Authentic Zhajiangmian Chinese Noodle Dish

By
Liv Wan
Liv Wan
Liv Wan is a former professional chef who has published three cookbooks about Chinese and Taiwanese cuisine.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/24/22
Tested by
Diana Andrews
Headshot of Diana Andrews
Tested by Diana Andrews
Diana earned her B.A. in Fine Art at Queens College and her culinary certification from the Institute of Culinary Education. Diana has served as head recipe developer and editor for Emmy-nominated PBS series Moveable Feast, food editor and test kitchen manager at Fine Cooking Magazine, and recipe developer, and product tester at Food Network.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Authentic Zhajiangmian Chinese Noodle Dish in a bowl

The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Zhaijiangmian is a favorite Chinese noodle dish. There are many countries in the East that serve this delicious noodle dish with many different ingredients.

For example, Korean people serve this dish with julienned cucumber, onion, and yellow pickled radish. Beijing people like to cook the Zhajiangmian sauce with small diced pork belly and serve it with julienne cucumber, the white part of spring onions and bean sprouts. Taiwanese people like to cook the sauce with mince, extra firm tofu, chili bean sauce, and sweet bean sauce.

A final example is people from Hong Kong who like to cook Zhaijangmian sauce with chili bean sauce and ketchup as the main seasoning ingredients then serve with julienned carrot, julienned pork and black vinegar. As with a lot of Cantonese cooked food the flavor of the Hong Kong style Zhajiangmian is sweeter than in other places.

You can store the pork-tofu mixture in the freezer in small portions, then thaw and heat in your microwave. This will save you a lot of time when cooking dinner.

"This version of Zhajiangmian was incredibly flavorful. Once I chopped and measured the ingredients, the stir-frying went quickly. Although there are a lot of spicy components in this recipe, the level of heat was balanced by the softer flavors of tofu, sweet bean sauce, and a bit of sugar." — Diana Andrews

Authentic Zhajiangmian Chinese Noodle Dish/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 3 medium spring onions, finely chopped

  • 1 medium chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

  • 1 pound (about 453 grams) ground pork

  • 1 (12-ounce) block extra-firm tofu, squeezed dry and finely chopped

  • 2 tablespoons sweet bean sauce

  • 3 tablespoons chili bean sauce

  • 1 cup shelled edamame beans

  • 1 medium carrot, julienned, more for garnish, optional

  • 2 cups (about 120 grams) bean sprouts, more for garnish, optional

  • 1/4 cup water, divided

  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

  • 1/2 tablespoon dark soy sauce

  • 2 teaspoons sugar

  • 2 teaspoons corn flour

  • 1 pound (about 453 grams) wheat noodles

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

    Authentic Zhajiangmian Chinese Noodle Dish ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add the spring onions, chili pepper, and shallot. Stir-fry until softened, about 4 minutes.

    Spring onions, chili pepper, and shallot in a cast iron skillet with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  3. Add the ground pork and stir-fry until cooked through and no longer pink, breaking the meat into small pieces as you stir-fry. Add the extra-firm tofu and continue stir-frying until well combined, about 2 minutes.

    Tofu, spring onions, chili pepper, and shallot in a cast iron pan, with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  4. Add the sweet bean sauce, chili bean sauce, edamame, carrot, sprouts, 2 tablespoons cold water, light and dark soy sauce, and sugar. Stir-fry for another 2 minutes until well combined.

    Pork, tofu, sweet bean sauce, chili bean sauce, edamame, carrot, sprouts, cold water, light and dark soy sauce, and sugar in a cast iron pan with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  5. Stir the cornflour into the remaining 2 tablespoons cold water until combined. Add the cornflour mixture to the wok and cook for another 2 minutes. The sauce will thicken and look almost dry. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

    Cornflour mixture added to the pork and tofu mixture in the cast iron skillet, with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  6. Cook the noodles in the boiling water until al-dente. Drain and toss the noodles with the sesame oil.

    Pasta in a bowl with two forks

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  7. Divide the noodles evenly between bowls and top with the pork-tofu mixture. Garnish with additional carrots and sprouts, if desired, and serve immediately.

    Authentic Zhajiangmian Chinese Noodle Dish in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Tips

  • You can use ground pork that has at least 30 percent fat for the better taste and texture.
  • You can use dried noodles from a Chinese supermarket.
  • You can find extra-firm tofu in Chinese supermarkets, usually stored in the refrigerated area.

How to store

  • Store any remaining pork-tofu mixture in the freezer in small portions, thaw and reheat in the microwave with freshly boiled noodles for a quick dinner.