prices can vary from 10RMB (about $1.60) to 100RMB, but trust me: higher prices don’t necessarily guarantee better taste. A dish of perfectly chewy noodles with a rich, meaty sauce, Zha Jiang Mian is just another one of those perfect dishes that you don’t really mess with too much.
A Local Beijing Recipe
One of our readers asked if we could share a recipe for this famous noodle dish, so I asked a local Beijing friend for their family recipe. He didn’t let us down, asking his sister (the best cook in their family) to write down her Zha Jiang Mian recipe for us. When I finally got the paper in my hands, I wasn’t quite sure what to say.
All the ingredients were there, of course. But no amounts were specified.
It was much like asking for directions in Beijing. The usual reply you’ll get is something along the lines of, “It’s ahead!” No one seems to think you’d need any more information than that. How far ahead? What landmarks do I look for? Should I be walking or taking a cab?
I looked at the recipe and felt simultaneously confused…and flattered that she seemed to trust that I’d know what to do with her very cryptic and vague instructions.
With her seemingly incomplete zha jiang mian recipe, it ended up taking two tries to get it right. Don’t worry, it’s easy!
Key Ingredients in Zha Jiang Mian
The Noodles:
For the noodles, look for any kind of thick, flour-based noodles. We used these wide, flat ones that tasted really delicious, but whatever you can find will work.
Tian Mian Jiang:
Look at your local Asian market for the sweet bean sauce and the ground bean sauce. Sweet bean sauce, or tian mian jiang (甜面酱) is a thick, dark brown sauce made from wheat flour, sugar, salt, and sometimes fermented yellow soybeans. (Fermented wheat flour should be the primary ingredient.)
It can be found in a can, or in plastic tubs. Some brands and recipes use Hoisin sauce and sweet bean sauce interchangeably, but generally I find hoisin sauce brands (especially the more commercial ones) are thinner, lighter and sweeter.
Better if you can find the darker, more concentrated version for this dish. Just look for these Chinese characters: 甜面酱. Ask the staff at your local Chinese grocery store to help you find it!
Ground Bean Sauce:
The ground bean sauce is also made with fermented yellow soybeans but is quite salty and less sweet. Look for this jar or something similar:
Read more about sweet bean sauce (tian mian jiang) and ground bean sauce in our Chinese Ingredients Glossary articles!
If you’re looking for a simple easier noodle recipe, then try out 15-Minute Chinese Hot Oil Noodles (You Po Mian) which is also a Beijing favorite or the Shanghai fried noodles stir-fry.
But if you’re a little more adventurous, then read on!
Zha Jiang Mian Recipe Instructions
Marinate the pork with the following for 15 minutes: ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon oil, 1/8 teaspoon white pepper.
Heat a tablespoon oil in your wok over medium heat and add the pork fat (if using).
Cook for 1 minute to render the fat down, and add the marinated ground pork to the wok. Cook for a minute to brown it, and then add the ginger and garlic. Let everything caramelize together.
Add the chopped shiitake mushrooms. Stir-fry everything together for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the sweet bean sauce or hoisin sauce, ground bean sauce, dark soy sauce, and water, stirring everything together well. Lower the heat and cover the wok. Simmer the sauce for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
While that’s happening, cook the noodles according to the package directions. Mix with the sauce…
…and toss with the julienned carrots, cucumbers, and scallions.
The amount of sauce made in this Zha Jiang Mian recipe should be good for 4 servings.
Let us know what you think when you try this Zha Jiang Mian Beijing classic!
Beijing “Fried Sauce” Noodles – Zha Jiang Mian
Ingredients
- 6 oz. ground pork (170g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon oil (plus 1 tablespoon)
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 oz. pork fat (finely minced; optional)
- 3 slices ginger (minced finely)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 6 fresh shiitake mushrooms (finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoons sweet bean sauce
- 3 tablespoons ground bean sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 cup water
- 8 oz. dried wheat noodles (or 1 pound fresh wheat noodles)
- 1 cup carrots (julienned)
- 1 cup cucumbers (julienned)
- 1/2 cup scallions (julienned)
Instructions
- Marinate the pork with the following for 15 minutes: ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon oil, 1/8 teaspoon white pepper.
- Heat a tablespoon oil in your wok over medium heat and add the pork fat (if using). Cook for 1 minute to render the fat down, and add the marinated ground pork to the wok. Cook for a minute to brown it, and then add the ginger, garlic, and mushrooms. Stir fry everything together for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the sweet bean sauce, ground bean sauce, dark soy sauce, and water, stirring everything together well. Lower the heat and cover the wok. Simmer the sauce for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- While that’s happening, cook the noodles according to the package directions. Mix with the sauce and toss with the julienned carrots, cucumbers, and scallions. This amount of sauce should be good for 4 servings.
hi can i replace the ground bean paste for ssamjang or korean soybean paste?
Hi Carmen, you can and it will taste great, just know that it will be Korean style zha jiang mian (which is a legit dish), not Beijing style any more :-) See Kaitlin’s recipe for the Korean version: https://thewoksoflife.com/korean-black-bean-noodles-jajangmyeon/
Hi Liz, I’m from Beijing and ate a lot of zhajiangmian growing up. This recipe looks a little off. While every family has its own recipe, there are a few things everyone follows and are not included here. First, the meat should be pork belly, which gives the famous layer of oil on top of the sauce. Ground pork and sometimes eggs are short cuts but will not give the layer of oil to 炸酱 and frankly are not called 炸酱. As the name suggests, the 酱 must get sauteed (炸). So, if there is no oil from the pork belly, the 酱 is not getting 炸ed (if that makes sense :). Second, no vegetable should be left in the sauce because back in the days, many people didn’t have refrigeration and this sauce was a way to preserve the meat for a few days. This means spices and vegetables that season the oil must be tossed. Like oil for green onion oil noodles. I personally have never seen a version with mushrooms. Most importantly, the bean paste are 干黄酱 and 甜面酱. Since 干黄酱 is fairly dense, you need to dilute it with a good amount of water and cooking wine in a separate bowl. Because 干黄酱 is diluted with lots of water, it takes a while to evaporate for the sauce to become saucy and not watery. Usually low heat for at least 30 minutes to simmer the bean paste and pork belly, if not an hour. The bean paste must be turned non stop to prevent burn. This way, the port belly becomes tender and gives off all the oil. Because it is so much work, people usually make a batch that last for a few days. The sauce can be paired with noodles, rice and as a dip for fresh vegetables. While it is a popular food, it is not fancy food and as a result, the recipe can’t be found in any cooking book. The last time I was in Beijing was in 2017, the two zhajiangmian restaurants I went were pretty disappointing. People who worked there are not from Beijing. In fact, a lot of native Beijingers have immigrated abroad, those who are left are not working in noodle shops. So the authentic taste is a bit lost. I love your blog and I hope my recommendations are helpful to keep the Chinese food here authentic.
Thank you very much, Ivy, for your input. It is our goal to keep the Chinese food here authentic :-)
I’m not a mushroom person so could I double the meat and leave out the shiitake?
Hi Liz, double the meat is too much. Maybe use 9 ounces instead of 6 ounces when leaving out the mushrooms. Or you can use finely diced carrot instead of mushroom.
Okay, I’m vegan.. any idea how jackfruit would work in place of pork?
I’ve actually been looking for a recipe to make both sauces… would you have those laying around? I. Much happier making my own sauces than buying them.
Thanks in advance.
—Whack
I use the ground impossible or beyond meat, and it works amazingly well.
Nice!