Zha Jiang Mian is one of the easiest noodle dishes you can make. People often describe it as the Chinese version of Bolognese, and I think that comparison is pretty accurate. It’s the kind of dish you can cook in advance, keep in the fridge, and pull out whenever you need a quick and comforting meal.

The only catch with the traditional recipe is the sweet bean sauce (tian mian jiang / 甜面酱). It’s not easy to find outside of China. I couldn’t get it even after checking several Asian markets in Auckland, New Zealand, and here in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, it’s only stocked in a few specialty Chinese supermarkets.

So for this version, I decided to simplify things. Think of it as my Malaysian twist on a Beijing classic, keeping it close to the original while using ingredients that are much easier to find.

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Ingredients for Easy Zha Jiang Mian

• Pork. Ground pork is almost indispensable in this recipe. If you substitute it with chicken or beef, the flavor will differ significantly from the original. Most restaurants prefer using pork belly, but since I’m cooking at home and want to reduce the consumption of animal fat, I’ve chosen the leaner pork shoulder instead. That said, using entirely lean meat will turn out dry and less tender.
• Mushrooms. I also add dried shiitake mushrooms for extra flavor. This is optional, as you can use fresh mushrooms instead. However, the dried ones have a deeper, more intense taste.
• Aromatics. The aromatics are quite standard: garlic, ginger, and the white part of the scallion (green onions).
• For seasoning, I use yellow soybean paste (known as Taucu in Malaysia). I add slightly more than the authentic recipe since I’ve omitted the sweet bean paste, which is hard to find outside China. You may add a small amount of oyster sauce and dark soy sauce to enhance the flavor and color, which is optional.
• Fresh vegetables. The accompanying vegetables are julienned carrots, cucumber, and cabbage. It is easier to cut them into fine, even strips with a Japanese mandoline. Another popular vegetable is bean sprouts.
• As for the noodles, you can use virtually any type you prefer. For this version, I’m using Shanghai noodles, the same kind I often use for scallion oil noodles.

Please watch the video 🎞️ located after the recipe below. 👇👇

How to Prepare the Sauce for the Noodles

Below are the step-by-step instructions for preparing Zha Jiang Mian.

a. Preparation

• Cut the pork into small pieces, then mince it finely. Alternatively, you can use the store-bought minced pork for convenience. However, mincing it yourself has the advantage of having more control over the texture, as you can make it very fine or mince it into slightly larger bits for a better mouthfeel.
• If you’re using dried shiitake mushrooms, soak them in water until fully hydrated. The soaking time depends on the thickness of the mushrooms. You can speed up the process by soaking them in hot water and placing something heavy on top to keep them submerged. Once the mushrooms are softened, slice or dice them into small cubes.
• Also, finely chop the garlic and ginger, and cut the white part of the scallion into short sections.

b. Cook the sauce

• Heat some vegetable oil in a wok or pan over low to medium heat. Add the minced pork and stir-fry slowly until it becomes dry and lightly browned. By this stage, most of the water will have evaporated, the meat will turn fragrant, and the fat from the pork will render. Add the mushrooms and continue stir-frying halfway through frying the pork.

• Once the pork turns light brown, dry, and aromatic, season with salt and sugar. Then add the fermented soybean paste (Taucu), dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Stir well to combine.

• Add some water to simmer over low heat until it thickens into a rich, glossy sauce. Stir in a splash of Shaoxing wine (optional) before removing the sauce from the heat.

• Use a Japanese mandoline (or a sharp knife) to cut the carrots, cabbage, and cucumber into fine julienne strips.

• Boil the noodles according to the instructions on the package. Drain well and transfer them to serving bowls.
• To assemble, top each bowl of cooked noodles with a generous ladle of the meat sauce, then arrange the julienned cucumber, carrots, and cabbage on the side. Serve immediately.

Continue to Content

Zha Jiang Mian (炸酱面): Authentic Chinese Fried Sauce Noodles Made Easy

Yield: 2 seervings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Make authentic Zha Jiang Mian at home with easy-to-find ingredients. Find out how to make delicious fried sauce noodles step by step.

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Ingredients

Ingredient A (the sauce)

• 250g ground pork
• 4 dried shitake mushrooms
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp chopped ginger
• 1 tbsp white section of spring onions
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 tbsp soybean paste (Taucu)
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)
• 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce (optional)
• 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce (optional)
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (optional)

Ingredients B (others)

• 1 cup carrots, julienned
• 1 cup cucumber, julienned
• 1/2 cup cabbage, julienned
• 400g noodles of your choice

Instructions

1. Heat some vegetable oil in a pan over low to medium heat. Add the minced pork and stir-fry slowly until it becomes dry and lightly browned
   Add the mushrooms and continue stir-frying halfway through frying the pork,
2. Season with salt and sugar. Then add the fermented soybean paste, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Stir well to combine.
3. Add some water to simmer over low heat until it thickens into a rich, glossy sauce.
4. Stir in a splash of Shaoxing wine before removing the sauce from the heat.
5. Use a Japanese mandoline (or a sharp knife) to cut the carrots, cabbage, and cucumber into fine julienne strips.
6. Boil the noodles according to the instructions on the package. Drain well and transfer them to serving bowls.
7. To assemble, top each bowl of cooked noodles with a generous ladle of the meat sauce, then arrange the julienned cucumber, carrots, and cabbage on the side. Serve immediately.
   

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 886Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 118mgSodium: 341mgCarbohydrates: 79gFiber: 8gSugar: 9gProtein: 46g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 25/9/2025

How Did the Name Zha Jiang Mian (炸酱面/Fried Sauce Noodles) Come About?

In most cases, the character Zha (炸) means “deep-fried.” However, in this context, it refers to a northern Chinese cooking method of stir-frying or sautéing ingredients in oil over moderate heat, not necessarily deep-frying.

The word Jiang (酱) means “sauce.” In this dish, the sauce made with soybean paste (taucu), oyster sauce, is gently fried in oil with the pork until the paste releases its aroma and flavors into the oil.

That is why the dish is called Zha Jiang (炸酱), or “fried sauce,” which literally describes the process of frying the sauce mixture, and is served with the noodles (面).